GOP Debate Recap: Cringe, Curtains, and Quacks

Foolishness. Any debate without a frontrunner is foolishness.

And yet, after each debate spirals out of control you can easily see the benefit of avoiding association with such a spectacle. As always, my takeaways are peak academia and would never touch on superficial things like the perfection that was Dana Perino’s make-up.

1. The location of a mostly concrete, metal, and glass airplane hangar made for an echo chamber…of the echo chamber. That was poor planning and poor production. Either cut the mics or have some better plan in place to avoid what seemed to be incessant talking over each other. I lay responsibility first with the RNC, then the candidates, then FOX. RNC first, because they need to have agreements in place for debates that don’t make an entire field look petty and bratty. FOX–y’all are the grown-ups in the room. Be the grown-ups in the room and reign it in quickly. Candidates? Don’t be petty and bratty. It shows.

2. Also, the awkward exchange between Varney and Univision host in the first three seconds? Summed up the entire debate.

3. No matter how much I like Tim Scott or how needed his perspective is in our current racially fraught climate…he is Ben Carson 2024. No one is looking for a gentle giant. They are looking for a brawler to exact revenge. At least I am.

4. Doug Burgum is exactly right about a few things, namely the danger of government interference with a free market. Irrelevant. But right.

5. Ron DeSantis. His best argument is “I have actually done it.” Though it should be made with someone else’s voice. Call me a jerk, but the tone of his voice tends towards whiney, quickly. It’s a thing. Also, we gotta have some mirror time. The awkward faces at the end of his speeches are not the exclamation point he is hoping or needing to have at the end of a good point.

6. Vivek’s hair. Reign it in, Bro. Mock me now and google me later. You’ll see. Vivek is giving Bob Eubank’s 1970 Newlywed Show.  (See for yourself, click this link–> The Dark Dome)  Beyond that, he made some good tried and true GOP points…that I do not trust for a minute and was glad Nikki Haley said that part out loud. “We don’t trust you.” I will be interested to see how he polls this week, he appeals to younger voters…right up until he talks about birthright citizenship.

7. Pence. Yeeesh. I loved Pence as VP. Something has changed. There is a smugness and condescension that he oozes. He’s giving “entitled establishment” vibes now. And there were a few painful pauses as he waited for jokes to land and got crickets from the audience. The “sleeping with a teacher” bit…. just no. Poor taste. Poorly timed. Seemed smarmy. That’s a comedic timing thing. It doesn’t make you a bad person. It just means that’s not a tool in your box, find another.

8. Chris Christie. Just. The. Worst. He is a Hessian with zero chance or intention of winning. He is simply here to inflict wounds and draw blood. He comes off as insincere–because he is. And bitter–because he is. He made a few good points on pro-life all of life, but no one will remember them…because “Donald Duck” seemed like the insult of a 7-year-old at recess. Quack, quack bro. Also, as long as everything is on the table…we have not come so far in search for beauty equity that all superficial judgments have been abandoned. If we are gonna talk about age being an issue that could impede a productive presidency, we should address overall health as well. Get fit, buddy.

9. I need to rewatch the debate because it seems my barometer is off on Nikki Haley. I thought she made some great and clear points and was her best when focusing on the audience’s everyday problems and avoiding unnecessary daggers or boasting. But I see the twitterverse thought she was a bit “Karenesque.” I didn’t see that, but I also wasn’t dialed in the entire time. I will say the back and forth between she and Tim Scott was unfortunate and unflattering for both. It was petty on Scott for engaging on the basis of “curtains,” it was petty of Nikki to take the bait. Calmly, quietly say the facts about Obama’s curtains and then shame him for bringing it up when our southern border is killing us.

10. I have an entirely innocent hetero-nerd crush on Dana Perino… and I HATED the last question from Dana Perino about “Survivor.” How in the world did that survive a pitch meeting??? That got read aloud in front of others at the table and NO ONE realized how flat and foolish it would sound??? Boo Hiss. I’d say you’re better than this, Fox. But you aren’t.

Ultimately, as in all the other debates…no one wins and the people lose. You have winning records wrapped in the lesser personalities. You have all the personality with zero records. This should be the easiest election to win, if it is fair. There is not one single leaming win for Dems to point to. Not socially, not economically, not in education, transportation, safety, etc. This should be shooting fish in a barrel with all the truly appallingly bad accomplishments of the left to fire at. Find receipts here: President Puddin’ Pops is Getting the Kids Concert Tickets!

But it will require the laying down of ego and the linking of arms within the GOP and I don’t know that they are wise or selfless enough to win. See my post on Repentance. Republicans Should Run On Repentance

No one is dominant enough to dominate, except Trump…who easily dominates but needs to delegate or divide his own gravitas for the sake of the party or people. He often kills off instead of conscripting his enemies for future allies. They need to plan not just to further individual careers but to “occupy” as a group for the next 12 years. And it will require a cooperation and galvanization that the GOP has not possessed in decades.

Until the next one! Pray God intervenes. Lol. (No seriously, PRAY.)

-Your friendly neighborhood extremist and salty citizen.