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ANALYSIS: Debate Without Trump Favors Trump
abcnews.com ^ | January 28

Posted on 01/28/2016 9:03:41 PM PST by Helicondelta

It turns out that a world without Donald Trump is filled with Donald Trump anyway.

To many in the Republican Party, Thursday night's debate was a dream scenario -- seven candidates, and not a reality TV show billionaire in sight. No huge walls were hypothetically built, and no religious groups were banned from entry into the United States.

Yet Trump was still everywhere. He was there for viewers on another channel, giant American flag behind him, two other Republican candidates beside him, chants of "USA, USA, USA" enveloping them.

He was also there with the candidates as the "elephant not in the room," as moderator Megyn Kelly put it, or as Jeb Bush's non-showing "little teddy bear."

His absence was felt, moreover, when the leading candidates tangled over the hot-button issue of immigration. Trump wasn't there to take heat for them, or to face any real scrutiny of his own.

Trump's dominance in the race was revealed by the extent to which the debate lacked an obvious center of gravity. The party and its candidates have grown used to the front-runner; surely the same is true for viewers treated to a debate season like no other.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2016election; bretbaier; chriswallace; debates; election2016; foxnews; megynkelly; newyork; trump; trumpwasright
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To: Arthur Wildfire! March
Based on what I’m reading ... If Cruz had joined the boycott, he would be a titan this morning standing next to Trump. Both would still be rivals, but every other candidate today would be a punier midget than ever.

I agree. Joining Trump would have sent an unambiguous message about the hypocrisy of Fox and the debates. Instead he put his "vote" with the status quo and will be perceived as aligning with the establishment (with includes Fox). He had a risky opportunity to be a man and took the safe route that will cost him. This shows he really doesn't understand how fed up voters are.

I think Cruz's time will come, but I don't see how it could be this election cycle.

101 posted on 01/29/2016 6:35:55 AM PST by The Truth Will Make You Free
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To: Windflier; chris37; Red Steel

Mark has been my second most favorite talk radio host since I first ran into him years ago, but since Trump challenged Cruz’s NBC status, Mark has become unbearable. I can take only a few minutes before I have to bail for my sanity’s sake. I think the dude is going to give himself a heart attack.


Mark is getting hammered on FaceBook and Twitter on his “The loser of the debate was Trump by his absence. The voters of Iowa should take note. The candidates did very well. The moderators did well, too.” foolish comment. I hope Mark can turn it around. Because Mark has gone from from my #1 favorite to my least favorite host. And a lot of people are saying the same. He has lost it.

https://www.facebook.com/marklevinshow/


102 posted on 01/29/2016 7:30:55 AM PST by conservative98
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To: The Iceman Cometh

When Trump debates Hillary I hope he begins by asking “Are you going to be showing video clips of Hillary being inconsistent. If you do, I’ve got some clips of her taking at some parties I threw that I’d like to show.”


103 posted on 01/29/2016 7:52:27 AM PST by VerySadAmerican
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To: TontoKowalski

Personally I’ve always felt Cooper was the most unbiased of the bunch no matter who he supports. And I think Erin Burnett comes in at second. However, I don’t have cable so I haven’t watched any of them in a few years.

Fox should change their name. There’s nothing “news” about them. It should be “Fox Political Professionals Who Know It All, Unfair and Especially Unbalanced.”


104 posted on 01/29/2016 7:58:08 AM PST by VerySadAmerican
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To: JudyinCanada

If you have to “think” he was being sarcastic then he definitely fell flat no matter what his intentions.


105 posted on 01/29/2016 8:00:30 AM PST by VerySadAmerican
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To: CottonBall

CNN say a chance to begin to beat Fox. And they will succeed. At least until Hillary is the democrat nominee then ALL the media will be against Trump.


106 posted on 01/29/2016 8:05:25 AM PST by VerySadAmerican
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To: CottonBall

Your husband may be right. Trump has been hinting at skipping the debates for a while.


107 posted on 01/29/2016 8:06:01 AM PST by VerySadAmerican
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To: Balding_Eagle

“NOT TRUMP AGAIN!

