Saturday Night’s GOP Debate

Opinion
City of Hiawassee

Opinion by George McClellan

 
Let’s hope the GOP debates are finally over. I can’t go through another one of those debates. The Greenville, SC event was a tawdry spectacle eliciting nothing new except to illuminate what a bunch of idiots we have running for office. I sincerely excuse Dr. Ben Carson who is always a gentleman and demonstrated it yet once again; And, as much as I hate to say it, John Kasich, who is from Ohio, managed to retain some sort of dignity, and he is excused as well.

Hot Air, a political internet newsletter, even has a stupid poll based on the noise level of moans, groans, cheers and jeers from the audience and, seriously reported audience reaction as an important polling device. What kind of data collection is that? Are we really supposed to gauge our choices on noise from a packed WWF style audience? Give me a break!

What the heck got into Jeb Bush? Watching Jeb spittle and drool while trying to think up the next awful word to say about Trump, who was already ten steps ahead of him, was a pathetic display of desperation coupled with incompetence, driven by fear. Jeb should have quit the race long before now. His lame attacks on Trump, with his offended schoolboy face, lacked the killer instinct that Trump possesses. He flounders around in panic wondering why all his PAC money can’t buy him the nomination because he’s a Bush. He deserves it, doesn’t he?

For awhile, I believed the audience must have thought they were at a wrestling arena until they realized the show got better than fake falls by grunt and groan artists. This was a real blood letting, and for what purpose? The enemy is Hillary Clinton and the Democrat Party. That’s where these candidates should have been pointing their barbs. Nothing new can be said about Trump, Bush, Rubio, or Cruz that we haven’t already heard. Yelling about it at this late stage, and egged on by a CBS monitor, only diminishes the yeller. Jeb, go home. Panic doesn’t fit you!

So, if we are to judge by the noise, contrary to Hot Air’s assessment, then Ted Cruz came out dusted, maybe bruised, but certainly ahead. Trump allowed himself to be baited into revealing unnecessary retorts of pique when he could have simply stood there, waved his hand nonchalantly like he does and say nothing. He would have been a winner for sure but now, everyone sees he has a thin skin that can be pricked. Sad.

Listening to master Rubio is also becoming boring. I must admit that Chris Christi was probably right. Rubio’s polished sound bites delivered with his schoolboy enthusiasm never varies. He say’s exactly the same words over and over again. Marco needs a term or even two as Florida’s governor before trying to run for President again. Enough said!

I gave Kasich a pass in the first paragraph because, except for polite applause, the audience reaction was about nil, neither good or bad and certainly he garnered no jeers. His message has remained the same, about how good he has been as a money manager. Maybe that might stick once the base gets really tired of this yelling nonsense. Time will tell.

For Trump, the audience was packed with hostel Indians and he attacked them straight away. Oops! He allowed himself to get snookered when he didn’t need to. Not a good show for him but he lost nothing by it. Basically it’s a waste of time for Trump to even be there because he’s already captured the conservative base. Nobody cares what Bush thinks about him and the sooner he realizes that the better. Isn’t this fun?

Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Now, go get ‘em! (14 Feb 2016)

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