The first Republican debate ended with no clear winner emerging. Sure, there were plenty of gotcha questions, but Donald Trump didn’t answer any questions in detail, except the one explaining his support for Democrats in the past. His followers will latch onto his bombastic, red meat, xenophobic rhetoric, missing that Trump personifies exactly what these supporters hate about Washington. He eloquently described buying politicians and peddling influence. He represents the worst part of big money greasing palms in DC. I would have asked him why he wanted Hillary Clinton at his wedding, since he said his big donations compelled her to attend.
Nothing Trump said demonstrated he studied the issues and did some research prior to this debate. His performance reminded me of Sarah Palin, who reveled in throwing out the same sort of red meat rhetoric, devoid of any substantive details. If he doesn’t bother to read up on and research the complex issues facing America for this debate, one can only wonder how he would handle them as President. It speaks to a narcissism that echoes the current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, another “I am the greatest” ego.
The other non-politician on the stage, Ben Carson, displays a genuine humility and seriousness. He talked about studying issues, while Trump acts like the details are beneath him. Interestingly, Carly Fiorina, another non-politician, shone in the earlier debate, specifically because she does her homework. Trump has lots of money, as he reminds us in every other breath, so why didn’t he hire top-notch coaches to prepare for this debate? I suspect the answer is he thinks his money will buy him the Presidency, after all that is how he understands the American political system. Sadly, so many conservatives are so angry at the state of our country and fed-up with Washington and the GOP establishment that they hunger for the red meat he’s offering. In reality, all he really has to offer is bologna.
libertybelle diaries 
Perhaps it was only me but, I seemed to notice a number of the participants had “evolved” fairly recently.
I’d have to pull the transcript up again – something Rubio said caught my attention speaking about Hillary [paraphrasing] “She can’t know my experience ‘living paycheck to paycheck’ – four years ago I owed over $100,000 in student loans and I [Rubio] paid ’em off in the last four years.”
Maybe getting elected to the US Senate (base – base pay $174,000, a book advance of $800,000) had something to do with it – I of course cannot say.
I’ve never been in the position to, as The Donald said,
“I used the rules.”
Rules – maybe being operative where Washington DC is concerned.
But. I wouldn’t know.
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One thing I *sort of* admired The Donald did that’d probably done Sun Tzu proud – and we “the great unwashed masses” are always going on about the bias in the MSM .. giving FOX a pass (pretty much) pull up a Wiki on FOX and see if the name Rupert Murdoch merits a mention … as if FOX isn’t gives me the giggles from time to time.
Just my opinion but the last thing The Donald wants to be is The President, and that strategy was on full display last night – but his tactics suggest he’s got something else in mind … and for what it’s worth my opinion is, he’s got the Clinton’s just as much in his crosshairs as he has the RINO Establishment.
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The Donald is probably gonna pay a hefty price for this flirtation. Hopefully for his sake he’s got as much socked away in the Caymans as the Clinton and the Bush dynasties do.
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And look – we’re a long way out from actually having to choose somebody
isn’t this a lot more fun than The Adventures Of Caitlyn Jenner and the Kardashians?
(Besides. It looked to me Megyn Kelly was enjoying the heck out of herself. Imagine how much fun it could possibly be following Bill O’Rielly on the same channel.)
Yes JK, many of the Republicans evolved on various issues too (video clips sure to follow as their opponents’ teams start digging), but none did a more extreme makeover than The Donald. Why did he want Hillary Clinton at his wedding, I wonder?
Well.
If I ever get married again LB, I’d kinda like (even though I’m not and, you’d say “Heck I never met you” you’d say something like,
“Fcuh KJ, Me at your wedding an’ “you espect me to shut up when whatever?”
What if he gives Obama away? Not to me but say the Kurds?
This I will not in any way say is “Scientific” but, I think it says *something*
http://www.drudgereport.com/now.htm
The Trump supporters (perhaps I’ll start calling them Trumpies) remind of the Sarah Palin fan club, of which many conservative pundits smoked what she was passing around, so to speak. They became like a cult and circled around her like she was the second coming for the GOP, if her detractors would only let her save the party.
She offered very little, except for snarky one-liners, playing a thin-skinned victim and whining about how she wasn’t being treated fairly. Like Trump, she rode the progressive bandwagon to reality TV fame, but whenever anyone dared question her on any topic other than energy policy, she sounded clueless and uninformed. Trump knows about business, but he throws out sound bites, not a thoughtful analysis or policy prescription for the complex problems that need to be fixed to, as he has posited, “Make America great again”.
The conservative base of the GOP keeps looking for a “savior” as President and holy moly, here’s The Donald, shouting that he’s the only one who can fix America….. There are plenty of angry conservatives ready to follow and if history is any indication, just like the faithful Palin supporters, Trump will maintain a strong cult following. He offered nothing in this debate that I could see – and as he says, his credentials are he’s very rich, he knows how to buy politicians and he’s the only one who can fix America’s problems.
I’ll remain a non-believer in “The Donald”
I think LB, the “base”
“only Believes in the
One Savior.”
