Why watch the replay? Here are your #CNNDebate crib notes.

By Scott St. Clair | The Save Jersey Blog

Last night’s CNN version of the Republican presidential debate was reminiscent of an Oscars telecast in length and self-aggrandizing speeches. At over three hours long, all 11 of the candidates participating deserve credit for staying upright without a shout of “Potty break, if you please” from any of them, although I did catch a glimpse of Gov. Chris Christie leaning on his podium once. But I’d lean too under the circumstances, so no harm, no foul.

Held at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif., and conducted with former President Reagan’s version of Air Force One as the backdrop, the setting was perfect. In fact, it was so perfect that, in their introductions, many of the candidates sought to bask in his glory and claim his mantle. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, however, in what perhaps foreshadowed his more or less lackluster debate performance bragged like a little kid in how he had ridden in it: “I actually flew in that plane!” And I went to Disneyland in 1957. Not a good start for him.

The one and only mention to be made of the warm up card Happy Hour debate among the also-rans is that South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who is really running to become secretary of defense in a Republican administration – he doesn’t care whose – won it hands down.

CNN’s Jake Tapper ran a reasonable debate and kept it moving from candidate to candidate doing what he could to bring each candidate in whenever his or her name was mentioned or an issue was under discussion with which the candidate is associated. The whole show was lively, feisty and entertaining, especially since I could pause the broadcast to either refresh my drink or take my own potty break, if you please.

Unlike the first debate on Fox News, which was an “I’d Like to Get to Know You, Yes I Would,” moment, there were no questions from  anyone’s deep, dark past except when it came to former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina’s track record at the company. Since this was her first mix-it-up with the A Team, however, that’s to be expected. She handled sharp questions about the company’s firing of 30,000 workers and its financial results with the practiced and unapologetic aplomb we’ve come to expect of her.

trump fiorina gop debateIn fact, on my impromptu scorecards (a yellow legal pad and my Twitter feed), I gave her the victory on points – there were no knockouts for or against anyone. The lady has what theater people call “chops” – she can handle the role, she can steal the show when necessary and she refused to be upstaged by even frontrunner and New York real estate (And human refrigerator) magnate, Donald Trump against whom she validated the wisdom of the old saw that “Brevity is the soul of wit” when she left him speechless after he took shots at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for walking back comments he’d made on funding women’s healthcare.

Fiorina, in a deadpan way, retorted, “You know it’s interesting to me, Mr. Trump said that he heard Mr. Bush very clearly in what Mr. Bush said, I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.”

The 400-500 people in the crowd went wild with approval.  A better locker-room smack down you won’t find, even in the NFL.

Fiorina continued to stoke the audience by unequivocally condemning federally-funded abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, based upon recent undercover videos that allegedly show organization officials selling fetal body parts. She insisted that PP be defunded even if it meant going to the precipice of a government shutdown to do it.

Leaving no room for doubt she said, “If we will not stand up and force President Obama to veto this bill, shame on us,” the crowd, according to the Associated Press, gave her “the first standing ovation of (the) night.”

On immigration she said that President Obama and Democrats aren’t interested in a solution, only a continual problem to be milked for political advantage. When Trump tried to coattail her with me-too remarks that included a rambling, confusing and often contradictory diatribe against birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment, Fiorina threw down a serious reality check by reminding him that, even as president, he couldn’t wave his hands and make it go away. Chops, chops, chops.

Speaking of The Donald, he was more of a GOP team player this time around. He gave some, but he got some, too. Whether this kinder, gentler Donald Trump will play well with his fans who, if you read what a lot of them write on Facebook, believe they’re on a mission from God to cleanse the evil political elite in a “No Prisoners!” sort of way, remains to be seen.

Still, he did have a disgrace during the debate when he intimated that maybe there sortakindalike could be a link between vaccines and autism, a notion so thoroughly debunked and discredited that only crackpots, unreconstructed hippies, conspiracy theorists and room-temperature IQ intellectuals believe it.

Disappointingly, retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson came close to joining Trump on the vaccine issue with his wishy-washy response on their efficacy and necessity. I expected better of him.

gop debateOn other issues, however, Carson held his own, showing a strong grasp of foreign policy and military matters. Impressive was his finessing of his tithe-based tax plan into a real-world economic policy proposal. And the way he revealed more of his personal story showing how deep the hole was from which he started his life solidified his cred as an achiever.

