You know it's bad news if the liberal audience of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert actually applauds Republicans when Republicans fire back at the leftist shills that were the CNBC Moderators. Colbert isn't exactly a tea party supporter, and even he got behind the candidates on some of the shenanigans CNBC tried to run.

Watch:

"That is the most disrespectful question since the Lincoln/Douglas debate asked Lincoln, 'What the douche?'"

"What the moderators lacked in courtesy they made up for in lack of preparation."

"Gotta hand it to the Republicans, they stood their ground and they put up a fight!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Listen to the Governor of NJ, he knows then people in his home state act like animals..."

Colbert also does a funny bit about Trump's negotiation of the length of the CNBC debate, and if Trump did negotiate the debate length down...let's applaud him for that. Cause dang, that debate filled every checkbox of horrible that Satan devised.

Except here's the silver-tongued lining of the CNBC debate "moderators" attack of the Republicans: the candidates didn't take it lying down and they fought back (Read: Top 5 Moments the GOP Embarrassed CNBC Last Night). They provided contrast, they manned up (and woman'd up in the case of Fiorina) and showed their base and even the Democrats watching they're here to PLAY. Game on. And because of the moderators' Democrat hack questions, a candidate who hadn't been doing well in the debates, rose up and struck back hard (go watch Cruz NAIL IT again). Yeah, we're looking at you King Cruz Leonidas!