"Watching" the Republican Debate on the Radio


Some times there are real advantages to not having a television.  We are currently in Newfoundland and depending on our Sirius radio. The good news is we can get music, Cardinal’s baseball, and--praise the Lord--Fox News Radio.   That means that I got to listen to the Republican Presidential debate. 

Since my party is currently practicing its far too familiar circular firing squad drama, I was most interested in the opening act of the Kabuki Theater.  I also consider politics to be a participation sport, so I got out my legal pad, made my list of participants and reverted to a system I have used for years during debates.   I listen (and here is where the radio becomes an advantage) to each answer and score the response.  Failures to answer the question or a “God, motherhood and apple pie” response get a minus sign which is worth zero points.  By the way, saying “I want to restore America’s greatness” falls into this category. The question “How?” immediately jumps to mind. 

A candidate who answers the question with some sense of mission (whether or not I agree with the stated decision) gets a check mark and is worth 1 point.  A candidate who offers specifics, a time line for events and is bolstered by verifiable data (whether or not I agree with the plan) gets a plus sign and is worth 2 points in my scoring.  Christie, Bush, Rubio, Walker, Kasich and Cruz all had such answers—in that order. 

When you listen to the answers, and are not distracted by the Kabuki’s dramatic make-up and costumes, you learn a few things.  The first thing you learn is about yourself.  Do you want drama or do you want facts? 

But the big winner of the night may have been Obama’s favorite whipping child, Fox News.  According to the Economist “Anyone who worried Fox would go easy on the candidates may have been surprised. Others on stage faced tough questions about issues on which they could be vulnerable, once Republicans start voting in primary contests next February.”   From the Brookings Institute: “It proceeded through a rapid-fire series of well-prepared questions carefully tailored to individual candidates.”

The fact checking done by similar left leaning media also showed some nit-picking about the size of claims made, but no outright disagreement of the nature of the claims.  For example, Gov. Christie’s claims about job creation: the figure claimed by Christie of 192,000 is in the ballpark, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Bureau data show a gain of about 181,000 from January 2010 to June 2015.  Kasich’s claim to have one of the lowest rates of growth in Medicare is correct, but not the lowest.  His state falls 16th out of 30, but the rate is only 3.3% which is less than the national average of 4%.  So, truth is in evidence, but the Devil is busy with the details.

All of the news sources commented on Sen. Marco Rubio as a surprise stand out.   They had praise for the serious responses of Christie, Bush and Kasich, but bewilderment at their poor showings in the polls.  They all mentioned Trump’s lack of substance and his use of high dudgeon as its spotty substitute.  I am interested in this discourse, because I feel the next Presidency is ours to lose.  Being a Republican I am used to being in the minority, but that should make us canny in how to make our selection.   I am pleased to see that Carly Fiorina did well in the Happy Hour debate and hope to see her in the main event.  I will probably watch the next debate on television, but I will still use my notepad and listen more than watch.  Using your mind instead of your emotions is a good way to tackle a big job.

Choose wisely and keep the faith.

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