The Republican presidential candidates had their latest debate Saturday night at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., three short days before the New Hampshire primary, and something as routine as the candidates walking onstage quickly got weird.

ABC’s moderators called each candidate out to the stage. Ben Carson appeared to have missed his cue, and Donald Trump didn’t appear when called, leading to the candidates who followed directions (Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush) passing them in the stage tunnel, with the cameras adding to their bemusement. John Kasich didn’t hear his name called at all, and he, Carson and Trump had to be invited to the stage again, one at a time, with none of them looking happy.

It was a shaky beginning to a high-stakes night. Donald Trump currently has a wide lead in New Hampshire polls, but Florida Senator Marco Rubio has become the candidate to beat in the establishment lane. Polls have Rubio surging in New Hampshire over the last few days, while the primary may be the last stand for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Ohio Governor John Kasich.

Christie vs. Rubio

Right out of the gate, Chris Christie opened fire on his greatest threat in New Hampshire: Marco Rubio.

Christie said that the responsibilities of a governor meant he had to make tougher and more important decisions than Rubio has had to as a senator. “You have not be involved in a consequential decision where you had to be held accountable,” he told Rubio. “What we need to have in this country is not to make the same mistake we made eight years ago.”

“Under Chris Christie’s governorship of New Jersey, they have been downgraded nine times in their credit rating,” Rubio shot back. “Let’s dispel with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He is trying to change this country.”

Christie also attacked Rubio for using rehearsed replies. Rubio responded with the same talking points on Obama’s effectiveness, not just once, but three times, and it didn’t play well to the New Hampshire crowd.

The Carson/Cruz Dustup

ABC’s moderators — David Muir, Martha Raddatz and Josh McElveen — went straight for Ted Cruz by way of Ben Carson. Carson was asked about the back-and-forth between his campaign and Cruz’s after Cruz’s campaign sent out messages the night of the Iowa caucuses reporting that Carson was suspending his campaign.

Cruz explained that it was based on a CNN report that Carson was “taking a break” after Iowa, and that it was a mistake. Cruz apologized on stage to Carson. For his part, Carson said the incident was indicative of Cruz’s “DC values.”

“Washington ethics basically says ‘if it’s legal you do what you need to do in order to win.’ That’s not my ethics. My ethics say you do what’s right.”

Bush Hits Trump on Eminent Domain

Property rights advocates rejoiced as Donald Trump was asked about eminent domain early in the debate. “Eminent domain is a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump claimed. “The Keystone Pipeline, without eminent domain, it wouldn’t go 10 feet, OK?”

Jeb Bush, the only candidate who went after Trump in this debate, saw his chance and jumped at it. “What Donald Trump did was use eminent domain to try to take the property of an elderly woman on the strip in Atlantic City. That is not public purpose, that is downright wrong.”

“He wants to be a tough guy,” Trump said, trying to talk down Bush’s attack.

“How tough is it to take property from an elderly woman?” Bush said, as both men spoke at once.

“Lemme talk. Quiet,” Trump said.

The crowd booed.

Trump responded by insulting the crowd as a bunch of donors who bought their way into the venue. The crowd booed again, louder and longer, and Trump had what may have been his worst moment in a debate yet.

On Drafting Women

One of the surprising moments that may go unnoticed from Saturday’s debate was the acceptance of women not only serving in the military but signing up for the draft. Rubio and Bush were each asked about women and the draft.

Rubio’s response: “I have no problem whatsoever with people of either gender serving in combat so long as the minimum requirements necessary to do the job are not compromised. But, I support that, and obviously now that that is the case, I do believe that Selective Service should be opened up for both men and women in case a Draft is ever instituted.”

Bush agreed that young women should be required to sign up for selective service, and added, “I do think that we should not impose any kind of political agenda on the military.”

And for good measure, Christie jumped in, saying “There’s no reason why young women should be discriminated against from registering for selective service.”

Abortion, Exceptions and “Self-Defense”

Every candidate at the Republican debate claims to be pro-life, but to what degree? When abortion came up in New Hampshire, which is not known for its right-to-life movement, Rubio held to his convictions, explaining that “the issue of life is not a political issue. It’s a human rights issue.”

Bush touted his long record of defending the right to life in Florida, saying he was “the most pro-life” of the candidates, but that he thinks there should be exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. “And my consistency on this, makes me, I think, poised to be in the right place, the sweet spot for a Republican nominee.”

Rubio replied with his strongest answer of the night.

I do support protection for the life of the mother because I’m pro-life. I just believe deeply that all human life is worthy of protection of our laws. If I’m president and there’s a bill that’s passed that saves lives but it has exceptions, I’ll sign it.

But I do believe deeply that all human life is worthy of the protection of laws. I’ve already said, for me, the issue of life is not a political issue and I want to be frank. I would rather lose an election than be wrong on the issue of life.

Christie, who had been gunning for Rubio all night, then had a response that can only be described as tone-deaf, explaining that exceptions to abortion bans exist as “self-defense” for women pregnant from rape. “That woman should not have to deliver that child if they believe that violation is now an act of self-defense by terminating that pregnancy.”