At a Republican presidential debate watch party held at Capitol Cigars on Tuesday, the crowd started out thin and skeptical and, even though the bourbon flowed copiously and the crowd grew over the course of the debate, the attitude toward the candidates never much improved.

“The media would do better just giving us public service announcements,” said barman Jimmy Blake, a cigar and cocktail aficionado with a world-weary face. “The candidates know to just say the words we’ve already all heard. They’re speaking in media phrases.”

The watch party was sponsored by the Denver Metro Young Republicans and The Colorado Statesman — and hosted unofficially by Blake, who strolled out from behind the bar and mingled with the crowd of mostly young men wearing blazers and short haircuts.

“I like Rubio and Fiorina. Rand Paul has surprised me, too,” said Scott Neff, a hale, blond University of Colorado Denver student. “We keep nominating rich old white guys. You see how it worked out last time. We don’t need another Bush or a Huckabee or a Santorum. If people wanted those guys, they would have chose them years ago when they ran, you know? We need a new face.”

Donald Trump was making exaggerated expressions on the television screen above a group of red leather chairs. Snow drifted outside, blown into the air ahead of busy Denver street plows navigating Colfax.

“Trump is saying stuff I wouldn’t say if I were running for dog catcher,” said Neff. “He’s kind of keeping the other candidates honest.”

Blake was behind the bar imitating Trump, who was making faces at things Jeb Bush was saying about him.

“I like the whole field, actually,” said Jimmy Sengenberger, a talk radio host and possible candidate for the soon-to-be vacant House District 37 seat. “I like all of them, except for Trump. I don’t think Trump could beat Hillary Clinton in the general election.”

Sengenberger said he was drawn most of all to the “Cuban Americans” and only half jokingly blamed the Trump candidacy on President Barack Obama.

“I want a Cuban American for president,” he said. “Cruz is great on principles. Rubio is great in terms of his charisma and his presentation.… I think people know Trump from his Apprentice reality-TV show, where if people didn’t do the job, he fired them,” Sengenberger said. “I think that’s appealing to a great many people, because we’ve had (Obama), who has been so ineffective and so tragic really for the country that people are looking for a strong leader.”

Debbie Brown, executive director at the conservative Colorado Women’s Alliance, has been running focus groups with Republican and unaffiliated women during this year’s presidential debates. Results from Tuesday’s debate weren’t available at press time, but Brown told The Statesman that some trends are emerging in the research.

Many of the women in the group are still making up their minds, she said.

“These are well-informed voters who are interested in politics,” she said. “Yet I would say that roughly a third or even half remain fluid in their positions on the candidates. They are still open-minded at this stage.”

In the wake of the Paris and San Bernardino terror attacks, she said, national security has moved to the top of the list of concerns among the members of the focus group. In that respect, the theme of Tuesday’s debate — national security and the threat of terrorism — matched the political interests of the women being surveyed.

“Security is now trumping economic growth and jobs,” Brown said. “The ‘soccer mom’ has been supplanted by the ‘security mom.’”

Kim Arnold is one of those moms. She studied Middle East politics in college.

“I think the Paris and San Bernardino attacks probably ensured a Republican will be elected. I watch the Democrats debate, and it’s no comparison. Los Angeles closed the schools yesterday,” she said, referring to a threat that officials later said was a hoax. “What does it matter if you’re an entitled kid or if you’re a mom with your kids at the mall, and you’re not safe? If we’re not tough on security, than nothing else matters.”

Sherrie Gibson, who is running for an El Paso County Commission seat, is another woman in the Alliance focus group. She has met many of the presidential candidates in person. She frankly concedes that she’s a “security mom.”

“I like Cruz, Carly, Carson and Rubio,” she said. “But I’ll support Trump if he gets the nomination. “When something like San Bernardino happens on American soil, people are scared. Trump talks tough.”

Jonathan Lockwood, executive director of free-market advocacy group Advancing Colorado and former state director for conservative youth group Generation Opportunity, is not impressed.

“The candidates are just not addressing any of the issues that really matter to young people,” he said. Lockwood entered the bar with a klatch of millennials as the debate was wrapping up, sending the energy level in the hazy rooms up at least a couple of notches.

“Will they propose solutions for the challenges facing the education system, veterans’ care, soaring debt?” he asked. “Millennials are unemployed and underemployed. We’re drowning in debt.”

Lockwood shot a glance at one of the television screens. He was hovering somewhere on the verge of disgust.

“They’re just paying lip service to these issues,” he said. “It’s a tragedy for the future of the country. It’s inter-generational injustice.”

Jake Viano, who came in with Lockwood, said there’s an obvious solution to the political problems in the country that are being underlined by the ratings-driven presidential debates.

“Someone once said that running a representative republic is not a spectator sport,” he said. “The way we fix things is by getting involved.”

The Nielsen television ratings company reported that the Vegas debate Tuesday drew 18 million viewers, placing it third among this year’s five GOP primary debates. The next debates are scheduled to take place in January in early primary-voting states Iowa and South Carolina.

— john@coloradostatesman.com

Caricature of debate participants by Donkey Hotey via Flickr.com