Did You Watch?

Did any of you watch the Republican Presidential Debate last night?  I watched most of it.  I want to see what we are going to be up against next November, and I was not impressed but was surprised a few times.  Most of all though, I have to say that Fox News is the worst group of moderators ever.  In my opinion, debate moderators should be impartial, but that's a dirty word for Fox News.  They clearly had an agenda.  That agenda was to attack some of the candidates like Trump and lob softball questions to others they favored more, like Mike Huckabee.  Furthermore, their treatment of Ben Carson, the only black man on the stage, bordered on racism as they completely ignored him for the first half of the debate, causing him to quip when finally asked a question by Fox News debate moderator Megyn Kelly at the 44 minute mark, “Well, thank you, Megyn, I wasn’t sure I was going to get to talk again.”  Fox News is just plain pitiful, and they prove it over and over each day.  When will the Fox News fanatics learn? The answer is that they won't because they are being told what they want to hear instead of the truth.

Donald Trump continued to serve as the leader on the clown bus to hell.  However, I applaud the way he attacked the moderators.  He is foul and loudmouthed but he held his own against the moderators who consistently attacked him. Grant it, this was one instance where they basically spoke the truth, but then again so did Trump.  And I'll also give it to Trump, at least he admits to using the system to gain political favors and to get richer.

The biggest surprise (no pun intended) was Chris Christie. Christie’s presidential campaign has widely been viewed as past its expiration date. But he was able to capitalize on his everyman persona Thursday night—speaking in detail, delivering his responses with passion, and picking his fights without letting his temper get the better of him. Shockingly, he sounded intelligent, something I never expected.  It just goes to show that he was well coached.  He kept his cool, even when Rand Paul rolled his eyes at him.  I hate when people roll their eyes at me.  I used to have a student that rolled her eyes at teachers all the time; she did it to me once and only once.  I'm pretty sure I'd have called Paul out on it as well, because it showed his childishness.

When the subject of gay marriage came up, most of the candidates gave the response that was expected (and Fox News kept running a deplorable ad about ignoring the Supreme Court decision), but the most sensible answer of the night came when John Kasich was asked by Kelly how he would explain his opposition to gay marriage to a son or daughter who was theoretically gay or lesbian.

"Look, I'm an old-fashioned person here and I happen to believe in traditional marriage. But I've also said that the court has ruled … and I said we'll accept it," Kasich said of the Supreme Court's recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.

"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 I 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.". Kasich went on to say he would love his daughters "no matter what they do."

"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 in this great American dream that we have, Megyn," Kasich told Kelly.

"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 loves me unconditional love. I'm going to give it to my family, and my friends, and the people around me."

As for the rest of the contenders, Jeb Bush consistently stammered and seemed highly unprepared as he has in most interviews I've seen of him.  Ted Cruz and Scott Walker just look plain creepy and sounded it too with their answers.  I just don't like to look at either one of them.  Mike Huckabee came off as a Southern Baptist hick, which is why for some God forsaken reason that some people love him.  Ben Carson just faded into the background, as did Marco Rubio, though he did show that he would merely divide this country more as a hardline Republican, i.e. Tea Party fanatic.  Then there was Rand Paul who consistently acted childish on the stage.  I don't think I missed anyone but if I did it was because they were wholly unmemorable. 

Though Trump got the most airtime last night, I think Christie and Kasich come out as the winners.  Christie kept his cool and did not come across as a brash bully, while Kasich showed that there could be a moderate Republican candidate.  Let's be honest though, Kasich isn't running for president but for Vice President.  None of the candidates have good records on LGBT issues. They are Republicans after all, well except Trump and God only knows what that clown is.  There isn't a single one of them I like or would even come close to voting for, but it was interesting to get a good preview of them.

So, did you watch it? If you did, what did you think?  I'd really like to know.  Will you watch the Democratic debate on October 13?