August 6, 2015

The GOP debates.

We've watched the second-tier debate. Did you? We liked Carly Fiorina the best. No one else really broke through. That's all I'm going to say for now. Preserving myself for the first-tier characters.

ADDED: This is a lot of debate to slog through! Jeb and Christie seem to be doing well. Trump's angry facial expression is ridiculous, but he yells some good-enough answers. Rand Paul's shouting match with Christie (over search and seizure) was a high point — video here.

AND (finally): How much effect did Donald Trump have? Not a whole lot, in my opinion. He was there, in the middle, and he made strong statements when it was his turn to speak, but the turns to speak were evenly distributed, and almost no one used his time to say anything about or reacting to Trump. Huckabee got off a well-received joke at the very end, seeming to be referring to Trump, as he listed flaws and failures, and then revealing that he was talking about Hillary Clinton.

Who did best, in your opinion?
 
pollcode.com free polls

67 comments:

David Begley said...

Carly was the clear winner.

My take on her appearance in Iowa on July 25, 2015.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/07/live-from-norwalk-its-carly.php

Bay Area Guy said...

Carly did not run a good campaign for Senate in Cal, and was badly beaten.

She is a very successful woman, though. She definitely has a political future at some high level, but not yet President.

Guildofcannonballs said...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordecai

RLB_IV said...


Mrs.Fiorina did very well and should be in the next debate. She got sunk in California but as a Republican she was doomed.

JD said...

Hahahaha, Trump booed right out of the gate.

MaxedOutMama said...

Fiorina did well. She then kicked Chris Matthew's slats in during a post-debate interview. Poor Tingles was trying to assert that Fiorina couldn't debate Hillary Clinton after pointing out the lies.

I still want a governor, although I would roll around in joy if I got to watch Fiorina debate H. Clinton. It would, however, be a guilty pleasure.

She would also fare very well in a debate against Trump.

It was not just her presentation - when she was talking about the ISIS problem, and how to deal with it, I found myself impressed.

Browndog said...

Fox set this up for WWF, and they got it-

Shame.

"hey, let's watch the republicans eat their own"

Republicans: "ok.

Trump: screw all of you!

JD said...

Trump is killing himself onstage! Oh my god too funny.

Browndog said...

As I mentioned here a couple weeks ago, Fox manipulated the polling, by manipulating the exposure, to keep Fiorina off this stage.

She's a threat to Bush.

Browndog said...

Candidates are so pressed for time to say what they want to say, it's sounding like an auction-

Mark said...

Quite possibly the most useless -- counterproductive even -- exercise in politics. Absolutely no aspect of actually doing the job of president -- none -- is reflected in some debate where one must memorize all sorts of useless minutiae, give snap answers to gotcha questions, and think and communicate in 30 second soundbites. In real life, you have things written down, you give thought to things, you think and speak in well-reasoned fashion.

The Bergall said...

Pat Paulson has my vote...........

JD said...

Kasich the only sane sounding candidate up there. What a clown car...er...bus. Trump is crashing and burning.

garage mahal said...

Trump is delivering the goods as I hoped.

Browndog said...

Trump rocking it-

Kasick sounds like a bitch---Jeb's bitch.

Etienne said...

Perry said he was going to do a white-out on Obama.

Sounds racist! (ok, I'm just kidding, take a pill!)

Browndog said...

The most useless, throw away statement any politician has ever said in 40 years-

"I think we need to secure the border".

Feel free to debate it.....forever.

JD said...

Oh wow, the shit is flying now! This is amazing stuff. Republicans are showing what they're made of, good work. Hahahaha!

garage mahal said...

Is Walker even at this debate?

Bay Area Guy said...

I'm enjoying the debate. These men are far superior to Hillary Clinton and the Dems in almost every respect. The barbs between Christie & Paul got a little heated, but 4th Amendment issues, including FISA warrants, are substantive and important. Walker's not getting a lot of airtime though.

rhhardin said...

I'm glad I missed it. I reject the premise.

JD said...

Trump, admitting to quid pro quo!

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

No one ever went broke calling a politician stupid.

garage mahal said...

Tithing? LOL

Drago said...

When are the dem debates again?

JD said...

Republicans are going to lose bigger than ever before if this is what they can offer as far as candidates. Fox is digging their graves and they are jumping in head first.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Drago said...
When are the dem debates again?


I doubt the Dems have it in them to match this level of spectacle. All they can provide is a bunch of sedate senior citizens discussing public policy, politely.



