The Republican Debate: There He Blows

August 7, 2015

Robert Borosage

Campaign for America's Future

ourfuture.org 

Donald Trump commandeered the stage in last night’s Republican presidential debate. Planted in the middle by his lead in the polls, framed by his signature orange bird’s-nest hair, he presented a bloated, looming, ominous visage, a surly Gulliver surrounded by Lilliputians. The Fox News team served him up the most hostile questions, insuring that he captured the most airtime.

The first question of the night was a Fox set up: Would all the candidates pledge not to run as a third-party candidate if they didn’t get the nomination. With a showman’s sense of timing, Trump scanned the stage, paused, shrugged and raised his hand. He wouldn’t pledge to support a candidate that he didn’t respect. But you are standing on a Republican stage, blustered Fox Bret Baier, the stage where the Republicans will name their nominee. “I fully understand,” Trump replied, as if swatting at an annoying fly.

And so it went. When Megyn Kelly challenged him for his demeaning language about women, Trump scorned “political correctness.” When Chris Wallace went after his repeated bankruptcies, Trump schooled him in business, and mocked his sympathies for creditors: “Let me just tell you about the lenders. First of all, these lenders aren’t babies. These are total killers. These are not the nice, sweet little people that you think, OK?”

When they charged him with supporting Democrats and Democratic positions, Trump admitted he gave money to everybody: “I will tell you that our system is broken. I gave to many people, before this, before two months ago, I was a businessman. I give to everybody. When they call, I give. And do you know what? When I need something from them two years later, three years later, I call them, they are there for me.” 

As Trump proclaimed, immigration was on the table because his outrageous statements put it there.

And for the most part, the other candidates decided to pay respect to the outlandish figure in their midst. Invited to take on Trump for his fantasies about the Mexican government, Ohio Governor John Kasich demurred:

“Donald Trump’s hitting a nerve in this country. He is. He’s hitting a nerve. People are frustrated, they’re fed up, they don’t think the government’s working for them. People who want to tune him out are making a mistake.” 

Kasich went on: “The point is that we all have solutions…And you’re going to hear from all of us tonight about what our ideas are.”

But that’s where Kasich was wrong. Amid tired bloviating, the debate was virtually devoid of ideas. It will come as no surprise that Republicans want to lower taxes, roll back regulation, shrink government, repeal Obamacare, repeal Dodd-Frank, increase the military budget, build a fence on the border, escalate our presence in conflicts from Iraq to Ukraine, and ban abortions (with Marco Rubio and Scot Walker aghast that they might be accused of allowing an exception for the life of the mother). All promised that this package will somehow produce rapid economic growth, a new American century and nirvana. “I do believe in miracles,” Gov. Kasich said, and so they must.

Senator Ted Cruz, who boldly pledged to speak “truth,” epitomized the bankruptcy in his closing statement. Focusing on what he would do in his first day as president, he pledged to rescind every “unconstitutional executive action” taken by Obama, instruct the Justice Department to stop “persecuting religious liberty,” and start prosecuting Planned Parenthood. Then he would cancel the Iran deal and “finally move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.”

Now there’s an agenda that will kick-start growth and help rebuild the middle class in America.

In contrast, Trump chose instead to end big:

“Our country is in serious trouble. We don’t win anymore. We don’t beat China in trade. We don’t beat Japan, with their millions and millions of cars coming into this country, in trade. We can’t beat Mexico, at the border or in trade. We can’t do anything right. Our military has to be strengthened. Our vets have to be taken care of.  We have to end Obamacare, and we have to make our country great again, and I will do that.” 

Jeb Bush denied earlier reports that he had called Trump a clown, a buffoon and an @hole. (“He is a true gentlemen,” Trump responded). The disavowal notwithstanding, Bush’s original description fits. But compared to homogenous patter of the rest of this gaggle of candidates, Trump’s bluster and outlandishness provide, at the very least, comic relief.

COMMENTS:

Sergio E. Vargas ·

Preparatoria 6 UNAM Mexico, D.F.

What debate! Last night FOX viewers witnessed the inquisition of Donald Trump careful orchestrated by the establishment republican bosses, while the moderators pitched “softballs” previously approved by Reince Priebus to the likes of Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, and Ted Cruz…this was not a debate, this was a question and answer forum designed to help the “darlings” favors of the GOP establishment…!

