***Live Updates*** 11 GOP Presidential Candidates Debate in Main Event

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Getty Images: Sandy Huffaker, Justin Sullivan,
Tony Lee

Before the three-hour main event at 8 PM EST at the Ronald Reagan Library, the undercard will feature Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, former New York Governor George Pataki, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

Three candidates who were with the four at Fox News’s so-called “happy hour” debate will not be on the undercard. Carly Fiorina, with her standout performance, moved up in the polls and will be joining ten other candidates in the main debate. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry dropped out of the race. Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore did not even make the cut for the undercard.

Stay tuned as Breitbart News provides live updates and commentary of both events. There is actually an audience for the undercard debate, unlike the empty stadium that awkwardly greeted the candidates at Fox News’s happy hour debate. The Reagan Library and Southern California, as always, look stunning. All that’s missing is Brent Musburger saying “you are looking live” or a Keith Jackson introduction.

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*** TRUMP WINS DRUDGE POLL****

As of 12: 21 AM ET, Trump led the Drudge Report’s poll on who won the debate.

Trump received 59% of the vote (181, 339 votes). Fiorina was in second with 16% (48, 621), and Cruz was in third with 6% (17,395).

The last word, from Joel Pollak:

I think CNN made a mistake in having Tapper, Bash, and Hewitt do both debates back to back. Five straight hours is asking a lot. Both debates, in my opinion, would have been a lot better if CNN had a “B team” for the undercard debate and used their “A team” for the primetime Main Event. 

Candidates are asked how the world would look different once their Air Force One is parked in the hangar of your presidential library:

Christie: He says his first vote was for Ronald Reagan and his presidency would be about Americans who think America’s generosity is being taken advantage of and the system is being gamed. He says “our presidency” would end that and reward those who pay by the rules and level the playing field for everybody. He says he will not shake hands with, meet with, agree to anything with a country that says “death us” and “death to Israel” while holding our hostages. He says Americans will be able to stick out our chests and say we are the greatest nation in the world because we live our lives that way each and every day.

Kasich: He says America was never great because we ran it from the top down. He says we need to revive the concept of citizenship where everybody’s actions make a huge difference in changing the world. He cites a line from the Holocaust Memorial on his statehouse grounds–“if you’ve saved one life, you’ve saved the world”–he says we need to adopt that as citizens.

Fiorina: Fiorina says Lady Liberty and Lady Justice symbolize what we can be and must be. She says Lady Liberty stands tall and strong and is clear-eyed and resolute and holds her torch high because she knows she is a beacon of hope in a very troubled world. She adds that Lady Justice  holds a sword by her side because she is a fighter, a warrior, for the values and principles that made this nation great. She holds a scale in her other hand and with that scale she says that all of us are equal in the eyes of God so all of us should be equal in the eyes of the law–powerful and powerless. She says Lady Liberty wears a blindfold and with that blindfold she is saying to us that it must be true, it can be true that in this country, in this century, it doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what you look like, it doesn’t matter how you start, it doesn’t matter your circumstances, every American’s life must be filled with the possibilities that come from their God-given gifts–one nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

Great closing, but it seems like an answer that she prepared and was going to use regardless of what the question was for her closing.

Walker: He is an internal optimist like Reagan and his America will be free of radical Islamic terrorism and have a federal government is not too big to fail. He cites his record of reform and combating special interests in Wisconsin. He says he won’t back down and will fight and win for  you and your families.

Bush: He notes that 6 million more people are in poverty since President Barack Obama took office. He calls for a 4% growth strategy

Trump: He says we will make this country greater than ever before. More jobs. He says many of the things discussed tonight will not be forgotten. The world will respect us. And it’ll be a friendlier world.

Carson: He said he was a Democrat before he heard Ronald Reagan and Reagan did not sound like what he was told a Republican sounded like. He says Reagan was a master of understanding that a pinnacle nation is one that leads.

Paul: Notes that his family supported him against Gerald Ford and he met him when he was a teenager. He says he would be a Reagan conservative who believes in “peace through strength” knowing that war is our last result and we go to war in a Constitutional way and reluctantly.

Huckabee: Would would be safe place without threats to Israel and our allies. He says people wouldn’t bully us anymore. Domestically, there would be no IRS and abortion would be no more like slavery. He says it would be a good place to raise our kids and grandkids.

Rubio: He says he hopes Air Force One would fly to our allies in South Korea and Israel and also fly into China and Moscow. He says he hopes that his Air Force One will also land in a free Cuba where people can choose to lead their own destinies.

Cruz: He says the bust of Churchill will be back in the Oval Office. Our embassy will be in Jerusalem. Cruz says at home that students will find two, three, four, five job opportunities because of regulatory reform and flat tax. “We’ll kill the terrorists, we’ll repeal Obamacare and we’ll defend the Constitution, every single word of it.”

