The First Republican Presidential Debate – A Review

Republican presidential candidates from left to right, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and John Kasich take the stage for the first Republican presidential debate at the Quicken Loans Arena on August 6, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. The arena will hold the Republican National Party Convention to select, what republicans hope, will be the next president of the United States.

The first two Republican Party presidential debates were held at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on August 6, 2015. The debates were watched by 24 million Americans. They were very exciting and one of the most combative in years. There will be eight more GOP primary debates. Fox News moderators asked tough questions to all the candidates.

Ten Republican candidates participated from 9 to 11 p.m. in the first Republican presidential debate of the 2016 campaign. The other seven candidates participated in a one-hour forum starting at 5 p.m. which was called the “happy-hour debate” by its participants. Its star was former Hewlett-Packard chief executive officer Carly Fiorina who did very well and many considered her the winner including Politico and Fox News. Fiorina went after Hillary Clinton as she has done before.

Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina was considered by many the winner of debate among the other six candidates who were not selected to the main prime time debate due to low poll numbers. Fiorina went after Hillary Clinton very passionately and effectively as she has done before.

Carly Fiorina stated the following: “Hillary Clinton lies about Benghazi, she lies about emails, she is still defending Planned Parenthood, and is still her party’s frontrunner. 2016 is going to be a fight between conservatism and a Democrat Party that is undermining the very character of this nation. We need a nominee who is going to throw every punch, not pull punches, and someone who cannot stumble before he even gets in the ring.” Fiorina was referring to Jeb Bush without naming him in her last comment.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal also criticized Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush. He said that “You know, we’ve got a lot of great talkers running for president. We’ve already got a great talker in the White House.” Jindal added the following: “Jeb Bush says we’ve got to be willing to lose the primary in order to win the general. Let me translate that for you. That’s the establishment telling us to hide our conservative principles to get the left and the media to like us. That never works.”

At the beginning of the second debate at 9 p.m. Donald Trump, the frontrunner in the most recent polls, refused to pledge to support the Republican Party eventual nominee, threatening the GOP, if he loses the nomination, to run as an independent candidate of a third party. Trump stated the following: “I cannot say. I am discussing it with everybody but I’m, you know, talking about a lot of leverage. I want to run as the Republican nominee.” Kentucky Senator Rand Paul responded immediately stating: “This is what’s wrong! He’s already hedging his bet on the Clintons… He’s already hedging his bets because he’s used to buying politicians!”

According to The Hill, who interviewed Trump in a 40-minute interview, he is “absolutely” considering a run for president as a third party candidate because, according to him, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is not playing fair. Trump stated the following: “The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy. The RNC has been, I think, very foolish. I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republican Party… Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.”

This writer believes Trump is not a good and loyal Republican Party presidential candidate since none of the others candidates on the stage made such an appalling threat that would give a sure victory to the Democratic candidate in 2016. In 1992, when Ross Perot ran as a third party candidate, he took so many votes away from President George H.W. Bush that he helped Bill Clinton win the presidency. Unfortunately, this was not the first time that Trump has made this threat. This writer hopes that Trump is not serious about running as a third party candidate since if he were to do it, he will surely place another democrat in the White House in 2017.

Trump went after Megyn Kelly, one of the Fox News moderators, when she asked Trump about the instances in which he has called women “fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals.” Trump did not like the question and said “I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness.” He added, “And honestly, Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me.”

The following day after the debate Trump attacked the popular Fox News anchor while he was being interviewed by Willie Geist of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” by saying that Megyn Kelly was not very professional or fair. On that same day, August 7, 2015, the billionaire businessman told CNN in an interview, “There was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever. In my opinion she was off base.” His insinuation was interpreted by many that the popular Fox News anchor Kelly was menstruating. Trump campaign stated that “wherever” meant her nose.

Soon after Trump’s CNN interview, RedState’s conservative leader, Erick Erickson, booted Trump from his important event on August 8 in Atlanta. “I just don’t want someone on stage who gets a hostile question from a lady and his first inclination is to imply it was hormonal. It just was wrong,” Erickson wrote on the RedState website. Erickson stated that “while Mr. Trump resonates with a lot of people with his bluntness, including me to a degree, there are just real lines of decency a person running for president should not cross.” Erickson said that he had invited Fox News’s Megyn Kelly to attend in place of Trump. Later, Trump called Erickson “a total loser.” Erick Erickson is the founder of a major conservative blog, RedState, and a Fox News contributor.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) did not like the statements made by Donald Trump which were damaging to the party. The RNC called on Trump to “immediately clarify” his comment and said it would be “highly inappropriate” if Trump stood by his remarks. Trump needs “to understand that he is seeking the presidency of the United States now and that words do matter,” RNC spokesman Sean Spicer told NBC‘s “Today” show on August 8. Spicer added, “I’m hoping that Mr. Trump, because he does speak off the cuff, because he doesn’t ascribe to political correctness, was speaking in a way that wasn’t fully thought out.”

