The Not-So-Great Debate

Posted on by under Economic issues, education, Election 2024, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

I watched most of the GOP debate last night.  Why, you might ask?  Well, you’ve heard that old saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”?  That’s why.  And in a way, I was glad I wasted two hours of my life that I can never get back, for it was quite humorous at times.  I am now more certain than ever that I do not want to live in a country ruled by any of these clowns!  Oh … and another thing I learned … Governor Ron DeSantis truly is a bobblehead!!!  His head bobs up and down continuously while he talks!  It’s quite a sight …

I’m not a political analyst so I can only give you my initial reactions, and I have no intention of boring you with a play-by-play, blow-by-blow account of the 2-hour event.  I will only share with you some brief thoughts that I had while listening to these eight individuals expound on why they think they should be president.

Nikki Haley deported herself well.  On the hot topic issue of women’s rights, aka abortion, she was moderate with a reasonable stance.  And on other topics she also came across as one of the more moderate people on the stage.

In contrast, Vivek Ramaswamy came across as a nutcase!  He never shuts up, he is arrogant, he talks over everybody else, and his ‘policies’ are garbage.  He has stuck his foot in his mouth a number of times lately, and last night he stuck both feet in it more than once. He came right out and said that climate change is a hoax, and that the U.S. should increase fossil fuel production, that our prosperity depends on it, and that capitalism is our key to success. Oh yeah, and he wants to give Ukraine to Putin … I think he likes Putin a lot!  What an ass.

The audience … it must have been requisite to become a member of the audience to have an IQ beneath 65, for they applauded the most ridiculous statements, and booed the heck out of Chris Christie when he made one of the most intelligent statements of the night.  What Christie said, in a nutshell, was that whether Trump is found guilty or not, his behaviour has been beneath the dignity of the office of president.  I applaud that view, but the audience went to town boo-ing and was still at it 5 minutes later!

Interestingly, when the moderator asked the candidates to “raise your hand if you would support Donald Trump even if convicted of a crime”, all but two raised their hand.  Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson kept their hands down.  The others?  Too much Kool Aid, not enough ability to think, not enough concern for the nation … idiots, by any standard.

Much of what Mike Pence said was intelligent, but he brought religion into it more than I was comfortable with, as did Tim Scott.  People seem to forget that this is a very diverse nation and that there are many of us who are not Christians, who are Jews, Muslims, Hindus, agnostics and atheists.  We have the same constitutional rights the Christians do, so when a politician makes claims about putting religion into schools, or making the nation a Christian nation, he is telling about 40% of the people in this country that we’re not citizens.

Every candidate spoke past their allotted time, and some had to be firmly chastised by the moderators, Brett Baier and Martha MacCallum.  Some candidates simply burst out with comments when it wasn’t even their turn.  At a couple of points, I really thought it was just going to turn into a free-for-all.

Toward the end, as I was losing interest and about to simply log off, a pop up came onto the screen asking us to text the name of who we considered to be winning the debate.  I texted “President Biden”.  Funny, I never heard back from them!  And speaking of Biden, he was there tonight … oh, not physically, but he was obviously on the minds of every candidate on that stage, for they missed no opportunity to bring up his name, and not to praise him for all he has accomplished, but to vilify him.  Someone watching who didn’t know much about the president and his accomplishments might have thought they were talking about Attila the Hun!

My overall impression was one of disappointment that the issues they consider to be top priorities are not the same as the ones I consider top priority.  They want to focus on immigration, crime, fentanyl, shutting down government agencies such as the Department of Education, building a wall on our southern border, etc.  I would prefer to focus on climate change, education, healthcare, poverty, guns, etc.

All I can say for sure after watching these clowns for two hours is that I sincerely hope none of them win the election that is still 439 days away.  It’s gonna be a long 14+ months.  Did any of you watch the debate, and if so, what did you think?

