T Nation

Republican Debate Numero Tres

Politics and World Issues
#1

Anybody watch the debate last night?

A decent summary about the candidates here: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/we-have-our-final-six_1055055.html

Jeb didn’t do what he needed to, but nobody lost like CNBC. Holy crap were the moderators terrible. The questions were bad, the moderators got facts wrong:
http://thefederalist.com/2015/10/28/surprise-john-harwood-lied-about-marco-rubios-tax-plan/

Even liberal political news writers thought the moderators did terrible:

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/10/28/3717186/cnbc-debate-moderators-yelling/

Any thoughts?

#2

It was terrible. I wanted to hear more about the various tax policies not about fantasy fucking football or Rubio’s personal financual choices. CNBC or MSNBC or whatever they are called sucks.

#3

Kudos to Ted Cruz for chin checking those clowns pretending to be unbiased moderators, I also applaud how the candidates came together to calling out media.

#4

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#5

The first one to call out the liberal bias on the moderators part was Marco Rubio followed very powerfully by Ted Cruz.

John Kasich also had a good night as did Chris Christie. Fiorina seemed flat, Trump was a bit more calm and Ben Carson was certainly up to speed. Jeb Bush was the big loser other than the CNCB moderators,

#6

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
It was terrible. I wanted to hear more about the various tax policies not about fantasy fucking football or Rubio’s personal financual choices. CNBC or MSNBC or whatever they are called sucks.[/quote]

I’m with USMC on this one.

This was SUPPOPSED to be a debate on Economics (isn’t MSMBC supposed to be a business channel? I don’t watch it). Most (if not all) of these candidates have tax plans (especially Cruz) that I wanted to hear more about.

So I relish the fact that the Moderators were Bitch-Slapped…they needed to be.

Then there was Bush.

He has been a headscatcher, for sure. He needs to save face and quietly bow out…he really does…

“Winners” in my opinion? Rubio, Cruz and Christie (even though many pundits feel that Cruz and Christie will not get enough of a “bump” to make them true contenders).

After the New Year and the first Primaries, I’m personally ready for the GOP field to become more “Lean and Mean”. We need to start sifting the proverbial “Wheat from the Chaff”.

Mufasa

#7

[quote]ZEB wrote:
The first one to call out the liberal bias on the moderators part was Marco Rubio followed very powerfully by Ted Cruz.

John Kasich also had a good night as did Chris Christie. Fiorina seemed flat, Trump was a bit more calm and Ben Carson was certainly up to speed. Jeb Bush was the big loser other than the CNCB moderators,

[/quote]

I’m a big Kasich fan but I didn’t think he had a great night. I think Trump stuck it to him with the Lehman Brothers comment. I’m still hopeful he gets a VP nod.

I agree with you on Christie, but as Mufasa said, probably not enough to make a big change in polling. Fiorina was flat, she might be running for a VP or cabinet position.

I disagree with you on Ben Carson, he stumbled a couple of times and didn’t have a clear answer for how to make a 10% tax work. That might be bias of me talking, so I’d be curious to hear other people’s opinions of Carson’s night.

A lot of people are agreeing that Bush at best did ok and probably lost big. With his campaign needing momentum I’m curious if this was the nail in the coffin or if he will stick around. Does anybody think that he is better than Rubio at this point?

#8

[quote]Mufasa wrote:

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
It was terrible. I wanted to hear more about the various tax policies not about fantasy fucking football or Rubio’s personal financual choices. CNBC or MSNBC or whatever they are called sucks.[/quote]

I’m with USMC on this one.

This was SUPPOPSED to be a debate on Economics (isn’t MSMBC supposed to be a business channel? I don’t watch it). Most (if not all) of these candidates have tax plans (especially Cruz) that I wanted to hear more about.

So I relish the fact that the Moderators were Bitch-Slapped…they needed to be.

Then there was Bush.

He has been a headscatcher, for sure. He needs to save face and quietly bow out…he really does…

“Winners” in my opinion? Rubio, Cruz and Christie (even though many pundits feel that Cruz and Christie will not get enough of a “bump” to make them true contenders).

After the New Year and the first Primaries, I’m personally ready for the GOP field to become more “Lean and Mean”. We need to start sifting the proverbial “Wheat from the Chaff”.

Mufasa[/quote]

Agreed Mufasa. Is there even a point to the people on the kid table before? There are quite a few candidates who have no traction but keep hanging around. Any thoughts on how long that will last?

#9

Bush is done, he has been done, even with his massive Superpac he hasn’t done much better than 6%. His sense of entitlement is nauseating, he drastically underestimated the hatred towards his brother. He has no political awareness whatsoever, he is upset that the typical political drivel hasn’t worked. He will be elected, in the month of Neveruary.

Then you have Trump and Carson, whose ability to be frank with the people has cut through the typical droning on of what we are used to.

I like Kasich, I wish he caught on sooner.

Aside from the different views among the candidates, I do appreciate the passion and fire among this group.

#10

[quote]Drew1411 wrote:

[quote]Mufasa wrote:

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
It was terrible. I wanted to hear more about the various tax policies not about fantasy fucking football or Rubio’s personal financual choices. CNBC or MSNBC or whatever they are called sucks.[/quote]

I’m with USMC on this one.