Donald Trump refused to apologize. Other Republican rivals appeared at this important conference, including Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

Jeb Bush spoke at the RedState Gathering conference in Atlanta on August 8. He said that Donald on Trump ought to apologize for the pejorative comments he made about Fox News personality Megyn Kelly.08/09/15 2:11 PM The former governor of Florida stated the following: “Do we want to win? Do we want to insult 53 % of all voters? What Donald Trump said is wrong. That is not how you win elections. Worse yet, that is not how you bring people together to solve problems.” Carly Fiorina tweeted that she stood with Megyn Kelly. “Mr. Trump: There is no excuse.” Senator Lindsey O. Graham from South Carolina, a fellow presidential candidate, said Trump was jeopardizing the GOP’s chances of winning back the White House and urged party leaders to stop “tiptoeing” around him.

This writer believes that Trump was wrong in his criticism of Kelly. The Fox News moderator asked Trump about past derogatory comments towards women which was an appropriate question since the democrats are always saying that republicans have a war against women. Earlier, Trump had made polarizing comments about illegal immigration, Mexico and about Senator John McCain’s military “hero” status which alienated many Latinos and veterans. Now Trump has alienated more than half of the population of our nation who are women.

Trump’s comments that Mexico is sending criminals, gang members and rapists insulted 34 million people of Mexican origin in our nation, the vast majority of them who are decent and hard-working people. Of course, since the southern border has not been sealed by Obama, Mexican and Central American criminals and Islamic terrorists come along with many poor Latinos who enter our nation to escape poverty and the vast majority of them are law-abiding. All Republican presidential candidates want the border closed and for the Obama administration to enforce the immigration laws that he is ignoring. All of them are opposed to sanctuary cities advocated by democrats who are responsible for undocumented criminals killing people. In order to be elected president in 2016, the Republican nominee must win 42% to 47% of the Hispanic vote, as George W. Bush did. Insulting Latinos is not the way to do it. When some of the other Republican presidential candidates publically disagreed with the comments made by the billionaire businessman frontrunner, Trump insulted them in a vicious manner.

How can a person like Trump be elected president, even if we agree with some of the things he has said in the past? There are many Republican angry voters who are mad not only at the president and his Democratic Party, but also at the Republicans leaders of both houses of Congress who seem to surrender to Obama as they approved his budgets and do not fight hard to stop his destructive agenda. Many of these angry voters like Trump. However, there are several other Republican candidates who would make an excellent president. These are the ones that republicans need to support since any of them can win in November of 2016.

On August 7, 2015, Warren Mass wrote an article for New American titled “Fox News Republican Debate Showcases 2016 Presidential Candidates”.increase font size He explained that “the candidate, who generated the most controversy, and perhaps the most talk of how well he did in the debate, was Donald Trump.” Trump led a CBS News poll conducted by telephone from July 29 to August 2, 2015, receiving a 24% approval rating, followed by Jeb Bush 13%, and Scott Walker 10%.

Mass pointed out that several pundits who were asked by CNN to comment their assessment of Trump’s performance, with the network’s senior political analyst, David Gergen, said that the business magnate “hurt himself last night, especially with opening answers that came across as narcissistic and boorish.” Mass explained the following: “Trump simply did not appear to be the least bit presidential in his demeanor. Even though several recent presidents have lowered the bar, the American public still expects a modicum of dignity in our head of government and state, and Trump simply lacks that. Furthermore, his answers to serious question tended to be short on any factual information and big on generalities expressed in elementary school-level language.”

Mass believed that Senator Marco Rubio seemed to have had a good night, consistently speaking with assurance and without hesitation. Tara Setmayer, a CNN political commentator, said of the Florida senator: “On a night filled with plenty of zingers and testy exchanges, Rubio was able to rise above the bickering and overly produced bravado. He was prepared, comfortable and, most importantly, relatable.”