Capitol Report New Mexico said...

The debate tonight was available only on cable. Reince Priebus left out the out real people, the one who can't afford cable. A sham, it was. The usual R exclusivity. Hey, Reince, people who can't afford cable do vote. Suggestion for the stubborn: check out WMUR.com in Manchester, NH.

Brando said...

I'm finding Kasich most likable--Christie looked pretty good too. Paul is making the most sense on civil liberties but comes across too unpresidential.

Browndog said...

Hillary won't so much as give an interview without planted question for at least a year.

Think about that-

Unknown said...

Carly seems the most professional. I wish Carson got more time. I don't think Bush could handle either Cruz or Carly. Was Walker slighted?

Hagar said...

So far, I think I agre; Carly Fiorina is the only one of these people who is ready for prime time.

virgil xenophon said...

Taking every candidate in both debates and one could be blind-folded and randomly pick any one of them, each with his own idiosyncratic political, and one would STILL have a President light-years improved over Obama..

virgil xenophon said...

**idiosyncratic political viewpoints.

Browndog said...

Tomorrow, Hillary will be asked what she thought about the debates, as she spoon feeds retarded children in wheelchairs, and says "they all seem mean. All I care about is these children running free in a field of wild daisy's, knowing they have freedom of choice when it comes to family planning".

David said...

Salon des refusés.

Turned out pretty well for the Impressionists.

traditionalguy said...

Fox News has totally jumped the shark tonight. Murdock's friend BushIII has gotten all sweet softballs asking how much hope he has as another great and sincere compassionate Bush who loves us all so much?

Then Trump has to answer questions on why he is a scummy liar and corrupt bankrupt who defrauded banks, and then also please tell us why are you such a creep?

Walker gets the same treatment as Trump gets.

It is clear that Murdock wants Bush to play the role of the sure loser to Hillary who will then sell Murdock the favors he wants for his own crony capitalism schemes of empire.

Browndog said...

Ben Carson--winner.

Michael said...

Hillary is so fucked.

Anonymous said...

I was participating over on powerlineblog in a live discussion while it was going on and a lot of people had the same observation.

Fox News does not like Trump. Not at all.

But they do like Jeb Bush.

Sprezzatura said...

I like Kasich. But, that's not new. Back in the Clinton days he was impressive. And, like Althouse, I don't like ideologues, which Kasich hasn't been in Ohio.

A few months ago I told my east coast con relatives (who are major R donors) that Kasich was the only R I was sure I'd vote for. Not that I needed it, but tonight reaffirmed my pov.





Unknown said...

Walker was less active than I suspected he would be.

Hagar said...

Somehow I don't think any of these people is going to wind up being the Republican candidate.

But do not rejoice, Garage, I do not think Hillary! will be the Democrat's either.

Original Mike said...

Until Trump says he will not run a third party campaign I'll assume he's a Democrat mole.

Tom said...

I thought Kasich seems the most adult. I agree with Rand far more than any candidate. But his home is in the Senate.

Browndog said...

Carson/Fiorina won the day.

Now, the republicans know who to marginalize, and the libs know who to mock.

Browndog said...

Fox is all about destroying Trump.

Nothing else matters.

cubanbob said...

It looks like Trump decided he really doesn't want to be a real candidate. He knowingly sandbagged himself.

Sprezzatura said...

"Until Trump says he will not run a third party campaign I'll assume he's a Democrat mole."

O Mike, are you mentally challenged? A mole would lie when answering this question.

Stupid is as stupid does.

William said...

I voted for Kasich. I think this poll is the only place where I'll be able to vote for Kasich......The focus group at Fox said that he lost them when he declined to support the winning Republican candidate. Can this be the end of Trump?

Annie said...

My quick assessment. Fiorina and Perry should have been prime time. Kasich and Chrispy Cream, 2nd tier.

My favorites...Walker and Cruz. They did very well. I'm glad to finally see Walker in this setting rather than a blurb here and there. Didn't come off as dull or nerdy, at all. He walks the walk, just like Cruz. They do or try to do what they campaigned to do.

Carson is a good and decent man...but maybe as VP? Though if he were the nominee, I'd have no problem voting for him.

Rubio did well and was passionate.

While Trump has been saying some of the right things and pissing off the right people, he came off as a bit of a sleazeball. Can't trust him or Bush, at this point.

The rest, meh.

Browndog said...

