CNN advertised last night's GOP presidential primary debate as an event where "sparks will fly." Like many TV reality shows, candidates already at odds on issues that aren't all that important—like Donald Trump's opinion of Carly Fiorina's face—were pitted against each other at the start.
Eventually, the night settled into more serious topics like foreign and domestic policy. There were personal attacks, a few good zingers, but by the second hour it felt a lot more like a sideshow than a substantive presidential debate. There were simply too many candidates sharing the stage and moderator Jake Tapper struggled to keep things moving forward, giving some GOP hopefuls far more time to speak than others. However, there was one notable difference between this debate and what we've seen in prior elections, which reflects a larger shift in the conversation across parties.
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