Republican debates/primaries.

• Con_Alma

  ptown_trojans_1;1780794 wrote:...
  VP doesn't matter really. As Trumps has really said he will put the best people on it, who are those people?

  VP matters significantly in assisting or inhibiting a ticket in elect-ability.
• Wolves of Babylon

  The best chance the GOP has of winning is Kasich.
  
  He wasn't my top pick but he does get things done and doesn't come across as crazy or inexperienced.
  
  His social conservatism doesn't come across as preachy or demeaning either which matters to independents.
  
  Gary Johnson is my ideal candidate but he can't win but I could vote for Kasich to keep Hilary or Bernie away.
  
  Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk
• HitsRus

  

  ptown_trojans_1;1780788 wrote:Just going to add that bold part is only a recent (as in since 1941) shift. Before then, the "national defense" or army/ navy was always gutted after a war. (One exception, the Great White Fleet) So, to say it is an essential government function in the budget or spending is really since 1945. That only occurred thanks to the Cold War.
  
  And yes, good showing for Kasich, but good Lord did Trump kill it. He doubled up Kasich.
  Hell, even Nate Silver is saying Trump needs to be taken seriously as a frontrunner.
  http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republicans-need-to-treat-donald-trump-as-the-front-runner/

  Not so much the Cold War as much as the reality of a modern world where oceans and distance are no longer protective enough.
  
  Trump always had to be considered a serious contender, but he benefitted the most from Christie's kamikaze attack on Rubio. Report on Fox last night that almost all the late undecided vote went to Trump and Kasich.
• QuakerOats

  Wolves of Babylon;1780812 wrote:The best chance the GOP has of winning is Kasich.
  
  He wasn't my top pick but he does get things done and doesn't come across as crazy or inexperienced.
  
  His social conservatism doesn't come across as preachy or demeaning either which matters to independents.
  
  Gary Johnson is my ideal candidate but he can't win but I could vote for Kasich to keep Hilary or Bernie away.
  
  Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

  
  I think this is correct. We have to win Ohio and Florida to have any chance of winning the general election, so a Kasich/Rubio ticket would possibly do the trick.
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  Down to 6. Christie and Fiorina drop out.
• sleeper

  

  Fiorina fizzled out quickly. She's an idiot.
• QuakerOats

  sleeper;1780850 wrote:Fiorina fizzled out quickly. She's an idiot.

  She would have destroyed Clinton in a debate.
• sleeper

  

  QuakerOats;1780855 wrote:She would have destroyed Clinton in a debate.

  That's hardly a bar to set. Clinton is terrible on stage. I'm not sure why that's relevant.
  
  The only way Clinton isn't our next President is if she gets in trouble for the email scandal. It won't matter if she loses every debate, she's already a lock.
• BoatShoes

  sleeper;1780857 wrote:That's hardly a bar to set. Clinton is terrible on stage. I'm not sure why that's relevant.
  
  The only way Clinton isn't our next President is if she gets in trouble for the email scandal. It won't matter if she loses every debate, she's already a lock.

  Her gal pal Janet Yellen isn't doing her any favors. They raise rates in December and here we have the bond market expecting no raise again for the whole year? Why did we even raise at all???
• ptown_trojans_1

  

  I know Trump is the frontrunner, and I know he is tapping into the Nationalism part of the country. However, guy needs to start answering some real questions in my view.
  1. He wants to build a wall. How? Be specific. How much will it cost the taxpayers, how will it be funded? Who will build it? How long will it take? How will Mexico "pay" for it, when Mexico laughs at that option. Who is in charge of the wall? DHS? Will DHS's budget grow from this wall? How much?
  
  2. Presidential power. If he cannot work with Congress on a budget, will he issue more Executive Orders to get things done? Will he expand the power of the presidency and take it more away from Congress? Should conservatives be outraged at this power grab? How will it work with Congress? Will he work with D's? If so, will he "cave" on issues, leading to a backlash by R's saying he folded.
  
  3. Advisers. Who the hell is advising him on issues? Are they former Bush people, which ones? Are they business people? If so, how well do they know the Government? How reliable are they? Could they get through a Congressional committee and be confirmed? Do they have any conflicts of interest if they take a Government position?
  
  As he is so new to the scene, in my view, he needs to answer these Questions, otherwise, we all may be electing the most powerful President since FDR and no one will be happy. It seems his whole campaign is based on trust me and, so borrow the term, "hope and change"
• like_that

  

  ptown_trojans_1;1781299 wrote:I know Trump is the frontrunner, and I know he is tapping into the Nationalism part of the country. However, guy needs to start answering some real questions in my view.
  1. He wants to build a wall. How? Be specific. How much will it cost the taxpayers, how will it be funded? Who will build it? How long will it take? How will Mexico "pay" for it, when Mexico laughs at that option. Who is in charge of the wall? DHS? Will DHS's budget grow from this wall? How much?
  
  2. Presidential power. If he cannot work with Congress on a budget, will he issue more Executive Orders to get things done? Will he expand the power of the presidency and take it more away from Congress? Should conservatives be outraged at this power grab? How will it work with Congress? Will he work with D's? If so, will he "cave" on issues, leading to a backlash by R's saying he folded.
  
