Republican presidential hopefuls stepped into the debating ring for the third time last week, and spoke out against each other, the debate moderators and the policies of the Democratic Party at the presidential debate in Boulder, Colorado hosted by CNBC.

This debate in particular had less of a winner and loser-type outcome. Rather, it is best summarized by a compilation of key moments and statements.

Memorable moment No. 1: Christie calls out constant interruption

It is no secret that the presidential hopefuls were not too keen on the behavior of their moderators. The interviewers’ performances were marked with constant interruptions and blatant attempts to twist the candidates’ words.

To moderator John Harwood’s interjections into New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s discussion of anthropogenic climate change, Christie said, “John, do you want me to answer or do you want to answer?” Christie said to laughter. “How are we going to do this? Because, I’ve got to tell you the truth — even in New Jersey what you’re doing is called rude.”

After his witty shutdown, Christie proceeded to discuss his energy plan — interruption free.

Following poor-to-average performances in previous debates, the third debate was defining for Christie. He was finally able to captivate the crowd by playing to shared sentiments, which was an important connection with voters for New Jersey’s governor.

Memorable moment No. 2: Fiorina challenges sexism

Carly Fiorina addressed the somewhat sexist criticisms she had received in response to her performance at GOP debate on Sept. 16 at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

When moderator Carl Quintanilla asked Fiorina what her biggest weakness was she responded, “Well, gee, after the last debate, I was told that I didn’t smile enough.” Her response was well received by the audience, whose applause relayed their approval for Fiorina’s humor.

This was a significant moment for Fiorina, whose policies have caused women to question her dedication to her gender, specifically, because of her tumultuous relationship with Planned Parenthood.

When Fiorina called into question the unfair focus on appearance that all women candidates receive, she proved that she is a champion of her gender as a candidate and recognizes inequality when she sees it.

Memorable moment No. 3: Rubio slams Democratic Party

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio saw an opportunity to take a jab at the Democratic Party and its infamous reputation from relying heavily on support from the media, also known as the biggest super PAC.

Rubio called out Hillary Clinton and the media’s ignorant attitude toward her email scandal. The week she testified before the House Select Committee on Benghazi at a hearing regarding her email scandal, the media named the campaign week as the strongest in Clinton’s campaign.

In response to this, Rubio said, “It was the week that she got exposed as a liar. But she has her super PAC helping her out, the American mainstream media.”

The Democratic Party has always been notorious for its crafty media presence. This is more often than not positive, even if a candidate has not even had an especially good week. By calling Hillary out, Rubio was able to capture the attention of the audience by boldly discussing a topic many politicians ignore.

Conclusion

While the third debate was not quite as eventful as the other two, the candidates did a better job of taking on the issues and the opposing party rather than each other. There was more time spent on relevant topics to the American people than what each candidate had to say about Donald Trump’s campaign.

Victoria Razzi is a sophomore advertising major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at vcrazzi@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @vrazzi.

Published on November 1, 2015 at 10:34 pm