Posted on 02/26/2016 1:10:17 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Over the course of the last 48 hours, the Rubio campaign pulled one of the great head-fakes in recent political history by telegraphing that they weren't at all interested in attacking Donald Trump at tonight's debate.
Technically, this wasn't a ruse because Rubio didn't just attack Trump. He went after him with a chainsaw. And Ted Cruz brought a pair of pliers and a blowtorch.
If the normal laws of politics applied to the 2016 race, it would have been a catastrophic night for Trump. By any reasonable measure, Trump had a meltdown. He was exposed as a policy lightweight on a host of issues: A health care repeal plan which consists entirely of "removing the lines." He defended Planned Parenthood (again!) by claiming that abortions are only a small part of what the organization does. Most amazingly, he claimed that his sister, who is a judge, "signed a bill" with Judge Sam Alito. Two judges ... "signed a bill." It's enough to make you wonder: If a single exchange between Rubio and Chris Christie two weeks ago cost him several spots in New Hampshire, how could this two-hour demolition not cost Trump a great deal?
But will it hurt him? Probably not by itself. But if tonight's debate is the beginning of a sustained counterattack against Trump-by Cruz and Rubio themselves on the stump, by their campaigns on the air, and by reluctant donors who now see that there's a blueprint for dismantling the orange menace-then it could mark the beginning of the end for Trump.
What's the blueprint? Stylistically, Rubio showed that you don't need to out-argue Trump. You can mock him. And over the course of the debate, Rubio and Cruz put into play a number of issues that are real problems for Trump:
* His fishy tax returns, which he falsely insists he can't release because he's being audited.
* His total lack of a plan for replacing Obamacare.
* His lies about supporting/opposing both Iraq and Libya (which he repeated during the debate).
* The continuing charges of fraud (and lawsuit) concerning Trump university.
* Trump's use of illegal immigrant labor to build Trump Tower.
Why are these problems? Because the average voters doesn't know about most of them. Because they go to the heart of Trump's appeal. And because some of them-such as the tax returns and Trump University-are ongoing stories in which there are plenty of details still to be reported. The Cruz and Rubio campaigns ought to push these issues relentlessly at campaign stops, through surrogates, and in ads because their attacks will, in turn, force the media to finally confront (rather than enable) Trump.
Trump's rise has been powered by his dominance of earned media-and not just his perpetual access to it, but the obsequious toadying of TV hosts who don't want to lose their ratings chum. But a sustained campaign which focuses on these specific and detailed charges about Trump will force the media to start actually asking questions and pushing back against Trump when he dissembles or evades. In short, a real campaign against Trump will force the media to start treating him like a real candidate. And once that starts happening, Trump will be much less eager to submit himself to real questioning.
The final step to beating Trump is that his rivals have to tie their attacks to a central idea of what Trump really is. As effective as Rubio was in torching Trump at the debate, Cruz did a better job of this tonight. Cruz used all of Trump's problems to support the argument that Trump is a liar and a negotiator who is going to sell out his supporters the first chance he gets. (And believe it or not, that's the most charitable interpretation. Throw in his squeezing grandmothers to build casino parking lots, his penchant for bedding married women, and his four bankruptcies and you can grope your way to much worse characterizations.)
Yet Trump cannot be destroyed in a day. No matter how disastrous tonight's debate was, defeating him will require time, resources, discipline, and initiative. Cruz and Rubio have, finally, shown how it can be done.
But if this debate isn't followed by a pro-longed counter-offensive, then it will serve as nothing except a preview of what the Democrats will do to Trump in July.
And drop Cruz; he's a globalist stooge.
I understand these are temp positions but an asserted effort needs to be made by businesses to hire in America the same way I do in buying American made.
If you can’t distinguish that from permanent construction illegal aliens wrecking permanent labor markets there’s simply no basis to have a discussion.
I can distinguish the difference and was only talking temp positions but any temp position that is filled by an American could always lead to a permanent position and that is what we should be hoping for. Yes and I do understand what illegals do to the permanent construction business.
Thanks for the civil discussion.
Without Trump, the media would have taken out Cruz early and we’d be running with a jeb/scRubio ticket while Hillary picked out Oval Office drapes and a new email server.
Maybe. Trump looked really dishonest when discussing trump getting fined for illegal immigrants to the tune of $1000000.
His lack of any health care plan (or really any plan) made him look very shallow.
I am not sure why trump thought it was smart to double down on on his misstatements about Iraq et al when he is on video saying the contrary. It showed a lot of contempt for his supporters.
WOW....the most complete and most useless reason to support Trump for President.
It is like electing a mass murderer for Sheriff because he has murdered so many people he can watch out for other murderers and keep us safe.
OR an Islamic supporter to DHS to watch for other Islamic terrorist coming into the US to keep us safe. Sound familiar? That is the Obama administration in place NOW!!!!! Wash, rinse and repeat
What total load of crap for supporting Trump. I just thought I heard it all from you Trump supporters but this one has taken the whole enchilada
It is 125+ trillion but who is counting
If it's 125 trillion, why are we so anxious to import the entire Third World to depress wages and therefore the tax base, while increasing the number of dependents on govt. social programs?
Can't you think more than 1 millimeter deep? <-- not a slam, tho' I admit it sounds like one. Trump is speaking in monosyllabic language because half the population has an IQ of under 100, yet they still vote. In a country consumed with the Kardashians, rhetoric wins over syllogisms when getting votes.
Yes especially if you do have a dog and have yo leave your pets behind!
These are for HIGH SKILLED OR TECHNICAL after they cannot be filled here when certain criteria has been met for filling from American Citizens FIRST. Get it right when you just spout off what he is supporting.
Trumps H1b are for temp jobs as maids, cooks and such which requires no criteria be met. LOW SKILLED LABOR that could be filled by just about anybody out of work.
Jeeze, you LIVs need some education
Private FReepmail coming.
ehhhhh, leave me alone. You boar me like trump.
Do us all a favor, and get a life! Also FYI, I would not click on one of your links if my life depended on it!
Well, you may have hit on something here.
The reason he has so many followers like you. It is the IQ.
You have answered the question that has been plaguing the rest of us for months why The Donald had so many followers.
We thought he was spraying something in the air but now we know it does have something related to zombies and IQ
they must pass a drug test and must reliably come to work on time
That requirement eliminates many
You sure you can find it with your IQ?
“haters”
No, we just know his “faults” and don’t want him as the nominee who will usher in President Hillary.
Would eliminate most on welfare and foodstamps too but it doesn't
Have his chickens come home to roost?
No, and no.
Aye.
Not enthusiastically but Cruz is right Rubio is better than Trump.
I could vote for Rubio in the General Election not Trump.
What's your IQ?
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