3/5/16
In the past week several events have taken place that not only added to the expectations for this debate, but raised questions about the candidates and whether or not the Republican Party has become so divided that it will split. With Jeb Bush no longer in the race Marco Rubio has apparently become the Republican establishment’s attack dog trying to take down Donald Trump, and he has boasted that his mission is to make sure Trump does not get the nomination.
Claiming the mantle of the conservative movement, which he has not earned, Rubio warned that Trump would destroy the party. His attacks last week got so low they sounded like something a drunk would say in a dingy barroom brawl. Trump’s hands are small, he said, and implied other parts of his anatomy are too.
Adding fuel to the fire a report came out last week saying that David Duke of Ku Klux Klan fame had endorsed Trump. When questioned about it Trump vacillated on whether he would accept Duke’s support or not. Interestingly enough, and something the media hasn’t covered, on Monday Duke issued a statement saying he had not endorsed Trump, but Trump’s flip-flopping could not have helped him.
Several key Republicans stated emphatically that they would never vote for Trump. Many evangelicals are saying the same thing because of his changing positions on abortion, immigration, and moral issues. They are wondering if he can be trusted to really act like a conservative now that he’s talking like a conservative.
Ted Cruz, who had stayed above the fray until Trump started calling him a liar and challenging his eligibility, ran some campaign ads that were so far below the belt that he fired his campaign manager the night before Super Tuesday. His ad against Rubio was so shameful that many evangelicals, the ones that are supposed to be his base, are questioning his Christian credentials. However, an Illinois judge threw out the case against his eligibility, so that’s no longer an issue.
Cruz’s personal enemies from the Bush Administration have written articles defaming his character, while others who know him well, and including James Dobson and Franklin Graham, have painted a completely different picture of him. Considering Bush is a part of the establishment one has to wonder if those attacks are not a hatchet job by the Republican leadership to keep the truest conservative from the nomination, because he, even more than Trump, would wrest control of the party away from them. On the other hand, campaign scandals certainly haven’t helped Cruz.
Super Tuesday was a huge win for Trump who won seven states. Cruz took three including the biggest prize, his home state of Texas, but with only 43% of the vote. Rubio surprisingly took Minnesota and was a close second in Virginia. Kasich gave Trump a run for Vermont and Massachusetts, but he’s staying on hoping a win in his home state of Ohio on March 15, will thrust him forward to the nomination.
Dr. Ben Carson, every bit a gentleman, finally facing the reality that he can’t win, bowed out on Wednesday. Carson had good results in Virginia and Rubio immediately complained that if Carson had gotten out before Tuesday he might have been able to beat Trump, but that’s not necessarily true. Carson’s votes would more likely have gone to Cruz or even Trump.
After his victories Tuesday a very different Donald Trump emerged. Rather than boasting and trashing his opponents, he gave a very conciliatory victory speech, praising Cruz for his hard work in Texas, and then took questions. One has to wonder if now sensing he’s on his way to the nomination he wasn’t trying to mend fences.
Wednesday produced one more moment of drama when Mitt Romney, who lost his presidential bid against Obama in 2012, gave a speech condemning Trump in every possible way and concluding he’s not presidential material. Trump had supported Romney in 2012, which made this betrayal even more incredible. Pundits have been talking all week about the possibility of a brokered convention if none of the candidates reaches the 1237 delegates needed to win the nomination in Cleveland next August. Then, just before the debate got under way, it came out that Romney might be preparing to offer himself as a candidate at the convention if it is brokered. So there is method to his madness.
As if all of this hadn’t been bizarre enough, the debate was hosted by Fox News with the same three moderators as the last two Fox debates. Trump did not threaten to boycott this debate even though Megyn Kelly was on the panel, and the much anticipated debate was finally ready to begin.
Chris Wallace opened the discussion by asking Trump about Romney’s comments. Without missing a beat Trump pointed out the Romney was a failed candidate and an embarrassment who had begged for his endorsement in 2012. Wallace followed up by asking about the KKK, which Trump emphatically disavowed. Wallace thanked him for his answer and Trump thanked him for the question.
Bret Baier then asked Rubio about how low his attacks against Trump had been in the last couple of weeks. Rubio responded that Trump always attacks everybody and the media gives him coverage. The people want to discuss policy so let’s talk issues, he said.
Trump, again sounding conciliatory, took back his “light weight” comments about Rubio. Then he showed his hands and mentioned how large they are, and said he has no problems with other body parts either, which brought a loud laugh. Actually by being nice he made Rubio look bad without even trying.
