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Union County school closings, delayed openings (Friday, Feb. 5, 2016)

A Friday morning snowfall has caused several delayed openings in Union County.

The following districts and schools will be closed Friday:

• Berkeley Heights public schools
• Kent Place (Summit)
• Mountainside public schools
• New Providence public schools
• St. Joseph the Carpenter (Roselle)
• Summit public schools
• The Academy of Our Lady Peace (New Providence) - school dance, pin ceremony to be rescheduled

The following districts and schools will have a delayed opening Friday:

• Winfield (see the district's website for a schedule)

Schools that do not appear on this list are not necessarily open; this could mean that the school has not made school closing or delayed opening information available or has not responded to query calls.

Know of other Union County school closures or delays? Tell us in the comments, or email jremo@njadvancemedia.com. We'll update when we can confirm.

Browns and Johnny Manziel: which one will rebound faster? -- Bud Shaw's Spinoffs

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns weren't the only ones to put a high draft grade on Johnny Manziel two years ago despite his issues.

One report the night of the draft claimed the Minnesota Vikings tried to trade up for Manziel at No. 22 (losing that bid to the Browns) before regrouping and moving up to pick Teddy Bridgewater.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones admitted he had to be talked out of Manziel with the Cowboys instead making offensive tackle Zack Martin their choice at No. 16.

And we remember the wide variety of opinion on Manziel expressed by NFL analysts before and after the draft.

Not all takes were as damning as Merrill Hoge's claim that Manziel should've been a mid-round pick.So now that the Browns are expected to release Manziel in March, how many teams will be interested?

Will the latest allegations in Texas make Manziel unemployable in the short term? Common sense says yes. But this is the NFL.

A year off might be best for him. In denying the allegations from former girlfriendColleen Crowley that he threatened to kill them both and that he may have been using drugs, Manziel told TMZ Sports he was "stable" and "100 percent committed to football."

The claim of total dedication to football, we know, is a lie. Is the rest? How much of it?

Johnny Manziel denies allegations by former girlfriend

Johnny Manziel denies to TMZ Sports a report that he threatened to kill Colleen Crowley and himself or that he struck her.

The Browns won't waive Manziel until March 9 for procedural reasons. Some NFL investigations have dragged.

In the short term, other NFL teams may not have the benefit of the NFL's findings to help them sort it out. They'd be wise to wait until they do.

Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweeted about Manziel's future after Browns' VP of Football Operations Sashi Brown's statement last Tuesday, and before the latest incident.

Freeman quoted two GMs anonymously.

So, one said Manziel would be out of the league.

And the other said he'd get claimed immediately.

Hopefully that clears things up.

• You don't need Harvard smarts – thank goodness – to understand the numbers favoring the opinion of the second GM quoted by Bleacher Report.

There are 32 NFL teams.

One -- the Cowboys -- is being urged by a former star player to pick up Manziel.Michael Irvin said Thursday afternoon Jerry Jones could salvage Manziel's career (at least he said that before details of the allegations became public).

How many other owner would want an affiliation with Manziel? Not many. I'm not even sure Jones would at at this point.

But is Manziel a Top 64 quarterback?

Based on his improvement on the field in 2015, that's not even debatable.

Based solely on that, some team would consider him worth the risk – at least until Manziel becomes a problem.

It's a much different question to ask if he'll dedicate himself, change his lifestyle, and become a reliable starter.

I've learned never to say never.

 (I think I learned that when I heard Manziel skipped the final game to show up in Vegas, reportedly in disguise and calling himself "Billy.")

But my answer is I doubt it.

• Manziel may have divided the Browns internally. He may have become a huge distraction.

But he was the best thing to ever happen to Justin Gilbert.

If not for Manziel there would've been much more attention paid a No. 8 overall pick who sleeps harder than he applies press coverage.

• Can Andrew Berry, another Harvard grad, help the Browns crawl out from under the rubble of draft mistakes?

Since 2011 the Browns have made six first-round picks: Phil Taylor,Barkevious Mingo, Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Manziel and Gilbert.

Think about this: the Browns not only liked all those players in the first round, they traded up for most of them.

Berry is obviously bright. The surprise isn't that the Browns are hiring a 28-year-old guy who had pro personnel experience in Indianapolis but not draft prep experience.

The surprise is they reviewed that list of first-round draft picks and didn't go straight to Stephen Hawking with an offer.

