Posted on 08/07/2015 12:55:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The social critic pulls no punches in evaluating the 10 top Republican candidates at the Fox debate.
The crowded GOP debate ended on Thursday and the analysis is coming thick and fast. The Hollywood Reporter asked noted social critic and author Camille Paglia for her thoughts on the debate and she didn't disappoint.
Dear Hollywood Reporter,
Ten GOP candidates turned up for the presidential audition tonight at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena. They need some work. Where's Max Factor and Sydney Guilaroff when you need them? Here's my report.
Best, Camille
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Donald Trump
What's with the carpet-bombing Don Rickles routine? Does Trump have any facial expression beyond knotted, squinting scowl? It's a strain even to look at him. The entire debate begins with Trump getting booed for refusing to rule out a third-party bid. He has a slashing, entertaining wit, but his braggart narcissism is on painful display. He speaks in simplistic polarities of "winners" versus "losers", as if geopolitics were a jangling Atlantic City casino. He sets high goals but lacks real answers to any government issue. Trump is a Trojan Horse sent by the crafty Clinton machine. He has a bellyful of swords aimed at GOP hearts.
Jeb Bush
Is there a blander, more boring personality in American politics? The guy looks like the runny yolk of a fried egg. He's trying to be assertive tonight, because he's been told he needs to project "passion." But when his lips move, there's still a big blank. Why the heck the major media hails him as the GOP frontrunner is beyond comprehension — except that big money has been showering down on him like powdered sugar on a donut. Why do Jeb's smiles remind me of a dimply grandmother? He could and should have been a high-school principal. I don't see him on the world stage, holding the line against ISIS.
Ben Carson
What is this brilliant brain surgeon doing in the political arena? He seems like a cordial, genial, thoughtful fellow, but he's shy and diffident and seriously out of place in this pugilistic forum. Not only is he uncomfortable in the harsh spotlight, but he has arrived strikingly ill-prepared with positioning on major policy issues. At the end, he lands some sharp blows on Hillary Clinton, but overall he did not distinguish himself enough from the other candidates, nor did he even demonstrate much interest in the mechanics of governance.
Chris Christie
A refreshing flow of specifics from a hands-on governor, but Christie will never fly as presidential material. He has a braying, jabbering manner like an old-style big-city mayor of the Fiorello La Guardia era. There's something too baby-like about him. I was thinking Fatty Arbuckle? John Belushi? Under the bravado there's a hint of chaos. Maybe it's the mismatch between his ski-jump nose (not what he had in high school) and those bouncy plump lips. Anyhow, aside from his disqualifying history of thuggish behavior, Christie is too Northeastern provincial for nationwide appeal.
Marco Rubio
What a nice, bright, earnest young man! When he graduates from the college debating team, he will have a rosy future! Oh, er, he's 44 years old? Computer crash! Rubio is very smooth but also oddly slick. He seems caught in a time warp of self-stunted maturation, a son shying away from the Olympus of father-gods. Sorry, but this won't work in the White House. Try again in a decade or two?
Mike Huckabee
Very forceful when he calls for the abolition of bloated government agencies or asserts the "personhood" of the fetus, but everything else is rote, memorized, formulaic, even his gestures. Huckabee seems like a survivor from the Bob Hope or Art Linkletter era of TV pitchman. He's like a retro character actor you've seen in a hundred movies but whose name you can't remember. Despite his physical robustness, there's something unreal or porous about him. Voters must have a sixth sense for Huckabee's artificiality, because his presidential bids have always floundered.
Rand Paul
What a disaster! This was probably the worst debate performance in recent memory. I agree with most of Rand Paul's libertarian principles, but he certainly did them no favor tonight. He seemed surly, seething, and discourteous from start to finish — like a petulant schoolboy kept after class. There was not an iota of presidential promise or gravitas. Who would want this squirming urchin as the nation's representative at an international summit? And what bizarre self-presentation — the over-large Peter Pan collar and tie, the disorderly forehead locks, the unshaven cheeks and what sure looked like white highlighting under plucked brows. Caligula, anyone?
