Posted on 08/06/2015 10:01:42 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Jeb Bush was not popular at Gandolfo’s New York Deli on Thursday night, Aug. 6.
A Republican presidential debate watch party at the Rancho Cucamonga eatery heartily booed Bush, who is considered an establishment White House candidate. Billionaire Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both seen more as political outsiders, were warmly received.
Both appeared to be the top choices of a straw poll conducted after the debate. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker also fared well.
Bush, who received just one vote, was jeered for saying that undocumented immigrants come to this country often because they have no other option. The audience mainly gave him a cool reception even when he brought up conservative talking points.
The other nine candidates won applause at various points, but Cruz and Trump appeared to get consistently positive reactions. Trump’s one-liners drew laughter and Cruz drew hearty applause when called for border security and when he accused GOP leaders of not honoring their commitment to conservative principles.
Many conservatives dislike Bush’s support of the Common Core education curriculum, said Harvey Anderson of Ontario, who voted for Trump in the straw poll.
Nancy Hanna of Upland was impressed by Cruz: “He had answers that seem logical and doable,” she said.
Dorothy Elwood of Rancho Cucamonga disapproved of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, saying he came off as sarcastic.
The debate was helpful to Elwood, who said she can now better match candidates’ names to faces.
Ann Olson of San Bernardino voted for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But she thought retired neurosurgeon Carson did well.
“(Carson) brings ... common sense and (the idea that) you don’t have to be an entrenched politician to be president,” Olson said.
Gregory Brittain, who co-hosts a talk radio show for a local radio station, voted for Wisconsin Gov. Walker in the straw poll. He said Walker needed a “titanium backbone” to push through reforms in Wisconsin.
Bush, Brittain said, presented himself poorly, especially given his record in Florida. Brittain added he saw Huckabee at a summit in Denver and thought that the ex-governor’s debate performance had improved.
Ly Kou of Ontario wore a Trump T-shirt to the party.
“I love his honesty,” she said, adding that immigration wouldn’t be discussed if it weren’t for him.
More than 50 people attended the party, which was organized by Paul Chabot, a Republican running for a San Bernardino County congressional seat.
Chabot said he missed a large part of the debate as he watched his children and manned a tent for his campaign outside the deli. He said he’s not ready to back any one candidate, but that he likes Huckabee’s faith and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s ability to articulate foreign and domestic threats.
“I like a little piece of most all of them,” Chabot said.
Funny thing is the only one that said Huckabee won the debate was the Luntz group.
I just saw this was stunned!!!!! Seems most think Trump will be a good leader, thought he did great!!!!! Everyone still behind him!!!!!
He wouldn’t have packed it with hard-shell evangelicals to take the shine off of Cruz’s triumph, would he? Naw!
I feel like Huckabee is unable to relate to people in my generation. He seems like the crazy backwoodsman who eats fried squirrels, takes LSD, and never bathes.
Ted Cruz Ping! Luntz’s hand picked Trump haters.
Luntz’s transformation after Hannity made him “famous” was interesting to watch.
Turned into a chubby little narcissistic lackey for the e-GOP.
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