January 14, 2016

Another GOP debate.

1. The undercard is starting now. Be careful. It can wear you out before the real thing begins.

2. Carly Fiorina, for some reason, thinks it's worth saying that she "loves" spending time with her husband, unlike some people (i.e., Hillary). That was a sour note to begin on.

3. I didn't stick with it. Did you?

4. I'm not writing that much (so far), but check out my son John's live blog, here. Sample:
9:09 — Chris Christie, in response to a question about when he'd use military action, starts out: "On Tuesday night, I watched story time with Barack Obama, and it sounded like everything in the world is just amazing!" His answer to the question is that he'd use it only when "absolutely necessary" to protect America — not to be "the world's policeman."
5. Jeb says the world is "torn asunder." "Asunder" is a "mid-12c., contraction of Old English on sundran."

6. Cruz came ready to respond to the NYT article about the loan he took to run for the Senate and the natural-born-citizen issue. There was a vivid back-and-forth between Trump and Cruz in which Trump purported not to care about whether Cruz was natural born but worried only about the lawsuit the Democrats might bring later on and Cruz said he wouldn't take legal advice from Donald Trump and savaged Larry Tribe as a big lefty and supporter of Hillary Clinton.

7. Trump: "I will gladly accept the mantle of anger." That comes in an answer pushing back Nikki Haley's SOTU response, which dinged Trump for anger.

8. This show is on too late for me. I need to pack it in for the night. Trump got the better of Cruz in that heartfelt paean to New York, and Cruz was left nodding and applauding. But more about that and the rest tomorrow.

110 comments:

eric said...

Does she love him enough to share a room with him when they happen to be staying in the same hotel?

traditionalguy said...

And we get to see the New York Values city boy against the Legalistic Religious Values country boy. The same country boy, from some other country, and educated at Princeton and Harvard who gets easy loans that must beset aside for religious country boys over the Goldman Sachs where his wife is an insider Director.

Cruz is toast.

PB said...

I like Carly, but I can't stand to listen to Rick Santorum.

mccullough said...

Rand Paul is a whiner for missing the undercard debate. He's had his chance at the bigger debates and hasn't generated enough support. So he should either drop out of the race or participate in the undercard. Instead he is petulant about it.

damikesc said...

I don't mind him saying no. Fox screwed up the format from the get-go. Should've been half the candidates with an equal mix of big name and small name.

Captain Drano said...

Thank you for the reminder--it's been a heck of a week and I cannot believe it's Thursday already, would have been upset if I missed them.

And congrats, and a most gracious thank your for the delightful dozen years of your blog!

David said...

Carly Fiorina, for some reason, thinks it's worth saying that she "loves" spending time with her husband, unlike some people (i.e., Hillary).

Just trying to prove that she is really authentically female.

garage mahal said...

Ted Cruz has a pretty awesome campaign video out.

Cruz Commander.

mccullough said...

Fiorina has guts. I'm not a supporter, but she projects a nice combination of grit and optimism. So many politicians just whine and pout.

Big Mike said...

Carly Fiorina, for some reason, thinks it's worth saying that she "loves" spending time with her husband, unlike some people (i.e., Hillary). That was a sour note to begin on.

Nevertheless, Carly is worth a thousand Hillary Clintons.

MaxedOutMama said...

Thanks for the reminder. I was running around like a chicken with its head off.

I would not bother with the undercard, although I will try to read the transcript later. I will try to watch the main event.

Happy Dozenth!!!

Birkel said...

Saying the truth about a marriage of convenience and power and infidelity is wrong, somehow... or sour anyway, or not.

Sebastian said...

"Carly Fiorina, for some reason, thinks it's worth saying that she "loves" spending time with her husband" Sure, exposing the phoniness of the Dem grifters' "marriage" is just "some reason."

"unlike some people (i.e., Hillary). That was a sour note to begin on." Yes, very sour, to tell the truth about the woman in the women's party which, poets tell us, supports the reality of women. Mean of Carly to do a reality check. I guess this will have to do as the "how Carly lost me" post.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

First Benghazi reference goes to the short latin guy.