Candidates are asked about what they would want their Secret Service code name to be:

1) Chris Christie: Truehart

2) Kasich: Unit One

3) Fiorina: Secretariat

4) Walker: Harley (love riding harleys)

5) Bush: EverReady… he says it’s “very high-energy, Donald.”

6) Trump: Humble

7) Carson: One Nation

8) Cruz: Cohiba

9) Rubio: Gator

10) Huckabee: Duck Hunter

11) Paul: Justice Never Sleeps

  Candidates are asked what woman they would like to see on the 10 dollar bill. 1) Paul: Susan B. Anthony 2) Huckabee: His wife 3) Rubio: Rosa Parks 4) Cruz: He says he would take Jackson off and would leave Alexander Hamilton. Names Rosa Parks. 5) Carson: His mother. 6) Trump: Rosa Parks or daughter Ivanka 7) Bush: Thatcher 8) Walker: Clara Barton 9) Fiorina: Don’t change the $10 or $20 bill. 10) Kasich: Mother Teresa 11) Christie: Abigail Adams 10: 48: Topic is now vaccines/measles outbreak. Tapper says that Trump has linked autism to childhood vaccines. When Carson is asked if Trump should stop saying this, he says there have not been studies that have found a correlation between vaccines and autism. Carson says vaccines are very important (the ones that prevent death or crippling) but there are others that need some discretion. Trump responds that autism has become an epidemic. He says he is in favor of vaccines but wants smaller doses over a long period of time. He doesn’t want babies to be pumped with vaccines that seem like they have been meant for horses. He says there will be a big impact on autism. Carson, when asked about Trump’s medical take, responds that Trump is an “okay doctor” (Trump said Carson was an “okay” brain surgeon). It was a funny moment and Carson did not seem nasty and was actually very likable. Trump did not take offense (note: Trump’s poll numbers didn’t spike as much for the first time after he went after Carson, who is likable). Actually another great television moment between the two.

10: 46: Christie is asked about climate change and says Rubio is not a “skeptic” of climate change and says a “massive government intervention” is not needed to combat climate change.

10:45: Tapper asks Rubio about climate change. Rubio says he doesn’t want the destroy the economy and make it harder to do business and create jobs in America by pursuing policies/proposals regarding climate change that would do nothing change the climate/weather. He says America is not a planet and notes that China is the largest carbon producer.

10:44: Christie says Social Security should not be paid out to people who don’t really need it and protect the people for whom Social Security means the difference between paying for heat, food and rent.

10:43: Trump says he is okay, speaking for himself, that he is fine with not getting Social Security. As a policy, he says he should leave it up to the people since they paid into the system. He says personally he would be willing to write it off.

10:42: Cruz notes he has been honored by the Gun Owners of America as the strongest defender of the Second Amendment.

10:40: Rubio says the only people who follow the law are law-abiding people so you can pass all the gun laws in the world and criminals will ignore them. Rubio says today’s left-wing government is undermining the institutions that strengthen and support the family and teach values.

10:38: Hewitt asks Bush about guns and mental health. When asked if a state should be able to get someone’s weapon if a family member calls and says they are disturbed, Bush says there needs to be a hearing first.

10:36: Fiorina movingly speaks about having had to bury her child due to drug addiction. She says the marijuana kids smoke today is not the same as what Jeb smoked 40 years ago and says “we need to tell young people the truth–drug addiction is an epidemic.”

10:33: Christie says we need to be pro-life for more than just the time in the womb. But he also says “we should not be legalizing gateway drugs” and refute’s Paul’s notion that the individual is the only victim and that is why he’d enforce federal laws. Paul says Christie does not believe in the 10th Amendment. Paul says Christie would put a young mother in jail for treating her child’s disease/seizures with cannabis oil if she is in violation of federal law.

10:28: Tapper turns to marijuana legalization.

Paul points out that poor Hispanic and African-American kids go to jail for smoking marijuana while rich kids who use drugs don’t go to jail. He says the only victim is in the individual and would like to see more rehabilitation and less incarceration, which hurts the inner cities. Paul says the federal government should not override the states.

He says American people don’t like hypocrisy and he says there is “at least one prominent example on stage” (Jeb Bush) who smoked marijuana in high school and is now for tougher sentencing laws.

Paul says people like Bush who have privilege don’t go to jail for smoking marijuana while poor people go to jail.

Bush and Paul spar over medical marijuana. Bush says he voted against medical marijuana on the ballot in Florida but is not against medical marijuana.

10:23: Huckabee would have litmus tests for Supreme Court Justices (do you think that an unborn child is a human being or just a blob of tissues.). He would want to know about their views on religious liberty, the 2nd amendment, 5th Amendment, 14th Amendment. He says he would make darn sure they believe in the 10th Amendment.

