--- title: Republican Debate: What Democratic Operatives Thought description: Here's what the Democrats who help make negative ads thought about the Republican debate. canonical: https://time.com/4092161/republican-debate-democratic-operatives/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-29T05:15:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:39:41.227Z article:section: Politics og:title: What Democratic Operatives Thought of the GOP Debate og:description: The people who make attack ads give their favorite lines. og:url: https://time.com/4092161/republican-debate-democratic-operatives/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7976c0d1d3b39c47/69886ea0428a9eb763ccfd52/debate-gop3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4689 og:image:height: 2638 og:image:alt: GOP 2016 Debate og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Democratic Operatives Thought of the GOP Debate twitter:description: The people who make attack ads give their favorite lines. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7976c0d1d3b39c47/69886ea0428a9eb763ccfd52/debate-gop3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's What Democratic Operatives Thought of the Republican Debate > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=011a3dfc-bd09-4844-aa80-050a0e07b5f3&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Watch The CNBC GOP Debate in Less Than 4 Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Watch The CNBC GOP Debate in Less Than 4 Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/8UytvMpk.m3u8) (3:46)  _Published 2015-10-29. Watch The CNBC GOP Debate in Less Than 4 Minutes_ by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Oct 29, 2015 5:15 AM UTC Watch The CNBC GOP Debate in Less Than 4 Minutes by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Oct 29, 2015 5:15 AM UTC During Wednesday’s Republican debate in Boulder, Colorado, Democrats huddled in war rooms, in front of television screens and laptop monitors, and blasted off pre-prepared fact sheets to reporters and on social media to undermine the GOP candidates. At the heart of the Democratic public relations operation are veteran organizations that include Hillary Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee and three super PACs supporting Clinton, including Correct the Record, American Bridge and Priorities USA Action, among others. In conversations with Democratic strategists and researchers after Wednesday’s debate, a few moments came up as ripe for either attacks or advertisements. (Note that there are not, as of now, any plans to use these exchanges in ads.) **Carly Fiorina and Hewlett Packard.** The former CEO was asked pointedly about her record at Hewlett Packard, which lost half its value during her tenure. She laid off 30,000 employees and the company’s market share plummeted during her time there. Fiorina turned the question around, saying the stock market was harsh on all technology companies, not just HP, and claimed that she actually saved 80,000 jobs at the company. “We saved 80,000 jobs and we went on to grow to 160,000 jobs, and scores of technology companies literally went out of business—like Gateway—taking all their jobs with them,” said Fiorina. “I will run on my record all day long.” That moment, Democrats said, could be ripe for an ad featuring employees talking about what they lost when Fiorina laid them off. “Fiorina delivered a number of sound bites about saving jobs. That would be the perfect foundation for an ad featuring former employee testimonials,” said Jon Summers former communications director for Democratic Sen. Harry Reid and veteran ad maker. “The ad opens or closes with her saying, ‘I’ll run on my record all night long.’” **Sen. Marco Rubio and debt**: The Florida Senator joked that part of his early struggle after college was explaining to his wife the concept of paying off student loans. It was a line in a heartfelt explanation of Rubio’s up-by-the-bootstraps story that featured his hardworking immigrant parents, a maid and a bartender. “Trying, early in my marriage,” Rubio said, “to explain to my wife why someone named Sallie Mae was taking a thousand dollars out of our bank account every month.” Rubio meant it as a joke, and the audience laughed. But Democrats argued that Rubio’s moment revealed the patronizing attitude in the GOP’s attitude toward women. They claimed the statement showed that Rubio doesn’t think women understand how family finances work. “The condescension there shows exactly why Republicans have problems connecting with women voters,” said Jessica Mackler, president of American Bridge. **Donald Trump and the law**. In explaining his business’ Atlantic City bankruptcies, Trump said he did the best he could with a bad recession and laws that are designed to help struggling businesses. “I used the laws of the country to my benefit, I’m sorry,” he said not-apologetically. Whether Trump is the nominee or not, Democrats said, it’s a rich line that they argue speaks to his character. “His communications people had to have cringed when they heard it. It just sounds icky,” said Summers. **Rubio and the millionaires.