The 3 Best and Worst Moments of Last Night's GOP Debate

After the chaos of October’s CNBC debate, the newly culled Republican field met last night in Milwaukee to focus on ideas. But were the Fox Business moderators able to get straight answers from the candidates on important issues?

Reason TV sucked out the hot air and drilled down to the substance. Watch the video above for The 3 Best and Worst Moments of the GOP Debate.

Third Best Moment: America Shouldn’t Police the World

Rand Paul finally came out of his debate hibernation to cast a shadow on the GOP’s war hawk faction. The Kentucky senator countered Marco Rubio’s assertions that he is a “committed isolationist” by pointing out that it’s not very conservative to increase government spending on the military, as Rubio wants. True isolationism, according to the Senator, comes from the other candidates’ threats to cut off dialogue with Russia, Iran, or other perceived enemies, a step that Reagan did not take even during the height of the Cold War.

Third Worst Moment: More Bombs and Boots

Aside from Donald Trump, who paid lip service to limited foreign intervention mostly to needle Jeb Bush, the rest of the field launched a barrage of promises to keep the bombs flowing and the boots grounded, no matter the lives lost or the money spent. From creating no-fly zones in Iraq and Syria to arming every militia from Kurdistan to Ukraine, the ideas on parade offered no respite from the arrogance and fear tactics of the past two administrations.

Second Best Moment: Fewer, Simpler Taxes

The Republicans presented plans that generally simplify the tax code and reduce rates. While the extent and nature of the proposals varied, the candidates focused on the way the current complexity of the code favors wealthy, politically connected organizations—which are uniquely able to hire the army of lawyers necessary to wade through it all, and to lobby Congress to insert favorable provisions.

Second Worst Moment: Immigrants Are Taking Our Jobs

Unfortunately, that bit of sanity was balanced out by a fresh round of crazy about immigrants. After Donald Trump’s usual wall schtick, Ted Cruz described immigration as an “economic calamity” for Americans, despite the evidence that immigration increases the standard of living for all. He even suggested that journalists don’t cover this calamity because they don’t face job insecurity or competition from foreign workers.

Best Moment: Big Government Creates Crony Capitalism

The best moment of the night came with the Republicans’ forceful arguments against crony capitalism and the growth in government that fuels it. Citing everything from Obamacare to Solyndra, the candidates pitched an end to government that picks winners and losers, systemically hurting the poor and the vulnerable while helping the rich and the well-connected.

Worst Moment: Leadership Means Abandoning All Reason

Finally, batting cleanup with the worst facepalm of the debate was Ohio governor John Kasich, whose vision of presidential leadership is to abandon all principle and reason during times of crisis. In response to everything from water crises to bank failures, Kasich believes that it is the job of the executive to do something in the heat of the moment, before rational reflection and the better part of human nature emerge to spoil the party. According to Kasich, “Philosophy doesn't work when you run something.”

What do you think were the best and worst moments of the debate? Tell us in the comments.

[RealCaptainAwesome]

I don't understand why some libertarians are anti illegal immigration.

[ITSbigwillystyle]

I know libertarians tend to scoff at tight immigration laws but as long as we still have a welfare state, it's a necessity.

[firstandforemost]

I'm not a fan of Ted Cruz, but what was wrong with his appeal to basic supply and demand economics when he stated that the opinions of the elite regarding immigration might be a bit different were those immigrants saturating the labor pool in their fields?

[ambidexter]

So, is there at least one reasonable person among them all one can root for?

[SteveLamberts]

Military, more military and even more military.
Haven't we left this thinking behind? Will humans ever learn?

[walterblair]

How could you forget Carson reminiscing about the good ol' days of America circa 100 years ago?

[gse]

I agree with Reason except on immigration

[sebholding]

Rand Paul is also in favor of arming the curds, it's not only Carla Friorina.

[sxs]

Rand kicked ass in this debate. Fiorina is my #2, but man that foreign policy answer gave me shivers (and not the good kind). Anybody who wants a "no fly zone" in Syria is making a proposal about as serious as Obama's red line in Syria, and we all know how that went.

And what is with all this anti-Russian sentiment? Just because they've been slapping around our dipshit of a president for the last 4 years doesn't mean we as a people bare any ill-will towards them. After all he's the one whose been violating our human rights, not Putin. Putin simply harbors our heroic whistle blowers. We have a common enemy in ISIS, so why should we take the Marco Rubio approach and antagonize Russia while simultaneously fighting ISIS? It's utter nonsense

[TheGavinGold]

Rand: We need to be strong without policing the world. - Reason applauds- Trump: We need to be strong without policing the world -Reason cries-. Look, you need a strong military, having a strong military is not the same as being a warmonger. Also, Reason keeps missing on immigration issues. Other than that, generally OK.

[danmcmartin]

You cut Kasich too soon. Easily the worst line was when he essentially said he'd pick winners and losers after a bank failed. I'm not sure what's worse, bailing out banks when they make poor choices or choosing which individuals to bail out in the aftermath or a failure.

[blogegog]

Look - I know this statement will be controversial since this is a Reason crowd, but I have to say it. I think the podiums that the candidates were standing at looked very snappy. I don't make a lot of speeches around the house, but I think I want one of those, just in case.

[RedBloodedAmerica]

Reason loves economic sanity except when it comes to inviting half the third world into this country.

[nickfurym]

Arming randoms is stupid, but i worry that if we dont have military presence on the world stage Russia will fill that spot so to speak. If someone can give proof that countries like Iran or Russia wouldnt be providing arms to topel government's or push objectives. I would feel more comfortable with Rand the man Paul.

[EnhanceRaptor]

I liked Kasic in the late 90s and early 00s. Something happened and he drank a lot of kool-aid or something.

Have you ever gone to any company's website? It's like everyone of them has a mission statement that says "Our philosophy is to...."

If that's not managing with a philosophy, then what is?

[CountArtha]

The wrestling music was distracting but oddly appropriate.

[jpcomas]

you never again gonna see another President from this party