I know you guys want to know what I think about last nights debate. It was my birthday yesterday, so I was a bit busy until late last night when I watched the whole thing on my DVR. First I will list my thoughts on if I feel they improved, hurt, or fell flat.

 

Donald Trump - Down

Ben Carson - Down

Jeb Bush - Up

Ted Cruz - Flat

Carly Fiorina - Up

Scott Walker - Flat

Marco Rubio - Up

Chris Cristie - Up

Mike Huckabee - Down

Rand Paul - Up

John Kasich - Down

 

The big question is will this bring down Donald Trump?... my guess is no. I felt he made a grave tactical error last night when he strongly went hard against George W. Bush. Trump was in the Reagan Library with hundreds of hard Conservative Republicans that voted for W. twice, and they all have great respect for the Bush family. It set up Jeb to receive the loudest applause of the entire night, but Trump was talking to the 22.9 million people that were watching on TV, so it may have been a smart move looking at the big picture.

 

After he made a remark to Rand Paul about him polling at 1%, I think someone (probably his daughter) got to him during a commercial break and told him to lay off, that he was coming off as too much of an asshole, because he was a total nice guy the rest of the night. My guess is he will remain on top.

 

I love Marco Rubio. He just radiates that he has all the chops needed to command every issue. Everyone just needs to be educated that some people do not look their age.

 

I thought that CNN did an awful job. The questions were asked in a way to start fights. "Senator Cruz, you said you love bacon... Senator Paul has said you're a pig for eating too much bacon... How do you respond?" Plus you had 3 moderators, but Jake Tapper talked 98% of the time. The format was stupid, but they were smart enough to give it 3 hours knowing that 2 would not cut it with 11 people. We all need this to get trimmed down, and I'm looking forward to more of them dropping out.

 

I can go into detail with my thoughts if anyone is interested in chiming in.

Rand Paul seems like a good choice too, to appease the moderates. He seems to be the voice of reason.

Rand Paul seems like a good choice too, to appease the moderates. He seems to be the voice of reason.

Trump is a moderate, he needs to appease the Conservatives... hence the Palin endorsement. They are coming out like a swarm, with their heads exploding in a vain attempt to kill his poll domination. Trump has a hard stance on a few issues, but his record of support on guns, abortion, and bail outs has been on the other side. I've said this many times... he's not a Conservative, but I think he has enough power to blow up the corrupted and gridlocked pillar of shit we have created in DC. I said earlier... "May God have mercy on our souls"... because when things get blown up like it needs to happen, you just never know where the chips are gonna fall. We may end up Socialists!

Here's some Republican debate news... since this is a Republican debate thread.

 

The Republican National Committee, (RNC), has officailly canceled the NBC February 26 debate in Houston. Not surprised after that CNBC slime show they put on earlier. It was disgusting and only designed to make them all look bad, and the candidates themselves seized control and turned it into a very watchable debate.

 

So it's been rescheduled for February 25, and hosted by the National Review, Telemundo, and Salem Communications.

 

This was a good move.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/266259-rnc-drops-nbc-as-debate-host

Remember this? Well things have changed.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/22/rnc-cuts-debate-ties-with-conservative-magazine-over-anti-trump-issue.html?intcmp=hpbt2

 

The National Review, a Conservative magazine, has published an issue dedicated to the destruction of Donald Trump. The Republican National Committee, (RNC), has summarily uninvited the National Review to host that scheduled debate. I guess it's not appropriate to utterly trash a candidate, and then be a moderator at a debate... duh.

 

My wife sent me this... I think it's a pretty good example of what's going on out there in the real world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEawIQRGHg8&app=desktop

Edited January 22, 201610 yr by Lysistrata

Remember Hitler? He was very energetic, unapologetic, unpoetic, anti-establishment, etc. Oooh and a nationalist too, that didn't turn out well for 1 religious minority and the rest of the world now did it?

 

Trump will be the death of Republican Party. It'll be worse than what happened against FDR. Unless Trump counts on running over Obama's failure and successfully labels Hillary as Obama's successor I personally don't see him winning in the Presidential race. 

 

And today if I were a Republican, I wouldn't know what to answer to the ghost of Lincoln. I mean, that was a true Republican but now its sad that this has become of his dream.  

It honestly wouldn't surprise me if Trump also thinks Africa is a country, and that would therefore explain the support from Palin.

Can you see Africa from Casa di Trump?