Like · Reply · 12 · 6 hrs

Cécile Stelzer-johnson ·

La Sorbonne Paris, France.

Well observed, Sergio. Vives en el Distrito federal de Mexico? What do you guys think of Americans for putting up such a clown car for the Presidency?

Like · Reply · 8 · 5 hrs

Le Hunt

Cécile Stelzer-johnson It truly is astounding that people of such low caliber, the repub candidates, can be so conceited that any of them consider themselves worthy of becoming president.

Like · Reply · 6 · 5 hrs

Faiey Coyle ·

Works at Retired

Le Hunt unbelievable and SCARY, right?

Like · Reply · 2 · 5 hrs

Show 3 more replies in this thread

Mike McDaniel

The Repubs say they want to "shrink the government" but then they say they want to "increase the military budget". It looks like they don't understand that the military is part of the government. If the military budget were cut in half, that would really "shrink the government".

They want the government to stay out of our lives, in other words, to do less. As much as I paid in taxes last year, I want the government to do more ... I want to get my money's worth.

Like · Reply · 7 · 5 hrs

Bea Burk M

The military is 55% privatized and becoming more so with time. The only money to be made by a privatized military is when we are at war. Chuck Shumer trying to destroy the Iran deal is showing his true allegience, which is to his Jewish heritage and Israel, and should be removed from office since voting against the president is voting for war with Iran and it will not be shock and awe, just shock and stupidity.

Like · Reply · 5 · 4 hrs

Rick Frigo

Bea Burk M
You make a good point, and there is some thing I would like to add read War is a RACKET it is on the internet. the author was a retired Marine Corp Gen with 2 Congressional Medals of Honor
Oh, and the author was a republican to

Like · Reply · 2 · 3 hrs

Chris Patton ·

Berwyn, Pennsylvania

Rick Frigo That was Major General Smedley Darlington Butler (Major General was the highest rank authorized in the USMC at that time). He was from West Chester, Pennsylvania. Butler is the only person to have been awarded the Marine Corps Brevet Medal and the Congressional Medal of Honor twice, all for separate actions. Butler wrote War Is A Racket in 1935 and he died of cancer in June 1940 at the age of 58.

Like · Reply · 10 mins

Colleen Erin McGuigan

empty suits

Like · Reply · 7 · 6 hrs

Le Hunt

That's rather flattering.

Like · Reply · 1 · 5 hrs

Faiey Coyle ·

Works at Retired

love empty suits comment. Empty suits match their empty heads.

Like · Reply · 2 · 5 hrs

Bea Burk M

No, a real threat to this country with crazies like Cruz calling his own house speaker a liar -- which he is, but this kind of childish prank is frightening in it's out of control craziness. The tea party has gained the numbers to bring down the government. Most people who thought they were such a good idea are now the brunt of their ideological destruction. "Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." MLK

Like · Reply · 3 · 4 hrs

Bea Burk M

More speifically, Fox Spews. How can they coach, insult, coerce and encourage lying lillies and call themselves "fair and balanced." Trump is pretty misinformed but the others should know better, especially former President Bush's brother, who spewed misinformation and downright lies without even blinking as liars sometimes do, especially since he has named about everyone of his brother's advisors to his campaign and will do the same if he is elected president. Problem is no rebuttal by democrats who should have been taking notes and demanding equal time to correct the misinformation that rained down on us like the great Biblical flood. The corporate owned media has pretty much cut the democratic party out of any social discourse and they had better find a way to correct it or we go into 2017 with what appears to be the horror of self-righteous ignorance with an unlimited bank account.

Like · Reply · 4 · 4 hrs

Steven Barrison ·

Managing Partner at The Barrisons Law Firm

correct.

Like · Reply · 1 · 2 hrs

Darlene Sutter ·

Northeastern High

It all seemed too rehearsed. After falling asleep a couple of time I went to bed. How can you have a debate with ten people? A true debate with ten people would be a brawl and I really didn't see any challenging going on.

Like · Reply · 3 · 5 hrs

Rick Frigo

Good point.
One thing that I noticed last night watching the "DEBATE" is that the alledged governor of WI SNOTTY WALKER, who has higer levels in the various poles didn't get much spotlight time. In reality that is not good when it comes to winning an election, but I wounder what the KOCH BROS are thinking because they are the ones that decide how far SNOTTY will go. After all they payed for SNOTTY to be their BITCH.