Thursday’s GOP Debate: Trump on Trial, Voters Are the Jury
After a myriad of seemingly identical Republican primary debates, this one had heated accusations (generally not coming from Trump, surprisingly) and constant banter. It is ironic that this debate with this set of particular candidates is held in the second most diverse university in the nation. Did the candidates adjust their hard hitting positions and slightly ignorant viewpoints on diversity to fit the audience’s preferences? Do the moments ravaged with childish arguments entice or repel supporters? Let’s find out.
Trump on the Defensive
For one of the first times in this campaign cycle, Trump more often dodged attacks than delivered them. Thinking strategically for the first time in the debates, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz stopped focusing on each other long enough to turn toward the person who is actually beating both of them and at this point favored to win the Republican nomination: Donald Trump.
The two candidates aimed to express how Trump’s conservatism was only founded after becoming a candidate, although both used different strategies to prove this point. Rubio effectively provided a list of Trump’s anti-Conservative transgressions. For example, he reminded the audience of instances where Donald Trump stated he supported Planned Parenthood, insinuating that this opinion would protect the governmental funds that were provided to them. Rubio also accused Trump of hiring undocumented workers on construction projects. Meanwhile, Cruz drew upon Trump’s past as host of Celebrity Apprentice as a point of critique.
Almost each of Rubio’s attacks on Trump made good sense. All were entirely fair. But as they piled up higher than even the most extensive, Trump-endorsed border wall would ever reach. And the flip side of Rubio’s and Cruz’s assertiveness was desperation. Rubio changed the character he’s presented to the world so far: the candidate of optimism, uplift, positivity. The attacks from Cruz and Rubio were so numerous that it left many viewers jaded. They certainly got their point across, but at the cost of compromising the quality of their discourse on actual issues pertinent to citizens.
When questioned about Obamacare, little more than a few words were mentioned about how they would reform the individual mandate, thus radically overhauling the system. They all stood behind conservative viewpoints, but they said little to describe how they would change things. Unfortunately, the behavior they displayed is more or less complicit with the way GOP candidates have been acting during debates in recent years, and the voters are catching onto the madness.
Audience Reactions
Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace held nothing back in vilifying the behavior of the candidates Thursday night:
O’Reilly: Now in the debate last night there was a lot of raucous behavior, a cacophony. Did it mean anything?
Wallace: Let me just say, big picture, I thought it was an embarrassment for the Republican party. There were a lot of shots taken a lot of shots scored, but there was precious little vision and almost no discussion of the issues. What are you going to do, how are you going to improve people’s lives?
And if you saw someone acting presidentially on that stage, you got better eyesight, Bill, than I do.
Even though Trump spent most of the debate on the defensive, polls have been showing that he dominated the debate. His demeanor was calm, confident, and stoic enough to let everyone know he is not easily shaken, like we’ve seen Rubio become.
While Rubio and Cruz both had excellent points, they simply came off antagonistic and desperate. The debate was the last chance for frontrunner Donald Trump’s rivals to challenge him in front of a national audience before next week’s Super Tuesday primaries, and they spent their time in the spotlight too focused on tearing down Trump. This tactic seemed to betray them, however. Trump’s performance on Thursday night reflects Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobe’s final words before being slayed by Darth Vader: “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” It is as if Trump’s strength is being seen by more and more people as almost a mystic-like quality.
How can someone so bold and detached from politics be so successful at this point in the race? Rubio and Cruz represented the establishment candidates trying to pull old school political tricks to diverge audience attention from the real issues. Now, Donald Trump does the same thing in all fairness, but his disconnection from politics gives his fiery attitude of discontent credibility.
Oh yeah, and Ben Carson actually asked to be attacked so he could have speaking time. Kasich and Carson did a fine job presenting their viewpoints but their final talking time was so low it should have been illegal.
