WCU College Republicans after the third GOP debate. Photo by Zane Perkins
The College Republicans at Western Carolina University held a watch party at the Catamount Peaks apartments for the third Republican Presidential Debate.
The debate, that was hosted by CNBC, had the same format as the previous two – the smaller debate with the last four candidates, (Senator Lindsey Graham, Rick Santorum, Governor Bobby Jindal and Governor George Pataki) was earlier in the day and the main debate with the ten GOP candidates started at 8 p.m. Out of all of the candidates, many of the students at the watch party preferred either Marco Rubio, Rand Paul or Ben Carson.
Isaac Herrin, is the current chairman of the College Republicans at WCU and a huge Marco Rubio supporter.
“He has an optimistic electable message. He’s very intellectual and he also knows what it is like to work through all the classes. Lower, middle and now upper class,”Herrin said.
Out of all the Republican candidates there was only one candidate the College Republicans almost unanimously could not stand – Donald Trump.
“I anticipate Donald Trump to attack the only person that is leading him in some polls. Dr. Carson is a very likable candidate and that will not go over well for Trump,” Aaron Littlefield, an alumni of WCU and current Republican candidate for the NC House, said. His candidate was Carson who he described as somebody who “embodies what people want to see in politics.”
“He is a likeable guy. He didn’t join the race. He was drafted into it,” added Littlefield.
Several students at the party were in the Rand Paul camp.
“I support Dr. Rand Paul because if he is elected my family would never have to pay taxes again. His tax plan would have a $50.000 deductible for families of 3 or more,” former chairman of the WCU College Republicans, Thomas Dees, said.
After the debate majority of the students at the party who believed that Marco Rubio won the debate. John Kasich, Governor of Ohio, was another candidate many of the students believed performed well. All the students said they believed Jeb Bush was the main loser of the debate.
“Jeb Bush did not perform well on any question he was asked,” said Isaac Herrin. “He was also completely shut down by Marco Rubio.” Another member of the College Republicans, Michael Lyons believed that, “Jeb Bush lost what he had to Rubio. All of what Jeb had fell to Rubio. Jeb lost.”
According to CNN the three winners of the third debate was Marco Rubio, followed by Ted Cruz and John Kasich. For them the looser was Jeb Bush. Even though Carly Fiorina talked longest on the debate she did not gain much attention.
