Posted on 02/06/2016 10:46:36 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
What a glum, drab debate. ABC clearly tried to make all the candidates look bad, and the bad blood between the candidates left over from Iowa meant that they just did not care about showing any level of solidarity against the media, as they often do. Christie successfully tore down Marco Rubio for the first hour of the debate, but made himself look like a royal, braying jerk in the process. Normally in these posts, I have three winners and three losers, but I don't think there even were three winners - but there were a whole bunch of losers. Let's go to the scorecard.
WINNERS
1. Ted Cruz - Cruz was nicked by Carson's strong opening on the Carsongate controversy, but I think Cruz's apology on that point came off as sincere and genuine. After that point, Cruz clearly had the strongest night of any of the candidates on stage. Cruz was the first recipient of Martha Raddatz' pointless and dishonest badgering, and handled it well. Cruz did well with the guns trained away from him once again, as everyone focused on Rubio. Cruz's answer on his family member who succumbed to heroin addiction was the most poignant moment of the night and really humanized Cruz in a way that no one has yet seen in this campaign. Cruz was one of the two likeable people on stage tonight.
2. Jeb Bush - Surprisingly strong performance from Bush tonight. He absolutely kneecapped Trump in the exchange on eminent domain. He avoided any meaningful verbal flubs. He appeared wonky but likeable. He was in command of the facts. His story about the guy who died (according to the VA) was charming and humorous. I don't know if it's because the rest of the candidates don't consider him a threat, but Jeb was able to really rise above the fray and be one of the only two positive presences on stage tonight.
LOSERS
1. Marco Rubio - Here's what I don't know: I don't know how much people watch beyond the first 45 minutes of these debates, especially on a Saturday night. If they do, they they saw Rubio really regain his feet after his own Martha Raddatz dishonest badgering session. But the initial exchange with Christie was very bad for him, visually. He was accused by Christie of repeating a pat line, and in response he repeated a pat line, twice. Then after every answer he gave, he was followed by a hounding Chris Christie, who he never brushed back off the plate. Again, Rubio recovered very well for the last two hours of the debate, but the concern for camp Rubio is that people turned off the debate when the clock hit 9pm. Rubio's answer on the life issue was an absolute home run - but who was still watching at 10:15pm?
2. Chris Christie - Christie clearly came to the debate with one goal, which was to trash Marco Rubio. He succeeded to some degree, but made himself look like an especially angry chihuahua in the process. Then, after trashing Rubio for repeating himself, he spent the rest of the night repeating himself over and over and over. I think his victory over Rubio, if it was one, will have to be seen as a pyrrhic one in the end.
3. The RNC, again - It's an absolutely incredible fact that the RNC allowed Martha Raddatz to moderate another debate in which Republicans were on television after her horrible and clearly biased performance in the 2012 Vice Presidential debate. Raddatz is not only a known and vocal critic of Cruz, but she spent the entire night arguing with the candidates about answers they did not give. She repeatedly accused the candidates of not answering questions when the problem actually was that she was not listening. On the other hand, when she asked Trump to answer a question with specifics, and he refused, she never once followed up and pressed the issue.
The entire production of this debate was awful. The lighting was bleak, the pre-debate commentary was geriatric and low energy, former Clinton employee George Stephanopolous was running the show. Bill Kristol had about 15 seconds on air and he was the only thing within sniffing distance of a conservative voice.
This was a worse debate than the CNBC debacle and it had the effect of lowering all the candidates on stage. There were numerous red flags about the entire ABC production that the RNC should have seen coming from a mile away, but did not. What tonight's experience showed was that, in spite of their largely symbolic move to cut NBC out of the debate process, the RNC has actually learned very little about using their negotiating power with the media to ensure a level playing field for Republican candidates. And that's disappointing to all the campaigns.
Also present -
John Kasich - John Kasich pretending to be a happy person is one of the most awkward things you've ever seen. ABC forgot he was there for the first 45 minutes and I remember literally nothing about him being there other than his weird gooberish attempt at being funny when he said "AWWW THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE SO MUCH." Kind of surprised that he was left alone by both Christie and Bush, but I don't think he made any sort of impression in spite of the opportunity.
