Mixed Results in Fox Business Network Debate

Strategic Insights -

The eight Republican candidates who participated in the Fox Business Network debate at the Milwaukee Theater in Milwaukee Tuesday evening showed a mix of strong performances, with no clear winner emerging. The debate marked the least-crowded main stage of the Republican primary season, featuring candidates who had a strong moment or two, but no one came away badly bruised. Pundits generally agreed that the candidates fared well throughout the two-hour debate, with no clear frontrunner.

Key Takeaways:

  • The debate marked the least-crowded main stage of the Republican primary season, featuring eight candidates.
  • Businessman Donald Trump won almost 42 percent of the vote in the Drudge Report's online poll, while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was the winner with 29 percent in the Wall Street Journal poll.
  • Executive chairman of News Corp. Rupert Murdoch praised all candidates except Trump, highlighting the lack of clear frontrunners.
  • Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina shined by consistently rattling off well-rehearsed answers on foreign-policy issues, showcasing her knowledge.
  • Texas Sen. Ted Cruz performed strongly on social media, with over 73K mentions, second only to Donald Trump's over 75K mentions.
  • Most of the negative mentions on Trump were due to his provocative comments, with 55.5 percent of his social media mentions being negative.
  • Jeb Bush's strong performance did not seem to alleviate concerns about his campaign's future prospects, with Fox Business Network analysts predicting a continued decline in support.
  • New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was hailed as the winner of the lower-tier debate, dominating the proceedings with his expertise on issues and humorous comments about Hillary Clinton.
  • Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was the most forceful in the undercard debate, attacking Christie and other rivals, showcasing his conservative credentials.

Statistics:

  • The debate took place at the Milwaukee Theater.
  • 8 candidates participated in the main stage of the debate.
  • Donald Trump won 42% of the vote in the Drudge Report's online poll.
  • Marco Rubio won 29% of the vote in the Wall Street Journal poll.
  • 73,400 Twitter mentions were recorded for Ted Cruz.
  • 75,000 Twitter mentions were recorded for Donald Trump.
  • 55.5% of Trump's social media mentions were negative.

Sources:

  • The Drudge Report
  • The Wall Street Journal
  • The Atlantic
  • Breitbart
  • Fox Business Network
  • News Corp
  • The Street
  • The Washington Post
  • National Public Radio