So here we are, eagerly
awaiting this evening’s first Republican presidential debate on Fox
News.
Yes, I’m assuming that
“we” is every American voter: Republicans and Republican-leaning
Independents and libertarians, seeking a candidate to support:
Democrats, maybe checking out the opposition (maybe wondering if one
of the many Republicans just might be better than what they have so
far?).
Yes, I am delusional. Many
Americans don’t care. Yet. Maybe ever. Certainly they’re not
political junkies like me, maybe you, enjoying every moment of the
political process, no matter how crazy it gets. Others are more
serious than I; they choose to belong to a party so they can
influence the process from the very beginning.
Admittedly, viewers could
be turned off by tonight’s foolish debate plan, which just chose an
arbitrary 10 candidates for the top tier based on polls of people
who are not yet informed about the candidates and their priority
issues. As Sen. Lindsey Graham, who though a sitting U.S. senator,
is excluded from that top tier, says about the limited line-up: “it
sucks” – and I give him one debate point just for stating this so
well.
Oddly, Fox News didn’t go
with my debate plan, which you may recall: three debates, one a
week, divide the candidates alphabetically, five or six each week,
let people vote by phone as on “American Idol.” Then have a fourth
debate with the winners. OK, maybe the “American Idol” thing was a
joke, trying to draw in less-politically involved Americans.
An addition to my plan:
Have the same three-debate format again in late winter, with whoever
hasn’t dropped out, when citizens are getting ready to vote in the
primaries.
Never mind, we go with the
Fox format, which will at least be amusing, with No. 1 polling
Donald Trump dominating the event. Women who are considering Hillary
for no other reason than that she is a woman may notice that the one
Republican woman candidate, business executive Carly Fiorina, didn’t
make the top-tier cut.
So, as we wait for
tonight: Did anyone but me watch the New Hampshire Republican forum
Monday evening? Though not a debate, it was a pretty good format
with an excellent chance to get acquainted with 14 of the 17
candidates: thankfully, Trump and Mike Huckabee chose not at attend,
and the newest candidate, Jim Gilmore, another former governor,
announced too late to be included. Unfortunately, Huckabee made the
top cut for tonight – it’s such an easy name to remember. And didn’t
he play his guitar on Fox News, with his band the Little Rockers?
Which reminds me, the
debate tonight is being held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and
will be followed by a rock band named Motley Fools. I’m not making
this up. Or maybe it’s a joke and I fell for it. I’m applying it not
to the candidates but to Fox News.
So here is the top-tier
line-up for tonight. Donald Trump, being tops in the polls because
he’s famous and outrageous, will be at center-stage. Jeb Bush
(another half-familiar name), and Gov. Scott Walker, probably a
legitimate choice as a newcomer to national politics who has
impressed many voters as governor of Wisconsin, polling No. 3.
Huckabee, then Ben Carson,
who’s had a loyal conservative following for a long time. Senators
Cruz, Rubio and Rand Paul, who attended the Monday forum by remote
camera because the Senate was in session, made the top cut, which
seems fair; they’ve been on the presidential campaign trail for a
while now.
Finally, beating Gov. Rick
Perry for the 10th spot, is Gov. John Kasich.
Relegated to the earlier,
5 p.m. debate are the other seven in this order: Perry, Rick
Santorum, Gov. Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Sen. Graham, former Gov.
George Pataki, and finally the newest comer Gilmore. In the end,
they may be the lucky ones, because they’re a manageable-size group
that doesn’t have to deal with Trump. Gov. Jindal is a much better
spokesman against illegal immigration, arguing recently on Boston
Herald Radio that top officials in sanctuary cities should be held
“criminally liable as accessories” for any crimes committed by
illegals. Joe Curtatone, mayor of sanctuary city Somerville,
compared him to Gomer Pyle. Since Gov. Jindal is Indian, doesn’t
that make the mayor a racist?
Based on the well-managed
N.H. forum, I have to tell you that for the most part, the
Republicans are an impressive bunch. I’m reminded of the woman at a
Cruz event who suggested that the winner of the primary commit to
hire some of the other candidates to work in an administration that
will have to work hard to turn this country around.
Ben Carson, too
politically inexperienced to win a presidential campaign, should be
assigned the administration job of replacing then repealing
Obamacare, as he insisted needs to be done in that order.
If he doesn’t make
president, I’d like to see John Kasich running the president’s
budget office, balancing the budget again, and redoing the welfare
reform he oversaw in the ‘90s. And which clever candidate said he’d
pick Rep. Trey Goudy as attorney general? Oh yes, Donald Trump.
Great idea, however, I’ll never vote for anyone so immature he
threatens to go third party and elect the Democrat.
I originally had an open
mind on Jeb Bush, but he did not do well Monday, stammering in
response to questions, then telling us about his T-shirt. I’m sure
Pataki and Gilmore were fine governors but just can’t see what they
add to the list of governors.
I’ve imagined so many
falling by the way, through attacks by other candidates or direct
assault by the media, that at the Republican convention Mitt Romney
is drafted to take on the job again. But I thought he’d be staying
above the fray, was not impressed when he jumped in to attack Trump;
made him look too establishment, still.
So, I still don’t have a
candidate, which is why I need the debate tonight, to help me get an
early bumper sticker on my car.
Barbara Anderson of
Marblehead is president of Citizens for Limited Taxation and a Salem
News columnist.
Follow-Up for The Eagle-Tribune
Submitted: Friday, August 7, 2015
Sorting through the GOP
field (Part 2)
©
by Barbara Anderson
So here we are, still
absorbing the first Republican presidential debates on Fox News.
