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Two Winners and Four Losers in CNN’s GOP Debate
Pajamas Media ^
| 09/17/2015
| Paula Bolyard
Posted on 09/17/2015 9:50:14 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Heres my 10-minute summary of the CNN Republican debate (which should have been renamed the CNN-Pssst-did-you-hear-that-nasty-thing-one-Republican-said-about-another-Republican debate):
The Winners:
Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina were the two standouts in Wednesdays debate.
Rubio brought an appealing mix of the common touch and tough talk on foreign policy to the debate stage. Unlike some other candidates, he didnt seem like he was elbowing his way into the debate, so it “felt” like he was a featured speaker. He sounded like the grownup in the room when he tussled with Trump on foreign policy. Trump grimaced and rolled his eyes, but offered no substantive rebuttal. Rubio has a nice way of dispensing with an opponent without sounding angry.
Fiorina was smart and scrappy. Her Planned Parenthood screed was fantastic. She rightly redirected the focus away from the faux womens healthcare straw man (straw woman?) to the real issue of Planned Parenthood selling chopped-up babies. Other candidates ought to take note. Carly does need to soften her edges a bit because she tends to dial it up to harsh and stay there.
Middle of the Pack:
Ted Cruz was brilliant and in command of the facts (despite the fact that Jake Tapper cut him off at nearly every pass). It occurred to me that Mike Huckabee could do a great service to his country by dropping out of the race and coaching Cruz on the common touch. Cruzs talking points are spot on, but he is missing warmth and the ability to connect on a personal level.
Mike Huckabees shining moment was his defense of religious liberty. He noted that GITMO prisoners are afforded more religious accommodations than county clerks in Kentucky. He has a point.
Chris Christie also had a good night and he landed some solid blows in Trumps direction. But he was crowded out by Carly and Rubio, so viewers will likely only remember his You kids stop fighting or Ill pull this debate over! moment when he told Carly and Trump to knock it off.
Walker had some good moments, but not enough of them. I honestly do not remember one thing he said.
Jeb Bush didn’t do anything to help himself in this debate, but he wasn’t as terrible as he could have been and didn’t cede any of his (already shaky) ground. That business about his wife was really cringeworthy. Rule #1: Dont dare Donald Trump to do something in a debate youre not 100% sure hell agree to. Basically, that rules out pretty much anything except asking him to mug for the camera. There was also way too much, Nuh uh. Yes huh! I realize he needed to punch back at Trump and defend his record, but his personality doesnt lend well to those types of exchanges, mostly because hes not quick enough with the rhetorical retorts.
The Losers:
Ben Carson was out of his element. Completely. And it was almost uncomfortable. His quip about Trump being an okay doctor was clever, but you got the sense that he had been waiting the entire debate to use it.
Donald Trump, as usual, was boorish and didn’t give substantive answers to important questions. From his patronizing attempt to salvage his remarks about Carlys face to his strange comments about Rand Pauls looks, Trump demonstrated once again that he is not a man of character. Over and over again he deflected serious policy question with clever laugh lines and insults.
Rand Paul tried to salvage his floundering campaign with appeals to the hardcore libertarians who supported his father, but he was too wonky and not likable.
John Kasich’s answers on foreign policy were bizarre. He seriously defended Obama’s Iran deal. And then he didn’t. Or did he? Who knows? He said two things that are in conflict: a) We shouldn’t trust the Iranians and b) if they cheat, the sanctions should be lifted. That’s Obama’s position, right? I also didn’t like his lecture about the American people not wanting to hear about these policy debates. That’s another line from Obama’s playbook…shut your opponents up by crying about how partisan they are while doing the exact same thing in another sentence.
Also in the Loser Category:
Add CNN to the list of losers. The debate format was terrible. Some candidates disappeared for 15-20 minutes at a time — as did moderators Dana Bash and Hugh Hewitt. A disproportionate number of questions focused on Donald Trump — who said what about whom and what did Donald Trump think about that? Granted, viewers were tuned in to watch the Trump sideshow, but one would hope to see some civic responsibility on CNN’s part (I know, I’m dreaming). Instead, they chose to pour gas on the Trump bonfire — burn, baby, burn. Dana Lash played the role of debate partisan Candy Crowley, injecting Planned Parenthood’s agenda into her questions, and Hugh Hewitt had an odd, flirty Trump swoon that was disappointing.
Also in the Winner Category:
The Reagan Library. The debate platform with Reagan’s plane in the background was fantastic.
Which candidates did you think were the winners and losers?