FullMoon said...

AReasonableMan said... [hush]​[hide comment]

First Benghazi reference goes to the short latin guy.


Unfair to exploit opponents weakness in your view?

Laslo Spatula said...

"3. I didn't stick with it. Did you?"

That snuck up on me -- one of the hardest Althouse laughs I have had in a long time.

Thanks, Professor!

I am Laslo.

Laslo Spatula said...

"Be careful. It can wear you out before the real thing begins."

I have said that about Foreplay for years.

I am Laslo.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Trump won the exchange with Cruz by suggesting that he would make a good VP, i.e. a perfect beta male.

eric said...

Cruz is really nailing it tonight. Him and Trump were cracking me up.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

The short latin guy gets the first ISIS reference.

Looks desperate.

JackWayne said...

Cruz owned Trump on the natural born issue.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Trump is wiping the floor with Cruz now - 9/11 trumps all.

eric said...

Trump got the better of Cruz in the New York exchange. Cruz was right, but Trump played on our emotions.

Browndog said...

This is a very good debate.

Say what you want about Trump, but if he wasn't there I'm afraid we'd hear nothing but gibberish and meaningless political platitudes that make up the Democrat "debates".

damikesc said...

Damn Trump is good at this.

mccullough said...

One of the soldiers recently killed in Afghanistan was a NYC detective.

If Cruz were that bothered by liberal values he would have joined the military and not gone to Princeton and joined the debating club.

This "New York values" thing is stupid. Trump is wiping the floor with Cruz in this debate. Cruz isn't much of a debater, which was his only skill in life.

garage mahal said...

If Cruz were that bothered by liberal values he would have joined the military and not gone to Princeton and joined the debating club.

Trump received 4 student deferments and 1 medical deferment. They are all fucking cowards despite their bluster.

Michael K said...

Trump is good. Cruz has a weakness that we aren't discussing. He should have put the birther issue to rest before the campaign. A democrat Secretary of State could refuse to put him on the ballot and then we would have lawsuit in the middle of the campaign/ I wouldn't put it past one, California for example.

I still don't like Trump but think he is for real. I frankly don't like any of them much. I sent money to her but she disappointed me on the immigration issue.

Limited blogger said...

President in waiting Donald Trump is looking very presidential.

Only other guy with any blood in his veins tonight is Chris Christie.

eric said...

Trump and Cruz are having a great night. Trump is doing better though. I'm sad to say.

The only thing Trump said tonight that worries me is his respect for Tribe. Would a President Trump nominate someone like Tribe to be on the Supreme Court?

Gulp!

Oso Negro said...

Carson reminds me of a college stoner waxing philosophical. I don't know how Kasich gets on the stage. The party needs to be smaller next time.

Limited blogger said...

Bush trying to get the Middle East coalition band back together. Trying to make Trump's call to vet immigrants a wedge issue. Ain't happening JEB!

Limited blogger said...

Kasich has a different tone/take tonight. Too late, but interesting.

Oso Negro said...

Trump is uneven. I hope someone will ask for the names of his Muslim friends.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

The 'repeal and replace' rhetoric on Obamacare is logically inconsistent. If it is such a disaster you only need 'repeal', no 'replace'. The 'replace' is a sign of weakness, acknowledging that the legislation does in fact do something valuable.

Limited blogger said...

Trump is calling the tune as usual. Cruz needs to be in his administration somewhere important, he has the laser focus the Trump team needs.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Trump is Bush's kryptonite. He does fine against everyone else but looks lost against Trump. Typical younger brother.

Browndog said...

I don't know-

I'm with Michael K as far a Trump. Hard to like, hard to take seriously, but the guy knows his shit, and speaks frankly.

Elections usually always turn to the economy and jobs (except for war-time).

Time to at least wrap your head around the possibility of President Trump.

traditionalguy said...

Trump was at his Trumpian best explaining his Tariff threat to China in answer to a question from the Fox Business Network guy who then says, " I couldn't follow your answer."