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53 thoughts on “The Not-So-Great Debate”

  2. It was a telling debate and you can see who’ll rise and fall in the coming weeks from the debate. The elephant in the room that was not present clearly was on the minds of everyone and I hate to say it but it was strategically well played for him not to be at the debate. I still do feel he’ll be the front runner to win.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yes, it was a foregone conclusion that the elephant would be in the room, even though he was not, but I was pleased he didn’t dominate the conversation. I think he’ll be the Republican nominee if he isn’t so much of a liability that he could be legally removed from the ballot after his nomination. BUT … I don’t think he can win the general election. Of course, I said that in 2016, too, so I don’t believe anything I say, but I really don’t think the majority of people in this country want Herr Trump for another 4 years.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I did not watch, but from what I read this am, you seem to be right inline with their opinions as well. The IQ statement is spot on, but then it is a Fox News audience..

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Pingback: THE NOT-SO-GREAT DEBATE | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  5. Thank you for your suffering! Seriously, I don’t know how you managed, but I do appreciate your analysis.

    As I was reading about Ramaswamy (here and elsewhere), I thought to myself that his name must be spelled wrong. Surely it’s RamaSWARMY! From things I’ve read, it seems like he’s trying to emulate Trump by talking too much, interrupting, and not having a clue on what he’s talking about!

    In any event, we need to think positive that NONE of these creatures makes it into the White House, and MOST of all not you-know-who!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, Nan! It really wasn’t that bad … most of the time I found it humorous that these jerks take themselves so seriously! Ramaswamy is a jackass, and most believe he is hoping to become Trump’s running mate. I hope he does … that should sink Trump’s boat once and for all! You’re right, though … NONE of these clowns will be an asset to this nation and that makes it much more imperative than ever that we all do what we can to help drum up enthusiasm for President Biden, tamp down the naysayers who can only whinge about his age! We’ve got our work cut out for us, for sure!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Trump is toast. All that’s left is the hangover without a single aspirin in the bunch. Joe is currently running a master class in steady hand governance.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Thank you for your sacrifice of valuable time and diminishing brain cells. 🙂 Inquiring minds do want to know how many times you lept from the couch to scream at the tube scaring the cats?

    Liked by 2 people

  8. I had no desire to watch the debate. Based on your report and reports from news media about how awful Ramaswamy is, I’m guessing Trump is sizing him up as a VP candidate—assuming RFK Jr. doesn’t join him on a “unity” ticket. Of course he has some amazing women to consider, such as Marge. Bleh!

    Niki Haley has been the biggest hypocrite imaginable. If she’s starting to sound reasonable, it’s past time for her to say she won’t support Trump.

    Liked by 3 people

    • I don’t know what Trump is thinking, but I am pretty sure that Ramaswamy is hoping Trump chooses him for his Veep. My own opinion of Ramaswamy is that the man belongs in a mental institution! He is truly off the wall crazy! As for Nikki Haley … she seems to know how to play both sides of the field. I once respected her as Governor of South Carolina, but then she threw her hat in with Trump’s and I lost all respect for her. She spoke wisely on a few issues last night, such as abortion, but when she raised her hand to say she would still support Trump even if he were convicted, that was the final straw.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Jill, thanks for the recap. Until my old party starts embracing big and small truths, it truly is not worth watching. Of course, it was likely more truthful sans Trump. Yet, I cannot even bring myself to support people who would support Trump as I believe that is a failure to their constitutional oaths. Full stop. Keith

    Liked by 2 people

    • More truthful sans Trump, no doubt, but I still think there were enough lies told last night to cover the city of Milwaukee! If I were a Republican {shudder} I would have to change parties now, especially after seeing the hands raised of those who would still support Trump even if convicted. That tells me there is NO integrity left in the GOP. Of course, I already knew that, but this reaffirmed it.

      Like

  10. It always feels like a freak show, when the candidates debate over whatever issues they believe voters care about, and, they often say what they believe we want to hear, to try and, fool us, that they’re on our sides, when,nthey only want that one thing: to get voted into office, and, keep on, lying to we the people, and, we the people are, allowing ourselves, to continue to get fooled, and, it’s just, a TOTAL FREAK SHOW, watching them, duking it out, and, maybe the next time they’re being, aired again, they can throw the, water balloons at each other, as that would be, a whole lot more, “entertaining”…

    Liked by 2 people

    • You’re so right about that. We still don’t know what they honestly believe, for they tell us what they think we want to hear, what they think will win them votes. I’ve said more than once that I think every candidate should have to take a lie detector test! That would likely eliminate 90% of them, at least.