10: 21: Cruz said if the Bushes had appointed Edith Jones (instead of Souter) and J. Michael Luttig (instead of Roberts) Obamacare would have been struck down and the marriage laws of all 50 states would be on the books. He blasts establishment Republicans for not wanting to spend political capital to put principled conservatives on the court. Cruz says that every single Supreme Court Justice will faithfully follow the law and not act as philosopher kings imposing their liberal policies on Americans. 

10:19: Bash asks Bush if it was a mistake for Jeb Bush’s brother to appoint John Roberts. Bush talks about not appointing judges with clear and proven conservative records (he could also be speaking about his father’s appointment of David Souter because Sununu promised Bush 41 that Souter would be a conservative judge).

10:16: Rand Paul says “there will always be a Bush or Clinton” if the country wants to go back to war in Iraq. He rails against Saudi Arabia and wonders why we are the patsies who fights their wars. Paul insists the boots on the ground should be Arab and emphasizes that Saudi Arabia is not even taking in refugees.

10:13: Huckabee says the most dangerous president is someone who doesn’t know what he doesn’t know (another veiled shot at Trump), and he says that is why we need someone who has had national security experience.

10:07: Great television moment with Trump putting his hand out to Carson for a  high-five after Carson said that he advised Bush not to go to war in Iraq. A good moment between the two who had been sort of feuding over the week.

10:04: Paul says the Iraq War made the situation with Iran worse and we are “still paying the repercussions of a bad decision.”  Bush says “voids are created” when “we pull back.”

10:03: When Trump attacks George W. Bush, Jeb said he is proud of his brother for keeping America safe. When Trump says he doesn’t feel too safe, Walker says it is because of Obama and not Bush.

10:00: Hewitt asks Trump for some names regarding military advisers. Trump says judgment is what matters most and says he is the only person on the stage that fought against going into Iraq.

9:56: Rubio says a president must be able to lead the country on the first day and implies that Trump may not be ready because he does not know the names of terrorist leaders that Trump said may be dead by the time he gets in office. Trump says he is a businessman doing transactions and is not a United States Senator and jabs Rubio’s terrible voting record.

**This is where Trump needs better advisers and should have had an answer for the question about his lack of knowledge about minutiae that he knew was coming after the Hewitt interview***  This would have been a perfect time to cite what the late Tim Russert said the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) — Trump could have cited his New York ties to boot — told him. As I have previously written: 

And if Trump ever wonders if he belongs in the arena without having spent a lifetime in politics, he should remember what the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY) told the late Tim Russert when Russert had doubts about whether he belonged in Washington with folks who had Ivy League degrees and Rhodes Scholarships. Moynihan allegedly told his aide, “Look, Tim, you can learn what they know. They can never learn what you know.” Just like Trump hired the best lawyers as a businessman because nobody would expect him to know all of the laws and statutes, he would hire the best policy advisers to brief him on the minutiae. And voters get that. They care more about whether somebody cares about them and what they will do with the information that the policy geeks give him than how many obscure policy details a candidate can regurgitate on a given night. Voters don’t “grade” debates like mainstream media pundits and opposition researches, which is something many in the permanent political class somehow never understand.

9:54: Trump is asked to respond to Hewitt’s pop quiz. He remarks that Hewitt has admitted that  he did not phrase the question properly. Two reason Trump appeals to the average voter. Trump says Hewitt read him Arab name after Arab name. Americans know how complicated those names are so they get why he may have had trouble. He also jabs Hewitt by saying he thinks Hewitt was reading the names off of a list, which makes viewers think that Hewitt himself may not have known the names without a cheat sheet.

This debate, so far, has not left a mark. Trump has a three touchdown lead and the teams are trading punts and allowing Trump to run out the clock. Running out the clock is a win for Trump and nothing in the first two hours suggests Trump, though you never know with Mike Leach-style offense, will throw an interception for a touchdown. And nothing suggests that the others will keep scoring points either. A draw is a win for Trump. It’s as simple as that.

9:45: WE HAVE A HUGH HEWITT APPEARANCE! It would have been funny if he, like Carson did in the last debate, told Tapper he was wondering if he would ever be able to talk again. Though this is not saying much when compared to Tapper and Bash, Hewitt is the most engaging questioner of the three who at least doesn’t put people to sleep.

He says Kasich doesn’t attack Clinton and Fiorina has been fiercely on the attack against Clinton. He asks which one is wrong.

Kasich says he wants to introduce himself to voters first so he is not focusing on attacking Clinton. Kasich says Hillary will not beat him in Ohio.

Fiorina says Clinton will have to defend her track record of lying about Benghazi, lying about her emails, lying about her servers. She repeats parts of her stump speech about Clinton not having a record of accomplishments.

9:44: Carson says there should be two minimum wages — a started and a sustainer. He says young people will never have a job if the minimum wage is so high. He also suggests indexing it “so we never have this conversation again.”

