Posted on 01/27/2016 12:06:45 PM PST by conservativejoy
A sneak preview of what you'll hear from Cruz on Thursday night in the highly unlikely event that Trump doesn't show. You'll find all the points you'd expect in the clip below: Trump is snubbing Iowans by skipping the debate; Trump is too mercurial to be president; Trump is afraid to defend his record from Cruz; and the ever-popular "I'll debate you one-on-one anywhere" challenge that’s never worked in all of political history. Depending on how daring Cruz wants to be, you may hear a variation on this point on Thursday night too.
Reaaaaally iffy to attack Trump for doing something for vets, but his interest in charity for them does seem to peak whenever he's pulling a debate-related stunt at the media's expense. Cruz, ever calculating, will probably avoid an attack along those lines because it's too risky. Jeb Bush, who has less to lose and who's trying to stand out as the most anti-Trump candidate in the race, might not be able to resist.
Jazz and Ed haven't left much meat on the bone of Debategate this morning but let me say three things. One: Jazz thinks Trump skipping the debate is sound strategy because it "was going to be yet another situation where he would have to stand up on center stage while the rest of the candidates took shots at him." That's true, Cruz certainly would - but the rest of the field wants Trump to win Iowa. Remember, each of them is convinced that they'll beat Trump head-to-head; they're less sure about beating Cruz. My guess is that Thursday night will involve Cruz taking shots repeatedly at Trump and the rest of the field taking shots at Cruz to try to help Trump defeat him. By boycotting, not only will Trump (supposedly) not be there to rebut Cruz's attacks, he's missing a chance to join in with the others to create the perception that the party's united against Cruz. And for the record, I don't think the debate's going to be a ratings disaster. As Jazz says, Trump will remain the story whether he's there or not; ratings will be down without him but people will still tune in to see what's being said about him. And who cares what the national ratings are anyway? Iowans will be tuning in to see the candidates' closing arguments. They're all that matters now.
Two: Ed slaps Fox for suggesting that Trump's campaign manager bears some responsibility for the death threats that Kelly allegedly received after her dust-up with Trump in August. As I read Fox's release, they weren't accusing Corey Lewandowski of encouraging threats; they were saying that Lewandowski knows from media reports that Kelly's been threatened before after a major scrape with Trump and that he's now using that as leverage to get her removed from the debate (supposedly he said he'd hate to see her have another "rough couple of days" like she did after the last one).
He may not be orchestrating harassment but he's morally culpable for exploiting the near-certain prospect of another round of it once Trump starts riling people against Kelly again. I don't think that's a nutty interpretation for Fox to have of what he meant. And frankly, I don't know why Trump fans would resist it. One of Trump's supposed core virtues is that he's ruthless with the media. If that's the ethic that governs his organization, why wouldn't his campaign manager start using other people's death threats as leverage, even if he's not behind them? Gotta be "tough," especially with the jackals in the press, right?
Three: It's fair to say that Fox News's trollish press releases goofing on Trump vis-a-vis Putin were unprofessional. I have a harder time buying the idea that that's the smoking gun that proves Kelly, Bret Baier, and Chris Wallace would have been biased against Trump on Thursday night. Outside the hard-news hour at 6 p.m., which features old-schoolers like George Will and Charles Krauthammer who regularly criticize Trump, Fox News is far more pro-Trump than anti. I put the question to Twitter last night: Apart from NBC with its "Apprentice" series, which network has done more over time to promote Trump than Fox News?
He's been doing chummy interviews with Fox & Friends, Greta, O'Reilly, and Hannity regularly for years. Kelly has never said or done anything on her show to weaken Trump as much as Hannity has done to build him up as a legitimate choice for grassroots conservatives this year. If anything, because Kelly, Baier, and Wallace are all sensitive to their image as balanced reporters on a network of right-leaning commentators, they'd probably overcompensate for this fracas on Thursday by straining to be extra "fair" to Trump. And another thing: Although Fox's statements mocking Trump were trollish even for them, the Fox PR department has been infamous among media pros for years for being snotty and vindictive.
Their nastiness to Trump isn't a sign of overweening bias; more likely, it's a sign that they were tired of him endlessly demagoging Kelly and figured that the biggest troll in American politics wouldn't go crying when they gave him a dose of his own medicine. Still unprofessional, but don't be overcome by those smelling salts when you're contemplating how mean they were to poor Donald.
How silly is that criticism? Trump is going to spend the time with Iowans and those who are unable to attend can watch the event on television instead of a theatrical debate.
I am real sick of hearing from the pipsqueak “master debater”.
Talk talk talk and grandstanding. He should try doing something real...something that can’t be lied ....like building a wall.
Really stupid to have so many debates. All it does it ultimately drag down all of the candidates.
Let me guess, Glenn Beck fan? Do you also draft his bogus tweets?
Will Trump be in Iowa when he hosts this event? If so, then he wouldn’t be dissing Iowans.
algore was a master debater too.
What does the no show at the tainted debate have to do with Iowa? Trump can do what he wants on this. The other candidates should take lessons.
And it’s not like he was tearing it up all of the previous times! Hell that last one left him looking small and petty.
No wonder he wants another! He over-inflated ego, puffed up since he was a kid, has been hurt. The myth that he is the greatest debater of all time was shattered.
Good to know the Cuckservative Circus has a ring leader.
Your candidate is so strong that even you don’t believe he has what it takes to win this.
Why else would you spend your days posting anti Trump stuff?
He doesn’t even have your confidences, how do you expect to persuade other to have confidence you obviously lack?
Pitiful....
Cruz continues...And my opponent says....aw cr**...he’s not here...
Trump will be HELPING actual Iowans, who are Vets and wounded warriors, and talking TO them, rather than AT them on a debate stage.
Poor Teddy is pissed that this little stunt by Fox will backfire and throttle Trump even higher in the polls.
I would like to see that man with no arms in that Trump photo get some of this money.
Make it happen, Trump.
Agreed!
Carson is going to be there. That should liven things up. ;-)
Sorry Ted. You’re yesterday’s news. No time for losers.
Ever think that you Trumpsters are just trying too hard? After all, a narcissist doesn't really require sycophants.
Cruz is a sick puppy. Dear God, please don’t force this doosh on America.
It is sad to see what is happening with T. Cruz. Although MSM was trying to ignore him, he got a boost at the first debate because of the high ratings. He made good comments. Lately it has been downhill, with G. Beck that made him look ridiculous. Now he is coming across desperate. He needs to get new advisers.
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