FOX News Republican Pres. Debate in Michigan--Post-Debate  Thursday, March 3, 2016

March 3, 2016
 

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: John Weaver, Chief Strategist

RE: A Runaway Winner

Governor Kasich was the runaway winner tonight, and it wasn’t even close. He was the only adult in the room and the only one with the gravitas and standing to be President.

With the field shrinking, primary and caucus voters tonight had their first real chance to learn about John Kasich’s results-oriented vision for America – and his performance was worth the wait.

Gov. Kasich’s positive message and focus on his record broke through on a stage full of big talkers and hot rhetoric. Governor Kasich stood out because he is the only who has a positive record he can talk about and proven ability to get things done.

In Ohio, he turned an $8 billion shortfall into a $2 billion surplus, cut taxes $5 billion and helped create more than 400,000 new private sector jobs.  As chair of the Budget Committee in Congress he led the effort to balance the federal budget for the first time in a generation and served 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee where he helped enact President Reagan's national security agenda.

No one else can credible talk about shaking up our political system because no one has actually done it. Tonight, it showed that John Kasich is about results, not just rhetoric.

The next two weeks are critical to the future of the Republican Party as well as the GOP’s chances of winning the White House in November. After trying to force Gov. Kasich out of the race, even the Rubio campaign is now acknowledging that the only way to stop Donald Trump is by having Gov. Kasich win Ohio.

When Gov. Kasich does win all of Ohio’s 66 delegates on March 15, it will be clear who the best candidate is to go one-on-one against Trump in the remaining contests and defeat Hillary Clinton in November.

He’s also the candidate best able to win the general election. John Kasich is the only candidate who currently leads Hillary Clinton in Florida, Ohio, New Hampshire and Virginia.

Tonight it became crystal clear that Gov. Kasich is the only candidate ready to be President, able to unite the GOP and able to win the White House.

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT KASICH'S DETROIT DEBATE PERFORMANCE

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Marco Rubio for President
[fundraising email]
Who can stop Trump?

Jim,
 
Marco can! And he did it tonight.
 
Marco showed he is the candidate who can stop Donald Trump and beat Hillary Clinton this fall.
 
Marco brought the knowledge, the judgment, and even the sense of humor necessary to lead our country and make this a New American Century -- and he showed why Donald Trump definitely can't.
 
One of the most important moments: when Marco pointed out Trump’s habit of resorting to personal attacks when he’s asked a question on ANY policy issue, especially foreign policy.

Marco laid out why the world is more complicated than it’s been at any point in our lifetimes -- we have a rising China, rising Russia, Islamic terrorism spreading across the globe -- and Donald Trump laid out . . . his poll numbers.

At least, the poll numbers he likes -- not the gobs of polls that show him losing big to Hillary Clinton in the general election.
 
If you want a candidate who can win, and who can keep America safe and lead on the world stage starting on Day One, go here right now to join Marco and chip in.
 
It’s not just on foreign policy where Donald Trump has absolutely nothing to back up his tough talk -- on issue after issue, he’s trying to con the American people.
 
They need real answers to the problems facing us in the 21st century -- stagnating wages, the rising cost of everything from college to housing, the dysfunction of our public school system -- and Marco has them. Donald has bluster and slogans.
 
We need Marco and his ideas. But it’s going to be a long fight against this con artist. Can you spare $25 right now to help us keep it up?
 
Thanks,
 
Terry Sullivan
Campaign Manager
Marco Rubio for President

 

P.S. In some cases, Trump can’t even consistently offer the same empty promises -- he take a stance on an issue one minute, only to flip to the opposite position literally minutes later. Tonight you actually saw him explicitly say he doesn’t believe what he says in his own policy papers. Let’s get serious -- you’ll know where Marco stands. Help him win the nomination right now.

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Republican National Committee

RNC Statement On The Fox News Republican Presidential Debate

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement on tonight’s Fox News Republican Presidential Debate:  

 

“While Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders promise to put the failed Obama agenda on steroids, our Republican candidates are the only ones offering the course correction voters overwhelmingly want and our country desperately needs. The record Republican turnout we have seen across the country is a reflection of the enthusiasm our Party is generating and stands in stark contrast to the Democrats who are staying home in droves. 

