Adults on the GOP Debate Stage

The Republican National Committee raised its qualification criteria enough to ensure that this week’s debate featured only one stage—no need for a second “kids table” forum as in 2016. That spared GOP voters some headache—though not some teenage drama.

The good news for the party is that this was a solid event, showcasing several capable, qualified and at times inspiring contenders for the Oval Office. Donald Trump chose to duck the debate, and one consequence was that he was largely reduced to an afterthought. The eight participants instead sparred over their own differences—on domestic policy, global involvement, priorities and qualifications.

The biggest dividing line was the gulf between contenders when it came to leadership and seriousness. On one side were the grown-ups. On the other, the poll-chasers.

Nikki Haley was notably adult. The former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador showed a command not only of policy issues, but of her own convictions. She broke with the others to make a compelling case for Republicans to approach the divisive issue of abortion with more compassion, and to leave the tough particulars to the states. She called instead for federal lawmakers to focus on widely held “consensus” views—on late-term abortions, the merits of adoption, the need for available contraception.

While the press is predictably highlighting Ms. Haley’s smackdown of Vivek Ramaswamy’s foreign-policy confusion, her more consequential moment was her persuasive argument that supporting Ukraine is entirely in America’s self-interest. She noted that only a small fraction of the U.S. defense budget has gone to Ukraine and that the country has become a “first line of defense” against both Russia and its partner China. This is the speech Joe Biden should have given more than a year ago.

Ms. Haley also spoke truth about the Republican overspending habit, especially in the Trump years—which earned her strong applause. And instead of wading into a debate over Mr. Trump’s indictments, she addressed the Trump question in purely pragmatic terms—age and electability. “It’s time for a new-generational conservative leader,” she said, someone with a better chance of winning a general election than “the most disliked politician in America.”

Ms. Haley was joined in sobriety by Mike Pence, who similarly articulated a holistic foreign policy vision and reminded viewers how many years he’s been fighting in the conservative trenches. He pressured everyone on stage to take a stand on his actions on Jan. 6, and most ended up giving him credit. While not often mentioned, Mr. Pence helped recruit many of the movement conservatives who created the Trump policy agenda, and his deep knowledge of policy issues showed on stage.

On the other end was Mr. Ramaswamy, the brash 38-year-old newcomer who seized center stage. Mr. Ramaswamy’s appeal is obvious: He’s energetic, articulate and optimistic and offers bold ideas. Yet much of his usual sunniness disappeared on Wednesday, replaced by snarky interjections. For all his complaints about “professional politicians,” he rivaled the best of them with an evening of canned sound bites—contrasting his “bought and paid for” “Super PAC puppet” opponents with his “patriot” self.

While his rivals took shots at his lack of experience, it was Mr. Ramaswamy’s own comments that exposed his unseriousness about global realities and undermined his bid. “I wish you well on your future career on the boards of Lockheed

In the middle was Ron DeSantis, who sounded like a leader when it came to Florida and his vision for the country, but couldn’t muster conviction on any controversial issue of the day. Would he cut off aid to Ukraine? Possibly. Maybe. Does he support a national ban on abortion? Hard to say. Most painful was watching the governor scope out all his opponents before sheepishly raising his hand in response to the question whether he’d support Mr. Trump if he won the nomination and was convicted of a felony. Mr. DeSantis didn’t have a bad night, but he’d have had a better one if he’d come armed with serious answers to serious questions.

Mr. Trump’s rivals have all learned an important lesson from him: The GOP primary electorate wants a fighter. They each face a harder task of figuring out precisely what they intend to fight for. Wednesday highlighted the split between those who already know their minds and those still spending too much time with pollsters and consultants.

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