Nate Silver At FiveThirtyEight Thinks Marco Rubio Won The Debate But Not by Much

++Nate Silver recaped the debate and the grades given out by his team and also Mark Halerin, who have everyone Bs or B- s. Silver noted the most Google Searches were on Ben Carson and he thinks this may become a major indicator of who won the debate. Nate also commented that it is possible that debates really don't count. I would answer that what you heard was a fairly solid line of talking points that will be used by the eventual nominee.

++Ring of Fire radio noted that Marco Rubio sounded like he had rehearsed all his lines and when he slipped he just repeated the previous word. Farron opined that in any debate with the Democratic nominee Rubio can't go off script or he gets killed.

++On Amy Goodman's show on DemocracyNow!, she talked with Anna Barach, an Cuban-American author, who pointed out that Rubio and Cruz both have problems if asked about The Cuban Restoration Act or The Wet Landing Act, which allows Cubans coming from Cuba automatic entrance to Cuba. This is in effect an amnesty that has been supported for decades by their party. If they didn't exist,neither candidates would have been citizens. 

++Nate Silver says that we all overestimate John Kasich since he has been courting the center-left press. He says that Kasich's combativeness has lost him favorability votes in New Hampshire and that his campaign looks like Jon Huntsman in the last election cycle. 

++Nate agrees with everyone that Jeb did himself no favor last night, He is too rusty a politician.

++On Democracy Now Jamall Smith talked about Ben Carson and how he really is an accomplished person that has been admired in the black community until he started running for President. He says that the GOP has to find their next Willie Horton but can only do so once it is clear Carson can't win the nomination. 

++He went onto say that Carson was a wonky kid and has to fabricate his violent tendencies because that is expected of him in Republican circles.

++Smith also said that by indulging the GOP in this fantasy of a black man gone straight will wreck Carson's reach into the black community.