• Kansas coach Bill Self ripped into one of his players after the JayhawksBrannen Greene drove to the basket for an uncontested dunk in a 77-59 win over Kansas State.

Players from both teams had stopped, waiting for the final four or five seconds to elapse.

Self called it "totally classless."

It's one thing for a coach to feel that way about an opposing player.

It's another for a player's own coach to say that.

But Ricky Davis would think it was bush.

So that really settles it.

• Shavar Manuel, a top high school defensive end, flipped from a verbal commitment with Florida to sign a letter of intent with Florida State.

Manuel committed to the Gators on Feb. 5 but expressed uncertainty about his decision.

FSU defensive ends coach Brad Lawing counseled him by telling the high schooler to "play the game" and "tell the damn Gators anything they want to hear."

Translation: honesty is always the best policy, son, starting right after you sign with us.

• Lawing had talked with Manuel the night before he committed to Florida. According to espn.com, Manuel told the coach, "I'm just getting pressure from people."

That clearly bothered FSU, which preferred its brand of pressure.

• National signing day is a little sketchy, what with kids being pulled in different directions by outside forces.

It's greatly overblown, too. Whomever said recruiting classes would be far more accurately measured when their time is up  than when they enter college had a good point.

But it's a big occasion for high school kids who've worked so hard to earn scholarships. You can't blame kids for wanting to be the star of their own shows

But you can blame any media people who build kids up, then wonder why some get caught up in their own celebrity.

• Ohio State once again had a tremendous recruiting class. Michigan probably made the biggest jump, from a Top 50 ranked class in Jim Harbaugh's first year to Top 10 in his second.

The Wolverines landed No. 1 overall prospect Rashan Gary (DT).

Recruiting under Harbaugh, who slept over a recruit's house and climbed a tree on another visit for no apparent reason, is as effective as it is weird.

And that's not easy.

• Bubba Watson isn't a fan of the new design at TPC Scottsdale where the Phoenix Open is played, calling it "goofier and tougher."

Watson said, "I don't like it at all" and added that he was only in attendance because he has "three beautiful sponsors who love it here."

And who no doubt appreciate sarcasm.

• The San Francisco 49ers cancelled a scheduled event for 1,200 girl scouts in favor of making a deal to host a concert.

The Niners then answered criticism by rescheduling the girl scouts  for a week later and offering to pick up the tab.

Good move.

You don't want to be seen as being on the wrong side of nuns, puppies or Girl Scouts.

• NFL owners apparently want commissioner Roger Goodell to present himself as more relaxed and less evasive at press conferences.

There is an easy fix for that.

Decisions that make some sense and are easier to defend.

• Asked if he's the LeBron of NFL quarterbacks, Cam Newton said, "Why can't LeBron be the Cam Newton of power forwards?"

The easiest answer: he's a small forward.

• The second easiest answer: He's an all-timer. Newton hasn't won anything yet.

But just to be safe check back Sunday night.

• Pittsburgh wide receiver Antonio Brown has a name for his curious hairstyle. He calls it "The Lego."

The New 'Me Before You' Trailer With Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke Will Have You in Tears

Pass Us the tissues! The highly anticipated trailer for the film adaptation ofJojo Moyes' bestselling book Me Before You finally dropped on Wednesday, February 3, and Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin prove that they are the perfect leads.

The preview begins with Game of Thrones actress Clarke, who plays the odd-but-warm Louisa Clark. The struggling Brit, who can't seem to hold a job, eventually lands a position as caretaker to a paralyzed man named Will Traynor (played by Claflin). 

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Will was once a high-powered career man who took risks in life until he was involved in a tragic crash that left him disabled. He's incredibly sharp — and understandably bitter about his condition — and it's up to Louisa to soften him, and ultimately, talk him out of committing assisted suicide within six months' time."He hates me. … Every time he looks at me, he looks at me like I'm stupid," she complains in one scene. However, that hatred eventually evolves into friendship and the two form a close bond. 

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Cue Ed Sheeran's tear-jerking tune "Photograph," which is played during an emotional sequence that shows the two leads falling in love.

Watch the beautiful trailer above. Me Before You hits theaters on June 3, 2016. 

National Signing Day: The early winners and losers

A look at the early winners and losers from National Signing Day, keeping in mind that it’s still relatively early in the day (so some of the rankings used here might be a little bit different from what you’re seeing).

