Rick Santorum (10) Republican Presidential candidate
Ted Cruz (7) Republican 2016 Primary Challenger
OR click on an issue category below for a subset.
The CNN/Salem Republican presidential primary debate took place on December 15, 2015 at The Venetian in Las Vegas.
As usual, it was "two-tiered":
9 GOP candidates in the prime-time slot (8 PM EST)
The remaining 4 GOP candidates in an earlier slot (6:30 PM EST)
First Tier
CEO Donald Trump
Dr. Ben Carson
Sen. Marco Rubio
Sen. Ted Cruz
Gov. Jeb Bush
CEO Carly Fiorina
Gov. John Kasich
Gov. Chris Christie
Sen. Rand Paul
Second Tier
Gov. Mike Huckabee
Sen. Rick Santorum
Gov. George Pataki
Sen. Lindsey Graham
Did not qualify
Gov. Jim Gilmore
OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details)
Energy & Oil Ben Carson: Change archaic exportation rules to send energy to Europe.
Mike Huckabee: Become energy exporter to weaken Russia & Iran.
Families & Children Rick Santorum: FactCheck: Yes, ISIS declared fatwa to kill disabled kids.
Foreign Policy Ben Carson: Use economic power to keep North Korea & Russia contained.
Carly Fiorina: Push back against China on trade routes & South China Sea.
Carly Fiorina: Get China to help isolate North Korea's Kin Jung Un.
Rick Santorum: Enemy is a theocracy; so understand their ideology.
Homeland Security Ben Carson: Rebuild B52's, submarines, missiles: all three need upgrades.
Donald Trump: Benghazi was a disaster; Gadhafi couldn't have been worse.
George Pataki: Women in any military role as long as they can do the job.
George Pataki: We must unite to keep America safe from radical Islam.
George Pataki: Inciting terrorism is not constitutional free speech.
George Pataki: We entered Iraq as liberators & became occupiers by staying.
Jeb Bush: The Kurds are our best ally; and they're Muslim; arm them!
Lindsey Graham: American Muslims are the solution, not the problem.
Marco Rubio: Modernize all three legs of the nuclear triad.
Mike Huckabee: Americans are scared and don't trust government.
Mike Huckabee: FBI listening to sermons at mosques is constitutional.
Mike Huckabee: 25% defense cuts have left us most unprepared since WWII.
Rick Santorum: Political correctness hinders us from fighting terrorism.
Rick Santorum: Iranian nuclear deal was worst treaty in US history.
Rick Santorum: Reverse policy on women in military combat roles.
Rick Santorum: Make terror watchlist transparent so we know how to get off.
Immigration Lindsey Graham: Change comprehensive reform plan to account for terrorism.
Marco Rubio: In 2013, refugees were fleeing oppression; not like Syrians.
Marco Rubio: 2013 lessons: do necessities first; then get to citizenship.
Rand Paul: To defend against terrorism, we need to defend the border.
Rick Santorum: Our policy is magnet that says "amnesty"; that has to change.
Ted Cruz: Build a wall instead of massive amnesty plan.
Ted Cruz: Enforce the law against millions of illegals currently here.
Ted Cruz: FactCheck: Yes, Bill Clinton deported 12M illegal aliens.
Principles & Values Ben Carson: America designed for citizen-statesman as commander-in-chief.
Technology Carly Fiorina: Companies don't need to be forced to provide data; just ask.
Donald Trump: Close our Internet up, to fight ISIS terrorist recruitment.
George Pataki: Bulk metadata collection for overseas terrorists.
George Pataki: Need back door access to cell phones when lives are at risk.
Lindsey Graham: You're isolationist if you don't monitor calls from abroad.
Marco Rubio: The NSA needs bulk metadata collection to fight terrorism.
Mike Huckabee: Monitor terror on Facebook & Twitter, not Americans' phones.
Rand Paul: We are no safer due to bulk data collection of phone records.
Rick Santorum: Bulk metadata collection doesn't violate privacy.
Ted Cruz: Target cell phones and tech that Bad Guys likely to use.
War & Peace Ben Carson: Support Syrian refugees in Jordan; place more with Kurds.
Chris Christie: Declare no-fly zone in Syria and enforce against Russians.
George Pataki: Iranians have already broken nuclear deal; so abrogate it.
George Pataki: Give Kurds & Peshmerga more aid to fight ISIS, despite Iraq.
John Kasich: Find moderate rebels in Syria; work with them against Assad.
Lindsey Graham: If Syrian war goes on another year, Jordan's king might fall.
Lindsey Graham: There's nobody left in Syria to train; bring in other Arabs.
Lindsey Graham: Form army--90% them, 10% us--to destroy Caliphate.
Lindsey Graham: 10,000 US troops in Iraq; 10,000 in Syria; plus 90,000 Arabs.
Lindsey Graham: Don't collaborate with Russia & Iran to keep Assad in power.
Lindsey Graham: To destroy ISIL in Libya, take the Caliphate's headquarters.
Lindsey Graham: Declaring war on Islam only helps ISIL.
Lindsey Graham: Winning in Iraq is more important than safety.
Lindsey Graham: We are at war and it's a religious war.
Mike Huckabee: When terrorists sign up abroad, they sign U.S. death warrant.
Rand Paul: No-fly zone in Syria means WWIII against Russians.
Rick Santorum: We must take land from ISIS Caliphate, under their own law.
Rick Santorum: World War III has begun; let's identify it.
Ted Cruz: Assad is bad, but toppling him gives Syria to ISIS.
Ted Cruz: When terrorists join ISIS, they sign U.S. death warrant.
Ted Cruz: FactCheck: No, ISIS and Iran haven't declared war on America.