It's pretty hard to keep it real when you guys invoke things like Hitler, the destruction of the Republican Party, and somehow believe that the self made multi-billionaire, lacks education... the "ghost of Lincoln"? are you serious? Guys... Abe Lincoln designed the utter destruction of half the country, and was personally responsible for the death of over 600,000 Americans. You can romanticize the man, but what he did was very real. I'm one that believes there was an economic way out of that fight, but we will never know.

 

I mean really guys, if Trump is that bad, he doesn't stand a chance of getting elected... right? You sound like scared radicals, and if he destroys the Republican Party, you will then have something to celebrate.

 

EDIT: I forgot to tell you guys... I can see Trump Tower from my house!

Edited January 23, 201610 yr by Lysistrata

Well this is an interesting development. According to the New York Times, our beloved nanny state billionaire Micheal Bloomberg will run as an Independent, if the perfect storm comes to pass. If Republicans nominate Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, and the Democrats nominate Bernie Sanders... he will run for President.

 

Mr. Bloomberg is a New York billionaire that was a Democrat until 2001, became a Republican, and declared Independent in 2007. He's a huge Capitalist with a nasty habit of interfering with how you want to live... because he knows better than you, and it's for your own good. He is big on gun control, loves abortion, and likes to ban all kinds of sugar, fat, and salt from everyone's use.

 

If he enters I believe he splits the Democrat vote in a big way. Republicans will never support him. If elected, we will be looking forward to court battles all the way to the Supreme Court over table salt and 16 oz. Coke. I will be prepared to bring my own shaker when I dine out. This will be fun.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/24/nyregion/bloomberg-sensing-an-opening-revisits-a-potential-white-house-run.html?_r=0

So basically a rich bastard but from "the other side"?

 

Somehow he makes our point.

So basically a rich bastard but from "the other side"?

 

Somehow he makes our point.

and roughly 3 times as rich as Donald Trump.

Clearly you should like him more then, as he played the game called capitalism better!

Clearly you should like him more then, as he played the game called capitalism better!

Bloomberg doesn't bother me at all. He did a good job as Mayor of New York. I thought it was kinda sleazy how he got a third term, but he was leaps and bounds better than what they have now. As Mayor, you have a lot of room with city ordinance, and he won't be able to have too much effect on a national level.

 

He would be better than Obama because he's smarter and knows how to lead. He beats Sanders because he's not a Socialist. He beats Clinton because he's not a liar, not a ruthless power broker, and really doesn't hurt anyone. He could beat Trump because he's not as offensive. He could beat Cruz because everyone in Washington hates Cruz. Bloomberg is a Social Liberal, I personally believe he would lose to Trump or Cruz because of that. Like I said... it will be fun.

Well atleast its a billionaire who actually ran a society. New York does sound like it was run well, apart from the homeless.

Well atleast its a billionaire who actually ran a society. New York does sound like it was run well, apart from the homeless.

You are correct. 12 years Mayor of one of the largest cities in the world. No one can say he's not qualified.

Occationally "real" candidates come out of the woodwork

 

Perhaps your would prefer a parliament like ours, many if not all have a mandate in a local town or city. Mayor for smaller places, city council members for the larger cities (but the definition of "large" is stretched by some parties ). Then again much talk is spewed about them doing more then 1 job so both jobs get neglected

The hardest part of winter is watching it on TV from Las Vegas 

Which is better comedy? The Republic Debates, Rick and Morty or Monty Python? So hard to choose. 

Which is better comedy? The Republic Debates, Rick and Morty or Monty Python? So hard to choose. 

I'm trying to understand the point of the question, but it did remind me of this. This is the funniest Republican I know, and he did this for the fund raiser for Hurricane Sandy relief back on 12/12/12. Strangely enough, this does mention a few things we are talking about in this thread today. So if you want Republican comedy... here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTWP5j_piPY

The last debate before Iowa is Thursday the 28th, on Fox News. As it stands right now, Donald Trump is not showing up.

 

Something tells me he will change his mind. I bet he demanded Megyn Kelly to be pulled as a moderator. FNC will not do this... not in a million years... and not for Trump. Something tells me this will not hurt him. Nothing has.

Which tells me all I need to know about the Republican voting base.

Which tells me all I need to know about the Republican voting base.

Which tells me you haven't been paying attention. The Republican voting base are Conservatives. Most Conservatives have come out in droves against Donald Trump. He's not a Conservative. Donors who have bought politicians, every lobbyist in DC, corrupted establishment politicians that have been bilking the system for decades... are all scared to death of Donald. They can't buy him.