*The Donald*?
he ain’t it … but really LB, it’s a dissatisfaction here nobody else (the Establishments *Beholden* to K Street “most of us” don’t have a clue about. Read the transcript – Did Governor Christie “attack” the Businessmen of Atlantic City or, … did Governor Christie choose to; really now think about what Federal Prosecutors, Eric Holder, Janet Lynch … Chris Cristie are choosing … heck I can see somebody disagreeing with them getting held in a “nuthouse” (custody to be nice)
I don’t think Donald Trump would do that.
I’m figuring actually The Donald the Establishment Parties will Bi-Partisanly agree needs be .. will be ..Locked Down.
You just watch.
The Washington DC Establishment will Never Allow a The Donald.
Po po tweet. Good evening Mister Rosewater.
Liberty, I was totally shocked by Trump’s response to Megyn’s question about his attitude to women. Not the actual answer he gave, although he could have done himself a lot of good if he had simply said something along the line of, “Megyn, thanks for asking me a question that allows me to make it clear that,” and then he could have said something about how much his daughter and other women have meant in his life, and the capabilities of those who have been on his Apprentice show, etc. No, instead, he insults Megyn, makes a silly threat about a future antagonistic relationship—thus showing clearly that he has an incredibly weak ego, one that can be bruised by a simple question—and he keeps it up today, with at least one comment I heard him say today that was gutter-talk, thus increasing his image as a petty misogynist. If he can be that upset by a simple question—of any kind—what makes him think that America’s enemies won’t see how easy it is to maneuver him into acting like a teenage girl being snubbed by a popular clique at school?
I was shocked at how little control he has over his ego, and how easily he can become childish. I honestly thought he had more grit.
No man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character.” – John, Viscount Morley
Minta, A lot of people are mistaking his statements on illegal immigration and Washington being broken as a refreshing candidness and I’ve heard comments to the effect that he is bold, courageous and willing to fight to “make America great again”.
I judge character and that surfaces with how people interact with each other and on a stage with 9 other people who are vying for the same job that he wants. well, he comes across as a rude, self-important, misogynistic, thin-skinned jerk. He presents himself as the “ONLY” person who can fix what is wrong with America and do this job”. That attitude speaks to a narcissism as poisonous as the current person doing that job. We need a President who can effectively work WITH all people, inspire people, but most importantly we need someone who has rock solid principles, who won’t waffle in adversity. He can’t even stand up to tough questioning without losing his temper. And on top of that he acts vindictive and petty too.
Trump’s supporters keep attacking FOX news, making him the victim of a conspiracy to do him in rather than admitting he doesn’t have a command of the issues, didn’t bother to prepare for his “job interview”, and he’s someone used to flashing cash to get what he wants and more importantly get away with things mere mortals end up being held accountable for. Of course, the GOP establishment doesn’t want him as the candidate and of course, many in the media will sabotage him too, but he didn’t even bother to prepare for this debate and that speaks volumes. So either he thought he knew it all already or he thought he could shout down any who challenged him.
And for me, while that photo of the Clintons with him at his wedding, albeit a deliberate attempt to damage him politically, speaks to the heart of my issue with him – he is a New York liberal, used to hobnobbing with the mega-rich. I don’t believe his late-life conservative epiphany on politics is genuine and even if it is – his entire life experience is acting like a liberal. He is more like Hillary Clinton politically than he is like me, to include using money and power to do whatever he wants – he bragged about buying politicians and Hillary coming to his wedding , because he donated huge amounts of money to the Clintons.
Exactly! That’s what shocked me—he didn’t bother to prepare for the probability he’d be asked questions that deal with his past, when that would have been easy to do, nor was he determined to turn his pettiness off because of the goal. I can’t believe how quickly he showed his weakness in this. It’s not that I think highly of him; it’s that I was surprised he was so very easily rattled.
(I think Trump saw how close the U.S. is to disaster and he reacted to it with the idea that he could prevent it the same way he would acquire a business and turn it around. It’s not necessarily a matter of politics or ideology to him, it just happens that the sort of things he sees needing to be done are those that Conservatives do well, so that’s the path he has taken now.)
Personally, I especially like Fiorina, Cruz, Rubio, Carson, and Jindal, and I like Perry, but it’s way too early to attach my loyalty. Character definitely matters.
My list is almost identical to yours, Minta, except Perry hasn’t impressed me at all and that goes to before the debate – in interviews, where he could showcase himself easier. I know he was a successful governor, but he doesn’t articulate his knowledge or experience very well. Carly Fiorina impressed me long before the debate, because she comes to each interview prepared and knowledgeable about important issues and beyond that she has some policy ideas to address problems too. I would like to know more details about her charity programs in recent years. Likewise, I’m still undecided.
The Virginia Republican, who unexpectedly ousted then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a June primary, named Erin Siefring, a lobbyist with Heritage Action for America, as his chief of staff. Siefring previously worked as a lobbyist for the accounting firm KPMG and the Independent Community Bankers of America.
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