Yes, I’m assuming that
“we” is every American voter: Republicans and Republican-leaning
Independents and libertarians, seeking a candidate to support:
Democrats, who maybe checked out the opposition (maybe wondering if
one of the many Republicans just might be better than what they have
so far?).
Yes, I am delusional. Many
Americans don’t care. Yet. Maybe ever. Certainly they’re not
political junkies like me, maybe you, enjoying every moment of the
political process, no matter how crazy it gets. Others are more
serious than I; they choose to belong to a party so they can
influence the process from the very beginning.
Admittedly, viewers could
have been turned off by Thursday’s foolish debate plan, which just
chose an arbitrary ten candidates for the top tier based on polls of
people who are not yet informed about the candidates and their
priority issues. As Sen. Lindsey Graham, who though a sitting U.S.
Senator, was excluded from that top tier, said about the limited
line-up: “it sucks” – and I give him one debate point just for
stating this so well.
Oddly, Fox News didn’t go
with my debate plan, which you may recall: three debates, one a
week, divide the candidates alphabetically, 5-6 each week, let
people vote by phone as on “American Idol”. Then have a fourth
debate with the winners. OK, maybe the “American Idol” thing was a
joke, trying to draw in less-politically involved Americans.
An addition to my plan:
have the same three-debate format again in late winter, with whoever
hasn’t dropped out, when citizens are getting ready to vote in the
primaries.
Never mind, we went with
the Fox format, which was at least dynamic and even amusing, with
No. 1 polling Donald Trump dominating the event, though not as much
as expected. Women who are considering Hillary for no other reason
than that she is a woman, may have noticed that the one Republican
woman candidate, business executive Carly Fiorina, didn’t make the
top-tier cut.
So, before I forget: did
anyone but me watch the New Hampshire Republican forum Monday
evening? Though not a debate, it was a pretty good format with an
excellent chance to get acquainted with fourteen of the seventeen
candidates.
So, in case you missed it,
this was the top-tier line-up Thursday. Donald Trump, being # 1 in
the polls because he’s famous and outrageous, was at center-stage.
Jeb Bush (another half-familiar name), and Gov. Scott Walker,
probably a legitimate choice as a newcomer to national politics who
has impressed many voters as governor of Wisconsin, polled #3.
Unfortunately, Huckabee
made the top-tier Thursday – it’s such an easy name to remember. And
didn’t he play his guitar on Fox News, with his band the Little
Rockers?
Next, Ben Carson, who’s
deserved a loyal conservative following for a long time. Senators
Cruz, Rubio and Rand Paul, who attended the Monday forum by remote
camera because the Senate was in session, made the top cut, which
seems fair; they’ve been on the presidential campaign trail for a
while now. All did well in the Thursday debate too.
Finally, beating Gov. Rick
Perry for the 10th spot, was Gov. John Kasich.
Relegated to the earlier,
5 pm debate were the other seven in this order: Perry, Rick
Santorum, Gov. Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Sen. Graham, former Gov.
George Pataki, and finally the newest comer Gilmore. They were a
manageable-size group which didn’t have to deal with Trump. Gov.
Jindal is a much better spokesman against illegal immigration,
arguing recently on Boston Herald Radio that top officials in
sanctuary cities should be held “criminally liable as accessories”
for any crimes committed by illegals. Joe Curtatone, mayor of
sanctuary city Somerville, compared him to Gomer Pyle. Since Gov.
Jindal is Indian, doesn’t that make the mayor a racist?
Based on both the
well-managed N.H. forum, and the two debates, I have to tell you
that for the most part, the Republicans could be an impressive bunch
if they ever develop some respect for a woman’s right to control her
own body. I’m reminded of an audience suggestion at a July Cruz
event who suggested that the winner of the primary commit to hire
some of the other candidates to work in an administration that will
have to work hard to turn this country around.
Ben Carson, too political
inexperienced to win a presidential campaign, should be assigned the
administration job of replacing then repealing ObamaCare, as he
insisted needs to be done in that order. On top of being
knowledgeable on medical issues, he would be a charming spokesperson
for his changes.
If he doesn’t make
president, I’d like to see John Kasich running the president’s
budget office, balancing the budget again, and redoing the welfare
reform he oversaw in the ‘90s. And which clever candidate just
announced he’d pick Rep. Trey Goudy as Attorney General? Oh yes,
Donald Trump. Great idea, however, I’ll never vote for anyone so
immature he threatens to go third party and elect the Democrat,
which he did again at the dramatic opening of the Thursday debate.
I originally had an open
mind on Jeb Bush, but he did not do well Monday, stammering in
response to questions, then telling us about his t-shirt. I’m sorry,
but I kept forgetting he was there Thursday night.
I’m sure Pataki and
Gilmore were fine governors but at first I didn’t see what they add
to the list of governors. Gilmore, however, was presidential, taking
control of the questions he was asked, showing initiative. And with
Gov. Walker forced to admit he meant it when he’d said he’d let a
woman die rather than allow a therapeutic abortion, we may need a
new governor candidate; I no longer consider him viable.
I’ve imagined so many
falling by the way, through attacks by other candidates or direct
assault by the media, that at the Republican convention Mitt Romney
is drafted to take on the job again. But I thought he’d be staying
above the fray, was not impressed when he jumped in to attack Trump
last month; made him look too establishment, still.
Rand Paul did well in
direct debate confrontation with Christie and Trump and he still has
the best statement: “We do not project power from bankruptcy court.”
So, at this point, I’m where I started, standing with Rand.
Barbara Anderson of
Marblehead is president of Citizens for Limited Taxation and a Salem
News columnist.