Trump shoots back," Why not? It wasn't complicated."

Trump is being unfair to use that high IQ mind of his on slow ones.

Limited blogger said...

I can't dislike Marco, nice guy, very articulate, fairly conservative. Come back in 8 years, we'll give you another look.

Hagar said...

I think that if the U.S. said no more immigrants from anywhere until we get this thing straightened out, there would be a lot of Moslems who would say: "Good; they are finally getting serious about this!"

What is so hard about hearing what Trump is saying about his 45% tariff?
It is just to look the Chinese government in the eye and say: "You stop your shenaningans and let your currency float to its appropriate level or we will impose a tariff of X%."
And Trump says he is the guy who can make the Chinise believe him, and the rest of the crowd isn't.

Theranter said...

Garage: Trump received 4 student deferments and 1 medical deferment. They are all fucking cowards despite their bluster.
Yup. I know most strongly dislike Graham, but I thought he was great. He served in the military, and has the most overall combined experience and education. It's a shame he didn't get further than Bush or Kasich.

Michael K.
"Trump is good. Cruz should have put the birther issue to rest before the campaign."
Yes, he totally should have.
"A democrat Secretary of State could refuse to put him on the ballot and then we would have lawsuit in the middle of the campaign/ I wouldn't put it past one, California for example."
Alex Padilla (CA SOS) would do it in a heartbeat. He's probably already lined up the legal team, and has the network in place with every D SOS to file at strategic times and throw everything into turmoil.

Hagar said...

I'll be a ....
ARM finally said something I totally agree with!

Limited blogger said...

Dr. Ben Carson is the most honorable man I've ever seen on a political stage.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Christie is a good debater, arguably the best on the stage, but he doesn't connect emotionally.

Browndog said...

Blogger Limited blogger said...

Dr. Ben Carson is the most honorable man I've ever seen on a political stage.


Agreed.

Limited blogger said...

Christie trying to throw some late fight haymakers! Did they connect?

traditionalguy said...

Don't you recall the way Reid and Pelosi paved the way to sell Obamacare was by refusing to allow any fixes to the defects in private Insurance policies such as the needed fix to the Pre-existing Exclusion Game that was making it impossible to shop around a group policy.

So the fixes were needed and will be needed so the repeal does not cause harm without making the needed fixes.

Original Mike said...

"The 'repeal and replace' rhetoric on Obamacare is logically inconsistent. If it is such a disaster you only need 'repeal', no 'replace'. The 'replace' is a sign of weakness, acknowledging that the legislation does in fact do something valuable."

One of Obama's many straw men is that Republicans had no plans for reform.

Browndog said...

Yea, Christie just rocked it-

Christie understands the ins and outs of the bureaucracy.

Something Trump lacks....but I notice he's a quick learner.

MaxedOutMama said...

ARM is right on the Trump/ACA repeal and replace.

And Carson - it's impossible not to respect and like him. He's not bullshitting at all.

Also, his response on the Syrian refugee question is by far the best of all. It's a solution that would greatly help Europe, the refugees themselves, and us. It would build the foundation for a real eventual Syrian state, and it would get the UN in there and prevent Russia from just running wild. It is politically possible, and would fly very well in international diplomatic circles.

The man has depth.

M Jordan said...

Cruz has gone up in my estimation. He has been a bit disarming with his turn to the camera and smile response as Trump drills him. He is smart but so are all of them.

Trump's best debate so far. His number one strength, again, not backing down. Truly admirable.

Kasich a bit better than usual, which isn't saying much.

Rubio too "fierce." Just talk, Marco, don't make every sentence a call to arms. And, please, stop with the "When I am president ..."

Jeb!? Meh.

Dr. Carson, the drunk waiter carrying the loaded dinner plates routine. Scary, funny, and a great sense of relief every time he finishes his turn hat he arrived at the dinner table, plates intact which he then dispenses with Art Carney flourish.

Christie? Also meh.

