Who won the Republican debate?

CNN debate winners: (Those who helped their cause or exceeded expectations) Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio. Fiorina proved a verbal combatant of the first order, Rubio, already proven, looked presidential and offered clarity.

Lesser winners: Chris Christie (while I was ticked by his “you can interrupt everybody on this stage Carly, but not me” B.S., he reminded people that he existed and was a fighter. Ted Cruz: Some Trump folks may be giving him a second look.

Related: Dave Ross on the other winner

Neutral: Scott Walker had a good opening line on Trump, then lost that aggressive posture.

Jeb Bush: He was the sponge that was stuck absorbing Trump’s wrath. He deserved better. He was more capable this time, but surrendered the microphone to Trump at one point. He had his moments, but I don’t think they were enough to change those not already in his camp.

Rand Paul: His supporters will still support him, but for a guy who promised to mix it up, he seemed tired and dispirited.

Losers: Donald Trump’s insult came back to haunt him and his bluster is becoming old. He still had some funny lines, but he’s looking smaller.

John Kasich: Who? Where’d he go?

Mike Huckabee: Humorous, a peace-maker, passionate about religious liberty, yet looks like even he knows his campaign is on borrowed time. He wants to cure heart disease and diabetes, but in 2008, he pointed out in “Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork” that the first step to that is taking care of your own health. I know how hard that can be, but in a presidential race, it gives the impression he’s not there to win it, leaving you wondering why he is there.

Dr. Ben Carson: He shined in the first debate, but seemed distracted and confused at times. He missed some softball opportunities (the autism question) hurt the most by the fact that others like Fiorina did better, which could lead to some supporters switching camps.