This was SUPPOPSED to be a debate on Economics (isn’t MSMBC supposed to be a business channel? I don’t watch it). Most (if not all) of these candidates have tax plans (especially Cruz) that I wanted to hear more about.

So I relish the fact that the Moderators were Bitch-Slapped…they needed to be.

Then there was Bush.

He has been a headscatcher, for sure. He needs to save face and quietly bow out…he really does…

“Winners” in my opinion? Rubio, Cruz and Christie (even though many pundits feel that Cruz and Christie will not get enough of a “bump” to make them true contenders).

After the New Year and the first Primaries, I’m personally ready for the GOP field to become more “Lean and Mean”. We need to start sifting the proverbial “Wheat from the Chaff”.

Mufasa[/quote]

Agreed Mufasa. Is there even a point to the people on the kid table before? There are quite a few candidates who have no traction but keep hanging around. Any thoughts on how long that will last?[/quote]

When the money dries up. When donors vanish, that’s when they will GTFO of Dodge.

#11

Bush is more of a “Policy and Process” person with executive experience…(I think the term is “WONK”?)…that can’t be denied. He just is in the “wrong group of Candidates at the Wrong Time”.

When he tries to be “passionate” about something…or tries to “attack” a component (like his ill-fated attempt at Rubio last night where he really embarrassed himself)…he comes off like the un-cool nerd who desperately wants to be cool…he looks and sounds so uncomfortable that it makes me uncomfortable.

MORE IMPORTANTLY; HIS POLICIES ARE THE SAME OLD STUFF THAT MANY AMERICANS ARE TIRED OF. Now…one could argue that his ideas are “practical” ones that have a chance of working in Washington…but many Americans are no longer in a “get-along” mood when it comes to Washington and politicians.

Carson?

I see him more as The Surgeon General, but not President (and that is a compliment, not a jab).

Personally, I could Vote for any of the “Big Three” of last night…Rubio, Cruz or Christie…I’ll even throw Fiorina in the mix…

ONLY if it came down to Hillary and Trump would I vote for Trump.

Mufasa

#12

Do the debates still matter? At this point it is just more or less a clown show to generate ratings for the networks. We are not getting anything substantive. Trump and Carson are stomping everyone else. Some of these cats who don’t have a chance need to call it quits. Geraldine Ferraro is not going to be anybody’s VP candidate. Neither is Jeb. It will be some combination of Trump and Carson I believe, with Rubio and Kasich having a shot at VP just to get the electoral votes from their State. Everyone else is done and they need to head on home.

#13

[quote]OldOgre wrote:
Do the debates still matter? At this point it is just more or less a clown show to generate ratings for the networks. We are not getting anything substantive. Trump and Carson are stomping everyone else. Some of these cats who don’t have a chance need to call it quits. Geraldine Ferraro is not going to be anybody’s VP candidate. Neither is Jeb. It will be some combination of Trump and Carson I believe, with Rubio and Kasich having a shot at VP just to get the electoral votes from their State. Everyone else is done and they need to head on home.[/quote]

Rubio is the last hope of the GOP. I shudder to think of a Trump, Carson, or Cruz presidency.

#14

[quote]Drew1411 wrote:

A lot of people are agreeing that Bush at best did ok and probably lost big. With his campaign needing momentum I’m curious if this was the nail in the coffin or if he will stick around. Does anybody think that he is better than Rubio at this point?[/quote]

No, much of it comes down to demeanor in my opinion. Sure, he has his conservative policies, and he has a record from his former gubernatorial position on which he can relate, but he just doesn’t come off as much of a leader. He really seems phlegmatic, and even when he gets fired up, he doesn’t elicit passion or zeal. He’s almost too passive when a lack of passivity matters the most to one’s campaign aura.

#15

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#16

[quote]pushharder wrote:

[quote]Bismark wrote:

Rubio is the last hope of the GOP. [/quote]

I bet he pulls it off and eventually gets the nod.
[/quote]

Still a long way to go but if I had to put my money on anyone right now, it would be Rubio.

#17

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
ONLY if it came down to Hillary and Trump would I vote for Trump.

Mufasa[/quote]

The chances of me blanking my ballot as of today? 40%
The chances of me voting for Gary Johnson? 40%
The chances of me voting for Trump? 0.00000000%
The chances of me voting for Hilary 0.00000001%

While I don’t share Biz’s disdain for Cruz in the position of POTUS, I’m not 100% sure I’d even vote for him in the general.

Rubio? Ehhh, maybe, but I doubt it. Rand, yes, even though he gets frustrated too easy and acts a fool when he does.

Bush and Christy are jack boot thugs in suits, so they can get bent.

Carson isn’t POTUS material, not at all. Like the man, don’t care about his religious beliefs and think the world is a better place with him in it, but I don’t see myself pulling the trigger on him being POTUS.

#18

Cruz is the man.

#19

[quote]Big Banana wrote:
Cruz is the man. [/quote]

If by man you mean maximalist ideologue, sure.

#20

[quote]pushharder wrote:
I can’t find the replay video even with Uncle Google’s help. Suggestions?[/quote]