I was just talking to a colleague about Trump tonight. Is he as dominating as he was in last month’s debate? Or is he more cautious? Less pointed? I’m not sure. This debate does have a different feel to me. I’m seeing more of Cruz, more of Bush (though not in a good way for him), Fiorina is holding the ground a lot. I think it’s right that he’s not dominating in the same way. In part, Fox News made him dominant by going after him so hard.
But here’s the thing. Trump is the only one who says we need to build a big physical wall. He’s the only one who says he will deport 12 million people. He says Americans should speak English. Full stop.
None of the rest say these aren’t good ideas. They’re just too hard or not realistic. Trump’s points are clear. They are in line with base Republican thinking. So I still think he’s winning.
The other point – and on this I agree with my colleague – is whether or not Trump is doing well or not, Jeb Bush is not doing well. He seems weak and unfocused. He asked Donald Trump to apologize to his wife. Trump said no. Jeb is weak. I don’t see him ever breaking out of this cycle of weakness and defeat. So if it’s not Trump and I still can’t really imagine it can be, who?
Late Update: Also notable, something seems slightly off about Trump’s forward hair zone? Like a little limp or kind of resting down to a point? Thoughts?