  3. Advisers. Who the hell is advising him on issues? Are they former Bush people, which ones? Are they business people? If so, how well do they know the Government? How reliable are they? Could they get through a Congressional committee and be confirmed? Do they have any conflicts of interest if they take a Government position?
  
  As he is so new to the scene, in my view, he needs to answer these Questions, otherwise, we all may be electing the most powerful President since FDR and no one will be happy. It seems his whole campaign is based on trust me and, so borrow the term, "hope and change"

  Show me a poster here who doesn't understand that trump hasn't provided legitimate answers to those questions and/or is full on supporting trump? Pretty sure the consensus here is that trump is an asshole blowhard, unfortunately here are our other choices at this point:
  
  1. A socialist who wants to give free shit away and yet he is another trendy democratic candidate that the DNC has made to look "SO COOL AND HIP" for the young voters to eat up.
  
  2. A lying c*nt with absolutely no integrity and really has no business running for office.
  
  3. A weasely slime bag in Cruz where nobody in congress (GOP or dems) respect him enough to get anything done. Also he is definitely a closet gay* Canadian.
  
  Get off your fucking political high horse. We all see the same shit you do.
  
  *i have nothing against gays for the butt hurt sjws here.
• HitsRus

  

  unfortunately here are our other choices at this point:.......

  I look at 3 out of those 4 choices as a disaster for this country.....and the 4th (Ted Cruz) as unpalatable enough to a large part of this country that we will be doomed to more gridlock.
  
  Rubio and/or Kasich have got to get back in this thing.
  
  Rubio has got to answer the inexperience charge that Christie exploded. He could have, and should have ripped Christie, Hilary and BHO a new asshole for all their "experience".
  He was on point early in the campaign when he said Obama isn't bad because he was inexperienced, he's bad because his policies suck. Why he didn't follow that line of attack/defense in the last debate, I don't know. In any case, it cost him( and us) big time, as he was the guy people were lining up behind.
  Kasich has got some traction, but the conservative wing of the Republican party is so uncompromising, I can't see him overtaking Trump or Cruz.
• gut

  HitsRus;1781309 wrote:asich has got some traction, but the conservative wing of the Republican party is so uncompromising, I can't see him overtaking Trump or Cruz.

  Kasich's major problem is he just doesn't have the charisma. Most voters gravitate toward articulate and charming candidates, rather than policies or anything else. Trump is the unexplainable exception.
  
  Rubio has it down, including the repetitive surface-level talking points which are extremely effective with most voters. I think he was shocked and simply at a loss at how to respond to a desperate Christie blowing-up the winning campaign model, which is bad not only for Rubio but the Repub party in general.
• majorspark

  

  HitsRus;1781309 wrote:Rubio has got to answer the inexperience charge that Christie exploded. He could have, and should have ripped Christie, Hilary and BHO a new asshole for all their "experience".
  He was on point early in the campaign when he said Obama isn't bad because he was inexperienced, he's bad because his policies suck. Why he didn't follow that line of attack/defense in the last debate, I don't know. In any case, it cost him( and us) big time, as he was the guy people were lining up behind.

  Rubio has promised that will never happen again. Its early and can be overcome in future debates. This isn't the "Dean scream".
  

  HitsRus;1781309 wrote:Kasich has got some traction, but the conservative wing of the Republican party is so uncompromising, I can't see him overtaking Trump or Cruz.

  Kasich doesn't have a chance in South Carolina. That is why he is working on Michigan. I saw a new South Carolina poll where Trump leads in every demographic including conservatives. Narrowly among tea party types. Trump has boasted on how he will get along and be able to cut deals with the likes of Schumer and Pelosi. Yet significant numbers of these "uncompromising" conservatives are flocking to him. I think many are overlooking the anti-establishment fever that has spread amongst the electorate.
• gut

  Is Trump just losing it tonight? It's like he's forgotten to pretend he's a Republican.
• majorspark

  

  Trump has gone of the rails.
• gut

  majorspark;1781366 wrote:Trump has gone of the rails.

  Getting booed every time he speaks....someone must have bused in some supporters (of course, he already accused Jeb of that LOL)
• HitsRus

  

  gut;1781365 wrote:Is Trump just losing it tonight? It's like he's forgotten to pretend he's a Republican.

  He's getting booed precisely because of that. Does he think he's going to get applause throwing W under the bus?
• HitsRus

  

  Rubio having a strong debate.., getting the best of Cruz.
  Trump and Bush brawling... SMH.
  Kasich doing well and looking reasonable.
  Carson is on spot, but may be too cerebral to connect.
• gut

  The SS Trump is taking on some water tonight. Maybe he's bored with campaigning and is tanking it. Just like The Apprentice, it's entertaining at first but after a while it gets old and tiresome.
• gut

  
• HitsRus

  

  Now Trump and Cruz brawling....
• gut

  Carson is so painful to watch. Begging for time to speak and to be asked questions. You are irrelevant and your ideas are dumb. Shut up and withdraw from the race.
• HitsRus

  

  ^^^^^Ben Carson for VP.
• HitsRus

  

  Bush and Trump still brawling and IMO Bush is getting the better of it.
  Rubio is crushing it. Solid ...on point.