As more than 25 million tuned in to watch 11 Republican candidates go to battle against one another, some stood out, and some didn't. The debates featured a multitude of topics, but some stood out.
Jeb Bush smoking... pot?
"So 40 years ago I smoked marijuana, and I admit it. I'm sure that other people might have done it and may not want to say it in front of 25 million people. My mom's not happy that I just did," said Jeb Bush.
Fiorina - Trump
There were reports that said Trump didn't like Carly's appearance, in which he later said he was talking about persona, but Carly featured probably the bet response she could have to Trump's quote. "I think women all over the country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said."
Trump and Fiorina later got into a debate about their businesses, as Florina called Trump out for filing for bankruptcy. "You were forced to file for bankruptcy not once, not twice, four times — a record four times. Why should we trust you to manage the finances of this nation any differently than you managed the finances of your casinos?" Although Trump never PERSONALLY filed bankruptcy, the quote still likely resonates with voters. It did lead Gov. Christie to chime in and make an entry.“You’re both successful people. Congratulations. You know who’s not successful? The middle class in this country is getting plowed over by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Let’s start talking about those issues tonight and stop this childish back and forth between the two of you.”
Quotes From Others
Rand Paul on the Iraq War, "I'm not sending our sons and daughters back to Iraq. The war didn't work…. There will always be a Bush or Clinton for you if you want to go back to war in Iraq."
Marco Rubio,"We are eviscerating our military, and we have a president that is more respectful to the ayatollah in Iran than he is to the prime minister of Israel."
John Kasich,"America was never great because we ran America from the top down. America is great because we have run America from the bottom up."
Chris Christie,"I agree with Marco. We shouldn't be destroying our economy in order to chase some wild left-wing idea that somehow us by ourselves is going to fix the climate. We can contribute to that and be economically sound."
Dr. Ben Carson,"I have no argument with having a strong leader, and to be aggressive where aggression is needed. But it is not needed in every circumstance. There is a time when you can use your intellect to come up with other ways to do things. And I think that's what we have to start thinking about."
Ted Cruz,"The single biggest national security threat facing America right now is the threat of a nuclear Iran. We've seen six and a half years of President Obama leading from behind. Weakness is provocative, and this Iranian nuclear deal is nothing short of catastrophic."
Scott Walker,"We need to live in an America where we have an economy, where everyone can live their piece of the American dream, no matter what that dream is."
Mike Huckabee, advocating for a fair tax,"I think we ought to get rid of all the taxes on people who produce."
Transcript
To read the full annotation of the GOP debate, the Wahington Post put together a copy of all the quotes of the 3-hour debate here.
