What They're Saying: Christie 'Shined' In Debate!

What They're Saying About…

Christie had a "really strong performance"

“Christie Left Everything He Had On The Field And It Paid Off”

________________________________________

LifeZette: “Gov. Chris Christie … Final Grade: A” (Jon Conradi, “Grading the Candidates,”LifeZette, 8/7/15)

• “[G]ov. Christie left everything he had on the field and it paid off.”
• “Christie’s tense exchange with Senator Paul came off as passionate, rather than mean spirited. During the exchange Christie lampooned the libertarian-minded senator for putting rhetoric on liberty above the safety of the American people, to big applause.”
• “Christie also gave deft answers to questions on New Jersey’s economic and budgetary situations. … Christie demonstrated he deserved to be there.”

Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes: “Chris Christie. A great night for him. He won the biggest blowup of the debate, mopping the floor with Rand Paul on the subject of national security.” (Fred Barnes, “Here's Who Gained, Faltered, and Remained Unaffected,” Weekly Standard, 8/7/15)

The Hill’s Bob Cusack: “Christie had a very good night.” (Fox News’ “Happening Now,” 8/7/15)

Laura Ingraham: “I think Chris Christie did really well.” (Fox News, “Fox & Friends,” 8/7/15)

Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes: “Chris Christie had some good answers, I think strong exchanges like the one that we showed from Rand Paul.” (Fox News’ “America's Newsroom,” 8/7/15)

Mika Brzezinski: “A good night for Chris Christie. … Feisty, and on mark.” (MSNBC’s  “Morning Joe,” 8/7/15)

Willie Geist: “He was good last night … Particularly that exchange with Rand Paul. I thought he clearly won that exchange, back and forth, with the eye roll and everything. … He did well.” (MSNBC’s  “Morning Joe,” 8/7/15)

Star-Ledger: “[C]hristie shined in a heated exchange with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, which experts say succeeded in more than justifying his presence on the GOP primary stage.” (Claude Brodesser-Akner, “Christie, On Offensive At 2016 Debate, Escapes Trump's Shadow, Experts Say,” Star-Ledger, 8/7/15)   

• “Reed Galen, a deputy campaign manager for U.S. Sen. John McCain's 2008 White House bid, was thoroughly impressed with the volley of blows. ‘He just leveled Rand Paul with his response,’ said Galen. ‘In that exchange, he gave way better than he got.’” (Claude Brodesser-Akner, “Christie, On Offensive At 2016 Debate, Escapes Trump's Shadow, Experts Say,” Star-Ledger, 8/7/15)

Fox News’ Ed Henry: “Chris Christie … the Clinton camp was telling me they thought he exceeded expectations more than any other Republican.” (Fox News’ “Happening Now,” 8/7/15)

• “[T]hey say, they told me behind closed doors, they thought Chris Christie was calm, confident and he brought his A-game last night.”

John Heilemann: “I think that exchange illustrated Christie at his best.” (Bloomberg's “With All Due Respect,” 8/7/15)

Gloria Borger: “Honestly I thought Chris Christie doesn’t get enough credit because he had a substantive debate with Mike Huckabee over entitlement reform … So we had a substantive debate over surveillance and over entitlements … Let's give Chris Christie some credit here.”  (CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” 8/7/15)

Jeff Zeleny: “He managed to pack a lot in there and remind people that he could keep America safe.” (CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” 8/7/15)

Rep. Peter King: “I thought Chris Christie demolished Rand Paul.” (CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer,” 8/7/15)

Nick Morgan, Public Words Inc.: “So as Christie leans into that podium he's both saying I'm getting comfortable here, and I’m creating more of a connection between me and the audience… It felt like a conversation. It felt like he was being honest and open and talking to us, the audience.” (CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” 8/7/15)

Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney: “I would tell [the next president] what Governor Christie told Senator Paul … I strongly support what Governor Christie said.” (Fox Business Network’s “Risk and Reward with Deidre Bolton,” 8/7/15)

Kayleigh McEneny: “Chris Christie had great economic positions.” (Fox Business Network’s “Risk and Reward with Deidre Bolton,” 8/7/15)

Fred Barnes: “In several debates with the other candidates, Chris Christie of New Jersey won both. It was a really strong performance.” (Fox Business Network’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” 8/7/15)

Carrie Sheffield: “I liked when he was talking about reforming entitlements, reforming social security… He defeated Huckabee in my opinion.” (Fox News’ “Fox & Friends Saturday,” 8/8/15)