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arkansas; US: California; US: Florida; US: Kentucky; US: New Jersey; US: New York; US: Ohio; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 2016election; bencarson; candycrowley; carlyfiorina; chrischristie; cnn; debate; debatetranscipt; donaldtrump; election2016; gop; hughhewitt; jaketapper; jebbush; johnkasich; marcorubio; mikehuckabee; plannedparenthood; randpaul; reaganlibrary; tedcruz
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To: SeekAndFind
The rest of the field looked more trivial for engaging in the playground politics.Which, on reflection, may have been exactly what CNN was trying to do. Will be interesting to see if the Dem debate has more gravitas, better questions, and so on.
Not a bunch of Jr. High posing and backbiting.
61
posted on
09/17/2015 10:41:11 AM PDT
by
wbill
To: BlueLancer
62
posted on
09/17/2015 10:41:42 AM PDT
by
wbill
To: Resettozero
The poll on the Drudge Report is probably as accurate a bellwether of public perception of the debate as can be taken.
63
posted on
09/17/2015 10:41:55 AM PDT
by
MrEdd
(Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
To: napscoordinator
I agree too, but Walker should be in the loser bracket, and Trump in the middle. I don’t think Trump helped himself, but he didn’t hurt himself last night. I expect Fiorina to take Carson’s place at number two.
To: Resettozero
It just happens to be accurate.
Trump’s diminished support comes from the protest voters who don’t care about his shallow demeanor or content free platitudes.
65
posted on
09/17/2015 10:48:13 AM PDT
by
G Larry
(Climate change is responsible for melting the logic synapses of leftists.)
To: napscoordinator
I agree with you somewhat in that I don’t think he made any major mistakes that would turn off his loyalists - he was the same as the last debate - but he didn’t make anybody else take him seriously. Where he is in trouble now is that his schtick is wearing thin - he tried being The Donald from the get-go with the odd non-sequitur attack on Paul, and the crowd wasn’t playing along. From that point on his jokes and digs fell with a thud and it made him look out of place. Once Carly put him in his place he was off his game and kind of became a non-factor to the rest of the candidates.
You can tell this time was different, though, because the Trump contingent here, instead of feigning outrage about his treatment, have instead focused on tearing down Fiorina. By this they acknowledge that she was the clear shining star last night and stole a good deal of his thunder. He’s got his fairly high floor of core supporters (probably 15-20%), but the rest of his current support comes from the curious window shoppers who come out in every primary. My prediction is that Trump from here starts to slip closer to his 20% core while she begins to take most of Carson’s support as the alternative outsider, as well as some of those 10% or so who have been flirting with Trump.
66
posted on
09/17/2015 10:49:20 AM PDT
by
HoosierDammit
("When that big rock n' roll clock strikes 12, I will be buried with my Tele on!" Bruce Springsteen)
To: Rennes Templar
Walker is in the lower group....although some say middle but after first debate he was pretty done. Yep he is my candidate but I am honest enough to say he is screwed. America doesn’t want a guy who gets things done. Too bad for us. The only reason I bring up Cruz is because for months I heard how brilliant he is at debates.....well he isn’t.
67
posted on
09/17/2015 10:49:38 AM PDT
by
napscoordinator
(Walker for President 2016. The only candidate with actual real RESULTS!!!!! The rest...talkers!)
To: Calpublican
Rubio did not connect for meI hear you. I think that low-key style is was people first saw in Dr. Carson, but last night he showed he didn't have substance. Rubio's style and level of information might have been where Carson's supporters went.
68
posted on
09/17/2015 10:50:55 AM PDT
by
grania
To: SeekAndFind
As far as debate performances I agree with the column for the most part. Rubio and Fiorina performed very well. Trump spent the first half insulting people and making childish faces then went utterly mute when issues of policy and substance came up.
I’m disappointed in Drudge. I don’t blame him for running his joke of a poll, but it shouldn’t be the major headline today. It is an online poll, the same sort that Ron Paul used to win by huge margins.
69
posted on
09/17/2015 10:53:53 AM PDT
by
Reaper19
To: SeekAndFind
70
posted on
09/17/2015 10:54:39 AM PDT
by
mrsmith
(Dumb sluts: Lifeblood of the Media, Backbone of the Democrat/RINO Party!)
To: Calpublican
I agree. Rubio came across as week. These opinions are close to what copy Goldberg said after the debate to Bill O'Reilly. GOPe talking points?
Overall, all the candidates had some good comments and sounded better than Hillary. However, I don't trust Rubio at all. Who can forget how effectively he lied about amnesty to get elected?
