Who won and lost

Time has a critique by Zeke Miller of the Republican debates:

In a raucous and entertaining debate, the top ten GOP presidential candidates (photo) faced off in Cleveland, Ohio for the first time on Thursday. The event did little to change the underlying dynamic of the race, but there were some readily apparent winners and losers.
Winners: Senator Marco Rubio had the best performance of the night, mixing substance with humor and charisma unmatched by his rivals. It was a reminder of his potent political skills, but running a deliberately slow-and-steady campaign, don't expect Rubio to overplay his victory. After barely making the debate stage, Ohio Goveror John Kasich had a strong showing on his home turf, proving his mettle in the race. And New Jersey Governor Chris Christie scored the clearest head-to-head win of the evening, dominating a showdown with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul over government surveillance. The bottom two candidates in the polls on stage, the two outspoken governors displayed why they have the potential to grow their support.
Losers: Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee appeared to fade into the background for much of the debate and, though they had entertaining moments, did little to advance their campaigns for the White House. Paul, who came out swinging against Christie and Trump, emerged from both scuffles worse for wear, failing to expand his reach beyond his libertarian base.
The rest of the field: Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's primary job was to do no harm to his campaign, and despite a few answers that descended into a word salad, he accomplished that goal. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker set out to introduce himself to the American people, sometimes at the expense of directly answering the question, but didn't do much to move the needle. Texas Senator Ted Cruz scored a few sound-bites, but overall was barely a factor on stage.
Category unto his own: Trump. Despite indications he would try to tone things down, the real estate magnate and reality television star was exactly who he's been on the campaign trail: brash, outspoken, and unyielding. His fights with the Fox News moderators, especially Megyn Kelly, will likely energize his most committed supporters, but could mark an inflection point.
In the earlier undercard debate, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina was the consensus victor, having delivered a consistently strong performance on stage. Former Texas Governor Rick Perry's appearance was slightly uneven (at one point, he called Ronald Reagan, 'Ronald Raven') but he was largely successful at showing he's a more serious candidate than four years ago. Both may see a boost; that is, if their performances weren't over-shadowed by the more exciting main event.

Rico says he cares not a whit, but he's sure it was funny. (And they're gonna need to find a taller female candidate if she's to be taken seriously...)