I’m so tired of winning.”

You win post of the day!


108 posted on 01/29/2016 8:17:23 AM PST by ebshumidors
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To: The Truth Will Make You Free

Cruz was boxed in. He lost by going to the debate and having a poor showing. He would also have lost by not showing. Not his time yet.


109 posted on 01/29/2016 8:24:51 AM PST by ebshumidors
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To: N. Theknow

I can’t find a complete version. CNN put it up on screen several times last night. Portions are referenced here...

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/28/politics/donald-trump-fox-news-apologized/


110 posted on 01/29/2016 8:26:33 AM PST by moehoward
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To: haircutter

It was also on One America News Network, uninterrupted.


111 posted on 01/29/2016 8:34:13 AM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: VideoDoctor

Drudge Vote Total over 860,000 now. Trump over 61.%.


112 posted on 01/29/2016 9:15:09 AM PST by windhover (I caught this morning mornings Minion, Kingdom of daylight's Dauphin.)
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To: conservative98
Mark is getting hammered on FaceBook and Twitter

I think Mark will soon discover why Rush keeps his personal candidate preferences a secret during presidential primaries, and why he goes out of his way to at least appear to be impartial, while the American people are choosing their nominee.

Choosing sides, like Mark is doing, automatically turns off some segment of a talk show host's listeners. Just looking at the national polling over the last several months should have informed Mark that at least half of his loyal listeners (mostly staunch conservatives) are dedicated Trump voters. By alienating those folks, he's effectively driven his ratings down by half. That's professional suicide.

Once driven off, it's hard to regain the trust of formerly loyal fans.

113 posted on 01/29/2016 10:09:22 AM PST by Windflier (Pitchforks and torches ripen on the vine. Left too long, they become black rifles.)
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To: nikos1121

She is very offensive and rude. I turn her off on sight.


114 posted on 01/29/2016 10:54:58 AM PST by WENDLE (Trump is not bought . He is no puppet.)
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To: Kenny

He called Trump a terrorist. There will be hell to pay.


115 posted on 01/29/2016 11:03:49 AM PST by WENDLE (Trump is not bought . He is no puppet.)
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To: JudyinCanada
--The Rubio fawning started right after the debate, as I suspected it would. Frank Luntz was is particularly nauseating.

Fixed it for ya.

116 posted on 01/29/2016 11:28:42 AM PST by JPG (What's the difference between the Rats and the GOPe? Nothing.)
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To: Helicondelta

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder”


117 posted on 01/29/2016 6:34:24 PM PST by Oztrich Boy ('Life is a comedy to those who think and a tragedy for those who feel' - Horace Walpole)
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

It was not a debate. It was a cheap ‘gotcha-interview’.

Note that Cruz was ambushed big-time and then ...

Megyn Kelly to Ted Cruz: ‘The record supports you’ [only after audience sleeps]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3390097/posts

[With moderators like these — who needs enemies?]


118 posted on 01/30/2016 1:24:09 AM PST by Arthur Wildfire! March (Cruz and Trump FRiends strongest when we don't insult each other.)
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To: Cboldt

‘I think Limbaugh ws just being his usual coy self.’

Limbaugh sounded downright giddy — loving life and wondering what was inside the gift-wrapped package.

A zest for life — celebrating Christmas during a rough blizzard.


119 posted on 01/30/2016 1:27:50 AM PST by Arthur Wildfire! March (Cruz and Trump FRiends strongest when we don't insult each other.)
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To: The Truth Will Make You Free

‘I think Cruz’s time will come, but I don’t see how it could be this election cycle.’

I agree. He’s too busy to be reflective at the moment, I suppose.

Megyn Kelly to Ted Cruz: ‘The record supports you’ [only after audience sleeps]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3390097/posts

[With moderators like these — who needs enemies?]


120 posted on 01/30/2016 1:38:48 AM PST by Arthur Wildfire! March (Cruz and Trump FRiends strongest when we don't insult each other.)
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