It’s going to be a wild night.(Steve Brodner)

The first GOP presidential debate of the 2016 campaign is now history. Masses of viewers who might never turn to Fox News couldn’t resist the Thursday night freak show. This, in large part, is thanks to Mr. Donald Trump who is the object of a current American fascination; observing the spectacle of a fabulously wealthy celebrity showing great pride in his own flamboyantly displayed shortcomings. My goal was to, in real time, catch that aspect of the evening, as well as the voices of the challengers. Below are portraits of what, in essence, they said at the event. In the end, while the country may not have come closer to a real debate on substantive issues, we did get a good look at Trump, which is what the night was mostly about anyway.