9:43: Walker, who has said that it was “lame” for Carson to say that the federal minimum wage should be raised, says he wants people to get the skills to ultimately earn way more than the minimum wage. He then shifts about his plan to repeal Obamacare on Day one.

9:42: Paul calls for a 14.5% flat rate tax system. 9:41: Carson says he will talk to the American people about what type of tax structure they would prefer since it is a government of, by , and for the people. 9:38: Huckabee touts his support for the Fair Tax. He says it would be a tax on consumption rather than productivity. Huckabee says most of us would like to pay tribute to Reagan, who talked about how great the American people were and not just himself (another veiled shot at Trump from Huckabee). ***This debate has absolutely no flow and watching it is like watching the first quarter of Monday night’s Vikings-49ers game. No rhythm. No flow. Disjointed. Bad television.*** 9:35: Christie slams Fiorina for interrupting everyone on stage. He says the construction walker who is unemployed could care less about the back and forth between Fiorina and Trump. 9:30: Fiorina asked about questionable record at Hewlett-Packard (disastrous merger with Compaq, received a golden parachute while thousands of workers were laid off). She says Tom Perkins now says she would make a good president and said she ruffled feathers by challenging the status quo. Trump said Hewlett-Packard still has not recovered from Fiorina’s leadership. Trump says “Fiorina can’t run any of my companies.” Fiorina slams Trump for running up mountains of debt with his casinos. Trump notes that almost all of the companies in Atlantic city are in trouble. He says many of the business people that we know has used bankruptcy laws.

Birthright citizenship:

9:29: Paul says he hates to say it but Donald Trump sort of has a point on birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment. Paul says the issue has never been fully adjudicated, noting the author of the 14th amendment applied to slaves and not to everyone else.

9:26: Tapper tries to get Trump and Fiorina to spar regarding birthright citizenship. Trump says “I don’t think so” to a woman who is nine months pregnant and crosses the border, and has a baby in this country. He notes that no other country is dumb enough to give automatic birthright citizenship.

Fiorina attacks Democrats for not solving the problem but disagrees with Trump on birthright citizenship.

9:25: Carson says his plan is not amnesty. He says he has talked to farmers and there are not enough Americans to do the work that they need. He says those who are legalized under his plan would not get the privileges of American citizenship.

9:23: Rubio says America has three immigration problems. People come here illegally. Legal immigration system doesn’t work. And there are millions of people who are already here illegally. He says he has learned that American can’t deal with all three issues with one massive piece of legislation.

**It is worth noting that Rubio was leading in most GOP presidential polls before he became the face of the Senate’s Gang of Eight. His numbers plummeted after. And he has never recovered. ***

9:22: Cruz says he is glad Trump has forced the mainstream press to discuss illegal immigration. He says he is the only one on stage who has not supported amnesty. He says he stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Jeff Sessions.

9:20: Rubio jumps in and talks about his grandfather who did not speak English. He said his grandfather instilled him in the belief that the son of a bartender could succeed in America but noted that he told him that in Spanish.

9:18: Bash asks Trump what is wrong with speaking Spanish. Trump says English is needed to speak English. This is a country where we speak English, not Spanish. Trump’s message will resonate with the silent majority regardless of what the media think.

9:15: Dana Bash, always on the establishment’s team and cozy with the bevy of consultants in the permanent political class, lobs a softball question to Jeb Bush, asking if Trump went too far invoking his wife during the immigration debate. Perhaps one of Bush’s aides suggested that Bash ask the question to make Bush seem “tough” (Bush didn’t look that tough, by the way), Bush asks Trump to apologize to his wife while Trump tells Bash that she mischaracterized his remarks.

Trump says Bush is “weak on immigration” and mentions that he supports Common Core.

Bush cites the book he wrote on immigration, Immigration Wars, while Trump says the country spends $200 billion a year on maintaining what we have.

9:13: Carson says “the rest of the stuff doesn’t really matter” unless we seal the border. When asked to respond to his criticisms about Trump’s plan, Carson doesn’t attack Trump and says Trump’s plan is “worth discussing.”

9:12: Christie says that Trump’s immigration plan is not reasonable to deport 15,000 people a day for two years. He says Trump is right in calling for securing the border. Christie says we need to do it with more than just a wall. He says people should not be allowed to overstay their visas.

9:10: Immigration: Trump is asked about how much his plan will cost and how it will get done. He says he wants to build a wall. Trump says we have some “really bad dudes” from outside the country. He says “they’re gone” the first day he is elected. He says “we have a country based on laws” and notes that immigration has become a huge issue because he brought up the subject. Trump says some illegals will be allowed to come back if they have not committed crimes but criminals will never be allowed to come back.

9:07: Fiorina is asked about Trump’s comments about her face. She is asked about Trump’s persona. She says “women all over the country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.”

Trump says “I think she has a beautiful face and she is a beautiful woman.” Good line for Trump. More people will now hear those comments on loop than will have read the Rolling Stone article. Political class falsely assumes the public reads everything they read. They don’t.