 

“President Obama has failed us at home with a weak economy that has left the middle class behind and he has failed us abroad with a weak foreign policy that has made us less safe. We can’t get our country back on track by electing a left-wing extremist promising a socialist revolution or someone facing an FBI investigation for jeopardizing our national security. Only our Republican candidates are capable of restoring America’s security and prosperity.” 

 

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Democratic National Committee

DNC Chair Statement on Republican Debate in Detroit

WASHINGTON – DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement on the Republican debate in Detroit tonight:
 
“Trump has all but secured his Party’s nomination, and every Republican on stage tonight admitted it when they committed to supporting him in the general election. It was the clearest indication yet that the GOP has embraced what they’ve created after years of divisive, offensive and ugly politics.
 
“It was also stunning that it took Republicans nearly an hour and a half before they addressed the Motor City, which all of the candidates on the stage would have let go bankrupt, and that they got quiet when Flint’s public health crisis came up. After screaming childish insults at each other for most of the night, Trump and company couldn’t muster more than a defense of the Republican governor while saying next to nothing about the children who were poisoned.  
 
“The unacceptable tone and tenor of tonight’s debate left no doubt that the Republican Party doesn’t have any candidates left with the judgment or temperament to lead our country. When Democrats hold their debate in Flint, Michigan this weekend the contrast will be clear. Throughout this campaign Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have shown they have the right priorities -- priorities that match the values, hopes and dreams of Americans in Flint and communities like it across the country. We must elect a Democrat in November to keep America moving forward.”
 

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 American Bridge 21st Century

​For Immediate Release:

March 3, 2016

Contact: Ben Ray

American Bridge Statement On Tonight's GOP Debate

American Bridge 21st Century President Jessica Mackler released the following statement in response to tonight’s Republican debate:

“Tonight’s GOP debate was a two hour-long race to the bottom that was light on policy between dick jokes, obnoxious crosstalk, and polls, polls, polls. As all of the candidates took a page from Trump’s debate playbook of cheap insults, it’s never been clearer that the Republican Party has truly become the Party of Trump, but here’s what really matters: every single candidate on stage doubled down on their pledge to support Donald Trump should he become the Republican nominee. After tonight’s debate, those pledges should be more disturbing than ever."

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Actual GOP Reactions To An Actual GOP Debate

@JamieJohnsonUSA: My party is committing suicide on national television. #GOPDebate

@LizMair: #lolnothingmatters

@FrankLuntz: He’s been dead for 125 years, but P.T. Barnum would be an excellent moderator for tonight’s #GOPDebate.

@MichaelSteele: Would liked to have heard how each GOP candidate would assist the people of Flint. #FlintWaterCrisis

@FrankLuntz: We need @JerrySpringer to moderate the next #GOPDebate.

@DavidMDrucker: Next up, @realDonaldTrump pulls out a ruler and challenges @marcorubio to a measuring contest. #GOPDebate

@freddoso: Gah.

@KSoltisAnderson: We may as well cancel the rest of the debate bc we are now in a Mike Judge film and nobody's going to talk about anything but Trump hands.

@DouthatNYT: You know which prominent Republican managed to sound like a president today? Not one of these guys.

@morningmoneyben: I have to laugh to keep from crying i guess. 

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Maeve Coyle

Press Secretary | American Bridge 21st Century

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Correct the Record (pro-Clinton)

CONTACT: Correct The Record

Lizzy Price / Daniel Wessel

      

CTR Statement Following Michigan GOP Debate

Washington, DC -- In response to tonight's Republican debate in Detroit, Correct The Record President Brad Woodhouse released the following statement.

“Tonight’s Motor City debate was a demolition derby,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of Correct The Record. “These Republicans revved up their hate-fueled speech and slammed each other with insults from every direction. Car talk aside, the auto bailout (or, for that matter, Flint), didn't make the debate till close to the end. Instead, they discussed disproportional "hand" sizes and keeping immigrants out with a wall. These candidates made scrap metal of each other, and a complete wreck of American values. Immigrants? Women? Minorities ? All were left in the dust of GOP bigotry. There’s one man at the wheel of this sputtering party, and his name is Donald Trump."