** At another point, Rubio answered a question from moderator John Harwood about his tax plan, which he says will give a big break to middle class families but critics say is aimed at helping the rich. HARWOOD: Senator, the Tax Foundation said after-tax income for the top 1 percent under your plan would go up 27.9 percent. RUBIO: Well, you’re talking about — yeah. HARWOOD: And people in the middle of the income spectrum, about 15 percent. RUBIO: Yeah, but that— Democrats argued that was a shaky moment, and said that could convert well to hit Republicans on fiscal policy. “That was not a helpful moment,” said Justin Barasky, communications director at the super PAC Priorities USA. “I could see that answer going into some ad at some point.” Some other lines mentioned by Democrats: **Ben Carson:** “They shouldn’t automatically assume that because you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman that you are a homophobe. And this is one of the myths that the left perpetrates on our society, and this is how they frighten people and get people to shut up.” **Mike Huckabee:** “I’m not anti-Wall Street.” **John Kasich: “**I was a banker and I was proud of it.” ## Transcript [00:00] Live from the University of Colorado in Boulder, the [00:04] Republican Presidential Debate. [ APPLAUSE ] My great [00:08] concern is that we are on the verge, perhaps, of [00:11] picking someone who cannot do this job. What is your [00:14] biggest weakness and what are you doing to address [00:17] it? Well, John, I don't really have any weaknesses that I [00:19] can think of. [ LAUGH ] I trust people too much. Not [00:23] really seeing myself in that position until hundreds [00:27] of thousands of people began to tell me that I needed [00:29] to do it. Well gee, after the last debate I was told that I [00:33] didn't smile enough. [ LAUGH ] [ APPLAUSE ] But I'm [00:40] not worried about my finances, I'm worried about the [00:41] finances of everyday Americans. [ INAUDIBLE ] who [00:43] today are struggling in an economy that is producing [00:46] good paying jobs, while everything else costs more. [00:49] Whose fault is it that Medicare's broke and out of [00:51] money, that Social Security broke and out of money, [00:53] and I say look, it's not Republicans' fault, it's not [00:56] Democrats' fault, it's your grandparents' fault for [00:59] having too many damn kids. Tell me what's different [01:02] between the government and Bernie [ INAUDIBLE ] who [01:05] sits in prison today for doing less than what the [01:07] government has done to the people on social security [01:10] and medicare in this country. Let's tell people the [01:12] truth. For once let's do that and stop trying to give [01:16] them some kind of fantasy that's never going to come [01:17] true. When you signed up for this, this was a six year [01:20] term. And you should be showing up to work. I mean [01:22] literally, the Senate, what is it, like a French work [01:24] week? You get like three days where you have to show [01:27] up? I don't remember you ever complaining about John [01:29] McCain's vote record. The only reason why you're [01:31] doing it now is because we're running for the same [01:32] position, and someone has convinced you that [01:34] attacking me is gonna help you. Here's the bottom line. [01:37] [ APPLAUSE ] My campaign- Would you feel more [01:40] comfortable if your employees brought guns to work? [01:43] Yes, I might feel more comfortable. I would say that I [01:48] would, and I have a permit which is very unusual in [01:51] New York, a permit to carry. And I do carry on [01:55] occasion, sometimes a lot. But I like to be [01:58] unpredictable, so people don't know exactly what you [02:00] carry. [ LAUGH ] I love Donald Trump. [02:04] Is a good man I'm wearing a Trump tie tonight. Get [02:07] over that one. Okay? Wait a sec. Al. We're clearly not [02:11] having that beer you mentioned. [ LAUGH ] But I'll give [02:15] you thirty more seconds. But I'll buy you a tequila. [02:16] Okay, alright. Or even some famous Colorado [02:19] brownies. I'll give you thirty seconds to respond. Whoa. [02:24] If somebody put me on their homepage, they did it [02:26] without my permission. Does that not speak to your [02:28] vetting process or judgment in any way? It speaks to [02:31] the fact that I don't know that it's going on. We have 19 [02:35] trillion dollars in debt, we have people out of work, we [02:39] have ISIS and Al Qaeda attacking us, and we're talking [02:42] about fantasy football? Can we stop? [ APPLAUSE ] [02:46] I'm the only one on this stage that has a plan that [02:49] would create jobs, cut taxes, balance the budget, and [02:53] could get it done because I'm realistic. You just don't [02:56] make promises like this. Why don't we just give a [02:58] chicken in every pot? You find a Democrat that's for [03:00] cutting taxes, cutting spending $ 10? I'll give him a [03:03] warm kiss. I do not want to walk my five [03:08] grandkids through the charred remains of the once [03:11] great country called America and say here you go, [03:14] $ 20 trillion worth of debt, good luck making [03:17] something out of this mess. I want a government so [03:20] small I can barely see it. I want a government so small [03:23] that the individual has a chance to drive and prosper. I [03:27] may not be your dream candidate just yet but I can [03:30] assure you I am Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare and [03:33] in your heart of hearts you cannot wait to see a debate [03:36] between Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina. I will tell you [03:39] this. 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