Mass pointed out that Scott Walker answered a tough question about the Wisconsin economy well and received applause by referring to the current controversy regarding Hillary Clinton’s private e-mail setup saying that Russia and China “know more about Hillary Clinton’s email server than the members of the United States Congress.” The reporter said that several pundits thought that Jeb Bush was having an off night even though he did appear to have something that Trump lacked a dignified persona that could be described as “presidential.” Ben Carson’s lack of political experience was evident even though his sincerity and genuineness favored him. He also scored points for calling for the strengthening of America’s military, pointing out that our Navy is at its smallest size since 1917 and our Air Force is at its smallest size since 1940.

Mass wrote that Senator Ted Cruz came across well and was strong on the topic of illegal immigration and on his proposal to defeat the Islamic State. Senator Cruz received applause when he delivered what was perhaps his strongest line of the evening: “We need a president that shows the courage that Egypt’s President al-Sisi, a Muslim, showed when he called out the radical Islamic terrorists who are threatening the world.” Former governor Huckabee did well, reflecting on his years of experience in public life. He had an opportunity to reinforce his image as a defender of traditional morality, opposing same-sex marriage and abortion.

Mass concluded his article by stating the following: “With each candidate being given only a few minutes’ time, it was impossible for the participants to delve into any one subject in significant detail, but it did provide at least a cursory look at where the contenders stand on the major issues. However, unless there are significant changes during future debates, it is doubtful if any meaningful voter education will result from these types of debate forums, where a showman such as Donald Trump receives more attention than other candidates who have more substantial material to offer.”

Patricia Mazzei wrote an article titled “Ten GOP candidates, including Donald Trump, star in combative presidential debate” which was published in the Miami Herald on August 7, 2015. She said that Senator Marco Rubio, former Governor Mike Huckabee, and the rest of the Republican candidates attacked former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Other candidates used humor, like Dr. Ben Carson, who joked about Washington’s lack of brains.

Mazzei said that Florida Senator Marco Rubio delivered a particularly strong performance without attacking anyone in the room. He did not take the bait when Fox News moderator Chris Wallace asked him about his one-time mentor, Jeb Bush, who had previously criticized Senator Rubio’s lack of executive experience. The eloquent Florida senator responded in the following manner: “This election cannot be a résumé competition. It’s important to be qualified, but if this election is a résumé competition, then Hillary Clinton’s gonna be the next president, because she’s been in office and in government longer than anybody else running here tonight. Here’s what this election better be about: This election better be about the future, not the past.” Senator Rubio received a lot of applause throughout the night.

Mazzei pointed out that the pressure was on Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, who has raised more campaign funds than anyone else but “at times stumbled on the campaign trail with careless answers.” The reporter explained that Bush “wasn’t as crisp as Rubio, but he defended himself commendably on the issues where he’s weakest among GOP primary voters: immigration reform, Common Core educational standards and the Bush family dynasty.” The former Florida governor said the following: “Maybe the barrier — the bar’s even higher for me. That’s fine. I’ve got a record in Florida. I’m proud of my dad, and I’m certainly proud of my brother. In Florida, they called me Jeb, because I earned it.” Trump called Bush “a true gentleman,” but only after Bush denied a Politico report that indicated that he had privately insulted Trump. When Trump claimed to have donated money in the past to most of his rivals, Marco Rubio cut in by saying “Not to me! You gave to Charlie Crist!”

The reporter explained that one of the most heated exchanges of the night was between Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie over the government’s bulk record collections, which Christie, a former federal prosecutor, supports. “Get a warrant!”, Senator Paul demanded. Governor Christie responded: “Listen, senator, you know, when you’re sitting in a subcommittee, just blowing hot air about this, you can say things like that.” Senator Paul stated the following: “I don’t trust President Obama with our records. I know you gave him a big hug, and if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead.” Senator Paul defended the Bill of Rights and scored some points with many Americans who are very concerned with the NSA spying and storing billions of phone calls a day. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee also invoked the Bill of Rights in his pledge to defend the right to life. He provided specifics and was very clear in his explanation on why the Iran deal is a bad one.

Mazzei wrote that Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a champion college debater at Princeton known for his oratory in Congress, had “some of the tamer responses.” She also said that “Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker did well but had a hard time distinguishing himself from the pack, as did the others on stage: retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.” This writer disagrees with these evaluations and he believes that Ted Cruz did very well and so did Governor Walker and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Ben Carson had the best final remarks by using humor. Ohio Governor John Kasich received applause from the hometown crowd. Ohio is one of two key states, along with Florida, that could swing the election.