The undercard? Didn't watch it but I'm sure this happened: Fiorina hectored, Santorum morally preened, and Huckabee rocked out on the bass guitar as only a cool dude like him can do.

Limited blogger said...

M. Jordan, great synopsis! The Carson visual was funny.

traditionalguy said...

As for Trump's Draft Deferments during the Viet Nam days compared to brave Ted Cruz, what was the military service that Cruz volunteered for? And did his Dual Canadian Citizenship make him exempt from the draft in the USA anyway?

Browndog said...

Very Professional debate by Cavuto and team.

Refreshing.

Theranter said...

Limited blogger said...
"Dr. Ben Carson is the most honorable man I've ever seen on a political stage."
Amen.
And I'm trying to imagine a Trump/Carson run. Dr. Carson might be a great leveling (? not sure of the word I'm looking for!) influence for Trump, and the temperament contrast on the campaign trail might play very well. Carson is downright brilliant, Trump is brilliant in a shiny way. (He's smart, but not near Carson-smart.)

AReasonableMan said...
"Christie is a good debater, arguably the best on the stage, but he doesn't connect emotionally."
And I don't get the feeling he can be trusted. Not sure why, just an uneasy feeling I've never been able to shake.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Original Mike said...
One of Obama's many straw men is that Republicans had no plans for reform.


You would have to include Paul Ryan in that claim since he recently publicly stated that his priority during the party's upcoming retreat is to come up with a replacement plan. There is no broadly acceptable Republican plan at this point in time and at no previous point in time. Individuals have promoted their own plans but none of them was broadly acceptable to the party.

Limited blogger said...

Drudge debate winner poll so far:

Trump 60
Cruz 30
Rubio 6

garage mahal said...

Abolish the IRS..... and have the county sheriff collect taxes? WTF. LOL

This debate is a complete shitshow.

Phil 314 said...

Drudge debate winner...

Who gives a shit!

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Rubio finally lands a blow. Clearly rehearsed, but still effective.

Browndog said...

I find myself having to mute Bush the same way I have to mute Obama.

Original Mike said...

You misunderstood me ARM. Yes, there no agreed upon plan. That was never going to happen when the Dem's strong arm tactics sucked all the air out of the room. But there were proposals under discussion. There were few or no Republicans who claimed there was no need for reform.

Limited blogger said...

Drudge?

Phil 314 said...

ARM said

"The short Latin guy..."

Racist.

Hunter said...

AReasonableMan said...
The 'repeal and replace' rhetoric on Obamacare is logically inconsistent. If it is such a disaster you only need 'repeal', no 'replace'. The 'replace' is a sign of weakness, acknowledging that the legislation does in fact do something valuable.

One of the accusations leveled against those who opposed the ACA at its passage was that they thought "the status quo" was just fine and denied there are any problems with the health care system.

There are problems with the health care system. A great many of those problems are caused by government. The problem with the ACA wasn't that nothing needed to be done, but that the ACA did all the wrong things. It operates on all kinds of wrong assumptions about why health care is the way it is and costs as much as it does.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Phil 3:14 said...
Racist.


Au contraire, I am not suggesting that all Latin guys are short, just this one.

Browndog said...

Kasick running for re-election in Ohio. Nothing more, nothing less.

Anonymous said...

Very entertaining and actually quite substantive. Trump slapped around Cruz on the New York issue. I despise Trump, but I will say this for him, he's no fake, unlike Cruz.

David Begley said...

Ted and Marco won.

Jeb, Ben and John are finished.

Limited blogger said...

Cruz' closing statements are always precise and poignant.

Limited blogger said...

Trump just running up the score now.

Hunter said...

Blogger Amanda said...
I despise Trump, but I will say this for him, he's no fake, unlike Cruz.

Trump is one of maybe two non-fake guys on that stage. The other is Christie. But Christie is going nowhere, so.

I've never been a Trump voter, I thought and have said he can't possibly last until the convention... but he knocked it out of the park tonight and is actually starting to win me over.

Browndog said...