Megyn Kelly next asked Cruz about losing the evangelical vote. He didn’t answer the question but launched into his campaign talking points attacking Obama and claiming he was the only one who could beat Trump. Trump jumped in to remind everyone who had won the most states.
Then Rubio went into attack mode saying two-thirds of the Super Tuesday votes were against Trump, and Trump did not hold conservative principles of limited government.
When Trump tried to refute the criticisms Rubio kept interrupting until the dust up almost went out of control. In the end Rubio again looked bad. Being the attack dog doesn’t really suit a guy with his good looks and polished demeanor.
Baier then asked Kasich if he was just in trying to get a brokered convention. Kasich responded that he beats Hillary in polls by the widest margin. He then touted his record of balancing the budget under Clinton for four straight years and did the same as governor of Ohio. Although he has a great record, Kasich is often like a broken record. It’s the same thing over, and over, and over.
Wallace then asked Rubio about his comment that Trump is a con artist. Rubio took the bait and went after Trump saying he was not a successful businessman because he had inherited 100 million of wealth, and never created jobs because the private sector creates jobs not the government.
Trump responded in kind saying Rubio lied, and referring to him as the “little guy” again. Trump explained that he started with a one million dollar inheritance and that the answer was cash flow. The fact that he’s worth ten billion dollars should give anybody listening a clue that he knows something about business. At that pointed I just wanted to shout the obvious: Trump works in the private sector!!! He is a jobs creator.
Rubio called out Trump on changing his mind so much saying he is untrustworthy and won’t do what he says. Whenever someone brings up his failures Trump goes on the attack rather than sticking to the issues. The problem here was that Rubio started the attack.
Cruz hit Trump on foreign workers in his hotels and called on Trump to release a tape of a conversation he had off the record with the New York Times that could verify if he was telling the truth or not. Trump refused to turn over something that was private and off the record.
The debate actually covered a lot of issues from where to make cuts in the budget, to immigration, the border fence, the military, ISIS, work visas for foreign workers, Edward Snowden and more. Many of the criticisms of Trump were legitimate concerning his constant switching on issues. Rubio seemed to have him cornered about the failure of his “Trump University.” Kasich gave a good answer about education being handled at the local level instead of the Federal.
When the bickering got heavy Kasich offered a passionate appeal to stop the fighting. People are suffering and want to know who can fix this, he said. Let’s stop fighting.
Baier gave Kasich the only question of the night on gay issues. His answer was very diplomatic, saying the law has been changed, we need to be tolerant, but at the same time there needs to be common sense. People shouldn’t be forced to make cupcakes for someone’s gay event if they don’t want to. Cruz chimed in that the Supreme Court got the issue wrong. Marriage and adoption should be left to the states, but when it comes to religious liberty he will not compromise. Trump agreed with him.
All agreed on no restrictions on the Second Amendment. Wallace made one last attempt to get Kasich into the brouhaha against Trump but he wouldn’t oblige.
The highlight of the debate might have been when Kelly asked Trump about his constantly changing positions. Trump replied that successful people are flexible, that he has studied the issues, and when he found he was wrong he changed his mind. Trump wrong? About anything? Wow. That was an admission for the ages.
This was the best debate of them all so far. The moderators were tough, but fair. They kept control of the flow for the most part and gave everyone a chance to speak. More importantly, what they did at the end of the debate may have saved the Republican Party. The last question to Rubio, Cruz and Kasich was if Trump were the nominee would they support him. On the
spot they all said yes.
Trump was then asked if he didn’t get the nomination if he would still support the nominee or run a third party ticket. With a little touch of humor he thought out loud, me not win the nomination? He answered that he would support whoever the Republican candidate is.
That may have been the most comforting of anything said in any of the debates so far, and for all the angst conservatives have with the media, the Fox News moderators may have just saved the Republican Party and the next election.
Who actually won the debate? Kasich probably comes out on top. He stayed above the pettiness and was solid in all his answers, and he was given more time to express himself. He made one comment about friends telling him he was the only adult on the stage, and tonight that comment was very true. He refused to get drawn into the schoolyard banter and looked better for it. It was a very good night for him.
Trump was on the defensive most of the night with both Rubio and Cruz going after him. He had answers for most of the accusations, but some of them didn’t ring true. He definitely did not have the kind of night he’s had before where he was completely in control. Rubio was his usual smooth self, but this new role as attack dog made him look bad. He had some good things to say, but wasted most of it attacking Trump. Cruz did the same, although not as viciously as Rubio. He has all the right positions but is quite irritating when he feels the need to go after Trump more than putting out his plan.
Overall it was a great debate. I guess we’ll know more what the general public thinks by March 15.
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