9:03: Bush claims he is the “most pro-life” governor on the stage and talks about how he defunded Planned Parenthood. Bush

**CNN seems to think its audience is consultants in the political class who keep score regarding process points. Tapper needs to be more of an alpha male as a moderator, especially when there are 11 candidates on stage. This is not good television, with the candidates and the moderator and the panelists just jumping from topic to topic and being all over the map. The debate is underscoring CNN’s production problems and underscores many of the problems it has as a network in trying to make the news compelling enough for people to tune in and watch.***

8:59: Fiorina links Iran and Planned Parenthood. She says one has to do with the defense of the nation and the other regarding the character of the nation. She dares Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch the videos and “shame on us” if we do not force President Barack Obama to veto this bill.

8:58: Cruz blasts GOP leadership in both houses of Congress for “preemptively surrendering” on the defunding Planned Parenthood fight. 8:56: Kasich says governors should be given the ability to defund Planned Parenthood but should be very careful about shutting down the government. 8:55: Jeb says there should be accommodations for Davis even though he believes Davis has sworn to uphold the law. 8:53: Huckabee says he is here to fight for Kim Davis and doesn’t slam Jeb for not believing that her jailing was an example of the “criminalization of Christianity.” He talks about judicial tyranny. He says the country made accommodations to the Fort Hood terrorists and Gitmo terrorists who killed Americans. He says what else can it be but the “criminalization of Christianity” that there could not be accommodations made for a county clerk in Kentucky. 8:50: Paul says ISIS would be in Demascus if America had bombed Syria. He notes that every time we toppled a secular dictator, we’ve gotten chaos. Cruz says the no. 1 test for the use of force is the vital national security interest of the United States. Cruz says a vote for Hillary is a vote for Ayatollah Khomeni. 8:48: Hewitt asks Trump about Obama’s “red line” with Syrian dictator Assad. Trump said he would not have drawn the red line. When asked if the Senators bear responsibility regarding the refugee crisis, Trump says they do. 8:45: Huckabee says the Iran Deal is about the “survival of western civilization” and not “just a conflict.” It threatens the United States of America, Huckabee says. He says we can’t make a deal with a government that for 36 years killed, kidnapped, and maimed Americans while sponsoring terrorist group. 8:44: Bush says it is “not a strategy” to tear up the agreement. He says we need to reestablish our commitment to Israel. 8:43: Walker says he would love to play cards with Obama because he folds on everything. He says China should not receive a State dinner when it is unleashing cyberattacks against the U.S. 8:42: Paul invokes Reagan, and wonders what would have happened if Reagan stopped talking to the Soviets during the Cold War. He says he would not immediately cut up Iran Deal. Regarding China, he says “we need to leave the lines of communication open.” 8:40: When speaking of the Iran Deal, Cruz plays up his role in Medellin, which is one of his strong points because it defended American sovereignty and went against the GOP establishment. 8:38: Fiorina says Putin would “get the message” if she were in president. She makes a reference to Hewitt’s pop quiz to Trump and says it is important that politicians know who General Qasem Soleimani is. I wonder how many candidates–and questioners–could actually spell the Iranian general’s name. 8: 37: Rubio says Russia is to replace the United States to have the most influence in the Middle East. 8: 32: Trump mocks Bush for having more energy tonight. Ha. When Bush claims Trump of having wanted casino gambling, Trump says “wrong.” Tells Jeb to stop making things up. **Try putting the debate on mute for a few minutes. It’s not a minor thing. A lot of the candidates seem to be on the defensive, especially with their body language. Say what you want about Trump, but he always seems assertive and in charge. He seems like the quarterback/ring master and it goes a long way in enforcing his strengths** 8:30: Jeb Bush says he is not a “puppet” for his donors like Trump has been saying. Bush claims that Trump wanted casino gambling in Florida. Trump says he would have gotten it if he wanted it. 8:29: Fiorina says “this is about changing the system” rather than replacing a D with an R. 8:28: Christie says he doesn’t put his “finger in the air” to see what is politically expedient.

** The debate is getting into process minutae, which helps Trump because Trump, like a defending WWE wrestling champion, wins if he is not pinned or does not submit. All of the process back and forth that Americans do not really care about and bores them won’t help the candidates land their punches against Trump and helps him run out the clock**

Trump says he is not sure anybody else can make the country rich and great again. Walker says “we don’t need an Apprentice in the White House” because “we have one right now.” Trump says that in “Wisconsin  you’re losing $2.2 billion right now.” Walker implies Trump would take America into bankruptcy like Trump’s four failed projects.

Trump says he has never attacked Paul on his looks, and “there is plenty of subject matter there” after Paul says he would not feel comfortable with Trump’s finger on the nuclear button.

Trump says that Rand Paul should not be on the stage. Carly Fiorina doesn’t answer whether Donald Trump has the temperament to have the nuclear codes. He says he is a businessman more than an entertainer.

