The Republican Roundup from last night’s GOP debates. The top ten, or Prime Time debaters showed up well mostly, minus the shit show argument between Chris Christie and Rand Paul; which will hurt them both as they came off petty and Christie wasn’t wrong about Paul.
Here are some quick take away points on each candidate from their first debate. Bear in mind I am a Libertarian with fiscally conservative views; I do not support either Democrats or Republicans, I support the best candidate for the job.
DONALD TRUMP
Came out uncoached and unrehearsed, the result? Pure Trump. Shot from the hip, spoke hard truths against both parties and was purely unapologetic for it.
Promised Americans he will not, will never, be bought, he doesn’t need anyone else’s money.
Wants strong borders, build a wall, with open doors for LEGAL immigration paths.
Claims to be pro-life, was once pro-choice
Wants strong economic recovery paths
Wants to strengthen military
End the Iran Nuclear Deal
Re-sanction Iran
Early polls show Trump leading 48% positive on last nights debate
Wants to defund Obamacare and replace by opening up state borders to health plans
Aside(not from the debate)
Tax system that abolishes the IRS
Under the Trump tax plan, 1-5-10-15 plan
Under $30,000 per year will pay 1 percent in federal income taxes
$30,000 to $100,000 will pay 5 percent
$100,000 to $1 million will pay 10 percent
$1 million or above will pay 15 percent
JEB BUSH
Kind of stumbled through the debate, but didn’t under-perform, mangled some answers and went off topic.
Tried to separate himself from the “Bush name stigma”
Wants stronger borders with pathways to legal immigration
Wants to end the Iran Nuclear Deal
Wants to return Education curriculum reform over to States, allow opt out of Common Core
Against gay Marriage
Has defunded Planned Parenthood in FL
Early polls show trailing at 5% positive on last nights debate
Aside:
He laid claim to how he strengthened Florida Schools, but living here I can attest that the school system is VERY lacking when it comes to public schools.
SCOTT WALKER
Came out very well spoken, mild mannered, the boy next door type. Didn’t wow anyone
Early polls show trailing at 1% positive on last nights debate.
Strongly opposes abortion, even if the mother’s life is at risk
Has a strong background in financial recovery
Anti-amnesty, supports deportation and criminalization of illegal immigrants
Wants to lower taxes
Wants to return curriculum reform to the state level
Defund Obamacare
Aside:
Walker has a strong record of financial recovery, having turned a $3.6 billion deficit into a $2 billion surplus in 6 years, resulting in 350,000 new jobs.
DR. BEN CARSON
Well spoken, intelligent, level-headed and articulate if not a little dry. Not a politician so his knowledge of foreign policy is a bit weak but shows that he is learning rapidly.
Wants to defund Planned Parenthood
Strongly against abortion in any form
Has Biblical solution to taxes, Tithing. If you make more you pay more, if you make les you pay less. so if you make 10 billion you pay 1 billion, if you make 100 you pay 10.
Wants to strengthen the military, free up commanders to wage war, not PC agendas
Wants an end to “Politically Correct” wars
Early polls show trailing at a surprising 11% positive on last nights debate
Aside:
Carson isn’t a politician, but he is a logician, and claims that may be what we need; a breath of fresh air.
MIKE HUCKABEE
Good speaker, keeps calm, intelligent and opinionated, not afraid to show it or to toss in some humor.
Seeks stronger military force, return troops to bases in Poland and surrounding areas of Russia.
Wants to end the Iran deal and strengthen ties with Middle East allies and Israel
Pro life without exception
Proposed a consumption tax. Gets rid of income tax and everyone pays tax on what we consume, displaces any tax credits for the rich or the poor.
Displeased with Gay Marriage
Believes we need to remove corporations from politics
Against common core and the Federal Government dictating curriculum
Early polls show trailing at 3% positive on last nights debate
Aside:
Not much of an aside here. Huckabee is passionate with an o.k. record
TED CRUZ
Stumbled through the debate, went off subject in answering questions. Not a great showing.
