Trump really wasn’t that great in last night’s debate, though he did have some good moments. He and Rubio spent a lot of time shouting over each other, and Trump’s name-calling routine is indeed wearing thin. Trump’s failure to grasp the basics of policy was once again laid bare. Trump also pretty much announced that he would require the military to commit war crimes … maybe that won’t have an impact on his primary voters, but it should give potential general election voters pause [UPDATE: Today, Trump modified or reversed this position.]. Oh, and of course, Trump bragged about the size of his penis. Rubio looked ridiculous too (he’s really bad in the attack dog role), but Ted Cruz actually had a pretty good debate, as did John Kasich.
And none of that mattered. Because at the end of the debate, each candidate (other than Trump) was asked whether he would support Donald Trump for president, should Trump gain the party’s nomination. Each one of them answered, unequivocally, yes he would.
This, after Rubio had called Trump a con man, and had accused him of knowing nothing about foreign policy. This, after Cruz had repeatedly accused Trump of being a secret liberal who has supported Democrats for years. And this, after Mitt Romney put whatever is left of his credibility on the line by declaring Trump unfit to be president, and urging Republicans to adopt an “anyone but Trump” strategy designed to lead to a brokered convention.
The candidates’ embrace of Trump at the end of the debate cut the heart out of the #NeverTrump movement, which had seemed to be gathering steam among Republicans. It also gave the lie to pretty much everything Rubio, Cruz, and Kasich (who didn’t actually attack much) had said about Trump the entire rest of the evening. Because if they’d still back him for president, they can’t really have meant any of it. As one wag on Twitter put it, “To review: Trump spent 2 hours calling his opponents small-dicked liars. At the end, every one of them knelt and kissed the ring.”
Overall, the debate was the most embarrassing display yet in a series of embarrassing affairs that have the Republican establishment in an ever–increasing state of panic. But, to me anyway, the shocking display at the end in which the non-Trump candidates all agreed they’d support his nomination for president was pretty much game over for all of them. If they can’t agree that Trump isn’t suitable to be president … well, why should Republican voters do so?
and the infomercials on late night TV selling today’s version of snake oil. I sit and watch these shows for their comic value. If I want to get drunk in a hurry, I take a shot of whiskey each time the women on QVC use the word “Amazing”. On QVC, the hosts love all the people who call in and I suspect people call in to get told that they are loved. Everything is “Amazing” just as with Trump, everything is great, wonderful, the best, the biggest an of course, everyone loves him.
I watch QVC and I wonder, how many idiots are out there to buy this crap and then I realize that these programs have been out for years and that’s only possible because their is an inexhaustible number of idiots out there.
Trump figured that out as well.
They all signed that pledge to back the ultimate nominee to prevent Trump from going 3rd party.
Here’s a better question – why wasn’t Trump asked if he would support Cruz or Rubio?
The media really has created this fiasco.
The Media, owned by the wealthy class that owns the corporations has created this fiasco. There was a time when the League of Women Voters ran the debates.
Rubio said he’d back Trump because he’d be better than Clinton or Sanders. Wow, really? Cruz was almost as bad, saying that he’d sacrifice the country’s best interests so that he didn’t have to go back on some silly paper that Reince Priebus made him sign. Please.
Oh, and did you miss it? Trump was asked that very question. He said he’d support the nominee even if it’s not him.
I did miss that. Because that Q and A was never reported anywhere.
Think the Trumpenprolitariat heard him say he would be supporting those evil K Street Trilateral NWO candidates? Or just that they would be supporting their hero?
They’ve surely played a part in creating Trumpenstein. But the real problem all along has been the other candidates. That was amplified 1000x last night when they simply surrendered at the end. I was astonished.
For years US politicians have been following a “if/then” playbook. They’re looking at a blank page now and have no prepared response.
. . .after considering it further, I think that they gave the least bad answer. To say at this point that they won’t support the nominee is tantamount to saying that they concede the race to Trump.
Can you imagine? Trump actually came prepared to have his phallic moment in front of a maximum audience. He was like, wait, I have to say this, I have to say this!
Rubio’s taunt about the small hands (and you know what else has then to be small) wounded Trump – probably more than he cared to admit.
Sounds like Rubio finally found the Achilles heel of his opponent.
The question is, what his next step – shoot more poisoned arrows at his opponent’s weak spot, or retreat and leave a wooden horse on the beach?
I thought that Kasich had worked things pretty well his first turn to talk, drawing a stark comparison with the antics of the others. But then on his second at-bat, all of a sudden he’s personally responsible for the balanced budget and economy of the 90s? Huh?
Never thought any collection of “candidates” could make Mitt look so good.
I really don’t like the format that marginalizes candidates not doing as well. Debates should not exacerbate that. The point of debates I thought was to give voters a chance to compare answers. The whole panel should be given the same question and allowed two minutes to answer, rotating who goes first to answer each question.
It was the “single handedly” nature of his statement that was causing the head shakes.
I do agree on the format: The targeting of specific questions to specific candidates may make for better entertainment (which is why they do it, I’m sure) but doesn’t do much for evaluation.
It’s not the world of people who are interested in public policy, but it’s where the voters are. Not much we can do about it.
Good post, David.
Last night, I had the same reaction you did to the other three all saying they’d vote for Trump if it came down to it. It seemed really odd.
But, thinking about it this morning, I think their instincts might have been correct. Their audience was GOP primary voters. So the message they sent, “I hate this man Trump, but the important thing is beating Hillary Clinton, so if it comes down to it, I will stay loyal to the GOP” might actually be beneficial.
Contrast that with Jim Webb, who said today (on MSNBC) that he would not vote for HRC but “Is not sure” if he’d vote for Trump. As a loyal Democrat I find that pretty shocking (and unfair to HRC). But Kasich, Rubio, and Cruz sent the opposite message. That makes them look more serious and more committed to winning. It might help.
In my view, this exemplifies why I’ve always felt that Jim Webb is at best a marginal Democrat. In my view, his presidential aspirations were sheer narcissistic fantasy.
…he came across as the most reasonable contender for the REPUBLICAN nomination.
The plain fact is that ALL of the GOP candidates are objectively crazy. They are supported by a GOP “base” that demonstrates the effect of decades of lies, disinformation, and bigoted pandering by Fox et al.
They each operate well outside the envelope of fact, rationality, truth, and reasoned discourse. The embrace of “the nominee” is just one expression of this unfortunate fact. How can Mr. Cruz or Mr. Rubio reject Mr. Trump for being bat-shit crazy when Mr. Trump can immediately, easily, and correctly retort with examples of the same from either of them?
Whatever passions people may have for or against the Democratic candidates, neither Mr. Sanders nor Ms. Clinton is out in fact-free la-la-land where ALL the GOP candidates now reside.
In my view, the question for America is whether the takeover by right-wing Fox-news-driven barbarians can be stopped in time to avoid destroying everything we have stood for. There IS an existential threat to America as we know it, and that threat has nothing to do with Russia, China, ISIS, or anybody else.
By the time the end came to the Roman Empire, it was far too late for those Romans who wanted to preserve the empire to do so. I wonder if the same is true for America today.
This truly is a crucial time and a crucial election.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/05/us/politics/donald-trump-republican-party.html