Fiorina looks to capitalize on undercard debate performance

Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina turned in a forceful performance in a debate of seven Republican presidential hopefuls whose polling numbers weren’t high enough for tonight’s 10-candidate main event. Kasich made the decision – unpopular with conservatives – to expand Medicaid in his state.

She said Trump appeals to frustrated and disillusioned voters.

Before Donald Trump took center stage in the prime-time Republican primary debate, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry faced off with six other candidates Thursday afternoon in what many called the “happy hour debate”, for all those who didn’t make the top 10.

Fiorina is the only Republican woman in the race, a former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard whose lacks national name recognition but who insists she would be the best counterweight to Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

“She was very presidential, she knows Middle Eastern leaders and has dealt with them on a technical basis”, he said. When moderator Martha MacCallum asked about the bombastic ex-reality TV star’s recent ascent in the polls, she took her first big swipe at a fellow Republican. Clinton adroitly played the victim and painted her opponent as a male chauvinist bully. “I ask that with all due respect”. Marco Rubio of Florida, U.S. Sen.

They all called for the destruction of ISIS, defunding of Planned Parenthood over videos of officials talking about selling body parts and said that Hillary Clinton would simply bea continuation of the Obama presidency.

Graham also offered the most hawkish vision in a saber-rattling crowd.

Prompted by a question from the audience, Perry also talked about term limits for Supreme Court justices. He added that he didn’t think Republicans would vote for someone like Trump who has supported a single-payer government insurance system.

Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina speaks at the RedState Gathering, Friday, August 7, 2015, in Atlanta.

The big question for the other nine candidates on the stage is whether any of them can break out of the pack by generating a memorable moment that will leave a lasting and positive impression with voters, despite the long shadow cast by huge personality and popularity of Trump.

“When you are unelected, and you are appointed, the concept of “I’m here and there ain’t really nothing you can do about it” is not really what America is all about”, Perry said.

Gilmore, the last man into the 17-candidate race and one of the least known in the field, routinely circled back to his resume at the beginning of his answers, pointing out that he chaired the Homeland Security commission before 9/11 and was governor of Virginia during the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. “And nobody, nobody on either one of these stages has done more than I’ve done and the people of the state of Texas to deal with securing that border”, said Perry.

“It is not any more than Dred Scott was settled law to Abraham Lincoln, who, in his first inaugural address, said, ‘It won’t stand, ‘” Santorum said.

Perry revealed his own Carly crush in the midst of the debate, when asked how he would handle Iran and its nuclear ambitions.