 

Trump support is coming from Tea Party Republicans, new voters, anti-socialist Independents, disappointed Democrats, and everyone pissed off at the horrible direction of the entire country. They don't give a damn about abortion, gay marriage, global warming schemes, who's rich, who's not, or who's whining about whatever. They care about the national debt, illegal immigration, national security, government corruption, jobs, and the economy. Just because someone is an egotistical jerk with a penchant for being an asshole, doesn't mean he's not an effective leader. General George Patton is a perfect example.

 

I always support the biggest bad-ass, and then I settle on who the party nominates. This time we may not get the President we really want, but we just may get the President we really need. I need this bloated government that is locked into absolute gridlock, and continuous bickering... just blown the fuck up. It's the only way to unite the country. It's the only way to hit reset.

When Lys puts it that way, I tend to agree.

 

But the GOP base does care about abortion, gay marriage, global warming etc. While I think abortion and gay marriages etc are personal choices, but being intentionally obtuse and ignorant on global warming is akin to having a brainfart en masse.

 

I understand there was a debate on this on how true all global warming stuff is 10 years ago, but now debate is not whether global warming is happening due to human activities, that is now an established scientific fact, but debate is now if its gonna be really bad or really really bad.

 

GOPs in 2000 on this issue.

Edited January 28, 201610 yr by Shahenshah

When Lys puts it that way, I tend to agree.

 

But the GOP base does care about abortion, gay marriage, global warming etc. While I think abortion and gay marriages etc are personal choices, but being intentionally obtuse and ignorant on global warming is akin to having a brainfart en masse.

 

I understand there was a debate on this on how true all global warming stuff is 10 years ago, but now debate is not whether global warming is happening due to human activities, that is now an established scientific fact, but debate is now if its gonna be really bad or really really bad.

 

GOPs in 2000 on this issue.

 

I agree 100%.

 

The problem with Global Warming (or more precisely Climate Change, since planetary weather is a complicated thing) is real and it's bad. The data proving it is out there. Now I will say right here and right now, that I don't believe humanity is capable of significantly changing their lifestyles (eg. consuming less electricity, water, etc.) will be the solution - it's simply not feasible. Our only hope is in technologigal advancement, more efficient methods to generate electricity, atmospheric carbon capture solution, and such. These ventures and industries should be given top priority, and with the enforcement of sufficient breathing room, they would surely flourish into a fiscally lucrative industrial sector within a few short decades.

I absolutely love you guys. You actually look at everything from different points of view, think things through, understand the complications, visualize consequences, predict outcomes, open honest debate, and respect opinions. It provides me hope for the future. That being said... we can always discuss the climate change/global warming issue. I have been hearing it nonstop for 40 years, and I would take it more serious if the things these people have predicted would happen, actually happened, but it has not.

 

You have to take your eyes and ears off the doomsday data, that they keep rigging the numbers to get the end result they desire, and use your own eyes to see their lies. They use numbers and calculations to say, "OMG! If we don't do something now about carbon emissions right now, the polar caps will melt and in 10 years everyone that lives on the coasts will be under water!"... it hasn't happened. Not even a little bit.

 

If they were right, even a smidgen... the Florida everglades would be ocean, the Statue of Liberty would have her feet under water, and Hawaii would have to move all their hotels off the beach. I was recently in Hawaii, and one of the lies that has been told is that climate change has destroyed the coral reef on the Hawaiian coast. It's not true. Hawaii has no sand. It's all volcanic rock. So they imported sand from Australia... miles of it. The waves and tide pull the sand out into the ocean... and the sand they keep bringing in for the beaches has killed the coral reef. So they created an artificial reef, and now all the fish have a place to live and thrive.

 

If you stop listening to these politicians and "scientists", that all have a political agenda, and just look for yourselves at the garbage they have been pumping you full of for decades, you can see the truth. They have tried to turn it into something that they can blame everything on... it's like a religion. There's a drought in California... climate change. Bullshit... there has always been droughts in California. Heatwaves, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes... climate change. Bullshit... they have always happened. It's never ending what they will say... just like it's never ending the supply of gullible people that believe it.

This is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. This guy comes out now and claims that we are not able to find any alien life, because they have all died from climate change. So let me get this straight... if we don't believe that our own destruction is inevitable from carbon emissions... we are doomed to the same destruction as all the alien life... that isn't there?

 

This is why we should be very careful with decriminalizing marijuana.

 

http://news.discovery.com/space/alien-life-exoplanets/why-cant-we-find-aliens-climate-change-killed-them-160121.htm