There's got to be a morning after...

When Beto said Ted Cruz is #truetoform, it was a new 'bless your heart'. #txsenatedebate pic.twitter.com/El7AEmcEcd

— Sabrina Anirbas (@step4battle) September 22, 2018

Upon reflection, this is probably the best article on the first debate

These two articles (Politico, Vox) will give you a good summary of the first O'Rourke/Cruz debate last night. What they won't show is that Ted Cruz is a brilliant, or even "world-class" debater.

That was the expectation of this first-ever political debate for Cruz.  A local PBS political program, taped before the debate and aired after, included comments that Cruz was a "world-class" debater, that he could be expected to "wipe the floor" with O'Rourke. Yeah, that didn't happen.

Maybe it's the format of political debate that Cruz can't adjust to. Maybe he held back, to keep his opponent from winning sympathy in the face of Cruz's dominance. Or maybe this reputation is a myth, an invention, a thing of stories and gullible minds.

This morning comes the answer:

In Beto O'Rourke's own words #TXSenateDebate pic.twitter.com/uUzW7DSqgo

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 21, 2018

Apparently a roomful of black people cheering your words disqualifies you for the U.S. Senate.

Man, you’re really bad at this

— Yes, You're Racist (@YesYoureRacist) September 22, 2018

Yes, yes he is. Terrible at rebuttal, too, which is a key element of argument. You know, that thing debaters are supposed to be so good at.  Cruz is clearly going for the white racist vote here; O'Rourke is just as clearly happy to let him have it.