Agreeing with Annie..for the most part.

Michael K said...

Fox did not do this well. They looked like high school kids the first few minutes.

"Carly did not run a good campaign for Senate in Cal, and was badly beaten."

She had a bad consultant and the weird part of her campaign, the "demon sheep," was about Tom Campbell. Boxer was a lock in idiotville. Also known as California.

Cruz and Rubio did well Trump, I think, became Perot II.

Sydney said...

I don't trust Chridtie with our phone records, either.

Sprezzatura said...

"Fiorina and Perry should have been prime time."

Somebody at Fox must agree because Fox showed very supportive video clips of both of them: therefore, they were in the debate. And, their contribution was produced and edited to highlight their best.

Not bad.

Browndog said...

As I said, the better "debate" was at 5:00-

Fox sucks. Not like it's going to get any better with anyone else.

See ya in a year-

rcocean said...

I don't see anybody but Trump beating Bush. And if Trump loses, its hello President Hillary!

Which may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your POV. Basically, if you like the way the USA has gone the last 8 years you should be pretty happy about the debates because it looks like the Status Quo will continue till 2020 at least.

And just wait until Scalia or Thomas retires and President Hillary puts a wise Black women on the SCOTUS. Then it will be the Warren Court on steroids.

rcocean said...

The Republicans are always stuck on stupid. Why was the Black doctor there? Who cares what Gov Kaddish thinks? Why is that failed Southern fried fraud Gov. Huckleberry on the stage? Why would anyone vote for someone pushing for cutting SS benefits? And do we need more debate on who loves Israel more?

And what does Christie have to do to lose Republican support. He's hugged Obama, attacked his fellow Republicans, been involved in several scandals, and in general acted like a RINO for years. Yet, he's still at same level of support as Cruz.

traditionalguy said...

Let me get this straight. Because Trump says if the Party betrays him to rig an award of Bush his family throne, then he will run against the sob's for doing that.

So our reaction should be to betray Trump and award the GOP throne to the Bush gang.

Do you Want to think that reaction through?



Matt said...

Drudge readers have Trump the clear winner. Over here you guys say Rubio. But Bush and Walker both tanked. Who will be the eventual nominee? This us getting interesting.

Bay Area Guy said...

The key is to not overthink these debates. Any GOP candidate is better than every Democrat. Yes, that is historically unusual, but the modern day Democratic Party is rotten to the core. Economically, they will turn the country into Detroit if we let them.

So, whoever can best beat Hillary gets my vote. And, whoever wins the nomination gets my vote and support, even if its Jeb! or Governor Huckleberry.

Last election, you had moderator George Stephanopoulos asking the candidates to raise their hands if they "believed" in evolution. It was a travesty designed to make the entire GOP look like clowns, and in a close election that Romney lost by 4 points, it mattered. Tonight, was a vast improvement, and they mostly acquitted themselves well (in my opinion).

rcocean said...

The problem "Bay Area Guy" is that there a lot of people like me. We're NOT going to vote for some (R) because he's 1 mm to the right of Hillary.

That's why Romney, McCain and Dole lost. If you can't make a case for why you should be elected, people stay home. If you all you got is "I'm not as bad as the other guy" you're a loser.

SteveR said...

@rcocean I've been hearing that since 1988 and while it makes some sense, I also don't think we'd see the solid liberal SCOTUS bloc like we have now, among other things. How has the staying home butt hurt strategy been working?

tim in vermont said...

All they[Democrats] can provide is a bunch of sedate senior citizens discussing public policy, politely. -ARM

With one of them using a pepper shaker every now and then to confuse the blood hounds.

tim in vermont said...

Carly Fiorina set up HP to dominate the server market, a market they still dominate today. Wall Street didn't like it at the time because they have a 90 day horizon so she got fired.

Rusty said...

Browndog said...
Carson/Fiorina won the day.

Now, the republicans know who to marginalize, and the libs know who to mock.


You're running Sanders and Clinton. It's like watching an Constellation auger into the Titanic. It's beyond mockery.

jaydub said...

"Carly did not run a good campaign for Senate in Cal, and was badly beaten."

In 2010 she was still dealing with the aftermath of a double mastectomy and chemotherapy from the year before, which probably affected the campaign execution somewhat. For example, she reportedly had to remove two drain tubes installed in her chest just before one of the debates with Boxer as she couldn't stand up straight with the tubes in. Pretty tough woman if she could deal with those types of issues and run any campaign at all.