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The Five Plausible GOP Candidates

After their first presidential debates, it is time for Republicans to get serious. Donald Trump won’t be their nominee. Neither will Ben Carson. Nor will any of the men in the 5 p.m. undercard event last week. Despite Carly Fiorina’s strong performance, it is hard to believe that the GOP would turn to someone who was fired as Hewlett-Packard ’s CEO in 2005 after a tenure charitably described as controversial, and whose only run for elective office resulted in a landslide loss in 2010 to Sen. Barbara Boxer in California.

You’ve already heard a lot of different takes about who won and who lost the first Republican presidential debates last week. We’ve deliberately waited to name names; winning the media spin after a debate is often more important than “winning” the debate itself. But now it’s been several days, and we have some post-debate polls to look at (seven as of this writing, to be exact).¹ And there are a few clear winners and losers.

Who Will Republicans Come Around to in 2016?

This is the quadrennial Republican silly season, when candidates without a prayer of election get their moments in the limelight, sometimes topping the polls before crashing.

Perched on a barstool at Sweetpea’s Table here was a Tea Party favorite whose political rise alarmed the Republican leadership last year. And pacing the stage in front of him and delivering a rousing speech was Senator Ted Cruz.

Iowa voters say Marco Rubio, Ben Carson won debate; Donald Trump holds on to brittle lead

Sen. Marco Rubio and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson were the most impressive candidates in last week’s GOP presidential debate, but businessman Donald Trump continues to top the field, Iowa voters said in a poll Tuesday from Suffolk University.

The polls get most of the attention, but they’re not the most important part of the early stages of a presidential campaign. The better guide to who’s really winning is known as the “invisible primary,” in which candidates compete for support from their fellow politicians, from party leaders and from donors.

The Daily 202: Cruz trying to poach Paul voters

Ted Cruz’s operatives are quietly reaching out to Rand Paul’s early supporters and endorsers, making the case that the Texas senator is their best bet if they want a Republican nominee who is friendly to libertarians.