GOP Debate Moderator Dana Perino Brought Discipline to Sparring Field

Fox News host Dana Perino brought the heat Wednesday night at the second Republican debate, repeatedly cutting off the seven Republican contenders on stage and pressing them with tough questions which few seemed to want to answer.

One memorable moment came late in the evening, when former Vice President Mike Pence attempted to shoehorn in his campaign message that the conservatism of Ronald Reagan era was succumbing to populism and that now was a “time for choosing” — citing Reagan’s famous 1964 line. Perino clapped back. 

“It is now time for choosing to go to break,” she said. 

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was also quickly shut down by Perino after trying to jump on a question about energy posed to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. 

As Burgum continued trying to insert himself into the debate, Perino flashed a warning to him, “Sir, we’ll have to cut your mic, and I don’t want to do that.”

Her performance stood in marked contrast to that of her fellow moderators Wednesday – Fox News journalist Stuart Varney and Univision host Ilia Calderon, who struggled to keep order – as well as the pair of Fox hosts who moderated the first debate in August. 

Perino has some experience dealing with a tough audience, having served two years as George W. Bush’s White House press secretary, cut off the candidates routinely while keeping the second debate on track. 

And then she asked a scorcher of a question to close the event. 

“It’s now obvious that if you all stay in the race, former President Donald Trump wins the nomination — none of you have indicated that you’re dropping out,” Perino said to close the debate. “So, which one of you on stage tonight should be voted off the island tonight?” 

The audience laughed out loud in one of the rare moments of levity from the crowd gathered at the Reagan Library.

And none of the seven candidates, who will likely all lose to Trump unless they winnow the field — possibly by dropping out themselves — would answer the question. The former president has a formidable double-digit lead in national polls that has not budged over the past several months, despite his GOP challengers’ best efforts.