Summary:
Rand Paul had a strong performance. Strong enough to reverse his fall? We’ll see.
Ted Cruz did great, badly damaged Marco Rubio in their exchanges, and avoided Dana Bash’s amateurish attempt to force him to scrap with Donald J. Trump. Cruz is the overall winner tonight.
Jeb Bush had a good performance, not great, but good, and effectively took on Trump.
Dr. Ben Carson was genial as always, but not terribly articulate. He did, however, have a key moment when he slapped down Hugh Hewitt’s crude attempt to mischaracterize his position.
Carly Fiorina showed she can drive her message very effectively, but looked petulant and impatient at times. Not good.
Chris Christie seems unable to articulate anything beyond “screw civil liberties, when need a tough guy with executive experience.”
John Kasich was wrong on nearly everything, and still comes off angry and arrogant. Here’s hoping he’s gone soon.
35 comments
I don’t generally do this so I apologize in advance to the TBE and the author of this article FOR GOING OFF TOPIC WITH A COMMENT but the most important event last night for the nation was certainly not this CNN/Facebook sponsored extended Republican presidential interview but something produced and delivered by the new Republican House majority leader – Paul Ryan when he announced to the House Republican Conference leaders that a year-end deal on taxes and funding the government was concluded after purported intense negotiations. He actually released the text of the 2000 plus page bill this morning at 1:30AM with the expected vote Thursday. I scanned this thing which (I include the text of below) this morning and was appalled at the pork and spending increases. For those that may be wondering – yes Obama’s entire Refugee Immigration effort is completely funded. The whole process, lack of conservative input and acquiescence to Obama policy priorities certainly doesn’t appear to have improved under new leadership and in fact seems to have taken a turn for the worse under Paul Ryan compared to former Speaker John Boehner. Hard to believe but if you desire I have attached an article update on the bill provided by The Hill below, as well as the text of the bill itself, for anyone that cares to take a look. If this is the new Ryan regime then I say to my fellow conservatives NOTHING has changed, period.
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/263374-leaders-clinch-deal-to-push-back-obamacare-taxes
http://thehill.com/policy/finance/263405-read-omnibus-spending-bill-text
Why don’t these guys use the power of the purse to accomplish just one or two small things? Unless we starve the beast, it will simply continue to grow. Bloated monstrosity.
…because bloated monstrosity is the goal, republicans want it
Cruz kept interrupting and would not shut up when Wolf was attempting to move on to the next candidate to ask a question. Fiorina is well versed on many issues but came across whiny when she too kept interrupting Wolf while he was talking to another candidate.
Rubio is a gifted speaker but Cruz got the better half of him during their exchanges and made Rubio look childish.
There was some commotion in the back of the audience when Trump was about to answer a question. Someone shouted from the audience at Trump about him being a billionaire. It sounded like a protestor. Does anyone have any further info?
I didn’t think Fiorina sounded whiny and she didn’t interrupt any more than Cruz did. Why are forceful women seen as whining and rude? That never happens when men behave the same way. Double standard.
I’m not seeing much traction for Rand Paul coming out of this. He’s running as a non-interventionist in a time when people are scared of ISIS and went the U.S to crush them flat before the situation gets any worse.
Interventionism is the VERY THING which has given rise to ISIS.
It was when we left that ISIS arose. The lack of a U.S presence led to a vacuum which ISIS filled.
“The lack of a U.S presence…” Yeah, after we wiped out the Iraqi government. The U.S. and Europe destabilized the Middle East through regime change. Now, we have 150-200 MILLION people who have seen massive political upheaval in the past 10 years (gee, I wonder why there is an immigration crisis–because we caused it!). Had we sat on our thumbs and done absolutely nothing in the Middle East, the world would be a better place right now. The federal government’s incessant craving for being in everyone’s business (our citizens and the countries around the world) is a key problem.
That isn’t to say the Mid-East doesn’t have its own problems, but U.S. intervention has greatly exacerbated the situation.
The fact remains, if we had left some troops to keep an eye on the situation none of this would be happening. I think practically everybody says going into Iraq was a bad idea, but leaving nothing behind to prevent a faction like ISIS from taking power? Terrible idea that is costing innocent lives.
Agree 100%. What was done was done and Obama was more keen to adhere to campaign rhetoric than deal with on the ground reality. But destabilizing Iraq, well intentioned or not, was the responsibility of the U.S. On top of that, Obama went and stirred the pot in Egypt, calls for regime change in Syria, backs the toppling of Ghadaffi in Libya, Tunisia turns over, etc.. If we would have left well enough alone, these countries would all be autocratic but stable. Now, we have 150M people living on the edge with the basic functions of government dismantled and many looking for a new home to avoid the chaos and destruction in their native countries. I can’t blame them for leaving.
“Left some troops to keep an eye on the situation?” Yeah, how about 40,000 forever? We cannot afford to be the world’s policeman and the builder of nations – particularly when our own nation is falling apart. When it comes to foreign policy, “Ich bin ein Rand Pauler.”
I never said that, but the fact is that our leaving is the reason ISIS was able to rise and kill so many people.
Mark and Joseph,
I submit that it is much worse. It appears that ISIS may have been the principal recipient of the weapons smuggled out of Benghazi.
I don’t know if that’s true or not. However, ISIS is taking the weaponry of the Iraqi army and using it.
Hillary won tonight’s debate.
For those of you who were wondering about who was coughing during the debate, Meghan Kelley answered that question. It was Ben Carson.
Apparently both Ben Carson and Rand Paul had colds.
Interesting, the two doctors were sick. Carson should have taken cough medicine before the debate.
Jeb! nonetheless failed the alpha male test in his back and forth with Trump (again).
But the establishment will no doubt spend the next week cheering for his supposed manliness.
Stick a fork in Jeb!, he’s done.
Frank Luntz’s focus group liked Cruz and Christie. Eleven of them changed their support to either Cruz or Christie.
Luntz has been bought and paid for by Eric Cantor for 20 years. No surprise.
So Eric Cantor wants the folks running against Jeb Bush, his boss, to win? That doesn’t make sense.
What about Trump? He drove me nuts tonight with all his faces. I cannot see this guy as President.
Oh, Pretty, Trump won by appearing presidential and above the fray, and the prey.
Cruz was a somewhat asstonishing second in that he demolished and deconstructed the little Rubio boy.
Christie came on strong as the heir to Yeb(!) and whatever became of the Governor of Ohio.
Trump hardly appeared Presidential as he made faces at the other candidates. He looked ridiculous.
You’ve never made faces at your children who were behaving like brats?
None of Trump’s children were on the stage.
Were any of your children? Understand children.
They were where they needed to be in the background when he was being interviewed after the debate.
That’s the plan.
Trump facial expressions were simply for the camera to signal the viewers when another candidate told a lie or made some ridiculous claim.
Reagan would smile or even chuckle when someone asked he something so ridiculous or even out right lied. You knew when he smiled after a stupid question or ridiculous statement that he was preparing to fire back.
GW Bush would give that deer in the headlight look often when asked or responding to a question.
Clinton was always too busy staring at women in the audience.
Do remember that CNN and other media have awesome and subtle powers to affect perception. You are seeing live edits and directed cuts to show what they want you to see. See them as magicians and artists of misdirection. Guys like Trump and Reagan who can get past that, threaten their control.