The Democrats and Republicans had what we have been calling debates this week. The Democratic debate on Thursday night was possibly the most substantive, intelligently carried out debate ever heard in these parts. This and the last Democratic debate have been real debates, dealing with the important issues that drive the interest of the American public.
We’re not going to go into that debate in depth, mainly because the participants outdid for themselves. Even Republican pundits like the rabid Morning Joe Scarborough and his coterie of fawning sycophants raved over what a superb debate it was. Enough said.
Up to this point the Republic debates have been petty squabbles about personality and silly issues like the height of Marco Rubio’s heels and they have been informed by dirty tricks and lies, lies, lies. Would this one be any better?
So after Trump made an opening statement on why he thought he should be president Cruz and Carson got into a polite dustup over Cruz campaign dirty tricks. Both of them looked bad, Cruz looked worse. But this was followed by Marco Rubio trying to argue that he actually has done something while in congress, mentioning two items that he did while a state senator not a federal one. Then he went off on Obama ranting about all the stuff that Obama had done that was bad for the county. Using Obamacare, which has given health care to millions and the Stimulus which saved thousands of jobs and kept the auto industry alive in this country, which incidentally dragged us out of a Republican caused depression, was not a good choice of arguments. Rubio proved by this little rant that he certainly isn’t Presidential material. Mainly because he has no understanding of what this country needs or wants.
But then Chris Christie jumped in and chopped him off at the knees, explaining how Rubio was a no show in the Senate to vote on the only bill he had anything to do with. Marco came back at him but was the decimated by Christie. And when he tried again to climb out of this hole, the audience booed him as he continued to try and attack Obama to deflect Christie’s targeted criticism. If this exchange doesn’t kill Rubio for good nothing will.
But it was in a later argument over leadership, that Rubio walked his party right into the lion’s mouth and allowed it to be eaten alive. In the matter of Rubio’s abandonment of his immigration bill, Christie said that leadership wasn’t walking away from a fight, but battling to win it. Rubio then stated that leadership isn’t trying to fight battles that couldn’t be won. I don’t know what immediately stands out to you, but the GOP’s 50 something votes to abolish Obamacare jumped right off the screen and bit Rubio in the ass.
Given a chance to explain his own views on healthcare Trump does his usual bloviating, but as has been his want throughout his campaign, he never comes up with a single viable example of what he is going to actually do to create a better health plan. “It’s going to be great, so much better than anything that came before it,” is just not an example of anything, other than how much he bullshits.
Then eminent domain was discussed, Trump thinks it’s an important tool to the creating of infrastructure, roads, bridges and hospitals and as far as he goes he’s right but. when Jeb Bush pointed out that Trump tried to use it to push a little old lady out of her house so he could expand his casino parking lot in Atlantic City, Trump reacted the only way he knows how, by trying to out yell, not out reason, Bush. Trump showed us that he is a thug and a bully. He really try to reply, he just rudely shouted over Bush. What he did was show that it is men like him, men who are too lazy, stupid or cheap to figure out a way to get their buildings built without taking personal property that should be barred from the process. Eminent domain is fine for roads, bridges and hospitals but it should be barred in instances where it is now being used for private gain.
When John Kasich was asked for his definition of conservatism, he came forth with an eloquent explanation of what he sees as conservatism and of his vision of an America that would fit any reasonable, intelligent man’s goals. Then Trump was asked the same question and he blundered on about keeping one’s wealth, keeping what one has and keeping our country the way it is. This is interesting because his whole campaign so far is about how America stinks and has to be changed. This speech proves only that he is just another greedy billionaire who cares only for Donald Trump and how he can stay rich while he rest of the country starves.
As soon as the discussion moved onto foreign policy it degenerated into phony speech making. They all seem to agree that we should win all wars we are engaged in. Really? Big surprise. They all want us to hate Obama and all his foreign policies whether or not they are working. Everybody wants to kill more Arabs but nobody has a precise idea as to how to do it. They say they do, but they can’t come up with any details of how. In this, they all sound like Trump.
Then they went on to drugs. Yes, everybody is against drugs but no one seems to know how to deal with them because there are many solutions and none of these guys can think on multiple levels. If they can, they certainly can’t explain themselves clearly on any of them. The rest of it was all downhill; never coming up to the level of the Democratic debates.
Who won the Republican debate? Probably John Kasich, followed by Chris Christie. Who lost? Marco Rubio, big time, followed by Donald Trump whose lack of specifics on all the crap he throws out is becoming obvious to all. Who disappeared? Carson and Bush who might as well cash it in and give their supporters their money, what’s left of it, back? Who was left out in he cold? Cruz? He said a lot but didn’t give us any indication that he could accomplish anything or that any of it would be good for the country.
Basically Rubio proved that he hasn’t done anything and that he is an empty suit. This could very well be the end of him as a serious candidate. CNN reporter Erin McPike came on Al Sharpton’s show Sunday morning and said that Trump had a great night. She was probably out drinking with friends while Trump was not answering any questions with any facts. McPike, exemplified why we have differences in politics, when she made a point about how she liked the way Trump rode over Bush on the eminent domain question, which most viewers thought just showed him off as the bully he is and booed him for it. No, Bush didn’t finish him but he opened the question and anyone who knows anything about the process knows what a loaded gun it is and how it is used by chiselers like Trump for their own financial gain against property owners who often don’t have the resources to protect themselves against rich bullies like Trump.
No, Bush didn’t have the stones to fight back with Trump, but neither did any of the other candidates, None of them had the guts to take him on even though so many of his positions are wrong and he is unable to elucidate any of the claims or promises he makes
If this debate were to be considered the defining contest that would indicate voting results, Kasich would have won New Hampshire with Christie coming in second and possibly Trump third. We’ll see.
Of course, as they always do the candidates played fast and loose with facts, as long as they helped them make a point. Trump did a number on voter fraud and how it was a huge problem, when all the figures show it is almost non-existent except in the case of Cruz spreading false information about another candidate and Jeb Bush fudging the polling places in Florida in favor of his big brother in 2000.
The Democratic debate kept the lies to a bare minimum because both Hillary and Bernie were in a position to come right back with rebuttal of anything they saw as incorrect. This was refreshing and more than helpful to viewers. There was also a respect between the pair that indicated to viewers that even though they disagreed on many points, they each realized that the other was doing his or her job to the best of their ability and that the other would make a good President. The only place where anything like that was obvious at the Republican debate was the exchanges between Kasich and Christie and this was as it should be, because they were the only two men standing on that platform that are at all Presidential.