Bill Day / Cagle Cartoons
Making Sense by Michael Reagan
I didn’t watch CNN’s telecast of the Republican debate because I was there in person.
For some reason — maybe it was my last name — I was able to score three second-row seats at the Reagan Library for the two debates.
More than 20 million people around the world tuned in, apparently making the three-hour debate CNN’s highest rated show ever.
It was a long night of politics and entertainment. I just hope my fellow conservative Republicans watching on TV saw the same political reality show I did — and learned some lessons.
It’s pretty clear to everyone from Joe Scarborough to the New York Times editorial board that the three big winners Wednesday night were Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio.
All three shined on stage when it came to substance, but Fiorina made herself a national household name overnight.
She was smart, tough, passionate and quick on her feet, proving why she deserves to be on the main stage. She had several big “moments†and demonstrated a phenomenal grasp of the issues.
Christie did well, connecting with voters, hitting several questions out of the park and reminding us why he was once a favorite in the 2016 race.
Rubio still looks like he’s in grad school, but he showed he’s done his foreign policy homework and knows what makes America great.
Meanwhile, the good doctor Ben Carson was a clear loser.
He offered virtually no specifics, had no “moments†and showed that while he’s a nice guy and a great surgeon, the presidency is out of his league.
The biggest loser of the night was Trump, who was as awful in person as he reportedly appeared on millions of split-screen TVs.
He made crazy faces, offended people, refused to apologize when he should have, spoke in his usual platitudes and never said a substantive sentence.
I heard more than a few groans and complaints from the Republicans sitting behind me.
Most of the other candidates — the governors and others who were not there because of their celebrity — did OK. They didn’t hurt themselves but they didn’t stand out, either.
Jeb Bush did better than last time, which isn’t saying much, but he’s in for the long haul. He’ll do better when there are fewer candidates left and the debates turn more serious.
Scott Walker did better too, though he seemed to disappear sometime late in hour two. Last time I remember seeing him, he was staring at fiery Fiorina and nodding in agreement like a bobblehead.
Ted Cruz was correct on all the issues, but he’s not as likable as Rubio, whose only flaw is he still looks like he’s in grad school.
Mike Huckabee got in a lick or two, but he’s still beating the drum for his Fair Tax, which everyone except him knows will never go anywhere.
Rand Paul was there, I think. So was Gov. John Kasich. Kasich was Kasich — solid and substantive.
He’s a winner who knows how to govern Ohio sensibly, but he probably should have been included in the preliminary debate with Rick Santorum, George Pataki, Bobby Jindal and Lindsey Graham.
The opening debate, which Graham stole with his humor and GOP team spirit, was better in some ways because without the 2,000-pound celebrity in the room it was all substance.
I’m concerned about Trump for a lot of reasons. Yet for all the trouble he’s causing the GOP, his celebrity presence is actually doing real conservatives a great favor.
He’s already brought tens of millions of new eyeballs to the debate broadcasts that otherwise would never have been made aware of the existence of candidates like Fiorina or Kasich.
I just hope those millions of viewers saw what I saw at the Reagan Library — that Emperor Trump had no clothes on and most of the other real Republican candidates were well dressed.
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Fans of Trump are what is known as the “protest vote.” Seen’em before. Sarah Palin, Herman Cain, now the Donald. These people…they hate everybody. They hate everything actually. They sit. They get angry. Believe Obama is a Muslim. They holler. They catcall. Spend their life on the losers bench. Come up with idiot terms like “owebama.”
But one thing they do well? They lose. They love that losers bench.
You never have to actually do anything over there. Just sit and catcall.
“Coffee is bad today. What? Where? Hey! Hey buddy! Why don’t you call on your owebamaphone? Hee, hee…”
Congratulations, Don. You have just displayed, for all to see, the colossal lack of intelligence and ability to ignore facts and history while dutifully parroting dem propaganda, a trait possessed by most dem voters. Well done. You should be proud.
Commonsense. That’s not a denial of anything I wrote there. I noticed that.
Don,
Why should he even acknowledge your poor attempt at “painting the canvas of Trump supporters with a wide brush. You and the other leftist are so creative when you take one or two people out of a group and use them to characterize the whole group. I guess it makes you feel so important to do so. Please return to your smarmy leftist over exaggerations and have a bad of rainbow doritos. It will make you feel like you have a conscience.
Because if I am wrong….it should be pointed out HOW I am wrong. Based on your “bold” dismissal BRANDON M, it should be easy. You sure make it sound so easy. If it’s so easy, then why don’t you do it?
I will restate my point:
Brandon M, you wrote NO denial of anything I wrote here. I noticed that.
(I am the voice of reason in the GOP, Jeb Bush, or Chris Christie, for President. I noticed YOU think that’s “leftist.” Pretty hilarious. You’re making my point in fact.)
Don. Notice this. If you ever manage to write something intelligible ( the gibberish you opened with does not qualify) I’ll respond to your words.
In the meantime, since you know so much about Republicans, Palin, Cain, and Trump, It would be mildly interesting to hear how much you know about the life and times of one Barack Hussein Obama.
Obama won over 50% of the US popular vote two times…and he won the US Presidential election – two times. How’s that?
…but let’s be clear Commonsense, you are NOT answering, because you have no answer. If it is so damn simple that it isn’t worth you even trying to say….then you would SAY HOW I am wrong. You can’t, because you, well, you can’t.
Michael Reagan says Rubio’s only problem is his youthful looks. Wrong. Rubio’s problem is he was the biggest factor in getting Obama’s amnesty for illegal aliens passed in the Senate.
Chalk one up who is out because the Trump campaign forced him to talk like a rabid dog – in order to win the GOP primary race – that means say dumb crap in order to appeal to the toothless, redneck savages who dominate the basement of the Republican Party (and who love Trump):
Scott Walker. Midwest Governor of Wisconsin. OUT OF THE RACE.
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