Donald Trump - Surprisingly low energy performance from Trump. Got stomped by Bush in the only direct confrontation he had in the night. Mostly faded into the background and spewed nonsense. But he wasn't really a loser because of the likelihood that Rubio took a step back. Call it a draw for Trump.
Ben Carson - Ben Carson had a great opening moment of the debate and may have earned himself some sympathy on the Carsongate issue. But then, every question he answered afterwards, he began with a complaint about how long it had been since the last time he got a question. Very off putting. At least he looked awake during this debate, so it was a marked improvement from previous debates.
Cruz’s response was very close to Trump’s plan on the border situation and the illegals already in this country. Both agree that if an illegal commits a crime, they get the boot out. On Trump’s website are these words, “All criminal aliens must be returned to their home countries, a process which can be aided by canceling any visas to foreign countries which will not accept their own criminals, and making it a separate and additional crime to commit an offense while here illegally.” One must notice that he says, “criminal aliens” There is no mention of a plan to deport all the 11.5 million illegals.
You Trumpettes are staying up past your bedtime. Now go to bed and don’t wet the bed again.
“Carson could not even find the stage in the beginning..”
What was up with that?
I guess they like Cruz in Oklahoma.
The Trumpettes hearing Cruz give intelligent answers are completely baffled by his clarity because they just have no ability to think beyond “that’s terrible or it will be incredible, it will be so great”, or any of the other super ignorant rants of Trump Trump talks like a New York street thug that has about a 3d grade education and is a side kick of a mafia boss. What an idiot and it is pathetic because he thinks he is really intelligent while he is actually a moron, So sad. Really so sad.
Wouldn’t be the first time Trump has been up to such shenanigans would it?
Is this not the same Trump who boasted about buying Democratic politicians in elected office in New York to help his business? He has been doing this for decades.
Funny man. Not everyone is as corrupt as Mr Donald “I buy politicians all the time to help my business” Trump.
He’s not an anchor baby, impy. An ‘anchor baby’ is a baby born in this country of parents or often just a mother here illegally.
How many times has this been discussed here on FR?
Several hundred thousand times?
Illegals try to use the child as an ‘anchor’ to prevent their deportation. As you must know.
Now, the other Cuban, Rubio, is an anchor baby. Maybe you have them confused.
Cruz was born in Canada.
And once again the elephant in the debate room—Cruz’s eligibility or not to run— is ignored. So the baffling question remains:
Why is Cruz running if he’s not a NBC?
I don’t think it bothers most people because they believe he will wind up like all the rest of candidates for president or vice-president who were ineligible to actually hold the office: unsuccessful so that the awkward matter will be moot.
give me a list of 20 people who showed up from india last august and are nasty trumpbots
You’re just mad because you’ve realized that you’ve sold your soul to a guy whose face is made of play dough.
Now I’m an internet shill from India...Wrongo Boyo...I am here in the US on an H1B Visa thanks to Teddy!
Geez, SmokingJoe just because we support different candidates is no reason to insult me and incorrectly claim I come from India when you can look at my profile and see exactly where I reside!
Trump's: "punch-drunk or punch drunk; A term derived from boxing where a boxer gets hit by his opponent so many times that his disorientation is described as and similar to being drunk."
Nah lets bash Impy instead
Victimhood doesn’t suit you hoss
Red State is propaganda
Erickson lost me when he went against the South after Charleston even though he claims to be a BR native
I would not piss on his hair if his head was on fire
Fox which hates Trump is pimping him and Christie and saying The Cuban Twins lost
Not much objectivity these days from anywhere so feel free to Eric....he’s a kapo
Thank you :)
As a postscript, awkward is maybe not the right word. ‘Risible’ might be more apt.
Here we have a guy, Cruz, who may be an illegal himself since he was foreign born, and renounced his citizenship, but it is unclear whether or not he ever applied and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
So he may face deporting himself out of the country, unable to show citizenship at all, much less that he was not a NBC.
As a Cruz supporter i’m really looking forward to Tuesday .
That woman be dogfood ugly
ou Trumpettes are staying up past your bedtime. Now go to bed and don’t wet the bed again.
Isn’t time you go feed the cats there Jukeman? We hear them calling...all 34 of them. Why do you need so many cats? We are beginning to wonder about you. :)
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.