POWER RANKINGS: Trump's slow fade begins

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Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's victory in the second Republican presidential debate has made him the most important figure in the race. For the first time, there's a candidate that conservatives and the establishment alike believe they can support. Trump meanwhile, has begun to fade, losing his lead in the national polls.

The GOP field is still at 15 strong for now, and we rank them from the most important of the gang down to Jim Gilmore.

Timothy P. Carney, The Washington Examiner's senior political columnist, can be contacted at tcarney@washingtonexaminer.com. His column appears Tuesday and Thursday nights on washingtonexaminer.com.