Ted Cruz
Way, way too much subtext. Big, strange-looking guy with an almost womanly face. Whip smart but on a monomaniacal mission for world salvation. Announces, to great applause, that his number one attribute is he "will always tell the truth." Red alert: a bruiser of a politician who thinks he has a corner on truth. Cruz's expression is habitually close to a sneer, which he offsets with pleading, faux puppy-dog eyebrows. He knows history and military affairs, but he's no negotiator — he's a General Patton prima donna.
Scott Walker
Underwhelming tonight. Comes off as cheerful and upbeat, like a pleasant sitcom dad. A strong closing statement but seemed recessive and non-competitive for most of the debate. Was classy and gracious (unlike the fidgety, self-absorbed Rand Paul) in turning respectfully toward Ben Carson as he spoke, but seemed to opt out from the general strife. Perhaps over-concerned with his reputation as a union-busting flame-thrower, Walker tried to be reassuring and just seemed limited and repetitious. A junior spectator, not a national leader.
John Kasich
Buoyed by the crowd's enthusiastic support of his tenure as governor of Ohio, Kasich came on strong in the debate. His brusque, animated gestures are awkward but manlike in a solid, old-fashioned way. Kasich is a genuine populist with working-class family ties. He made the Princeton-educated Cruz look effete tonight. Kasich was full of specifics about his Congressional experience on the armed services and budget committees. I think he won the debate. Kasich is a mensch in a party of parakeets.
Carly Fiorina
Midway through the event, Fox News inserted a clip of Fiorina at the earlier debate of candidates who hadn't made the cut. For a surreal moment, I thought it was Dustin Hoffman in drag in Tootsie — it was exactly the same lilting Heartland accent. There is universal agreement that Fiorina won her debate hands down. Let's hope she is automatically promoted to the big league at the next GOP debate. Throw the male duds overboard!
Wow
Camille? Once a decadent academic, always one.
1) Camille Paglia is queer.
2) Kasich is a queerlover.
That’s about all you need to know to decipher her otherwise bizarre analysis.
1) black, or
2) female, or
3) gay friendly, or
4) illegal immigrant friendly, or
5) democrat or republican, etc etc.
Camille is pleased with Kasich answer re: gay marriage, so everything else he may believe is just fine with her. Thats why we're sliding down the commode.
No idea who this Paglia is or why I should care about his/her opinion in a Hollyweird magazine...but some FReeper posted it, so......
I actually think Trump was told to scowl because that is his "Apprentice" persona. It will be interesting to see if he changes this next time around.
Funny line on Rubio.
GFY, idiot.
I did not care for him. I really did not like his answer on the Medicare or Medicaid expansion. He is trying to buy his way into heaven using other peoples money at least that is how I took it.
She’s an academic. Very outspoken and never predictable.
The Left desperately — nearly to the point of all-out panic (which is coming) — needs Republicans to nominate a GOPE/RINO/Milquetoast (you pick ‘em — you know who they are) in order to win the presidency.
Indeed. But she’s a liberal so anything she says is by definition, wrong to begin with.
If a liberal talls you water is wet, we can safely assume science has developed dry water and hasn’t announced it yet.
As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I found Kasich the most thoroughly noxious, with both his annoying mannerisms and his bleeding-heart “compassionate conservatism.” Rhapsodizing over increasing government spending and proudly patting himself on the back for attending a homo wedding ceremony, ugh. He made me want to vomit.
She’s a fun writer and an excellent social critic. Didn’t agree with all of her analysis, but it’s an entertaining read.
Actually a pretty good analysis, except for the Kasich part. He’s a dud, Camille.
Must absolutely everything be written in soundbite perspectives for wine-chugging snarky soccermoms?
I am so SICK of this juvenile, dumbing-down, adolescent CRAP!
Good point about Trump being sent by the Clintons as a spoiler. He’s an obvious plant to trick lo-info voters.
Some of that is funny, Rubio does come across like the bright young Hispanic guys many of us have met. Christie is a bit like a Mayor from the LaGuardia era, I can’t argue with every single one. Yes, and Huckabee does look a bit like a character actor from TV’s black and white era.
She sure hates Ted Cruz.
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