In what had to be poll-tested and scripted moments, other candidates bided their time in order to take a unique shot at Trump. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he didn’t trust Trump’s finger on the nuclear trigger – his temperament is untrustworthy, Paul said.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker went after Trump on the numerous bankruptcies his casino enterprises have gone through contending that such a mismanagement show Trump’s unsuitability to manage the nation’s financial affairs.

Bush claimed Trump used his considerable personal wealth to buy influence, citing his attempt to expand casino gambling in Florida during Bush’s tenure as governor and his willingness to, in so many words, suck up to Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton in order to curry favor. He also went after Trump for personal attacks he claimed the billionaire made against his Mexican-born wife. For a half-second I wondered if a punch would get thrown.

When Trump went after former President George W. Bush and his decision to invade Iraq, which, he contended, resulted in the Obama primacy, you could see Jeb Bush and pretty much every other candidate bristle. It was maybe the best example of the last-debate Trump, and the air of “cheap shot” permeated in the dead silence until Bush the younger coldly and deliberately reminded Trump, “You know what, as it relates to my brother, he kept us safe.”

As you would expect from a Republican crowd that still respects and holds the former president in high regard, Jeb Bush’s push back drew a resounding approval.

Christie landed a one-two combination against Trump and Fiorina during an exchange between the two on who had the best business resume. Our governor shifted the focus from how well they’ve done personally to how badly the American middle class has done under President Obama.

Claiming they’re getting “plowed under by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton,” he demanded the conversation focus on getting things right for the people. That was a memorable exchange.

Lurking in the shadows as the likes of him are wont to do, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, my nominee for this election cycle’s rabid dog award, was, as expected, all about Ted Cruz. If a flag could be tossed for unnecessary boorishness, he’d lead the league in penalties.

christie gop debateWhen he ripped into Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and his votes on Obamacare cases, Bush kept reminding him that he supported Roberts when he was up for confirmation before the Senate. Cruz went lame in contending, in so many words, that he was tricked into supporting Roberts whose record, he claimed, was too thin. You got the feeling that a President Cruz would only be satisfied in nominating Ted Cruz to become Justice Cruz on a court where everyone’s last name was Cruz.

The guy is becoming increasingly irritating.

Kasich had a couple of breakout moments in the first debate, but not this time. For the most part, he was blocked in with Paul, Walker, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in what can only be described as the “Also Ran Gang.”  No chance to seize a moment or two where they could showcase their own candidacy with one hand while fending off the rest of the candidates with the other.

Kasich’s best line was at the end in his closing remarks where he distinguished himself from those he claimed want to run America from the top down, while he wants to run it from the bottom up – focus on the people, not the politicians.

Walker took shots from Trump about the health of Wisconsin’s economy, but defended his record and his appeal to voters.

Rubio tried too hard to say too much too fast such that I tweeted, “Debaters who talk too fast, Marco Rubio, lose listeners.” He sounded anxious and a tad unsure if he would get enough opportunities to talk, so he took what he had and tried to jam too much into them. Too fast, too much, voice pitched up a notch or two – a reversion back to high school debate.

Yet when the discussion came around to foreign policy, the Iran nuclear deal, contending with ISIS and the Middle East in general, Rubio found himself and forced Trump to acknowledge his own weak knowledge base on the subject.

If somebody had to get voted off the island, it would be Huckabee. Sorry, Mike, but there has to be a loser, so might as well be you. You didn’t tell us why it shouldn’t be you, so thanks for playing and better luck next time.

The winner: Fiorina. Chinny-chin-chin survivors: Kasich, Paul, Rubio and Walker. Satisfied-his-donors award: Bush. Broke from the pack by a hair: Christie. Mr. Congeniality: Carson. Still the Big Kahuna, but showed vulnerability: Trump. The Mr. Polecat award: Cruz. And parting gifts that he can share with Kim Davis for Mike Huckabee.

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Scott St Clair
About Scott St Clair 127 Articles
SCOTT ST. CLAIR: Earning a J.D. from the University of Puget Sound in 1975, Scott is a communications professional who has worked as a freelance journalist/writer as well as a political operative.

1 Comment

  1. Last night wasn’t a debate… and I blame CNN for the “questions” brought.. all the moderator did was to “goad” the candidates into a playground free-for-all… nothing of substance can come of the type of questions put forth… the winner of last nights debate was the moderator because his child like questions only fueled the fray.. and pitted the children against each other.. who won the debate itself?

    The several who were smart enough to be quietest of all the candidates and didn’t take the bait……

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