WINNERS

1. Michigan: It was a good day both for the Wolverines’ brand — everyone was talking about that star-studded tent revival they had in Ann Arbor — and the Wolverines’ program, which landed Rashan Gary, the nation’s consensus No. 1 recruit. He’s part of the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports (Michigan ranked no higher than 20th nationally the past two seasons).

[Rashan Gary chooses Michigan over Clemson]

This is pretty much the mood in Ann Arbor right now2. Texas: Charlie Strong needed this after going 11-14 in his first two seasons in Austin, and the Longhorns now seemed primed for a rebound after last year’s 10th-ranked class (six of those true freshman started in 2015). Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman summed it up:

Charlie Strong generated as much buzz as anyone in the recruiting world this week, and especially early Wednesday morning. Texas beat out archrival Texas A&M and Baylor, and pretty much everyone else in the country for top safety Brandon Jones, the nation’s No. 19 overall recruit. UT also landed four-star DT Chris Daniels, the No. 146 prospect, and then reeled in in-state LB Erick Fowler, who switched from LSU. The wave of momentum kept going for the Longhorns later Wednesday morning when the No. 43 overall prospect Jeffrey McCulloch, an outside linebacker, also said he was signing with UT. Those moves vaulted Texas into Scout’s Top 10 rankings.

It’s rare to see this type of movement on National Signing Day itself:

Amazing Science Experiments

Unfortunately, chatter started soon after Winter's red carpet appearance when photos revealed scarring from a medical procedure.

"It made me feel really uncomfortable, because as women in the industry, we are totally over-sexualized and treated like objects," Winter told Glamour last August. "Every article that has to do with me on a red carpet had to do with 'Ariel Winter's crazy cleavage!' or 'Ariel Winter shows huge boobs at an event!' That's all people would recognize me by — not, 'Oh, she does great work on 'Modern Family.'"

As a human being with free will, Winter certainly shouldn't feel ashamed of her decision to do what's best for her and her health.

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Frederick Douglass, Google Doodle: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Frederick Douglass, ca. 1879. Wikipedia – George K. Warren. (National Archives Gift Collection)

Frederick Douglass is today’s Google Doodle. Who was this man and why are we celebrating his life? Douglass is a true symbol for human rights and was known for his impressive oratory skills as well as his antislavery writings. He was an abolitionist and statesman who overcame slavery and later became a leader of the abolitionist movement. Read on for our 5 Fast Facts on him below.Douglass published a couple autobiographies in his life. His 1845 autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” became a bestselling book and “was influential in promoting the cause of abolition.” Other books he published include “My Bondage and My Freedom” and “Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.” His second autobiography was published just three years prior to his death and it covered events during the Civil War. After one of his autobiographies was published, Douglass engaged in a two-year speaking tour of Great Britain and Ireland in order to avoid recapture by one of his former owners, who Douglass had mentioned in his book.

Douglass was known for his quote “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong” as he was an advocate for equality among all people. He delivered hundreds and hundreds of speeches and editorials against slavery and racism throughout his life, becoming a powerful voice of the people. According to History.com, he was the most important black American leader of the 19th century.Truly impressive was that Douglass was the first African-American nominated for Vice President of the United States. He was the running mate and Vice Presidential nominee of Victoria Woodhull. It was on the Equal Rights Party ticket and the nomination was made without his approval.

That same year, Douglass was presidential elector at large for the State of New York and he took the state’s vote to Washington D.C.

During the Civil War, Douglass was actually an adviser to President Abraham Lincoln.Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, to his mother, Harriet Bailey. He was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey and later changed his last name to Douglass. Douglass’ exact birth date is unknown as he wrote in his first autobiography, “I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.” He later decided to celebrate the day on February 14th.

As a child, Douglass was separated from his mother and ended up with his grandmother, but at the age of seven, they were separated as well. Douglass was moved to the Wye House plantation and ultimately escaped slavery at age 20. He eventually became a world-renowned anti-slavery activist.Anna Murray-Douglass was married to her husband until her death and the couple had five children together – Rosetta Douglass, Lewis Henry Douglass, Frederick Douglass, Jr., Charles Remond Douglass, and Annie Douglass, who died at ten years old. Murray was a member of the Underground Railroad and was a huge supporter of her husband. She passed away in 1882 and in 1884, Douglass remarried to white feminist Helen Pitts.

