The best debate on CNN was the one that happened before the main debate on CNN.

With only 4 candidates, the so called second tier debate ran much better than the main debate which happened afterward.

CNN promised that the main debate would be intense and pit the candidates against each other. For the most part, that did not happen.

Of course being CNN, most of the focus was on Donald Trump.

In a world filled with terrorism, refugee problems, immigration problems, Planned Parenthood funding and more, questions about Trump dominated. Thirty-two of the 73 questions referenced Trump in some way. Often candidates were either answering questions about what Trump had said instead of their own policy views. More than halfway through the debate, the tally was running 50-50  in the tally of Trump vs. non-Trump questions.

Debate moderator Jake Tapper even asked Trump about Trump on several occasions: “President Obama’s incoming top general says: ‘Russia represents the greatest threat to national security.’ Mr. Trump you say you can do business with President Vladimir Putin, you say you will get along ‘very well.’” 

The same went for other candidates. Tapper asked former Gov. Mike Huckabee about hiking the taxes for hedge fund managers: “Do you agree with what Donald Trump and Gov. Bush have proposed, raising their tax rates?”

The moderators, including CNN’s Dana Bash and Salem radio talker Hugh Hewitt, tried to pit the candidates against one another, but failed to generate the drama of Round One. The most-exciting dust-ups occurred between Trump and Bush and Trump and Carly Fiorina.

Both former neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz went out of their way to avoid conflict with The Donald. Everyone else in the main debate criticized Trump at least once – except Trump himself.

So which candidate got the most airtime during the debate on CNN?

It was Scott Walker.

Ha...Just kidding, it was of course Donald Trump. Here is a breakdown of the airtime for the candidates during the debate;

Trump: 18:47

Bush: 15:48

Fiorina: 13:30

Carson: 12:56

Christie: 12:36

Rubio: 11:21

Cruz: 10:45

Paul: 10:28

Kasich: 9:44

Huckabee: 9:20

Walker: 8:29

H/T Fox News