Damn good debate. I'm glad I watched. Wasn't planning to; was just going to catch the first few minutes to get the tone.

Browndog said...

I've never been a Trump voter, I thought and have said he can't possibly last until the convention... but he knocked it out of the park tonight and is actually starting to win me over.

Welcome to the club.....I guess.

MaxedOutMama said...

You know, Trump is a great salesman. He is likely to win the general just because of that.

And in at least one sense, the country would be better off. Because this country does have a lot of bad debt to sell, you betcha.

My personal pick hahahahaha would be Kasich. I know that's hopeless, but he would be a decent president and he does have some real political skills which would be very useful in getting a functional Congress.

In that respect, Trump's very formidable salesmanship and his real intention to improve the situation could also prod Congress to move.

The important moment in tonight's debate was Trump's very direct and public notice to Cruz that he wanted him as VP but that the eligibility issue had to be cleared up. Trump is pissed about it because he wanted him as VP and now he's stuck with options he doesn't like nearly as well.

Chuck said...

So Donald Trump's elegy to New York wins the night? More than his preposterous actual-policy positions on import tariffs, health care, gun laws, and too many other real live issues to name?

I remember the last guy to win his party's nomination because he made everybody just feel so yummy, watching him on tv. That guy was Barack Obama.

David Begley said...

Ted meant NY social values. 9-11 is entirely different. 9-11 was an attack on America but NYC was the target. Ted is right when he said not many conservatives in NYC. When Buckley ran for mayor in the 60s, he lost badly.

eric said...

Blogger Chuck said...
So Donald Trump's elegy to New York wins the night? More than his preposterous actual-policy positions on import tariffs, health care, gun laws, and too many other real live issues to name?

I remember the last guy to win his party's nomination because he made everybody just feel so yummy, watching him on tv. That guy was Barack Obama.


Look, Chuck, I'm sympathetic to your trying to tear down one candidate in order to help raise another.

But seriously, you've gotta admit it was a heart tugging exchange that Trump won. He really did. My number 1 guy is Cruz, but without a doubt, Trump won that exchange.

Tom said...

I think Trump went Alpha Male on Cruz. Cruz is a fine debater but he's not the big dog. It's become clear to me that American's have little interest in substantive policy or political success as a prerequisite for president -- if they did, Katich would be leading as he's been an amazingly successful governor of Ohio. So, it's now a question of who's the Alpha Male and I don't think any of those guys compare to Trump.

Anonymous said...

Cruz and Bush both should try not to smile when they're being hit, it makes them look weak. Cruz has a creepy odd smile, poor man, I know he can't help it.

Kelly said...

Never much of A Christie fan, but damn he's good. Take a listen to his New Jersey State of the state speech. Political theater at its best and most compelling.

cbuds said...

NYT fact check defends ISIS slaughter as not quite genocide yet:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/fact-check.html?_r=0#/factcheck-62

Senator Marco Rubio said President Obama had played down the threat of the Islamic State, which practices genocide.

An exaggeration.

Senator Marco Rubio's charge that President Obama has played down the threat of the Islamic State ends up inflating the threat from the group. While it is true that the Islamic State has targeted Christians and Yazidis, there is no evidence that it has carried out genocide against those groups.

— Mark Landler

Chuck said...

I don't really get it; when Cruz was talking about "New York," I certainly got it. I could have been nodding in agreement with him.

I think of the New York Times, the New York Yankees, and New Yorkers like Michael Savage. Assholes.

My number 1 guy isn't Cruz or Trump; I'm not trying too much to defend Cruz for any personal reasons. I do hate guys like Trump; over-confident, overcompensating New York loudmouths who think they know everything until they run into somebody who is really listening and taking down all the words.

Browndog said...

cbuds said...

You, and that utter rubbish you are peddling will find no quarter here.

Sprezzatura said...

Haven't there been points when Bush was thought to be the smart dude w/ all sorts of policy knowledge?

OTOH, he doesn't know that China requires Boeing to build manufacturing facilities in China. Bush said his view was somehow supported because Trump went to SC in a Boeing plane and Trump can see other Boeing planes at the airport in SC. WTF?

