Posted on 12/15/2015 8:17:31 PM PST by xzins
This debate was annoying.
If the moderators would stop talking over top of the candidates, then we could actually hear what they have to say.
If the moderator's handlers would have had the courage to trim this debate (finally) down to five or six of the top candidates, then we wouldn't have been subject to their short time limits, their incessant buzzers, and their rude interruptions right as the candidates were making their points at the end of their comments.
This gets us to the process. More than anything, I was struck by how artificial this entire format was tonight. I've never been a fan of putting too many people on a stage, or of putting two people on a stage and subjecting them to questions from faux neutral commentators from faux neutral news organizations.
The disconnect went deeper tonight. We got to see again the phony efforts to get candidates to confront one another. We got to see the leading questions, the inane questions, and the ideologically loaded questions.
What a lousy way to pick a president.
Jeb at the kiddie table next time?
7 in the first
6 in the second
I agree
I was not able to hear rush today. Please, if you would, clarify which “he” rush was playing for a fool: Krat, or Trump?
LOL! It’s the old “Let’s you and him fight!” syndrome!
re the talking-over issue: I stopped listening to Hannity “shoot outs” for that very reason.
Peer pressure. :)
The MSM like CNN and the other big networks and RINOSM like Fox run these events under sanction of the Republican National Committee.
All of the above are responsible for these ‘hell in a cell’ formatted events designed to destroy candidates not acceptable to the media and political elites.
Americans, in general, are fed up with debates and sick of talking. They want action.
These MSM productions are a joke. There is no substance, just show. I live on the East Coast and I went to bed. My time was spent more productively than watching the show. The MSM uses the candidates and the public to generate huge ad revenue, not to educate.
I wish we could stop referring to these TV shows as “debates”, when they are not.
They raise up the media, they lower anyone who is a potential President (which almost all participants are not), and they channel discussion into irrelevancies.
People here who constantly repeat how either Trump or (especially) Cruz will chew up Hillary in the “debates” don’t even understand they are watching something fit for TLC.
Stop. It was in the script.
Whoever decided he should be there was smoking dope and doing shots
No, whoever decided he should be there has a lot of money and less power than four years ago, and wants to get back in control of the "process".
I have been interacting professionally with the PHS for forty years.
What it has become is sad, but you're wrong that we do not need a PHS. We need a good one.
The mid-level professionals are the best in the world.
Is there any doubt now that the only reason he was governor of Florida is the Bush last name and connections. There is no ‘there’ there.
And we know he folded on the Terry Schiavo question, so we’d be putting Barry 2 up against Putin and al Baghdadi.
I think your critique was pretty good, I agree for the most part.
This was not a debate, we haven’t seen one yet. A debate is ask a question and let them have at it. And yes, Cruz or Trump would absolutely obliterate Hillary in an actual debate. Even though Trump is not that good at debate...
I thought several had very good opening comments, especially Christie and Cruz, Rubio too but that’s the last time he stood out.
Trump did better this time than any of the previous debates, he sounded composed and ready for it, had some good answers when he wasn’t defending himself.
Christie looked intense, and had some very good comments. I’ve always liked the guy but he’s not the president we need. I noticed he completely ignored Rand Paul’s swipe about bridge gate, best thing he could do. Good job.
Cruz had more air time than ever and used it well. He was easily the most intelligent person on the stage. Very good job, I think he and Trump are tied for who “won”. And Cruz got the best joke of the night when he said he’d build a wall and have Donald pay for it. Donald liked that one too. I still think Cruz and Trump are working together behind the scenes....
Someone else put it best, every tie Jeb opened his mouth he showed us why we don;’t need another Bush. I also thing Trump named him well, low energy.
Fiorina...I tried to ignore her as much as possible, her voice irritates me to no end. And I was wrong, she only said take our country back a coupe of times, not the at least half dozen I expected. And she shot herself int he foot big time by trying to play the female card...
Rubio should be losing support any day now, he never tried to refute the lies Cruz and Paul pointed out, stayed on the defensive all night, although he did have a good opening comment and a couple of other good ones.
Paul surprised me, he did better than any debate so far, even looked pretty smart a couple of times and didn’t look like a chihuahua at Trump’s ankles all night like last time. Pretty good opening comment too.
Kasich...whiny, too much arm gestures, and all the same ones, but at least he didn’t go full blotto...
Carson needs to snort some caffeine or something...just didn’t do much all night.
Moderators did exactly what I expected, tried to get everyone else to attack Trump every time they got a chance, but did mostly stick to decent questions. Wolf did a good job, he was the only one who showed authority enough to mostly shut things down when someone wanted to butt in. The others were ok but I could have done without them.
Next time I want to see no more than 3 people onstage, maybe 4, more time to answer questions, and an actual debate, not this question and answer session. I’m thinking Trump, Cruz and either Christie or Rubio will be the only ones left with enough support by then. Raise the bar to 10%, everyone else to the kiddie table.
I agree. We’re pretty much seeing this the same way.
I’d like to see 4 people on the main card.
1. Ask them by twos a question on defense such as “State your position on removing Assad.”
a. Rubio states his position, 5 minutes.
b. Cruz states his position, 5 minutes.
c. Rubio responds to Cruz, 3 minutes.
d. Cruz responds to Rubio, 3 minutes.
Total: 16 minutes
2. Same question to Trump/Carson, with the same process.
3. Switch Partners, Cruz/Trump and Rubio/Carson. Question: “Explain your tax plan and its benefits.”
Then follow the same process. 16 minutes.
4. Switch Partners, Cruz/Carson and Trump/Rubio. Question: “State your position on immigration control and your plan for illegal immigrants once immigration is controlled.”
Follow the same process. 16 minutes.
Total 48 minutes.
Closing Statements by each candidate: 3 minutes.
Total, 1 hour.
I'm with you on that. Panel shows on TV are the worst and I don't bother with them at all. We've pretty much forgotten Fox News because of that trend.
Sometimes when I'm on the road at midday the only am talker I can get is Hannity and while he sometimes has great discussions, he seems to have gotten into this goofy trend with Tamara Holder and someone on his staff named Linda where they all play Ding Dong School for a segment. At that point I turn him off and normally don't go back.
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