8:11: Kasich mentions that he was on Air Force One with Ronald Reagan.

Walker says he is a tested leader to go bold once in office.

Paul: nothing more important than understanding that Constitution restrains government.

Fiorina says her secretary to CEO story is only possible in America. Strong opening tying her story to American exceptionalism.

Christie asks people to raise their hands if they think Obama will make life better for their kids. He says he is running to take the future back for America’s children

Trump: He says he wrote the “Art of the Deal” and has made billions dealing with people all over the world and he wants to use his skills to make America great again so “we have a great life all together.”

Jeb Bush: He says he is a committed conservative reformer. He, like Rubio, sounds like a politician.

Carson: Carson notes that he was a pediatric surgeon and he says he got involved for the future of the children. He welcomes the addition of Carly Fiorina.

Cruz: Mentions that is the son of an Irish-American mother and a Cuban who fled Cuba for freedom.

Rubio: He says he is aware that California has a drought and that is why he brought his own water.

Huckabee: He blasts those in the Wall Street-Washington axis of power. He says we are the “A-team” and they even have a Mr. T who isn’t afraid to call people fools.

8:10: Tapper says the goal of the evening is for a “true debate.” Each candidate gets 30 seconds for introductions.

To show how clueless people like Michael Smerconish are, Smerconish said the crowd at the Reagan Library seems to be tilting more to the establishment side, given that they seem to have sided with Pataki, who said he would have fired Kim Davis, over Santorum. Memo to Smerconish: CNN’s ratings are usually bad so on some nights there may be as many people watching the network as there are at the debate. But on this night, there will be millions. The candidates need to speak to those who are in front of their television cameras–not those who are in the room. This is is something very simple that candidates and their “oh-so-smart’ consultants often do not get.

No breakout performance in the undercard debate. CNN is probably hoping enough people are still awake for the Main Event. Trump may have had a point about CNN “milking” the debate process for three hours. There’s just so much politics that Americans can take, especially when most of the candidates are robotic and hardly interesting.

7:45: Graham says he has “a plan to win a war we can’t afford to lose.” He says he has been to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East 35 times. He compares Trump, who said he gets information on the military from watching generals on television, to a cartoon character. Graham says he will “make your family safe and make our country safe again.”

7:44: Jindal, asked the same question, says he is a doer not a talker. He says he understands what’s at stake and he is  angrier at Republicans in D.C. than at the President. He says he will do everything in his power to “save the idea of America.”

7:42: Santorum, asked the same question, doesn’t start off by answering the question. Lists various accomplishments in the Senate. Laundry list of legislative accomplishments continues. Speaks about fighting for partial-birth abortion, etc. Doesn’t mention immigration, which may have been the stronger play. He says it’s time to get someone who is an “outsider who can go to Washington, D.C. and knows how to get things done.”

7:41: Pataki, when asked what he offers that none of the candidates in the Main Event offer, says he can win and also enact and put in place “a sweeping conservative agenda.”

This debate is absolutely a snooze-fest. Yawwwwwwwn. CNN may have lost viewers for the Main Event if people tuned in for the pre-game show. The debate also shows why these four candidates just do not resonate. Wonkish, boring, and not compelling. Perhaps the moderator and the panelists are saving their “A game” for the Main event, but Tapper and the panelists seem to just be going through the motions as well. There really may not be any point for people like Pataki and Graham to stay in the race and subject Americans to more of these undercard debates. Absolutely brutal.

7:25: Graham says he is not going to shut the government down and “tank our ability to win.”He says he is “really sick of hearing” Jindal and Cruz urging D.C. Republicans to fight more.

7:34: Graham defends the “surrender caucus” and says Republicans should not even put up a fight to defund Obamacare, Planned Parenthood, etc. because Obama would veto it anyway. Jindal says he wishes D.C. Republicans had half the fight of Senate Democrats. He says if Planned Parenthood can’t be defunded after the new videos, there is no point to having a Republican Party, which Jindal refers to as the “second liberal party.”

7:30: Graham refers to Obama as a “weak” and “unqualified” commander-in-chief who doesn’t understand the role America plays in the world. He says the next 9/11 is more likely because of Obama’s Syria policy. He says Putin would not be in Ukraine and Syria if Ronald Reagan were president.

7:28: Santorum, like Pataki, is asked by Hewitt if “any means necessary” is the right strategy to deal with Iran. Santorum says he understand who Iran is…he says they are an apocalyptic death cult that wants to bring about the end of the world.

“And we are in the process of giving them a nuclear weapon to do just that,” he says.

7:27: Pataki says to give Israel “Massive Ordinance Penetrators” bombs and blasts Hillary Clinton for her reset policy with Russia and lying about Benghazi.