And, we can't threaten to do to China the same thing that they're currently doing to us because if we level the field they'll react. So, Bush can't conceive of looking for a fair deal because it's impossible to win, even against an opponent with a weaker hand. In other words, in a negotiation we must unilaterally cave to them, because we're afraid of them, even though they have more to lose. Even Bush agrees that Bush is weak.

dreams said...

You can't get elected in NY unless you have NY values which means liberal values, Trump didn't win on that issue. As in who wants barbecue sauce from NY city?

William said...

Trump might be a jerk, but he's our jerk. Which is better than being Iran's patsy.

Sprezzatura said...

Perhaps the NY haters could amend the Constitution to define NY born folks as citizens, but not natural born citizens.

traditionalguy said...

New York values are amazing. They are energized to work hard to make money to pay for the high cost of living there. It is energy 24/7. And in their own way they all know how to get along respecting one another's space in very close together crowds.

The many, many churches of the 5 Borroughs are wonderful too. Have you ever heard The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir? That racially mixed congregation has 10 times as close a relationship with God as the average legalistic Evangelical stick in the mud Iowa farmer all angry about imaginary evil New Yorkers they see on TV crime shows.

Smilin' Jack said...

This show is on too late for me. I need to pack it in for the night. Posted by Ann Althouse at 5:01 PM

You know you're old when....

Birkel said...

PBandJ,
You are free to support the Democrat in the general election and the guy who supports a trade war in the Republican primary.

I remember the trade war before the last (acknowledged) Depression. Good times. Good times.

Birkel said...

This debate was a two person show. Trump and Cruz were clearly the winners.

Notice that Liberals wish, mostly, to tear Cruz down. One wonders why Liberals do not attack Trump.

The questions answer themselves, "traditionalguy" notwithstanding.

Fucking creepy sycophant.

Smilin' Jack said...

"Asunder" is a "mid-12c., contraction of Old English on sundran."

A conscientious blogger would trace it back to its Indo-European roots. What the hell are we paying you for?

dreams said...

"New York values are amazing. They are energized to work hard to make money to pay for the high cost of living there. It is energy 24/7. And in their own way they all know how to get along respecting one another's space in very close together crowds.

The many, many churches of the 5 Borroughs are wonderful too. Have you ever heard The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir? That racially mixed congregation has 10 times as close a relationship with God as the average legalistic Evangelical stick in the mud Iowa farmer all angry about imaginary evil New Yorkers they see on TV crime shows."

People should stop pretending that they don't know what Cruz meant when he said NY values, he obviously meant liberal values. Republicans are mostly conservative or moderate and have contempt for liberals and those are the people Cruz was speaking to.

Sprezzatura said...

Birkel,

You must understand that there's in a flaw in this one sided logic when our government negotiators take the POV that we must accept any bad trade relationship because if we don't there'll be a trade war.

Why do some cons have a mental block with this? Maybe it'd help to think of trade in terms of military terms, since cons don't advocate announcing unilateral disarmament when it comes to blowing up stuff. Would it be a good idea for us to announce to Russia that they can nuke Idaho, Tennessee, Texas and NY, but we won't respond because the result would be global destruction?


Birkel said...

PBandJ,
So your answer is stupid and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Free trade is a net good and I expect you to deny this fact. Let me save you the trouble:I already know you are economically illiterate.

Populism is fun until the deprivation it brings.

grimson said...

On "New York values," Cruz got the bigger audience reaction; Trump got just polite applause. I would agree with that.

Cruz was pretty clear that he meant liberalism. I thought NYC was proud of its liberalism, and don't understand why this is a deal.

Trump ignored NYC political views, and basically said NYC has the best people, that nobody could have handled September 11 better, or "more humanely."

That seems pretty insulting to everybody not living in NYC, which is another New York value.

tim in vermont said...

