Trump looks to grab attention as GOP rivals debate

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Republican presidential candidates take the debate stage Thursday night absent their front-runner, Donald Trump, who will instead seek to starve his rivals of attention at a critical juncture in the campaign by holding a competing event of his own.

Trump's abrupt decision to boycott the final debate before Monday's Iowa caucuses has added a new layer of uncertainty to a race that has defied political convention. He cited "unfair" treatment from debate host Fox News as his reason for skipping the contest and holding a rally instead.

"I don't like being taken advantage of," Trump said in an interview Wednesday on Fox, signaling he wasn't boycotting the highly rated network completely.

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=757&sid=38301765&title=trump-looks-to-grab-attention-as-gop-rivals-debate&s_cid=queue-16

I view his stated explanations so far as a whine--which is almost never a positive political position.

Perfectly acceptable and perhaps more accurate to say that Fox's design of the event is not intended to affect an interchange of ideas among the candidates to highlight their policy differences but rather to provide a forum for the most effective emotional attack on Trump without regard to the importance or relevance of the specific basis thereof.

Trump has been pretty effective in picking his political attack positions but in my view, he is sort of losing it at this point.

His poll tracking numbers against Cruz are deteriorating--a fact that I attribute to the increased intensity of his attacks on Cruz.

What he ought to do is take the high road with respect to Cruz--a smart, well educated, professional, effective guy who well one day may be qualified to be an effective Chief of State but who has some distance to go. Smile.

What he is doing is losing votes to Cruz--when you are digging yourself into a hole, first thing is to stop digging.

At the moment, worst thing that can happen to him is Cruz gets a slim majority in Iowa. Big deal. It is a more favorable constituency for Cruz in any event.

Ethanol is no longer the only issue in Iowa--the people of Iowa recognize that the country is in deep trouble and survival is more important that an ethanol subsidy to a few farmers. Some of the best crop land in the world--they will make a living growing something else. More important that the country survives.

On negatives, stick to the material issues--close the border; secure in migration against national security risk; and against people taking jobs present citizens might otherwise get. Reform tax policy. Create a Southern Air Defense Zone. Fire people who make bad public policy such as on Tariff and Trade; get rid of bad judges who were appointed because of their establishment connections.

The country is going the wrong way--get it turned around. Make America Great Again.

Sound campaign positions for either Trump or Cruz.

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