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Christie Dominates Republican Opponents in Primary Debate
Also: A good showing by Vivek Ramaswamy and a lackluster performance from Ron DeSantis.
It was bound to be a bit of an odd night.
The presumed front runner having skipped the debate, concurrent with a looming arrest on several charges in multiple districts, the topic of Donald Trump was the elephant in the room. The 900-pound gorilla everyone — from the hosts to the network to the debate participants — tried to simultaneously ignore, downplay, and/or condemn — depending.
The first arrest of a former U.S. President in history — scheduled for the following day no less — cast a long shadow.
As for political ingenue Vivek Ramaswamy, a standout performance has left him with immediate benefits and new threats. Fundraising benefits; knives out from the press.
The other Republicans onstage Wednesday night, including former Vice President Mike Pence, did for Ramaswamy what Donald Trump refused to do for them. By repeatedly mixing it up with Mr. Ramaswamy, his better-known, more established counterparts — including several governors, a U.S. Senator, and a former Vice President — breathed new life and heart into his campaign.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis entered the debate in a stronger position than the other candidates, and…