But Newt Gingrich came alive yet again, not as an angry combatant but as what he described as a "cheerful" alternative, enthusiastically challenging the moderator, John King of CNN, and turning questions to his own purposes.
However, a large volume of community posts makes it challenging for moderators and clinical experts, if there are any, to provide necessary information.
Anthony D. Weiner, the former congressman who has plunged in the polls, took on an odd role, acting as self-appointed truth-teller, cranky referee and color commentator on his rivals' remarks, by turns defending and attacking his opponents and challenging the moderators' attempts to interject.
It was challenging to act as moderator, by directing the conversation to different topics likely to challenge them ideologically and by not letting the more vocal students monopolize the discussion.
Later, Tim Russert, a moderator, challenged Mrs. Clinton to name — and pronounce — President Vladimir V. Putin's chosen successor in Russia.
Salon's editor at large Joan Walsh harrumphs: "Romney shook his Etch-a-Sketch and lied his way through the entire debate with no challenge from moderator Jim Lehrer".
In an earlier debate, Fiorina's statement about seeing an abortion performed on video was not challenged by CNN moderators.
When the moderators challenged Sanders to name an instance where Clinton had been influenced by donations, he hit again at her series of speeches to Goldman Sachs, for which she received high speaker's fees.
Even before the Lauer debacle, journalists were already expressing concerns that debate moderators would refrain from challenging candidates' outright lies.
If Trump used these statistics in a media interview or during a debate, the reporter or moderator would have been responsible for challenging and correcting his claims.