This writer thought that Senator Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz demonstrated that they both are very eloquent and exceptional communicators. Future polls will reveal if the Republicans will increase their support for these two excellent candidates.

Patricia Mazzei wrote an article titled “GOP presidential debate displays Marco Rubio’s TV talent” which was published by the Miami Herald on August 8, 2015. The reporter explained how Senator Marco Rubio’s first chance to respond to a debate question in Cleveland, he “deflected criticism of his limited experience, pivoted to attacking Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton and dove into his endearing personal story.” Senator Rubio said the following: “If I’m our nominee, how is Hillary Clinton going to lecture me about living paycheck to paycheck? I was raised paycheck to paycheck. How is she going to lecture me about student loans? I owed over $100,000 just four years ago. If I’m our nominee, we will be the party of the future.”

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio spoke well during the first debate in Cleveland.

Mazzei wrote that Marco Rubio was back and that he is a candidate made for television. She added that Jeb Bush, is not — at least not when it comes to debates.

Mazzei said the following: “Jeb Bush, who favors more relaxed one-on-one interviews that get deeper into policy matters, didn’t have a bad showing. Bush made no gaffes, didn’t pick any fights — in spite of moderators’ efforts to try to pit him against Rubio — and even had Trump declare him a “gentleman. For a candidate with a big target on his back, that was good enough. Yet Bush at times looked uncomfortable and stilted. He’s engaging in small settings, at ease speaking off the cuff with long, thoughtful answers, so it can be jarring to see him stiffen behind a lectern and under the clock. Rubio, in contrast, largely follows a script in town hall-style meetings and avoids messy policy details if he’s not prepared for them. The Florida senator cracks jokes, speaks easily and connects with his audience, but rarely veers from things he’s said before. That makes him well-suited for the more regimented style of debates.”

Fox News moderators asked tough questions

Morgan Chilson wrote an interesting article titled “The toughest 8 questions posed by Fox News to the GOP candidates” which was published by the website Bear Witness Central on August 7, 2015.

Chilson described eight of the toughest questions presented to the candidates as follows:

1. Dr. Ben Carson, “You are a successful neurosurgeon, but you admit that you have had to study up on foreign policy, saying there’s a lot to learn. Your critics say that your inexperience shows. You’ve suggested that the Baltic States are not a part of NATO, just months ago you were unfamiliar with the major political parties and government in Israel, and domestically, you thought Alan Greenspan had been treasury secretary instead of Federal Reserve chair. Aren’t these basic mistakes, and don’t they raise legitimate questions about whether you are ready to be president?”

Dr. Carson responded the following: “Well, I could take issue with — with all of those things, but we don’t have time. But I will say, we have a debate here tonight, and we will have an opportunity to explore those areas, and I’m looking very much forward to demonstrating that, in fact, the thing that is probably most important is having a brain, and to be able to figure things out and learn things very rapidly. So, you know, experience comes from a large number of different arenas, and America became a great nation early on not because it was flooded with politicians, but because it was flooded with people who understood the value of personal responsibility, hard work, creativity, innovation, and that’s what will get us on the right track now, as well.”

2. Senator Marco Rubio, “When Jeb Bush announced his candidacy for presidency, he said this: ‘There’s no passing off responsibility when you’re a governor, no blending into the legislative crowd.’ Could you please address Governor Bush across the stage here, and explain to him why you, someone who has never held executive office, are better prepared to be president than he is, a man who you say did a great job running your state of Florida for eight years.”

Senator Rubio responded the following: “Well, thank you for the question, Chris, and it’s great to be here tonight. Let me begin by saying this: I’m not new to the political process; I was making a contribution as the speaker of the third largest and most diverse state in the country well before I even got into the Senate. I would add to that that this election cannot be a resume competition. It’s important to be qualified, but if this election is a resume competition, then Hillary Clinton’s gonna be the next president, because she’s been in office and in government longer than anybody else running here tonight.”

“Here’s what this election better be about: This election better be about the future, not the past. It better be about the issues our nation and the world is facing today, not simply the issues we once faced. This country is facing an economy that has been radically transformed. You know the largest retailer in the country and the world today, Amazon, doesn’t even own a single store? And these changes have been disruptive. They have changed people’s lives. The jobs that once sustained our middle class, they either don’t pay enough or they are gone, and we need someone that understands that as our nominee. If I’m our nominee, how is Hillary Clinton gonna lecture me about living paycheck to paycheck? I was raised paycheck to paycheck. How is she — how is she gonna lecture me — how is she gonna lecture me about student loans? I owed over $100,000 just four years ago. If I’m our nominee, we will be the party of the future.”