Murray was Douglass’ wife of 44 years and she was born free unlike some of her other siblings. She was working as a laundress and housekeeper when she met Douglass, who was working as a caulker. Murray actually had encouraged Douglass to escape slavery and she gave him some money to help him. The two later married in September 1838. Murray was active with the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society and supported her husband with his abolitionist newspaper, North Star. The North Star carried on for four years until it merged with Gerrit Smith’s Liberty Party Paper, ultimately becoming Frederick Douglass’ Paper. When asked why he created the North Star, Douglass was quoted saying, “I still see before me a life of toil and trials…, but, justice must be done, the truth must be told…I will not be silent.”

Frederick Douglass died of a massive heart attack or stroke on February 20, 1895.Frederick Douglass was a licensed preacher in addition to his many other accomplishments. The United States’ Episcopal Church remembers Douglass annually on its liturgical calendar, every February 20. The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity designated Douglass as an honorary member in 1921.

In addition to Douglass’ many honors, what was a very important fact about him was that he was an early supporter of the women’s rights movement. He was the only African American to attend the Seneca Falls Convention, which was the first women’s rights convention, in 1848.

Review: Spectacle of ‘Grease: Live!’ Puts Moments Above Story

When Fox’s “Grease: Live!” reached its celebratory conclusion on Sunday, opinions about it no doubt differed, but one thing was clear: The live-musicals-on-television trend is no longer about trying to capture the magic of being in a Broadway house, if it ever was.

The “Grease” that the director Thomas Kail (of Broadway’s “Hamilton”) served up was cinematic, impressively so, with its countless cameras, its tracking shots, its zooms, its galloping from soundstage to soundstage. Executing such a production live must have required an unbelievable amount of coordination and technical expertise. But, despite the presence of a live audience for parts of it, the experience for viewers wasn’t remotely theater. Good theater is spine-tingling; “Grease: Live!” was spectacle.

That’s not a criticism; it’s just a statement of what our expectations should be as this fad continues. Live TV versions of “Hairspray,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and more are in the pipeline, and Mr. Kail’s production certainly raised the bar in terms of how much razzle-dazzle, innovation and star power these extravaganzas will need to have. If there were thoughts back in 2013 when NBC began this trend with “The Sound of Music Live!” that the point was merely to bring beloved stage music to a national audience, they’re gone now. This “Grease” was in a sense a new art form: not theater; more like “Grease” the movie, but performed live.

Some of Mr. Kail’s brainstorms worked pretty well. The show began with Jessie J doing a backstage walkabout while singing “Grease Is the Word,” an attention-getting device that was reminiscent of the opening numbers of some recent Tony Awards broadcasts. The first serious sign that this was something more than a filmed stage production, though, was when Marty (Keke Palmer, who was a treat) sang a number called “Freddy My Love” that morphed from a pajama party into a lavish dream sequence featuring a runway promenade. It might be technically possible to execute such a thing onstage, but this was a concept that was greatly enhanced by television’s versatility.

And there were more such moments as the night went on. The crowd-pleasing “Greased Lightning” was nicely energized by multiple camera perspectives. Carly Rae Jepsen, playing Frenchy, was given a song written just for this production, and it blended into a gauzy “Beauty School Dropout” sung by Boyz II Men in a way that wouldn’t have been clumsy onstage. A drag race was made at least moderately convincing with some smoke, tricks of light and amusing camera angles.

What happens, though, when spectacle replaces intimacy is that characters and story disappear, too. Julianne Hough was impressive as Sandy, especially in the dance numbers; Aaron Tveit’s Danny was serviceable; andVanessa Hudgens, whose father had died the night before, deserves some kind of prize for gutting through Rizzo. The actors did fine, but the characters and their arcs became secondary to executing the grand scheme.

This, in other words, was a show that was more about individual moments than about building a story. Perhaps that was deliberate, the assumption being that everyone already knew the story and would be more interested in microanalysis: Were the added songs any improvement over the omitted songs? (Answer: No.) Were the topical flourishes and meta-wisecracks worth the distraction? (Answer: No.) Did the choices between which lyrics in the rather raunchy original to clean up and which to leave unaltered make any sense? (Answer: No.)