Correct The Record is a strategic research and rapid response team designed to defend Hillary Clinton from baseless attacks.

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WTF WAS THAT?

Tonight was an embarrassment. This wasn't a debate, it was a disaster.

Philip Bump ‏@pbump: This is legitimately embarrassing. [3/3/16 9:21 p.m. EDT]

erica orden ‏@eorden: This is horrifying. [3/3/16 9:21 p.m. EDT]

McKay Coppins ‏@mckaycoppins: Man, this is just so bleak. [3/3/16 9:21 p.m. EDT]

Jessica Taylor ‏@JessicaTaylor: This debate is THE WORST. [3/3/16 9:47 p.m. EDT]

Igor Bobic ‏@igorbobic: This is the worst debate. [3/3/16 9:57 p.m. EDT]

mia farrow ‏@MiaFarrow: Why am I watching this it can't be good for our heath [3/3/16 9:57 p.m. EDT]

Tim Mak ‏@timkmak: Eating paint chips may or may not be better for your mental capacity than this debate [3/3/16 10:00 p.m. EDT]

James Pindell ‏@JamesPindell: My head hurts #GOPDebate [3/3/16 10:16 p.m. EDT]

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Fox News Channel

FOX NEWS CHANNEL SETS 2016 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY DEBATE RATINGS RECORD WITH NEARLY 17 MILLION VIEWERS

Thursday’s GOP Debate Marks Second Highest-Rated Telecast in Network History

Shatters Previous Live Stream Audience Record for a Primary Debate

According to early Nielsen ratings, FOX News Channel’s (FNC) GOP Presidential primary debate last night scored 16.9 million viewers, marking the highest-rated debate of 2016. Moderated by Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace, the debate also broke the previous debate demo record for the year, delivering 5.5 million in the all-important younger 25-54 demo.

Telecast live from the FOX Theatre in downtown Detroit, the debate ranks as the fourth-highest primary debate in history. Additionally, the matchup between the four remaining candidates notched the second highest-rated telecast in FNC’s nearly 20 year history. FNC holds the record for the highest-rated non-sports cable telecast of all time with the August 6th GOP presidential primary debate also moderated by Baier, Kelly and Wallace. A special post-debate The O’Reilly Factor last night (11pm-12am) delivered 7.4 million viewers, marking the show’s highest-rated telecast of the year.

On the digital side, the Fox News debate live stream had 2.4 million video starts and peaked at 1,489,937 concurrent streams, according to Omniture and Akamai. This marks the most-watched primary event ever, via live stream. CNN drew under one million concurrent streams (708,000) for the most recent February 25th GOP debate. In a first for a TV news anchor, Bret Baier was featured on the official Instagram account and blog garnering nearly 430,000 likes. Instagram featured a behind the scenes look at the FOX News debate through the work of several photojournalists on the ground in Detroit.

***all must be attributed to Early Nielsen Research

FNC 9-11PM/ET
16,851,588 in P2+ and 5,462,025 in 25-54
FNC’s Special edition of The O’Reilly Factor 11PM/ET Post-debate
7,404,149 in P2+ and 2,439,365 in 25-54
FNC 11PM/ET-2AM/ET (Post-debate Programming)
4,047,256 in P2+ and 1,349,341 in 25-54

FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to delivering breaking news as well as political and business news.  A top five cable network, FNC has been the most-watched news channel in the country for more than14 years and according to a Suffolk University/USA Today poll, is the most trusted television news source in the country. Owned by 21st Century Fox, FNC is available in more than 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.

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FNC Media Contacts:
Carly Shanahan
Jamie Rokus

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Carson America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2016

Official Statement by Dr. Ben Carson

I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit.

Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America.  I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results. However, this grassroots movement on behalf of “We the People” will continue. Along with millions of patriots who have supported my campaign for President, I remain committed to Saving America for Future Generations. We must not depart from our goals to restore what God and our Founders intended for this exceptional nation.

I appreciate the support, financial and otherwise, from all corners of America.  Gratefully, my campaign decisions are not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interests of the American people. 

I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Fridayat CPAC in Washington, D.C.

 

Contact: 
A. Larry Ross
Communications Director