Donald Trump is known for his bombast, but his onslaught of gratuitous insults Thursday night ushered in a new level of carnage for the Republican debates this cycle.
No one was safe. Not even the moderator:
To Rubio on hiring practices: “I’m the only one on the stage that’s hired people. You haven’t hired anybody. … You’ve had nothing but problems with your credit cards, et cetera. So don’t tell me about that. … You haven’t hired one person, you liar.”
To Cruz during immigration discussion: “You get along with nobody. … You don’t have one Republican senator backing you; not one. You don’t have the endorsement of one Republican senator and you work with these people. You should be ashamed of yourself.“
To Rubio on trade: “You don’t know a thing about business. You lose on everything. … You lose on everything you do.”
To Rubio on business practices: “But you wouldn’t know anything about it because you’re a lousy businessman.”
To Rubio while defending Trump University: “Here’s a guy — here’s a guy that buys a house for $179,000, he sells it to a lobbyist who’s probably here for $380,000 and then legislation is passed. You tell me about this guy. This is what we’re going to have as president.“
On Rubio’s comments on immigration: “I have to say, he lied this time. He lied. 100 percent.”
On Cruz and the Supreme Court: “It’s not Ted’s fault. Justice Roberts was strongly recommended and pushed by Ted. Justice Roberts gave us Obamacare. Might as well be called Roberts-care. … That is a rough thing. And I know Ted feels badly about it. And I think he probably still respects the judge. But that judge has been a disaster in terms of everything we stand for because there is no way — no way that he should have approved Obamacare.”
On Cruz: “Look, I watched Ted — and I respected it, but he gets nowhere — stand on the Senate floor for a day or two days, and talk and talk and talk. I watched the other senators laughing and smiling. And when Ted was totally exhausted, he left the Senate floor, and they went back to work. OK? We have to have somebody that’s going to make deals. It’s wonderful to stand up for two days and do that.”
To Cruz on Supreme Court picks: “When you say crazy zealot, are you talking about you? Crazy zealot — give me a break.”
On Rubio’s previous debate performance: “I watched him meltdown on the stage like that, I’ve never seen it in anybody… I thought he came out of the swimming pool.”
On Mitt Romney and taxes: “I will say this. Mitt Romney looked like a fool when he delayed and delayed and delayed. And Harry Reid baited him so beautifully.”
To Cruz on who can beat Hillary Clinton: “Hey, if I can’t beat her, you’re really going to get killed, aren’t you?”
To Hugh Hewitt, debate moderator: “First of all, very few people listen to your radio show. That’s the good news.”
On Rubio: “In all fairness, Marco is not a negotiator. I watched him melt down and I’ll tell you, it was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. … You are not a negotiator. You are not a negotiator.”
To his fellow candidates: “You might say, you might talk, you’re politicians, all talk, no action.”
On Rubio and Cruz, respectively: “This guy is a choke artist, and this guy is a liar.”
Trump to Cruz in heated exchange: “I’m relaxed. You’re the basket case. … Go ahead. Don’t get nervous.”
The level of discourse actually makes me pine for the days of $ister $arah and her word salads. These are grown men running for an incredibly important position that requires a certain degree of intelligence and maturity … none of which were on display in this “debate.” I can get better discourse watching the chimps fling their feces at each other at the zoo.
Kasich is being attacked this morning for his comments on ‘Christian’ bakers, florists.You would have thought my governor had finally found the correct patronizing tone for those doing business in the public square. Sell ‘those people’ what they want, then pray for the unclean reprobates. But no, the professional religious class can’t have that. Because this is not really about the florist or baker shunning a potential customer. This is about a firewall of so-called “Religious Freedom/Liberty” the tax dependent professionals in religiously affiliated hospitals, schools, etc. are trying to erect so they may reach into a taxpayer’s wallet, but deny that citizen services.
Chris Wallace on local TV today called them a “disgrace to the party” and said they were “acting like fools.” True, yes. But I thought I’d never see the day.
The problem is, as rude and obnoxious (and unqualified to be President) as Trump is, I agree with everything you quote here. Trump is giving a lot of very angry and disaffected people a voice. The GOP is going to have to figure this one out, and fast. But I suspect they are too late.
Trump’s cousin dragged him through the mud in his Jan. 20, 2016 obituary.
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ETA: Attention to the WINK