Between small debating points like those and the show’s bigger distractions (the live audience being the biggest, and most ill-advised), what used to be the heart of “Grease” back when it was a rough-and-tumble newcomer in the early 1970s was nowhere to be found. Too bad, because that “Grease” — pre-John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John; pre-sanitization for use in high schools; pre-addition of Top-40-ready tunes — had a lot of merit. Sunday’s version did, too, but merit of a glossy, technically proficient kind. Theatrical magic is something entirely different.

Ask the Weather Guys: What is Groundhog Day and do the forecasts work?

Q What is Groundhog Day and do the forecasts work?

A Long before computers, the Weather Channel and the Internet, humans needed weather forecasts. Farmers and sailors particularly needed to know if storms were approaching.

Over time, various folklore forecasts, often in the form of short rhymes, were devised and passed down through the generations. Although memorable, the folklore forecasts are of uneven quality—some good, others bad.

Groundhog Day is an example of predicting the weather based on folklore. If the groundhog comes out of its hole and sees its shadow, we are in store for 40 more days of winter. Of course, after Feb. 2, there are only 47 days left of astronomical winter – which ends on or about March 21.

The roots of Groundhog Day go back to the 6th century. Feb. 2 is 40 days after Christmas and is known as Candlemas. On this day, candles that are used for the rest of the year are blessed. This is also about the mid-point in winter, in meteorological not astronomical terms.

The forecast rhyme goes:

If Candlemas Day is bright and clear

There’ll be two winters in that year;

But if Candlemas Day is mild or brings rain,

Winter is gone and will not come again.

If the day is bright and clear, the groundhog “sees” his shadow and we have more winter. Of course, the weather conditions on Feb. 2 at single locations like Sun Prairie or Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, tells us nothing about the weather for the rest of the winter season.

As for accuracy — the “predictions” made by the various rodents involved in this annual event are correct about 40 percent of the time — vastly inferior to what is delivered by modern science. Right or wrong, they are fun community celebrations.

Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, are guests on WHA radio (970 AM) at 11:45 a.m. the last Monday of each month.

Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madisondepartment of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, are guests on WHA radio (970 AM) at 11:45 a.m. the last Monday of each month.

Who won the Iowa GOP debate...besides Donald Trump?

Errol Louis: With Trump gone, substance is center stage

Errol Louis

The big Republican debate winners were Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. Marco Rubio, Gov. John Kasich and ex-Gov. Jeb Bush, who got an opportunity to talk about issues and engage one another without the looming presence of Donald Trump. In past debates, moderators and other candidates wasted valuable time clearing the never-ending backlog of personal insults, outrageous proposals and made-up facts by Trump.

Without Trump onstage, candidates and questioners alike could talk about the substance of the race for president: issues like immigration policy, national security and the government's role in growing the economy.

Cruz, Rubio and Bush had room to embark on an especially illuminating debate about who championed which side in the failed 2013 effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation, aided by moderators who played videos of Cruz and Rubio appearing to favor a path by which undocumented immigrants might become citizens -- a position now considered "soft" by the conservative base of the GOP.

"We are not going to round up 12 million people, but we're not going to go around handing out citizenship cards either," Rubio said. His rivals pounced: Rubio "cut and run" when opposition to the legislation sprang up, said Bush. Cruz seconded that assessment, drawing a harsh response from Rubio ("This is the lie that Ted's campaign is built on," he said).

It wasn't pleasant, but it also wasn't crazy, or clouded by petty personal wisecracks -- and it gave viewers a good look at the candidates' position on immigration.

The debate's losers were the candidates -- Sen. Rand Paul, Dr. Ben Carson and Gov. Chris Christie -- who resorted to gimmicks but simply failed to shine. Paul had supporters in the hall who loudly shouted after every statement by him, but Paul's anti-interventionist approach to national security marked him as an outlier in his own party.

Carson wandered into a word salad in one answer about how to deal with Russia ("Putin is a one-horse country: oil and energy") and at the end of the debate -- instead of giving a closing statement -- oddly recited the preamble to the Constitution and said "Folks, it's not too late. Enough said." Christie's one-liners seemed practiced rather than powerful (The days of the Clintons in public housing are over.")

The debate's winners go into the Iowa caucuses with a last-minute lift; the losers, according to the polls, were already floundering and got no help from their performance.

Errol Louis is the host of "Inside City Hall," a nightly political show on NY1, a New York all-news channel.