7:25: Graham would authorize a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities if they were about to get a bomb. He says the worst nightmare in the world is radical Islamists with nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

7:20: Santorum says a party that supports bailouts and special interests tax provisions should not be against raising the minimum wage 50 cents an hour over three years. As he has ben saying, he mentions that Republicans did not bring workers on stage at the 2012 GOP convention and only brought up business owners. He points out that most Americans do not own small businesses and are wage earners.

7:18: Graham doesn’t agree that the federal minimum wage should not be increased because it would be tougher for small business to hire more people. He says he wants to create an environment where business will open up and hire people at a higher rate employers will have to pay higher wags to keep you.

7:16: Pataki wants the home mortgage/charitable deductions kept in the tax code. Lower the rates dramatically, he says. He says he would pass a 12% rate for manufacturing, the lowest in the world, in order “to make things in America” and “improve the work skills of America.”

7:14: Dana Bash asks Santorum about tax reform and cites Bush’s tax reform plan that eliminates the home mortgage deduction. Santorum says he will be introducing a 20/20 perfect vision for America tax plan, which is a 20% flat tax on income, capital gains and corporations.

7:10: Graham claims he is not a part of the “Washington elite.” He is on the defensive for calling Clinton a “national treasure.”

7:08: Hewitt asks Jindal whether anyone from Washington can win this election. Jindal says such a candidate (like Graham, who has praised Clinton) shouldn’t win. Jindal now praises Trump for railing against the GOP establishment. He asks what good is having a majority in Congress when the GOP leadership doesn’t fight executive amnesty and won’t fight to defund Planned Parenthood.

“Let’s fire all of them from their current positions,” he says.

7:07: Jindal notes that Roberts re-wrote the law twice to uphold Obamacare. He says he has a lot of respect for Senators who have big bladders and notes that he has signed a law protecting religious liberty in Louisiana.

7:06: Santorum says Roberts had “a long good record” and so “I don’t regret at all” standing up for Roberts. Santorum mentions that he fought to defeat judges that Bill Clinton nominated and fought for Bush’s appointees.

7:05: Graham stands by his vote for Roberts even though he disagrees with him on Obamacare. He said he is one of the most qualified men to have come before the U.S. Senate. Graham says the court is at stake in the 2016 election so “we don’t lose the judiciary for decades to come.”

7:03: Jindal says putting Roberts, Kennedy, Souter on the bench was a mistake. He again doesn’t answer whether Santorum and Graham made a mistake in voting for Roberts. Jindal then says he will have a litmus test to find judges who will be conservative, pro-life, follow American law and not interpret international law.

7:00: Santorum cites Martin Luther King’s Letter Fom a Birmingham Jail in which he writes about “unjust laws” (citing St. Augustine). Santorum notes that King says that an unjust law is one that goes against moral code, God’s law or natural law. He says what the Supreme Court did re: gay marriage is against God’s Law and natural law and “we have every obligation” to oppose it.

7:00: Pataki’s response to Santorum is “wow.” He says there is a difference between individuals standing up for their religious beliefs and an elected official who picks and chooses which laws to obey or we no longer have a society that depends on the rule of law.

6:58: Santorum says people have a fundamental right in the First Amendment for freedom of conscience. Santorum says 16  years ago a student in Columbine was gunned down for not renouncing her faith and saying she believed in God. He notes that 16 years later, Kim Davis is ridiculed for not denouncing her faith.

He asks how many bakers, how many pastors, how many clerks are we going to through in jail because they can’t violate what their faith says is agains its teachings. He says the First Amendment Defense Act must be passed to protect government officials. He says we also need a president to fight against the courts that have superseded its authority.

6:54: Pataki says we have “one rule of law” in America. He says Kim Davis should have been fired and he would have fired her if she worked for her. Pataki says “we have to uphold the rule of law.” He says imagine if Kim Davis had been a Muslim who said she did not believe in gay marriage. Pataki says we wouldn’t have had that outrage. He says religion supersedes the rule of law in Iran. “It shouldn’t be the United States.”

6:53: Graham says he is not worried about Kim Davis attacking him. He says he wants a legal system that knows the difference between fighting a war and crimes. He says young men from the Middle East are different from Kim Davis.

6:51: Tapper asks Jindal about striking the balance between “vigilance and discrimination” and asks about the Texas high school student who got arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school. He says a 14-year-old should never be arrested for bringing a clock to school but he says “right now the biggest discrimination going on is against Christian business owners and individuals who believe in traditional forms of marriage.”

He says Muslim leaders must denounce the martyrs and say they are going to straight to hell. Jindal also says Muslim leaders must also say every other faith has the freedom of religion as well. He emphasizes we are at work with radical Islamic terrorists.

6:50: Pataki mentions that he was governor during 9/11. He says we are more in danger of terrorism than we were then and we should not assume that we are safe from terrorism because radical Islamists are a continent away.

6:49: Jindal blasts Obama for not saying “radical Islamic terrorism” when discussing the terror threat.

