GOP Debate thoughts…

Random thoughts about last night’s Republican debate…

— Without Trump, as disgusting as he is, the entertainment value of the debates was down. Arguably there may have been a bit more policy discussions as a result, but the discussions wound up mostly as the usual posturing about military adventurism and domestic divisiveness. There was very little new as the candidates repeated their now-familiar campaign taglines.

— I watched the undercard debate which convinced me that Carly Fiorina may be even more loathsome and slimy than Ted Cruz. She can say nothing that is short of vindictive, vicious and untrue. She dissembles about Planned Parenthood, demeans Hillary Clinton and grossly misstates her own work record. She is totally lacking in any qualification to be President.

— And so is Ben Carson. The sleepy neurosurgeon continues to speak incoherently about foreign policy and almost everything else. In many ways, it’s a shame, but his campaign has descended into a spectacle of humiliation. Someone needs to pull the plug quickly on Carson, Fiorina, Santorum, Huckabee and Gilmore (who confessed he isn’t bothering to campaign in Iowa and is about to start in New Hampshire, just over one week before that state’s primary). Ugh.

–Marco Rubio seems to get younger and younger with each debate. His invocations of God, his switches on immigration policy and his silly hard-line militarism mark him as a tad unprepared to be President. Maybe sometime down the road when he’s grown up, but for now he’s a little boy not quite ready for the big time. Seriously.

— Rand Paul was probably the night’s big winner, although it’s doubtful it will do him any good. He spoke with some thoughtfulness about the issues, effectively needled some of the other candidates, and in general looked prepared and knowledgeable. And for that matter, Jeb Bush had his best debate, more forceful and perceptive in his responses.

— John Kasich and Chris Chrsitie were pretty much marginalized during the debate. They didn’t have much to add and have said some of the same things things just a little too often. In Christie’s case, the bridge scandal may not yet be over in spite of his eagerness to downplay it. Still, next to Cruz, both candidates do come down on the sane side of things.

— Ted Cruz remains scary. Oily slick, acidly glossing over facts, and accusing everyone of misunderstanding his positions on many issues. His was an unimpressive performance by any measure — he would make a terrible President — and he did nothing to change opinions about his loathsomeness (although Fiorina made a serious run at that).