S.E. Cupp: Rubio overshadows Cruz

As is generally the case, Donald Trump was a nonfactor in this debate. The only difference this time is, he wasn't actually there. Yet again, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Chris Christie emerged as the best debaters of the night, with Rand Paul benefiting from the additional time afforded by Trump's absence.

If you're one of the 40% of Iowa caucus-goers who are reportedly still undecided, you got a great education in the differences between the substantive candidates in the GOP primary tonight. From immigration to ISIS, vets issues to criminal justice reform, it was an enlightening, informative night.

Tangentially, while debates are not Jeb Bush's strong suit, he was far more focused and relaxed tonight, perhaps because he wasn't distracted by the Orange One for once. His defense against being perceived as "establishment" -- joyfully bearhugging his mom, dad and brother -- was the kind of easy-going, good-natured and confident Jeb that his supporters should want to see more of.

Winner: Marco Rubio. From style to substance, and even in the face of attacks from nearly every candidate on the stage, Rubio proved he has the chops to take on Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders as the voice of a new generation. He was quick on his feet, studied, disciplined, personable, decisive, funny, and natural. In a night focused on Cruz, he overshadowed.

Runner up: Chris Christie. The drumbeat that he's delivered conservative policy to liberal New Jersey is effective and compelling. His disciplined focus on continually turning the debate back on Clinton forces you to visualize him in the general election. It's clear for Christie, the primary is just temporary housing, where for some others, the primary is where they plan to retire.

Second runner-up: Republican voters, who finally got a fully substantive debate devoid of Trump's incoherent blurting and debate moderators' Trump fixation.

Loser: Ted Cruz. Don't get me wrong -- Cruz was great tonight. He looked like a frontrunner, he delivered some effective lines. His stance against ethanol subsidies -- in Iowa -- was right and courageous, given the room. But if anyone had a better performance (and I believe Rubio and Christie did), with the stakes this high, with Trump absent, with Iowa on the horizon, it's a loss for him.

S.E. Cupp is the author of "Losing Our Religion: The Liberal Media's Attack on Christianity," co-author of "Why You're Wrong About the Right" and a columnist at the New York Daily News.

Julian Zelizer: Cruz stumbles

This was the first debate where the Republican candidates had a chance to speak without Donald Trump standing among them on the stage.

Most of the candidates took shots at Ted Cruz. Rubio raised questions about why Cruz supported budgets that cut defense spending. Marco Rubio questioned Cruz's claim that he was the most conservative candidate in the race, saying that he would "do or say anything to get votes." Chris Christie characterized Cruz as part of the "Washington establishment," while Rand Paul, who has been a non-presence for months, blasted Cruz for claiming that everyone but him was for amnesty.

Cruz stumbled when he displayed some of his temper. He tried to talk when it was not his turn and complained that every question revolved around attacking him. He was booed when he refused to be quiet.

Without Trump by his side, in fact, Cruz seemed much smaller. Rubio also struggled when he had to watch the montage of video that revealed his changed positions on immigration policy. Cruz had to sit through a similar montage of his own on immigration.

Was there actually a winner? If there was, it was probably Donald Trump. As Cruz and Rubio took some shots to their reputation, the low voltage atmosphere made it clear why so many voters were more interested in hearing and following Trump on the campaign trail.

Winner: Donald Trump

Loser: Ted Cruz

Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University and a New America fellow. He is the author of "Jimmy Carter" and "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Lyndon Johnson, Congress, and the Battle for the Great Society."

Laura Belin: Candidates shadow box with Hillary Clinton

Laura Belin

Someone absent from the debate stage was targeted early and often by candidates seeking to impress Iowa caucus-goers. In a surprising twist, it wasn't Donald Trump.

Marco Rubio and Chris Christie avoided challenging the man who's way ahead of them in early state and national polls, while treating multiple questions as invitations to attack Hillary Clinton.

From his first answer to his closing remarks and several times in between, Rubio promised to beat the Democratic frontrunner ("Hillary doesn't want to run against me, but I can't wait to run against her"). He reminded viewers that Clinton floated President Barack Obama as a possible Supreme Court appointee.

Echoing lines he tested in earlier debates, Rubio asserted that use of a private email server and actions related to the Benghazi attack had "disqualified" Clinton from being president.

Former U.S. Attorney Christie repeatedly pressed his electability argument, saying he can best "prosecute the case against Hillary Clinton." A question about fighting ISIS in Libya took a detour toward more criticism of the former Secretary of State, who "has so much to answer for" but has "refused to be held accountable."

