Posted on 02/26/2016 2:46:14 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
At an unhinged moment in the 2016 presidential primary season, the Republican candidates turned in a fine set of unhinged performances at Thursday night's critical debate.
Let's begin with Donald Trump, far and away the strongest contender, be it in Ted Cruz's backyard or Marco Rubio's home state. For the first time, he met his rhetorical match in a surprisingly vitriolic Rubio. The Florida senator devoted himself to going shout-for-shout with Trump, dragging out old scandals and unseemly details that put the mogul's present-day promises in an unflattering light. But even when Trump visibly ground his gears, he stayed characteristically unflappable. He's got a big enough cushion to risk staying the course. Although he lost the initiative last night, the game was not changed.
From the look on Rubio's face, however, you'd think there was a revolution onstage. With every attack on Trump, he preened and puffed. When Trump and Cruz mixed it up, Rubio visibly itched to squeeze in another zinger, another bullet point, another piece of evidence that he had graduated to the big leagues. (Those monitoring media Twitter might have felt the hovering presence of political helicopter parents -- established Rubio backers doling out anxious attaboys from the sidelines.)
Without a doubt, Rubio wins debates, and he won Thursday's contest, as the media, the focus groups, and the insiders will tell you. His scores, however, have yet to translate into a commensurate clutch of delegates. In this lopsided but unstable race, that might change. But I wouldn't bet on it....
(Excerpt) Read more at theweek.com ...
Without a doubt, Rubio wins debates, and he won Thursdays contest, as the media, the focus groups, and the insiders will tell you.
Diminished Trump? Hardly, today Cruz is a non entity, he’s Rubio’s straight man.
You can stop reading now.
I think they all looked like monkeys f@#$%#g a football.
Actually, the real loser was cruz. Now that he has reviled who he will endorse after he drops out, just shows what we all knew, he was never serious about stopping amnesty.
So this is really more about lashing out at Ted Cruz than even propping up Don Trump with many of you people? What did Cruz do to you all?
Unhinged two Cuban Buyz was ro be sure!
Go Trump
They’re mad Trump won’t be inheriting Rubio’s base.
If only we elected a REAL conservative like Dewhurst... /s
Sounds like him. Robot Rubio this time sounded like a yapping lap dog.
Cruz and Rubio embarrassed themselves and the GOP. Together they add up to less than zero. They need to go before anyone else views them and judges the Repub nominee by the standards of these schoolboys.
We like Cruz, it’s your endless anti-Trump threads we can’t stand.
Complete nonsense
End results last night
Trump:
No knock out blows, no gaffes which leaves the rest still in Trumps rear view mirror
Rubio:
Great talker and smooth which will make the GOP ladies swoon but no there there. A human parrot repeating what he was taught to say. Take him off script and he fails badly.
For example: After going on the attack in this excited high pitched tone about Trump supposedly lacking specifics in his Health Care plan Rubio ends his tirade sneering “erasing lines around states what does that even mean?”
Trump then calmly respond by schooling young Rubio on how competition in health insurance would work. I guess we can understand why Rubio would be confused: we haven’t had real competition in the US Healthcare Insurance system for almost as long as Rubio has been alive. While Trump is making a clear concise case for his plan, Rubio interrupts with “Yes I know all that it is in my plan”
Those kind of exchanges may make political reporter all excited but it leave average voters going Huh? 30 seconds ago you did not know what it meant NOW it is “part of your plan”?
“Ruibot” earned his unflattering tag again last night. Great as long as he is not forced off script. Once he is forced off script he looks flustered and uncertain. Of the many things voters look for in a President, flustered and uncertain are not two of them.
Cruz.
It is over. Cannot campaign with soaring rhetoric and high minded “perfect political purity” talking points only to have the real record be less then perfect. Warp yourself in “holy” political pure white robes, as Cruz has done, and the political dirt of errors shows up darker and more noticeable. Cruz spent all night walking face 1st into the other candidates, specifically Trumps, punches.
Biggest knock down punches. After telling everyone he was the best qualified to pick SC Justices, Trump points out Cruz’s support for John Roberts, who GOP voters feel should of ended the debate on Obamacare and Gay Marriage and did not.
Then Cruz lectures Trump about campaign contributions only to have Trump point out he gave money to Cruz. Three point shot for Trump since it points out Cruz is woefully unprepared, paints Cruz as a hypocrite and it exposes Cruz as a professional political insider playing this race as a pretend “outsider”
So at best Rubio/Cruz can claim is a stalemate which is a lose since they are the ones in Trumps rear view mirror
He put on a big show that he was defending we the people. He spouts the Constitution and acts like he's the lone man standing against the government.
I can't speak for others but I can't forgive Cruz for playing us for suckers so he can be President. He openly and passionately supported fast track, advocated in an article more power for Obama, voted for the Corker amendment to push the Iran deal, is greasing the skids at every turn for the uniparty. Then he backs off at the last minute as if opposed. Washing his hands after sentencing Jesus.
That and he lies, a lot, all the time.
Rubio and Cruz were an embarrassment to Trump and to all patriots.
Reagan was 100% for TPA. Explanation?
You “like” Cruz? Most of you have a very funny way of showing it. And I post “pro-Trump” threads all the time, go and look.
You sure have a high opinion of yourselves.
Reagan vs. Obama, do you need any more explanation. No conservative should under any circumstances do anything to help Obama or further empower Obama.
Cruz knows that but I guess his money-men saw it differently.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.