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Delaware GOP chair says candidates delivered in first Republican presidential debate

Delaware Public Media

The audience in Cleveland for the first 2016 GOP Presidential primary debate included the chair of Delaware’s Republican Party.

Charlie Copeland says he felt the debate featuring the top 10 candidates in the race to date went "really, really well." "I think the moderators asked tough questions on an array of issues.  They didn't hold anything back.  And I think our candidates answered them forthrightly and honestly and showed were Republican differ very much from Hillary Clinton."

But Copeland concedes Donald Trump did cast a large shadow in a format that played to his strengths.

“The debate ultimately gets weighed over the next three days on some of the sound bites that get pulled and there’s no doubt that format and that media process works in many ways in Trump’s favor.  He’s very good with the quip," said Copeland.  "And he’s absolutely tapped into an anger, or I might even call it a fear, in the electorate that the country’s going the wrong way and they want strong leadership and he’s certainly demonstrated that.”

Copeland did express disappointment that Trump would not rule out a run as an independent if he does not win the Republican nomination.

He adds others on the stage effectively made the most of the forum.  He says Dr. Ben Carson finished strong and Sen. Ted Cruz used the opportunity to present himself as a less divisive figure than often portrayed.

He also had praise for New Jersey governor Chris Christie.

“I thought that Gov. Christie had some shots in there that demonstrated that he’s got that sort of Trump pugnacity, but has actually governed before,” said Copeland.

Copeland says it was also a good day for former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who received strong reviews for her distinguished performance in the debate among second tier candidates earlier Thursday.

Copeland says that did not surprise him after hearing Fiorina speak at the Delaware GOP convention in May.

"We knew then that she was a dominating force," said Copeland  "We were hoping she'd make the top 10 [for the main debate] but I think in this cae she may have wound up be being one of the clear winners by not being in the top 10."

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.