Sounding more confident than in any previous debate, Jeb Bush twice assured Republicans he can beat Clinton with the "proven record of accomplishment" she lacks.

Rand Paul stayed out of the Hillary-bashing game and didn't mention her except when asked about Bill Clinton's conduct. He capitalized on being back in the primetime scrum by hitting key points that set him apart from the competition: audit the Fed, criminal justice reform, limits on NSA surveillance and being willing to "look at all spending" to balance the budget.

Paul won't grab one of the famous "three tickets" out of Iowa, but he surely energized his fans and may outperform his recent polling numbers on Monday night.

Winners: Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul.

Loser: Ben Carson

Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush neither helped nor hurt themselves (which could be considered a win for Cruz). John Kasich is a nonfactor here.

Laura Belin is the primary author at the website Bleeding Heartland. She has been covering Iowa politics since 2007, writing as "desmoinesdem." You can follow her @desmoinesdem.

Donna Brazile: Trump biggest winner...and biggest loser

Well, a Republican debate can still produce winners and losers, even without Donald Trump there to proclaim himself winner and call everyone else losers.

One clear winner was Fox News, especially moderator Megyn Kelly. The questions were so hard-hitting that Ted Cruz complained about them. And the use of video clips to hold the candidates to their past statements was devastating. Also, the Fox bottom line surely benefited from what was by far the most ad time of any debate so far.

Ultimately Donald Trump ended up being both the biggest winner and the biggest loser. He lost by squandering the opportunity to rise above the "squirmish" (thanks for the word, Sarah Palin) with Megyn Kelly and Fox News and to look a little presidential in the process.

But Trump was the winner because his poisonous populism has so utterly infused the GOP that all of the candidates to some degree sounded like Trump on the issues. Sons of immigrants Rubio and Cruz both have adopted Trump's xenophobic vitriol on immigration and refugees. And both Cruz and Christie gleefully parroted Trump's empty, saber-rattling approach to ISIS. If, as Chris Wallace said at the outset, there really is a battle for the "soul of the party," the GOP may have already sold that soul to Donald Trump.

Donna Brazile, a CNN contributor and a Democratic strategist, is vice chairwoman for civic engagement and voter participation at the Democratic National Committee. A nationally syndicated columnist, she is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and author of "Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in America."

Ruth Ben-Ghiat: Now the candidates channel Trump

Ruth Ben-Ghiat

We can thank Donald Trump for having boycotted Thursday night's GOP debate. His absence created some breathing space for the other candidates. Viewers got the chance to consider candidates' characters and platforms without the billionaire showman's dominating and divisive presence.

At the same time, this debate suggests that Trump has had an energizing effect on his rivals' communication style. They have sharpened their stances, adopted a more muscular and simple delivery and paid more attention to the emotional impact of their messages.

Not all candidates wish to follow the Trump method of persuasion. John Kasich, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush and Rand Paul have remained true to themselves in terms of public presentation, which in this election cycle has cost them in the polls.

But Chris Christie, with his habit of looking directly at the camera, has learned Trump's lessons: He kept his pugnaciousness but added some emotional softness when appropriate.

Marco Rubio was emphatic and engaged, banishing thoughts of his baby face and booties. Ted Cruz gave some fine answers, as on health care reform, but came across as petulant and snarky. He and Rubio were clearly battling for second-place standing.

Winner: Marco Rubio.

Loser: Ted Cruz.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a professor of history and Italian studies at New York University and a specialist in 20th-century European history. Her latest book is "Italian Fascism's Empire Cinema."

Tara Setmayer: Rubio shined; Cruz fell flat

Tara Setmayer

While Donald Trump was down the road putting on his publicity stunt sideshow pandering to veterans, the rest of the GOP field showed up and faced tough questions worthy of serious candidates running for the presidency.

The absence of Trump gave voters the opportunity to finally judge the other candidates free and clear of the Trump entertainment factor and distractions. There was plenty of oxygen left in the arena this time and it seems as though Jeb Bush was the biggest beneficiary.

By far this was Bush's strongest performance. He even bested Rubio in an exchange on immigration. But, it's just not enough to kick-start his fledgling campaign. Bush's message doesn't inspire or represent the future, whereas Rubio's does and that makes a huge difference when appealing to voters.

