The Republican Primary Race Is Filling Up

[ArcadiaGP]

First debate in a month. Fox and CNN using national polls to limit stage to 10

The Republican*Debate*Selection Process Is a*New Wild Card in Presidential Politics - Bloomberg Politics

 

[jamil]

First debate in a month. Fox and CNN using national polls to limit stage to 10

The Republican*Debate*Selection Process Is a*New Wild Card in Presidential Politics - Bloomberg Politics

I do think that at the early stages some other process is required than head-to-head debates, especially since having even 10 people on stage debating each other is pointless.

Maybe give each candidate 20 minutes of uninterrupted national air time to present their vision for their presidency, and then let each one dissent accordingly on their own dime. If they're going to filter the field by popularity they should at least wait until people have a better idea of who the candidates are.

Or, maybe they should create a playoff system. Rank candidates by popularity and the first seed debates last seed head to head. Winner by popularity goes on to the next round. Just arbitrarily setting a line of sanctioning doesn't really serve anyone but candidates with the best name recognition.

 

[mrjarrell]

I, for one, do not trust Fox's numbers in the polls. They consistently run polls that leave Paul off of them. This is deliberate on their part. They did it with his father and they're doing it to him now. If he appears in their "debates" I'll be very surprised.

 

[Kutnupe14]

The GOP already knows who they want in the general election. Everybody else is there just to smile. Though Trump, who is consistently polling second, seems to throw a monkey wrench in the works. The Democrats have to be loving how strong Trump is showing. He's going to make it difficult for the GOP to retake the WH. A couple more comments about "Mexicans" being criminals and rapists, and he will completely doom their chances.

 

[mrjarrell]

The GOP already knows who they want in the general election. Everybody else is there just to smile. Though Trump, who is consistently polling second, seems to throw a monkey wrench in the works. The Democrats have to be loving how strong Trump is showing. He's going to make it difficult for the GOP to retake the WH. A couple more comments about "Mexicans" being criminals and rapists, and he will completely doom their chances.

^^This. And you actually have some of the other candidates, like Cruz agreeing with him. They can write off the hispanic vote this go around if that nonsense continues.

 

[jamil]

^^This. And you actually have some of the other candidates, like Cruz agreeing with him. They can write off the hispanic vote this go around if that nonsense continues.

Hispanic votes won't help Republicans. There's not enough to offset the Republicans who stay home. Heck, if all the McCain voters had shown up for Romney, we'd all be complaining about a different president running us into the dirt.

No, I think with so many factions splitting the party it may be done, nationally. They've shown they can win midterm elections when Republicans can vote for the kinds of Republicans they like, and Democrats mostly stay home.

 

[BugI02]

I do think that at the early stages some other process is required than head-to-head debates, especially since having even 10 people on stage debating each other is pointless.

Maybe give each candidate 20 minutes of uninterrupted national air time to present their vision for their presidency, and then let each one dissent accordingly on their own dime. If they're going to filter the field by popularity they should at least wait until people have a better idea of who the candidates are.

Or, maybe they should create a playoff system. Rank candidates by popularity and the first seed debates last seed head to head. Winner by popularity goes on to the next round. Just arbitrarily setting a line of sanctioning doesn't really serve anyone but candidates with the best name recognition.

Yesss! Then we only need ONE more candidate to have our own sweet sixteen!

 

[ArcadiaGP]

IT?S COME TO THIS: Rick Perry responds DIRECTLY to Donald Trump in new video » The Right Scoop -

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Could someone explain the angle here?

Rush has been fawning over Trump for the past few days. Is there an ulterior motive at work here, or does he honestly and truly support Trump?

Noticing some other celebrities voicing pro-Trump sentiments, too...

Donald Trump's Blinding Achievement - The Rush Limbaugh Show

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I think, what he's saying is, partly because of Trump's celebrity, partly because Trump is scratching that populist itch, much like Bernie Sanders is doing on the dem side, he's doing more to frame and direct the political debate for the GOP more than anybody else in the race, right now.

Could someone explain the angle here?

Rush has been fawning over Trump for the past few days. Is there an ulterior motive at work here, or does he honestly and truly support Trump?

Noticing some other celebrities voicing pro-Trump sentiments, too...

Donald Trump's Blinding Achievement - The Rush Limbaugh Show

 

[mrjarrell]

Trump's also leading in NC. I don't get it, but republican voters are weird anyway in the early days. He's unelectable at is best. Hell, he'd ensure a dem win, (like more than a few of the others).

Trump leads GOP field in North Carolina - Public Policy Polling

 

[jamil]

I think, what he's saying is, partly because of Trump's celebrity, partly because Trump is scratching that populist itch, much like Bernie Sanders is doing on the dem side, he's doing more to frame and direct the political debate for the GOP more than anybody else in the race, right now.

yeah, but I'd rather the opposite representative of Sanders would at least be someone to take seriously.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

yeah, but I'd rather the opposite representative of Sanders would at least be someone to take seriously.

I don't think he's the 180 degree opposite of Sanders....maybe 45-60 degree opposite...he's just saying the things that he knows are issues to many in this country.

 

[rambone]

Could someone explain the angle here?

Rush has been fawning over Trump for the past few days. Is there an ulterior motive at work here, or does he honestly and truly support Trump?

Noticing some other celebrities voicing pro-Trump sentiments, too...

Donald Trump's Blinding Achievement - The Rush Limbaugh Show

Rush is one of the establishment gatekeepers. He helps keep conservatives fixated on solutions that will always uphold the existing power structure. He helps make sure the presidential race ends up being between a couple of progressive clones.

In 2008, he told Republican voters to jump into the Democrat primary and vote for Hillary Clinton, because supposedly, she was the weaker Democrat candidate. A lot of Republicans ate up his advice. But what Rush actually accomplished was to tell a bunch of conservative activists to forfeit their influence over the Republican primary -- just let the establishment take care of picking the candidate. And viola, a giant statist became the Republican nominee. Mission Accomplished.

In 2012, only one single Republican had a record that actually deserved to be called "capitalist" (no votes for raising taxes, raising debt ceiling, raising minimum wage, bailouts, government-run healthcare...). Rush Limbaugh trashed this candidate relentlessly and told his millions of listeners that he had the philosophy of a Democrat. Yes, I'm talking about Ron Paul. Rush helped steer voters away from Paul like it was his job. And Romney became the nominee. Mission Accomplished.

The worst kind of enemy is the one you think is your friend. See Also: Judas Goat

 

[cce1302]

The Republican establishment will scare us with Hillary, and scream that the only one that can beat Hillary is Bush.

The Democrats will do the same thing on the other side, screaming that the only one that can beat Jeb is Clinton.


Surprise! Bush vs. Clinton

 

[mrjarrell]

I wouldn't bet on that. Sanders is enjoying a serious grass roots moment and gaining on Hillary. The others in the race are no shows at the moment. While I would much rather see Webb be their candidate, right now it's a Sanders and Hillary race.

 

[jamil]

I wouldn't bet on that. Sanders is enjoying a serious grass roots moment and gaining on Hillary. The others in the race are no shows at the moment. While I would much rather see Webb be their candidate, right now it's a Sanders and Hillary race.

I bet her yard is astroturf. Given 2008 and now, she probably hates grass roots.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I have no idea if this is accurate but I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Rand's going to tick off the open borders crowd.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I feel "how do you like your steak?" should be the first question asked at a presidential debate. It'll narrow down the field significantly