The First Debate in Real Time

This thread is your opportunity to post comments on the first (5PM) Repbulican candidates’ debate, in real time as the debate occurs. I might or might not find the stomach to participate.

Keep in mind the guidelines I posted yesterday:

I will have zero tolerance for comments that contribute nothing to the enterprise. In other words, anything of the form “Ha ha! I knew so-and-so was an idiot” will be deleted as soon as they appear. Ideally, all comments will contain food for thought. Bonus points for pointing out subtle self-contradictions. If you insist on posting pure insults, they should at least be hilarious.

Now have at it.

Click here to comment or read others’ comments.

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17 Responses to “The First Debate in Real Time”


  1. 1 1 Steve Landsburg

    Well, well. Here it is ten minutes before debate time and I am first learning that only subscribers to FoxNews can watch. This at least frees up my evening.

    Have at it without me, and I’ll check in on your comments tomorrow to see what I missed.

  2. 2 2 Steve Landsburg

    Aha! I found it on my TV after all. Watching now.

  3. 3 3 Steve Landsburg

    I thought Fiorina’s off-topic jab at the Clintons made her seem small-minded and petty.

  4. 4 4 David Pinto

    Someone should ask the candidates why the Nationals keep leaving so many men on base! :-)

  5. 5 5 Steve Landsburg

    Fiorina saying that because we have had advance warning of terrorist incidents we should have been able to stop them — ignoring that we’ve also had advance warning of a lot of *non*-incidents and that the whole problem is filtering out which you’re going to take seriously.

  6. 6 6 MC

    Why does Lindsey Graham sound gay!

  7. 7 7 Steve Landsburg

    Graham on “what the meaning of is is” — another off topic jab at Clinton, looks just as petty as Fiorina’s.

  8. 8 8 Steve Landsburg

    Just on presentation, not on content: Pataki exceeding my low expectations, Gilmore exceeding my high expectations, Fiorina way below my middling expectations, Jindal meeting my middling expectations, Perry exceeding my fairly high expectations, Santorum slightly exceeding my very low expectations, Graham falling short of my middling expectations.

  9. 9 9 Steve Landsburg

    Fiorina’s answer on Iran sounding very well thought out and serious — making up for her earlier weak performance.

  10. 10 10 Steve Landsburg

    Graham explicitly opposing the harvesting of organs from aborted fetuses. Is this because he thinks the harvesting causes more abortions? He did not say that — he seems to think the harvesting is per se bad. If so, he should not be president, no matter what else he believes.

  11. 11 11 Steve Landsburg

    Fiorina has definitely upped her game.

  12. 12 12 Steve Landsburg

    Still judging strictly on presentation, not content — Lindsey Graham is *terrible* at this. He comes off as an anesthetized Jimmy Carter. Perry is the opposite — he comes off simultaneously thoughtful, dynamic, smart, competent, and judicious. They are, I think, the clear loser and the clear winner.

  13. 13 13 Steve Landsburg

    That’s it. See you again at 9PM, in a separate thread.

  14. 14 14 Floccina

    Rick Perry, if you go by what they have done, seems the most qualified conservative why did he not make the cut?

    Pataki makes a good case for himself.

    Fiorina seems the most well spoken. If she had Perry’s experience and record she would be the one.

    Lindsey Graham seems to believe that fear of Islamist can carry him. I hope he is wrong. Back Iraq! I hope not.

  15. 15 15 Tom

    Watched on a delay, but Jindal saying he’ll sick IRS, DOJ, etc. on Planned Parenthood due to immorality (rather than rule of law) was a slip up. It’s just as bad as IRS persecution of conservative groups, rhetorically-wise.

  16. 16 16 tb

    Floccina,

    The candidates were ranked by an avg of the 5 most recent polls. Top 10 went into the primetime debate. The remainder were offered a spot in the early debate.

  17. 17 17 Isidro Khela

    Karen Finney, a spokeswoman for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign, spoke about Donald J. Trump’s comments on immigration at the first Republican debate. It seems like this election has been a whole lot about a person who’s very high in the polls but doesn’t have a clue about how to govern, a person who has been filled with scandals, and who could not lead.

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