The difficult and tough questions asked by Fox News moderators Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly, and Bret Baier surprised many listeners and some candidates as well. Some republicans thought they were unfair.

3. Donald Trump, “Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women. You’ve called women you don’t like ‘fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.’” When Trump responded, “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” Kelly added, “For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O’Donnell. Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women’s looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?”

Businessman Trump responded the following: “I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I’ve been challenged by so many people, and I don’t frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn’t have time either. This country is in big trouble. We don’t win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody. And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes it is fun, it’s kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say. And honestly Megyn, if you don’t like it, I’m sorry. I’ve been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me. But I wouldn’t do that. But you know what, we — we need strength, we need energy, we need quickness and we need brain in this country to turn it around. That, I can tell you right now.”

4. Governor Scott Walker, “You’ve consistently said that you want to make abortion illegal even in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. You recently signed an abortion law in Wisconsin that does have an exception for the mother’s life, but you’re on the record as having objected to it. Would you really let a mother die rather than have an abortion, and with 83 percent of the American public in favor of a life exception, are you too out of the mainstream on this issue to win the general election?”

Governor Walker responded the following: “Well, I’m pro-life, I’ve always been pro-life, and I’ve got a position that I think is consistent with many Americans out there in that I believe that that is an unborn child that’s in need of protection out there, and I’ve said many a time that that unborn child can be protected, and there are many other alternatives that can also protect the life of that mother. That’s been consistently proven. Unlike Hillary Clinton, who has a radical position in terms of support for Planned Parenthood, I defunded Planned Parenthood more than four years ago, long before any of these videos came out; I’ve got a position that’s in line with everyday America.”

5. Governor John Kasich, “On the subject of gay marriage and religious liberty, Governor Kasich, if you had a son or daughter who was gay or lesbian, how would you explain to them your opposition to same-sex marriage?”

Governor Kasich responded the following: Well, look, I’m an old-fashioned person here, and I happen to believe in traditional marriage. But I’ve also said the court has ruled . . . and I said we’ll accept it. And guess what, I just went to a wedding of a friend of mine who happens to be gay. Because somebody doesn’t think the way I do, doesn’t mean that I can’t care about them or can’t love them. So if one of my daughters happened to be that, of course I would love them and I would accept them. Because you know what? That’s what we’re taught when we have strong faith. So the issues like that, issues like that are planted to divide us. I think the simple fact of the matter is, and this is where I would agree with Jeb, and I’ve been saying it all along, we need to give everybody a chance, treat everybody with respect, and let them share in this great American dream that we have, Megyn. So, look, I’m going to love my daughters, I’m going to love them no matter what they do. Because, you know what, God gives me unconditional love. I’m going to give it to my family and my friends and the people around me.”

6. Governor Jeb Bush, “Governor Bush, for days on end in this campaign, you struggled to answer a question about whether knowing what we know now we would’ve invaded Iraq, and ISIS, of course, is now thriving there. You finally said, ‘No.’ To the families of those who died in that war who say they liberated and deposed a ruthless dictator, how do you look at them now and say that your brother’s war was a mistake?”

Former Governor Bush responded the following: “Knowing what we know now, with faulty intelligence, and not having security be the first priority when — when we invaded, it was a mistake. I wouldn’t have gone in. However, for the people that did lose their lives, and the families that suffer because of it — I know this full well because as governor of the state of Florida, I called every one of them; every one of them that I could find to tell them that I was praying for them, that I cared about them, and it was really hard to do. And, every one of them said that their child did not die in vain, or their wife, of their husband did not die in vain. So, why it was difficult for me to do it was based on that.”

“Here’s the lesson that we should take from this, which relates to this whole subject, Barack Obama became president, and he abandoned Iraq. He left, and when he left Al Qaida was done for. ISIS was created because of the void that we left, and that void now exists as a caliphate the size of Indiana. To honor the people that died, we need to — we need to — stop the — Iran agreement, for sure, because the Iranian mullahs have their blood on their hands, and we need to take out ISIS with every tool at our disposal.”

7. Senator Rand Paul, “You recently blamed the rise of ISIS on Republican hawks. You later said that that statement, you could have said it better. But, the statement went on, and you said, quote, ‘Everything they’ve talked about in foreign policy, they’ve been wrong for the last 20 years.’ Why are you so quick to blame your own party?”

