The audience and the host watching the debate on the spot felt that Jeff Raven's performance tonight was far from his previous showing at the Democratic Party primary debate. He remained aggressive and sharp with his words, as before, but it came across as too extreme to listeners, the kind of extremism associated with white racists. He even threatened potential critics, but how many real racists could there be in the Eighteenth District?
Therefore, without waiting for the debate to end, many political commentators felt more optimistic about Eliana Leti, the Cuban-American woman who maintained her composure well and played the part of someone attacked by a white racist but who tried to keep her dignity and speak without falling behind as the underdog.
This is Florida, a place of racial diversity. No one likes that sort of pure racist, except for dedicated members of the Ku Klux Klan. Even if the voters are white, people have compassion; no one likes a strong bully.