The four low-polling Republican presidential candidates in Tuesday night's undercard debate aren't long for the 2016 race, but some of the arguments that came up will endure.
All four disagreed with Donald Trump's Muslim exclusion proposal, but with important qualifications. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum argued that Islam is not just a religion but also a political ideology, including strictures of sharia law not covered by the First Amendment.
"Not all Muslims are radical jihadists," he said, adding he doubted that Trump disagreed. "But all radical jihadists are Muslims."
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, generally the most hawkish candidate on the stage and the only incumbent officeholder, argued Trump's proposal was counterproductive. He apologized to the Muslim world on Trump's behalf. "If you want to be commander-in-chief, up your game," he exhorted the Republican front-runner. Graham argued alliances with moderate Muslims who don't want to live under ISIS are key to winning the war on terror.
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