Senator Paul responded the following: “First of all, only ISIS is responsible for the terrorism. Only ISIS is responsible for the depravity. But, we do have to examine, how are we going to defeat ISIS? I’ve got a proposal. I’m the leading voice in America for not arming the allies of ISIS. I’ve been fighting amidst a lot of opposition from both Hillary Clinton, as well as some Republicans who wanted to send arms to the allies of ISIS. ISIS rides around in a billion dollars’ worth of U.S. Humvees. It’s a disgrace. We’ve got to stop — we shouldn’t fund our enemies, for goodness sakes. So, we didn’t create ISIS — ISIS created themselves, but we will stop them, and one of the ways we stop them is by not funding them, and not arming them.”

8. Donald Trump, “Mr. Trump, I’ll give you 30 seconds — I’ll give you 30 seconds to answer my question, which was, what evidence do you have, specific evidence, that the Mexican government is sending criminals across the border? Thirty seconds.”

Trump responded the following: “Border Patrol, I was at the border last week. Border Patrol, people that I deal with, that I talk to; they say this is what’s happening. Because our leaders are stupid. Our politicians are stupid. And the Mexican government is much smarter, much sharper, and much more cunning. And they send the bad ones over because they don’t want to pay for them. They don’t want to take care of them. Why should they when the stupid leaders of the United States will do it for them? And that’s what is happening whether you like it or not.”

Conclusion

It was obvious that Fox News did not want to be criticized by the established media of being easy with the questions asked to the Republican candidates. It clearly showed that Fox News is fair and balanced, although some Republicans, such as conservative radio commentator Mark Levin, thought that Fox News was unfair, especially to Donald Trump. This writer thinks that difficult and pointed questions prepare the Republican candidates to debate the Democratic Party nominee. Hopefully, the established media will ask the same type of questions to Hillary Clinton, who has a long trail of major scandals.

It is the opinion of this writer opinion that many candidates performed very well in the second debate. This writer thought that Senator Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz demonstrated that both are very eloquent and exceptional communicators, any of the two would make a great president.

This writer agrees with conservative reporter Warren Mass, who wrote for New American, a national respected magazine and website that defends freedom in America and around the world. He wrote the following regarding the current front runner: “Trump simply did not appear to be the least bit presidential in his demeanor. Even though several recent presidents have lowered the bar, the American public still expects a modicum of dignity in our head of government and state, and Trump simply lacks that. Furthermore, his answers to serious question tended to be short on any factual information and big on generalities expressed in elementary school-level language.” This writer is convinced that Donald Trump lacks presidential demeanor and is damaging the Republican Party.

Words and incendiary criticisms do matter in presidential campaigns and even more so to a future president. Donald Trump´s continuous attacks to Fox News Megan Kelly have led to a complaint by the Republican Party and condemnation by organizers of the RedState Gathering. Trump was disinvited to this important conference of conservative activists. RedState’s conservative leader, Erick Erickson, booted Trump from his event the following day.

The Republican National Committee called on Trump to “immediately clarify” his comment and said it would be “highly inappropriate” if Trump stood by his remarks. Trump needs “to understand that he is seeking the presidency of the United States now and that words do matter,” RNC spokesman Sean Spicer told NBC‘s “Today” show on Saturday.

Donald Trump has given thousands of dollars to democrats such as Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Rahm Emanuel, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and Charles Rangel, as well as to the Democratic Party which at one time he was a member of. Trump has also given money to republican politicians and the Republican Party. When asked about these donations, he admitted that his intention was to buy access for his businesses.

This writer paramount concern about Trump is his threat of running as a third party candidate, which will destroy the opportunity of a republican presidential candidate to win the White House. No loyal and well-intention republican candidate would ever threaten his party in such an arrogant manner.

Jeb Bush defended himself well on the issues of immigration reform, Common Core educational standards, and the Bush family dynasty. The former governor of Florida said “I don’t believe the federal government should be involved in the creation of standards directly or indirectly, the creation of curriculum or content. It is clearly a state responsibility.” In that statement, Jeb Bush seemed to backtrack on his support for Common Core since what Bush said was the very opposite of the Obama administration federal mandated and unconstitutional standards of Common Core.

This writer has recommended to people close to Jeb Bush to ask him to reject his support for Common Core since almost 80% of the republicans, according to national polls, do not want it. However, the conservative base intensely dislikes Jeb Bush’s support for Common Core and amnesty and he is seen by many as the Republican establishment candidate.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee did well on the debate. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson had the best final remarks by using humor.