The Note: What We Learned From Fight Night in Vegas

— -- NOTABLES

--7 MOMENTS THAT MATTERED AT THE LAST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OF 2015: Less than 200 miles away from the scene of this month's ISIS-inspired attack in San Bernardino, California, the nine leading Republican presidential candidates used the final presidential debate of the year to loudly beat the drums of war. At last night's debate, held in Vegas and hosted by CNN, almost every question focused on national security and the fight against Islamic extremism. "I began this journey six months ago,” frontrunner Donald Trump said. "My total focus was on building up our military, building up our strength." ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE, RYAN STRUYK, RICK KLEIN, VERONICA STRACQUALURSI and MERIDITH MCGRAW highlight seven moments that mattered at Tuesday's presidential debate. http://abcn.ws/22682HI

--IN CASE YOU MISSED IT -- THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN A MINUTE, courtesy of ABC's ALI DUKAKIS and TOM THORNTON: http://abcn.ws/1RnJBBy

--ANALYSIS -- NEW FIGHTS EMERGE AS LEADING CANDIDATES TRY IGNORING DONALD TRUMP. Confronted with the durable phenomenon known as Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidates tried a new tack Wednesday night: ignore him. Trump didn't go anywhere, of course. Attacks did flow in from candidates who found themselves farther from center stage than ever --- including, notably, Jeb Bush. But it's as if his front-running status is so familiar that his rivals for the most part chose not to fight him, as the race settles into its lanes, ABC's RICK KLEIN writes. The most tense exchanges pitted Ted Cruz against Marco Rubio, the onetime allies who now see themselves as each other's most serious rival. http://abcn.ws/1MgeeBe And ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE takes us through the debate highlights on World News Now http://abcn.ws/1k2ggy8, as well as a look at where the state of the race is after that final GOP debate: http://abcn.ws/1QpExNh

--THE DEBATE'S BEST ONE-LINERS: The final debate of 2015, which focused on national security and terrorism, wasn't short of one-liners. ABC's PAOLA CHAVEZ rounded them up: http://abcn.ws/1Mg6gIi

TODAY ON THE TRAIL with ABC's SHUSHANNAH WALSHE: Donald Trump has a rally in Mesa, Arizona and tonight he appears on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Ted Cruz is in Los Angeles this morning where he will hold a news conference. Marco Rubio holds event in Ankeny, Iowa and Manchester, New Hampshire, hitting the first two early states in one day. Ben Carson remains in Nevada today. This afternoon he attends the Republican Women of Las Vegas Luncheon in Sin City followed by a rally in Carson City. Tonight he holds a rally in Elko. Carly Fiorina and Rand Paul are also in Nevada. John Kasich stops in Utah this afternoon touring Salt Lake City Welfare Square before heading to Iowa for an evening town hall. Jeb Bush is off the trail fundraising in Nevada and California. Chris Christie is also raising money in California, stopping in the donor rich enclaves of Palo Alto and Beverly Hills. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is in Nebraska and Iowa. This afternoon, she will appear with Warren Buffet in Omaha to discuss her economic agenda. Bernie Sanders is in Washington, DC where he will visit a mosque--like Martin O'Malley did last week-- for an interfaith roundtable.

THE BUZZ