6:47: “Lets get on with it,” Graham (speaking of hunting down Islamic terrorists) says, of killing “everyone one of these bastards we can find” before they come here.

6:46: Graham wonders how Obama sleeps at night with Syria going to hell. He says is “blaming Barack Obama for this mess.”

6:45: Debate shifts to Syrian refugees. When asked if America has a “moral obligation” to Syrian refugees (which is Graham’s position), Jindal responds by saying the answer is “not to put a band-aid on this and allowing more people to come into America.” Jindal again rails against “hyphenated-Americans.”

6:43: Graham, echoing the Chamber of Commerce’s line, says America will need more legal immigration to replace its workforce. No mention of the millions of Americans who are out of work or who have left the workforce entirely.

6:40: Graham, who was in the Gang of 8 with Messrs. Rubio and McCain. Graham speaks about birth tourism and says that is “bastardizing” American citizenship. Santorum fires back at Graham and says he has introduced an immigration plan. And he mentions that 40% of the 11 million illegal immigrants have overstayed their visas. Graham and Santorum are arguing over how many Democrats Santorum had for his plan. They are speaking like Senators, talking about minutiae nobody cares about, and proving why it is so tough for Senators to be elected president.

6:38: Moderator Jake Tapper brings up birthright citizenship and notes that even Graham favors ending it. He asks Pataki why he favors birthright citizenship, and he says “we can’t ignore” the 11 million people who are here. Pataki says illegal immigrants could get legalization after doing 200 hours of community service. Typical politician who doesn’t initially answer the question on birthright citizenship. More of the same.

6:34: Debate shifts to Immigration:

Jindal claims it isn’t right to say that he has been for “amnesty.” He says we need to secure the border and end sanctuary city by criminalizing and jailing officials for crimes committed by illegal immigrants.

Santorum notes that wages are flatlining while the country has the highest percentage of immigrants in 105 years. He notes that all of the net new jobs created in the last decade have gone to immigrants–legal and illegal.

Jindal insists that immigration without assimilation is “invasion,” which is a line he has repeated on the stump. Pro-amnesty groups have attacked Jindal for wanting assimilation.

Santorum notes that everyone on stage has supported some type of amnesty at some point. He says the debate should be about what’s in the best interest of hard-working Americans and the country. He says a great leader says what’s in the best interest of America–and he notes that most new immigrants are holding wages down for American workers.

6:31: Hewitt asked Pataki why he said he would not support Trump if he is the nominee. Pataki says he has not broken the pledge because he is not going to be the nominee. Pataki does not answer Hewitt when he asks if he would support Trump if he is the nominee. Pataki says Trump is “unfit” to be the GOP’s nominee and points to what he says are Trump’s failures in Atlantic city. Smart for Hewitt, after peppering Trump with trivial pursuit questions, to ask Pataki about whether he would support Trump. It makes Hewitt seem less biased toward Trump in the main event. Say what you want about Hewitt, but he does get and understand the perception game.

6:29: Jindal keeps attacking Trump, says that he will implode in the general election or Republicans will have no idea he will govern. Jindal seems a bit desperate to get the spotlight on him but he doesn’t have the demeanor for his punches to land. It seems a bit awkward and forced from a candidate who seems like the ultimate policy wonk.

6:28: The second question to Santorum is also about Trump. He says the only person who benefits from people attacking Trump is Hillary Clinton. Santorum says Trump has a right to run as a Republican even though he disagrees with Trump on issues.

Smart for Santorum to shift to immigration and say he has a plan to look out for American workers. It should be noted that Santorum is the only presidential candidate who has received an “A” grade from Numbers USA.

6:26: The first question of the undercard debate goes to Jindal–and it is about TRUMP! Jindal claims he is in compliance with Reagan’s 11th commandment. But he says people should stop treating Trump like a Republican. Jindal says he would endorse Trump if he were a conservative and running 30 points ahead. Jindal keeps talking about “the idea of America” slipping away. He refers to Trump as a “narcissist” who only believes in himself.

6:25: Graham thanks CNN for having people at the debate. He says he’s running to destroy radical Islam and win the war on terror like Reagan had an uncompromising desire and will to end the Cold War and defeat communism.

6:24 PM EST: Jindal, who has criticized Trump this week, said he is running so the American dream doesn’t turn into the European nightmare.

6:23 PM EST: After Pataki speaks, Santorum talks about welfare reform and Iran sanctions. He says he hopes people also know him because he is a proud father of seven children.

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger attends the Republican presidential debates at the Reagan Library on September 16, 2015 in Simi Valley, California. Fifteen Republican presidential candidates are participating in the second set of Republican presidential debates. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger attends the Republican presidential debates at the Reagan Library on September 16, 2015 in Simi Valley, California. Fifteen Republican presidential candidates are participating in the second set of Republican presidential debates. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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