Ken Berwitz
My take on last night\’s Republican debate – which, while animated at times by normal standards, was very subdued by current Republican standards – is embodied in this statement:
“Mr. trump, we have spent a good deal of time in this debate and I notice you have not raised your voice, or name-called, or challenged anyone in a nasty, provocative way that would generate an equally nasty, provocative response. While this is a refreshing change from the other debates we have had, let\’s be clear that it is a show you are putting on. This is not you, this is something that you are pretending to be, to fool some – I hope very few – people into thinking you are some kind of a statesman instead of what you truly are, which we have seen in every other debate. It won\’t work”.
Who said that? No one, that\’s who.
And it is why donald trump, who – just like in the other debates – made a number of ridiculous claims about things he clearly has little actual knowledge of and offered next to no explanation of how he would get anything done, won the debate anyway.
That said, without the bluster, bravado, break-ins and insults, every candidate was able to discuss issues and make points. It was, in that respect, the best Republicans debate of them all.
But – again – when you\’re behind someone, breaking even is losing.
Ted Cruz, currently the #2 behind trump, already has beaten him in a number of states, and very well last night. Rubio and Kasich have to hope his performance pulls primarily from trump and, by so doing, facilitates winning their home states.
I would love for Marco Rubio to push ahead of trump in Florida, but if he is behind by as much as at least a couple of the polls show, I doubt this is going to push him over the finish line.
Kasich, on the other hand, shows himself to be much closer to trump in Ohio, and seems to have a better chance to overhaul him there.
We\’ll see…
