Carly Fiorina’s Standout Debate Performance

She fought and scraped her way from an afterthought in the crowded Republican presidential field to the hands-down victor of this week’s debate at the Reagan Presidential Library.

She can afford to smile. Those plans may now have to go on hold.

While the three men said they believed Trump did well in the CNN Debate, Linda Daley said she wanted to see the candidate getting into specifics.

There were a couple of signature moments.

The billionaire added: “She’s playing the game herself”. I think the winning candidate will be like that. “Would anyone vote for that?” he was quoted as saying. “Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?” Last night I was very nice to her [during the debate] and some people thought I was being sarcastic. “This is about the character of our nation, and if we will not stand up in and force President Obama to veto this bill, shame on us”. Fiorina’s response was the flawless mix of conservatism and “yeah, sistah!”

The real-estate entrepreneur went on to talk about how he has made more than $10 billion. It is a gesture. “And I think it diminishes a candidate to get into that”. “And I think I did that successfully”. Women are half the potential of this nation.

ANDREA MITCHELL: Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire today, down in the polls, reaching out to women voters after a fierce attack from Carly Fiorina targeting Planned Parenthood.

“When someone is addicted you watch them disappear before your eyes”, she said, as many in the arena seemed to know her daughter had died of an overdose.

SIMI VALLEY, Ventura County – Who is this Carly Fiorina? Well, let’s frame the answer to that in terms of her own accomplishments.

It’s not clear whether the fact that Trump bowed out at the last minute, citing a pending “significant business transaction”, helped or hurt Fiorina’s cause. “She presented herself well and came across as very knowledgeable about the issues”, West said. But there are, indeed, nasty bits which are now being heavily scrutinised.

For the record, Trump has never filed for personal bankruptcy. But she is hardly the most overpaid CEO in corporate America, either then or now. She did not regret her “tough choices”, because tough cookies (my phrase) make enemies.

No candidate took the stage with a greater opportunity, or higher expectations, than Carly Fiorina.

The crowd grew quiet, and Fiorina grew emotional, as she spoke about the ravages of addiction.

She wasn’t even involved in the previous debate.

Voters can expect more fireworks between the two GOP candidates as Trump has emerged as Fiorina’s fiercest critic – repeatedly bringing up Fiorina’s business record in recent weeks – while Fiorina has not hesitated to take on the front-runner. In an oft-told story of being subjected to sexist comments — including being called a token bimbo — Fiorina decided she would not tolerate being disrespected, regardless of the consequences. But there is a human side to Fiorina too, and it’s not all warm and fuzzy and feelgood. While she headed Hewlett Packard and from which she was sacked in 2005, she oversaw a merger with Compaq that led to the loss of some 30,000 jobs, while she got a fat golden parachute upon leaving the company.

Any female who has performed or spoken in public will tell you that one of the biggest criticisms they get is that they ought to smile while performing. It’s also one that might sound familiar to California Democrat Barbara Boxer, who defeated Fiorina in a 2010 California Senate race.

Her most memorable line came when she was asked to respond to frontrunner Donald Trumps insulting comments about her appearance.