Many expected Ted Cruz to shine tonight. But his attempt to be snarky came across awkward and forced, mostly falling flat, as did his combative exchanges with the moderators. Chris Wallace smacked Cruz down after he complained about the questions (again) reminding him: "This is a debate."

Rubio took some expected hits during the immigration exchange, even though he offered a tough but pragmatic approach that would appeal to independents in a general election. What set him apart in this debate were his cogent answers on defining the threats that face this country and how to defeat them, particularly ISIS.

Rubio consistently demonstrates a command of the issues and delivers his answers in direct, relatable terms. In almost every answer, he managed to remind viewers of the disaster of the Obama administration and why Hillary Clinton must be defeated. By drawing that contrast, Rubio underscored why he's the candidate best suited to beat Clinton.

Winners: Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush.

Losers: Ted Cruz, Donald Trump (for throwing a tantrum and not showing up).

Tara Setmayer is former communications director for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, and a CNN political commentator. Follow her on Twitter @tarasetmayer.

Dean Spiliotes: Rand Paul gets back in the mix

Dean Spiliotes

It should be clear to anyone watching this Republican debate that it is Marco Rubio, and not Ted Cruz, who the other candidates on stage view as the greatest threat to their nomination chances, beyond a missing Donald Trump.

Initial expectations for the evening were that the debate would center on Trump's absence and Cruz as the Iowa frontrunner-in-waiting. But it was instead defined by several key exchanges between Rubio and other candidates, including Rand Paul on national security, and Jeb Bush on immigration. Both Paul and Bush benefited from these exchanges, as well, but Rubio, despite seeming a bit overly amped and rehearsed at times, used them effectively to attack President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Of the three governors who were present on stage in Iowa -- but who were primarily focused on New Hampshire -- Bush had a good night, followed by Chris Christie, who was second only to Rubio in his Obama and Clinton bashing.

Winners: Marco Rubio and Rand Paul -- Rubio for energetically holding his own as the center of attention, and Paul for turning in his sharpest debate performance thus far.

Loser: Ted Cruz, who was off his game, and did not live up to prior billing as frontrunner-in-waiting--behind Trump.

Dean Spiliotes is a Southern New Hampshire University Civic Scholar and founder ofNHPoliticalCapital.com.

Maria Cardona: A night to make Americans worry

Maria Cardona

The Ghost of Donald Trump loomed large over Thursday night's GOP debate. He was probably not far from the minds of many viewers. We can imagine they would nod politely, but inside, long for the one who was not there.

All in all, the GOP candidates demonstrated that without Trump on stage, it was difficult to hold America's attention. The debate showed once again that none of the Republican candidates (including Trump) could hold a candle to the Democrats' grasp of the issues Americans care most about.

In the area of foreign policy, the GOP candidates were a hot mess. Their answers were hyperbolic, bellicose, exaggerated, and many times void of any facts, their solutions untenable in the real world of governance and leadership. On Obamacare, the environment, Planned Parenthood, immigration and a myriad of other domestic issues, they were at times downright frightening -- again -- in the real world of real Americans.

They talked about getting rid of Obamacare, which would strip millions of Americans of health care. They discussed defunding Planned Parenthood, which would hurt low-income women in accessing preventive care, cancer screenings and birth control. They won't fight for climate change, which the global community is trying to fix. They don't support real immigration reform and would deny a fair path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants who work hard and have deep roots in our communities. (Though Jeb Bush comes closest to acknowledging the need for reform.)

Marco Rubio was angry and preachy, and blatantly pandered to Christian conservatives every chance he got, going right at Ted Cruz's base. Cruz tried to deflect all the incoming on stage. He did well but seemed to wither at times. Most disconcerting to me and to millions of Latino voters was how the two Latino candidates fervently argued with each other over which one would treat Latino immigrants worse. Gracias! And say "adios" to the Casa Blanca amigos!

Winners: Christie and Paul did well, but this debate will not change their standing much.

And of course, Donald Trump, in his absence, demonstrated to his supporters that he does not adhere to the rules and will stand up for himself even against Fox News, "the way he will stand up for America."

Loser: The Republican "establishment."

Maria Cardona is a political commentator for CNN, a Democratic strategist and principal at theDewey Square Group. She is a former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton and was communications director for the Democratic National Committee. She also is a former communications director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.