Donald Trump recreates the shruggie emoji. Credit: John Minchillo/AP via NPR

Our very own Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly sat down over doughnuts to debrief last night's GOP debate. Which candidate should get to graduate from the children's table? Which one revealed himself to have the intellectual heft of an empty pair of underpants?

Here are Peter's 9 takeaways from the debate:

1. 1. Rubio trumped (so to speak) Bush.
2. 2. Bush trumped Walker.
3. 3. Donald, his huge appeal undeniable, is like a Kardashian, in habiting a parallel universe that the GOP doesn't seem to understand.
4. 4. Christie is working hard to stay in the game.
5. 5. Rand Paul might be heading for irrelevancy.
6. 6. Ohio Governor John Kasich—a very capable guy—finally attracted notice with his knowledgeable and savvy answers.
7. 7. Carly Fiorina may be the only clear-cut winner, emerging from the 5PM also-ran debate with an acknowledgement by one and all that she is capable of being very articulate.
8. 8. By the way, The National Review has a cover story about how sharp she is.
9. 9. I might add that her political skills are not as sharp as her forensic skills. When Joe Scarboro did a very positive interview with her, she seemed to go a bit "Sarah Palin." But the base, no doubt, likes that.