text: “Conservative leadership hopefuls engage in lively debate amid crowded 14-person field”
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  It was not a debate. It was 2 hours of the candidates reading their scripted monologues. Even during the rebuttal segments, they largely ignored anything their opponents said and went back to their talking points. They couldn’t even get a rise out of O’Leary, who was the target of several jabs. The verdict..... a lacklustre performance by all concerned.