FIORINA AND TRUMP FACE OFF
Wednesday’s debate was Carly Fiorina’s first opportunity to confront Donald Trump face-to-face about … her face. Leading up to the debate, much had been made about aninterview in Rolling Stone magazine in which Trump said of Fiorina: “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?” He later amended his remarks on Fox News, saying “I’m talking about persona. I’m not talking about looks.”
Asked by moderator Jake Tapper what she thought of Trump’s comments, Fiorina said simply, “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.” The crowd went wild, and Trump offered a contrite response: “I think she’s got a beautiful face, and I think she’s a beautiful woman.”
Fiorina 1, Trump 0.
REPUBLICANS ARE REALLY MAD AT REPUBLICANS
At several points in the debate, various candidates attacked the Republican Congress for failing to pass conservative legislation or force President Obama to veto it. The center of this battle at the moment is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s contention that he does not have enough Republican votes in the Senate to cut federal funding to Planned Parenthood, despite the release of undercover videos suggesting the group has sold tissue from abortions for profit. (The group denies these allegations.)
Speaking in the early debate, Bobby Jindal said, “Senate Republicans have already given up, even without a fight. I am tired of this surrender caucus, I am angrier at the Republicans in D.C. than I am at the president.”
Chris Christie said this was one of several issues on which Congress should force the president’s hand. “We elected a Republican Congress to do this. And they should be doing it, and they’re not. And they’re giving the president a pass,” he said.
Fiorina agreed. “This is about the character of our nation, and if we will not stand up and force President Obama to veto this bill, shame on us.”
Mike Huckabee blamed Congress as well for not challenging the Supreme Court ruling that gays could legally marry. “The other two branches of government sat by silently — I thought we had three branches of government … If the court can just make a decision and we just all surrender to it, we have what Jefferson said was judicial tyranny.”
THERE ARE APPARENTLY TWO LINDSEY GRAHAMS
During the first presidential debate, the South Carolina senator appeared glum and downcast. On Wednesday he was feisty and funny and dominated the “happy hour debate” for the lower-tier candidates.
On immigration, Graham said, “Strom Thurmond had four kids after he was 67. If you’re not willing to do that, we’d better come up with a new legal immigration system” — a reference to the legendary South Carolina senator who lived past 100.
Urging more bipartisanship, Graham noted that Ronald Reagan drank with Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill. “That’s the first thing I’m going to do as president — we’re going to drink more.”
He said Trump’s foreign policy sounds like it came from the Cartoon Network. “‘Oh, I’m big, I’m strong, we’re going to hit them in the head.’ That’s not foreign policy. That’s a cartoon character.”
America appears to have dug his act, if Google Trends are any indication.
Of course, going into the debate, Graham is basically last in all the national polls (not counting Jim Gilmore, who was too low to even be invited), so Happy Graham may have arrived too late.
GOOGLE LOVES JEB BUSH’S WIFE
While on the subject of Google Trends, there was a dramatic spike of Google activity for Jeb Bush about an hour into the debate.
That was the result of Bush’s defense of his wife, Columba.
Trump had previously said Bush’s immigration policies were shaped by the fact that he married a Mexican woman. Asked about those comments, Bush said, “To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation was completely inappropriate, and I hope you apologize for that, Donald.”
Trump said he would not apologize, but added, “I do hear she’s a lovely woman.”
BEN CARSON WINS THE NICE GUY AWARD
Lots of candidates took shots at Donald Trump — but not Ben Carson. The retired neurosurgeon declined several opportunities to attack Trump and even refused to fault Trump for linking autism to vaccines, which Carson said was not medically accurate. When Trump explained his position, Carson replied, “He’s an OK doctor.”
Trump was clearly feeling chummy with Carson, who, as No. 2 in the polls, had the podium beside The Donald.
When Carson said he, like Trump, had been initially opposed to the war in Iraq, Trump reached over for a handshake.
A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE CAN BE SUBSTANTIVE
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Wednesday’s debate is that it drew out meaningful substantive distinctions between the candidates.
Rand Paul thinks states should have the right to decriminalize marijuana; Christie disagrees. Ted Cruz said he would “shred” the Iran nuclear deal that Republicans in Congress were unable to block; Ohio Gov. John Kasich said he’d wait to see whether it was working. “We are stronger when we work with the Western civilization, our friends in Europe, and just doing it on our own I don’t think is the right policy.”
Trump has campaigned on a message of sealing the border with Mexico and deporting millions of illegal immigrants; Carson offered an alternative suggestion: for those without criminal records, “we should consider allowing them to become guest workers, primarily in the agricultural sphere, because that’s the place where Americans don’t seem to want to work.”
While the two debates were peppered with “zingers” and spats between candidates, they also produced more than three hours of serious conversation and debate over the issues that are top of mind for most voters.
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