Supports stronger regulations against birth control
No proposed tax plan but wants to see strong tax reform
Wants to overturn the Supreme Court gay marriage ruling
Wants to send curriculum reform to local level
Wants vigorous sanctions against Iran, kill the nuclear deal
Wants to overturn all of Obama’s illegal or unconstitutional executive orders
Strongly opposed legal paths to immigration for those here illegally
Overturn Obamacare
American’s who join ISIS never allowed to return, passports revoked, citizenship dissolved
Opposed to raising minimum wage, wants to raise the retirement cap age by 2 years over 24 years: adding 1 month to retirement age every year.
Early polls show trailing at 5% positive on last nights debate
Aside:
Compares himself to Reagan. Claims to be a “straight shooter”
MARCO RUBIO
Probably the strongest, most composed, speaker at the debates. Level-headed, concise, and to the point.
Flip-flopped on his position on abortion. Previous claims said he was against all types of abortion, including imminent danger to the mother, he claimed that was a lie and he had never said such a thing.
Claims he has a plan for economic recovery.
Against corporate welfare
Stronger borders,build the wall, but make easier legal pathways for immigrants to enter legally
Stronger immigration rules
Pro-life without exception
Stronger Military showing
Return curriculum reform to the states, expand access to education
Replace Obamacare with something that works
Early polls show trailing at 32% positive on last nights debate
Aside:
He’s well spoken and passionate with a good track record, a strong speaker with presidential demeanor and comes from poor roots. A crowd favorite if you like nice guys.
RAND PAUL
Well that escalated fast. Argumentative and disheveled are kind ways to express his showing last night. He attacked both Trump and Christie in a visceral manner that I’m sure hurt him.
Foreign policy includes leaving everything in the Middle East to the Middle East and not looking back.
Against late term and partial born abortion
No fiscal plans
Against Obamacare, return to the previous system
Strongly supports removing the NSA and their right to secretly gather data on US citizens – a little unclear on this as he supports spying on terrorists in the US by collecting their personal data.
Early polls show trailing at 1% positive on last nights debate
Aside:
Too much emotion and not enough clear choices by Paul combined with his foreign policy make him less than likeable for the GOP nominee. I wouldn’t expect to see him in debate 2.
CHRIS CHRISTIE
This is not the Christie most were expecting, at least not until he flung shade at Rand Paul in an argument that was just short of poo-flinging by both of them. He stayed mostly calm and spoke little.
Wants stronger goverment
Claims he has a financial reform policy that will work and will abolish the IRS
Seeks stronger Military
End to Obamacare
Seeks to end Congressional healthare and make goverment purchase helathcare liek regular citizens
Supports defunding Planned Parenthood
Early polls show trailing at 3% positive on last nights debate
Aside:
It’s Chris Christie, nobody is expecting more than a North Jersey thug that throws tantrums when he doesn’t get his way. His rant with Rand hurt them both, and I’d be surprised to see him in debate 2 as well.
JOHN KASICH
John who? That’s the guy that nobody heard of unless you were from his home state. Very well spoken, extremely calm and collected, and knew exactly what to say and when to say it.
Pro-life
Asked about Gay Marriage, “The court voted that’s all there is.” Went on to say the Bible teaches unconditional love.
Seeks to replace Obamacare with something that works.
Spoke to his strong points, his record.
Has the hihest suprlus of all US States.
He created the last, and only working, US budget that balanced teh books and got rid of US debt.
His state has the lowest unemployment rate of all US States
Went against the GOP to expand medicare in his state because “It was the right thing to do for my state, even if it was against my own party”.
Early polls show trailing at 9% positive on last nights debate
Aside:
The underdog coming into the debates last night and a very late entry to the race, Kasich made a strong show backed up with facts about his ability to get the job done. Keep an eye out for him.
The other 7, the so called “happy hour” candidates?
Let’s talk Carly Fiorina, she was the Marcus Rubio of the lesser publicized debates. She’s got similar qualities to Rubio but a strong stance on women’s health issues that brings a breath of fresh air to the common GOP candidates positions. She proved to be a strong debater with poise and powerful insight and I’d expect to see her in teh next prime time debate.
The other six? Can them, they’re detrimental, more detrimental, to the remaining GOP nominees than they already are.
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