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  11. “Oh yeah, and he wants to give Ukraine to Putin … I think he likes Putin a lot! What an ass.”
    Oh my, here we go again:

    1: It’s neither on him to give anything on Putin that he doesn’t own, nor is it on Putin to accept a stolen gift from someone.
    2: Even if America pretends they own the Ukraine, they really just own Zelenskyy and some of his minions, not the country.
    3: Neither Putin nor Lavrov nor any other people in the Kremlin want anything to do with Ukraine. They liked them as brother nation; not anymore since 2014. Had you paid attention to developments since latest 2009 you’d know that. A little bit deeper knowledge wouldn’t hurt neither, you know.
    4: Ergo, Putin doesn’t want the Ukraine, not even as a present. He took back what was rightfully Russian territory (Crimea, Donbass) since Ukraine was laying destruction on the land and the people. Now the Russians just wanna make sure Ukraine will never ever join NATO. This was and is clear for everybody who’s willing to listen.
    5: Liking Putin, or at least accepting him, is natural for most politically correct thinking people on Earth. Because Putin is right and on a good path. For Russia and the world at large.

    Where does all the hate in you and the democrats come from?Why can’t you leave other people and other nations alone?

    Liked by 1 person

      • I guess it’s sure now that Prigo was on the right flight, the one that crashed. And yes, we can rule out accidents. As for who planted the bomb, I reserve any judgement. But let’s speculate, just for fun n giggles.

        Could’ve been Putin/FSB but why? He knows the Russians love Prigo, and we know he was quite happy with that guy in exile, and still doing Russia’s good work in Africa.

        Could’ve been Biden/CIA coz the WH is disappointed with the unfortunate end of Prigo’s “coup d’etat”. Dunno how they could have misunderstood his ambition so badly. I guess we can rule them out as well.

        The fukin’ Froggies! For Prigo actively helping West-African countries getting rid of the French wannabe empire. La belle France has hordes of agents in the area. Among experts a French bomb attack is viewed as the most probable option.

        Liked by 2 people

        • My money is still on Vlad! How many people who crossed him have ‘accidentally’ fallen out of windows in high-rise buildings now? I’ve lost count. He seems to feel a need to keep reminding people not to cross him.

          Liked by 2 people

          • We know where your money is, Jill. But you bet on the wrong horse, as usual. Lemme guess, you’re a fan of the so-called American Democrats, no?

            Makes no sense, does it? If Putin wanted Prigo dead, the guy wouldn’t even have entered the plane. Killing innocent flying personnel alongside the target ain’t the Russian way. And anyway, in how far would Russia benefit from killing a useful mercenary doing the good work in West-Africa?

            For the umpteenth time now: Russia ain’t America! They don’t think in solo heroes against solo villains. Global politics is a team sport, not Bat-Man vs Superduperman. And sorry to admit, Putin has no spidey-sense either. Just an uncanny ability to set a ship onto the right course.

            My money is on the froggies, they are the only ones with a real interest and much to lose in Western Africa. Or … we shall never dismiss the possiblity of a technical defect. Let’s not forget Brazilian plane manufacturer Embraer is under threat of sanctions for delivering spare parts to Russia and Wagner group.

            Liked by 1 person

            • The law of parsimony points to the aging failing and increasingly isolated “leader” eliminating a younger more dynamic usurper gaining in popularity and economic power. Vlad did it every other scenario is more complicated.

              Liked by 2 people

              • 1) Parsimony is shit. Is for people, too lazy to think and read and study.

                2) Putin is – contrary to Biden – in best condition and mentally sharp.

                3) Contrary to the day-dreaming, not-getting-anything West, Putin knew exactly that Prigo wasn’t after him. He had beef with Shoigu and the high command for not giving his troops enough ammo. No reason to do anything for the Kremlin. The army was at the ready and just waited for Prigo and his two truckloads of men to arrive anywhere near the MoD. Fortunately, Lukashenko could convince him to turn around and claim asylum in Belarus. Crisis averted – time for tea.

                4) Prigo never had his eyes set on the throne, he was a businessman, a showman, a crybaby, not a politician.

