Republican Undercard Debate: Live Coverage

Yeah, Chris Christie just attacked Hillary Clinton, as he has done before. Talk about knowing who your audience is. Clinton has just a 7 percent favorable rating to 90 percent unfavorable rating among Republicans, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released last week. That -83 percentage point net favorability rating is far below even the most unpopular Republicans.

I’m impressed at how consistently Christie has gone after Clinton, since the very first debate. It’s a no-brainer, as Nate points out, but I also think it shows he’s playing the GOP establishment game. He’s sending a signal to the donors and potential endorsers out there that he has his eye on a bigger prize. Much of the GOP establishment itself doesn’t love the direction that the primary process pulls candidates, and he may be catering to that frustration.

I mean, if people remember them, then it works in a positive way. Jindal has been in the undercard for a long time, so he figured, “Why not mix it up?” But it’s better to rise above it, just as Christie did. He’s a good debater.