All polls I have seen have Trump way ahead, with Carly a distant second. How could Rubio have won?
BTW, Cruz was not given enough time.
71
posted on
09/17/2015 10:55:10 AM PDT
by
Jane Austen
(Recall Gov. Nikki Haley, aka Nimrata Randhawa)
To: All
Nobody really self-destructed, even in the early round of also rans, although Carson really does not seem to have a realistic chance and Rand Paul cannot be the nominee despite his ability to enunciate his principles, they are simply not mainstream enough on foreign policy to overcomea limit of about 20% support. It’s up to the primary voters to sort this out now. I continue to think that Cruz and Jindal are the two best candidates and hope that they can impress in Iowa and New Hampshire. Could live with Trump but major questions remain. Rubio, Christie, Pataki, and Walker are all in there with a chance. Fiorina does nothing for me and I wonder about her baggage being as bad as Hillary’s negatives, a campaign between them would invite either mass emigration or a third party.
72
posted on
09/17/2015 10:56:12 AM PDT
by
Peter ODonnell
(Cruz to victory with Jindal riding shot-gun)
To: SeekAndFind
Big winner was CNN, especially able to keep a massive share of American households (as well as web streaming) hooked up for the full 3 hours.
Not much else in the way of winners. Cruz, well, cruised, Carly did her job in becoming the new GOPe flavor of the moment (she was going to win in their eyes no matter what she did or said...) The dwarves did their part by attacking Trump, Trump was - well, Trump. Bush had a bit of life, so maybe the checks to his PACs won't be cancelled.
Carson - well, he honestly should have just avoided the debate entirely - that would be the only way to save his second place standing in the polls. Call him the big loser - he was lost among the dwarves.
End of the day, little has changed... Bush stands poised to save the Republican party, umm, if he ever figures out where the start line is. Rubio and the other dwarves stand ready to carry him over the line, Carly's turn as the new second place was assured before the debate started, and still only one man on the stage had the slightest clue how to actually campaign for votes.
I yet again faced the normal liberal barrage on Facebook this morning, as they mocked how there was no plan (or way) to deport 11 million illegals - I thanked them for actually calling them illegals for once, noted that their number is likely only a 3rd of the illegals in the US, and asked the question they usually fumble with - how did 30 million illegals get here? Why are they here?
Eventually, even the dimmest eventually conceded that they come here for the money, and came here on their own, and likely could just as easily leave on their own as well. Dry up the money, dry up the benefits, dry up the squat out the anchor baby, and the flood will turn the other way.
73
posted on
09/17/2015 10:57:45 AM PDT
by
kingu
(Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
To: Resettozero
Fiorina is like an egg sandwich which tastes good on the.first bite but by the third bite it feels like it is.expanding in your mouth and you can’t swallow it.
74
posted on
09/17/2015 10:59:26 AM PDT
by
BRL
To: G Larry
It just happens to be accurate.
No doubt in your mind. But I expected more meaty information from my effort of reading this poorly-written girly-talky useless-to-an-adult-who-didn't-watch-the-second-debate-namely-me.
To: BRL
To: SeekAndFind
The Huckster’s comments and comparison of religious accomodation for Kimberly Harris were spot-on. But would SOMEONE please counter the “public servant not enforcing Federal law” (I know there isn’t a law, but that’s not my point) of Kimberly Harris with those public servants in santuary cities NOT enforcing (real) Federal immigration laws?
That comparison conflates the 2 issues of gay marriage and the pro-illegal crowd, and would be powerful in a debate setting.
77
posted on
09/17/2015 11:04:43 AM PDT
by
spiderpig
(does whatever a SpiderPig does)
To: TexasFreeper2009
He was being sidelined, quite literally. The guy just doesn’t seem to have the presence. Also, yesterday’s debate was all about Trump but Cruz, being a good friend, just remained quiet. Not good.
78
posted on
09/17/2015 11:06:40 AM PDT
by
sagar
To: SeekAndFind
Sorry I disagree with this...
I think Christie is the only one gained anything. Not my guy, but he’s the only guy other than Trump that came across with a personality.
Trump will likely pick up points with the fall of Carson.
Carly didn’t do anything, I don’t know what debate the press was watching to think she went anywhere.
Carson, done.. nice guy, but insanely unpolished.. his spike is over, and will drop in the polls.
The rest of the pack didn’t move their needles at all.
To: SeekAndFind
The only person to beat the libs is Trump.
80
posted on
09/17/2015 11:22:46 AM PDT
by
Darroll
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