We really seriously need a third party, maybe Jim Webb should run, somebody who could draw votes from both sides. I am not sure with whom I am most disgusted, Donald Trump or Paul Ryan. Trump wins that battle because it is starting to look like the only answer is to send a terminator to (figuratively, people) the RNC and the GOP establishment what The Terminator did to that police station.

tomaig said...

I like James Taranto's idea...on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Trump announces that he would, if elected, appoint Cruz to the SCOTUS.
It would likely make those who waver about supporting Cruz feel better about voting for Trump...Cruz has shown he has the knowledge and temperament to be a Justice and this would eliminate any possible "birther" lawsuits since there is no "natural born citizen" requirement for being on the Supreme Court

Bob Ellison said...

Smilin' Jack, your post made me laugh out loud. Very good.

rhhardin said...

Trump went PC with the defense of NYC values, which is not a good sign.

His support is for doing away with PC.

He ought to have defended NYC values as analytical and pragmatic, not as weepy 9/11.

The one is PC, the other is not.

RMc said...

I've never been a Trump voter

Well, no one ever has been. Yet.

traditionalguy said...

The only fucking creepy sycophant around is named Cruz. He has learned to make a career arguing for the paranoid and proud side of GOP politics. He is the newest smooth tongued leader of the John Bircher wing of ideologues asserting they are The Only True Conservatives, which if true means they have to fight other traditional Conservatives to the death. Fighting liberals is a cover story. They want to divide and destroy conservatives with mind control technique.

It once took an equally smooth tongued New Yorker named William F. Buckley to stand up to that mentally ill con job to keep its siren songs from destroying the influence of legitimate traditional conservatives.

Che Dolf said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sprezzatura said...

"Free trade is a net good and I expect you to deny this fact."

You're supporting the anti-free trade position. Your position is that China and others can screw us with their free trade impositions, but we must remain free toward them.

The whole point of free trade is that it works both ways. Why is this hard for you to understand?

Thorley Winston said...

You're supporting the anti-free trade position. Your position is that China and others can screw us with their free trade impositions, but we must remain free toward them.

I only caught the last 90 minutes of the debate but I did see most of the trade back-and-forth. Governor Bush was quite correct that threatening tariffs as Trump had suggested (and then danced around when confronted with) would lead to a disastrous trade war was correct. If the Chinese engage in “dumping” (selling us goods below cost) they’re ultimately giving American consumers a good deal for as long as they can sustain it. Many of those goods (like steel) are relatively low-value items and are used by Americans to manufacture other more high value items which is why things like steel tariffs that Bush 43 and Clinton imposed to stop “dumping” were ultimately counter-productive.

The suggestion (either Cruz or Bush) that instead we reform our tax code in a way that didn’t penalize American exports is probably a more effective way of dealing with Chinese policies because it doesn’t add to the distortions of their protectionist (and ultimately counter-productive) policies by doubling-down them and corrects them in a way that is difficult (not just politically but practically) for the Chinese to retaliate.

So while Trump may have scored points with those who just want to hear about how we’re going to “beat the Chinese,” I think Bush, Cruz and the other trade supporters won on substance by thinking far enough ahead to try to come up with a policy change that actually might make things better.

Theranter said...

Blogger tomaig said...
"I like James Taranto's idea...on the eve of the Iowa caucuses, Trump announces that he would, if elected, appoint Cruz to the SCOTUS"

That would be an incredibly stupid move. Not only would it alienate tens of millions of crossover voters in the general, but there are many more jurists that are imminently more experienced and qualified than Cruz for SCOTUS. (Admittedly he is much smarter than SS and EK, but that's not the point.)

Either he picks him as veep, or hints at AG, but outside of those two options, his best option is to shut up about him. Cruz is poison to many, many, potential crossover votes--votes that are necessary to win.

Dude1394 said...

Weird...somehow a country "dumping" is good for the people of this country while the companies they work for go out of business. As Thomas Sowell would say, very stage 1 economic thinking.

Birkel said...

PBandJ,
I have a hard time accepting false assertions.

Did the Japanese of the 1970s win?
Go away, child.