                5) Actually is the Putin scenario the most unrealistic and needs advanced brain gymnastics to even come up with such shit. All the other theories are much more believable.

                6) We all should be happy Prigo didn’t succeed in Moscow. In his mind the army was moving to slow and he’d started the real invasion weeks earlier if they’d let him.

                7) Again and again: Vladimir isn’t shortened to Vlad. Vlad is another name. Vladimir is never really abbreviated, maybe sometimes to Volodna or something. And since that isn’t any shorter and non of us is on first name terms with him, why don’t we just stay with Putin? And anywayz: This is not a duel Superman vs Bat-Man. You ‘murikans are not seeing the bigger picture. Putin is president, yes. He was elected into that position. That’s his role up the the next election. And I guess with, like, 80% of votes, he really mustn’t fear any competition. His closest competition are the communists, but with not even 20% of votes … LOL. Putin’s surrounded by a huge, and very robust, very capable administration and very well-functioning departments and ministries. Economics, defence, science, all top-notch people. Nobody is in their position becoz they are black, gay, non-binary partypeople. =^.^=

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        • It is sad I can laugh about this Orca, because we are agreeing on several things.
          But this is a bitter laughter. It is better than the alternative. I spent out all of my rage on that a while ago.
          You and I have been down this road more than once. In the 21st century choosing one of the big powers in the world as being blameless and their leadership having nothing but good intentions, or justifiable reasons for doing what they are doing. That does not stand examination.
          What is going on across Ukraine is part of a very old story. This chapter has a long way to go. There are too many possibilities both military and political for the likes of you or I to make predictions. No matter what YouTube pundits might say; it need not have happened, even after the 2014 War.

          Liked by 1 person

    • I’m not sure how much the controversial discussions are actually worth, but it does force each side to state their views, policies, etc., so I think there’s some value in that. It’s too back you don’t have such in Germany anymore … you could get a few good laughs from it! xx

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      • Unfortunately you are absolutely correct about controverisal discussions in Germany, Jill. At least the official Germany, the govt is 100% on US/Ukraine side. Discussions in radio/TV won’t happen becoz your station will be off the air if you invite the “wrong people”. Doubts or any attempts to propagate negotiations are seen as un-American uh, undemocratic and helping the war monger Putin.
        The people are mostly very angry at the govt but the people don’t own broadcasting conglomerates.

        Idiot Scholz

        Liked by 2 people

          • Believe it or not, the disappearence of comments was ab accident or rather a fukup of the happiness engineeres at WP. I wanted to try a new layout, didn’t like any, and when I reactivated my old layout many of the widgets were gone. Now in the process of getting it all back n stuff. I managed to set up comments again … alas it only werkz for a single post and I never could even get to that function again. I’m like totally at my wits end. On the other hand I’m sick and tired with WPs shenanigans and feel less inspired wasting my time with fixing shit that should never have been broken in the first place.

            Usually I allow all comments. No hurdles, no authorisation needed. Coz I’m an anarchist by heart. I never ever delete anything or ban people from commenting.

            So my blawg is a bit crippled right now.

            I dunno what my blog has to do with Merkel. She’s a conservative CDU politician, so of course I hate her on principle. That the new Red/Green govtz had turned out as just a buncha Washington sock puppets … well, shit! 😮 A t löeaast we can be assured none of ’em will survive the next election, Go with America

            Liked by 2 people

            • I hear you on that! WordPress and I have been going round and round over a few issues. They spend more time rolling out new stuff that nobody cares about than they do fixing the problems we have! David has had the same troubles as you with getting comments on his posts.

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              • And it’s not just that nobody can comment anymore, all the older stuff with all the bad blood and fighting and all the noise and fun , legendary duals between Karmi and sweet little Orcsi … all gone now.
                Maybe forever?
                Thank you WP. 😦

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  13. The answer to that is a resounding “No!” I don’t consider Republicans my enemies, so there is no need to keep them close. But I do respect you for enduring the clown show. I certainly would have shut it off had I tried to watch it. And I already knew none of the 8 would convince a Democrat to switch allegeance. They are there to one-down each other, because that is what appeals to their loysl MAGAt base. They are not worthy!

    Liked by 2 people

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