GOP debate turns quickly from issues to insults

On the stage in Houston, Thursday night’s GOP Debate went from issues to insults in a matter of seconds.

Fighting to come from behind, Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz used the final debate before Super Tuesday to laser in on frontrunner Donald Trump, holding nothing back.

“Every night he says five things, everyone is dumb, we’re going to win, win, win, he’s winning in the polls,” Rubio said of Trump.

Trump counter-punched.

“Talking about repeating, I watched him [Rubio] repeat himself five times four weeks ago,” Trump said. “I watched him meltdown, I thought he came out of a swimming pool.”

Longtime Colorado College professor of politics Tom Cronin calls this debate the most rancorous he can remember in his lifetime.

“Trump, whether you like him or don’t, he’s very good at putting down people,” Cronin said. “He was able to throw punches, left jabs if you will, even though they were raising doubts about his conservatism and character.”

The numbers suggest his campaign and debate tactics are working for Trump. He’s won three straight states, and heading into Super Tuesday he’s leading in a majority of those contests.

Cronin is skeptical the others can take him down.

“I give him a 75 percent chance of being the nominee,” Cronin predicted.