There are certain thoughts and positions that might have been reasonably expected from the candidates during the GOP primary presidential debate (or what ended up being comparable to an episode of The Real House Wives of…).
It featured the top ten Republican candidates speaking in Cleveland, OH, and at some points, it got a little heated and weird.
For one: Donald Trump isn’t afraid to say what he thinks, without much factual basis, which really we already knew and definitely could have expected. But obviously he loves the camera’s hype.
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At this point, you don’t even need to mention his hair to get him a little worked up.
Though it started with a slightly awkward introduction from the Fox News team, the debate featured all of the top candidates, including former Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Those who could generally be considered to be on the same “team” were clearly ready to go head-to-head.
Beyond topics like the economy, immigration, and national security/local law enforcement, healthcare was undoubtedly going to be one of the many focuses of the debate for each candidate. Subjects such as Obamacare, Planned Parenthood/pro-life perspectives (which was strongly touched on quite early by a couple of candidates, including Mike Huckabee who referred to baby tissue being sold like parts of a Buick) and Medicare/Medicaid being were some points of discussion.
Among some of the opinions that many predicted within the different subjects on hand, here are a few of highlights some of the candidates addressed.
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- Ohio Governor John Kasich defended his position on expanding Medicaid by pointing to treatment of the mentally ill in prisons and rehabilitating those who are addicted to drugs within the system. He also mentioned needs for those who are poor and need treatment because of their right to their “God-given purpose” to be cared for.
- Trump stuck to his point that Obamacare continues to be a “complete disaster.” He said he’d like to see a future system without the “artificial lines around every state” and a situation where insurers aren’t making all of the money and don’t have control over politicians.
- Gov. Jeb Bush stands by defunding Planned Parenthood in Florida. He declared that he’s pro-life because he’s “informed by [his] faith, beginning to end.” He extended that to the end-of-life care subject. “I hope we get to a point where we respect life in its fullest form across the board,” Bush said. Senator Marco Rubio shared some of the same thoughts on the issue.
- Trump’s closing statement firmly emphasized (again) his intent to end Obamacare.
In terms of distinguishing himself as a front-runner, Ben Carson made clear that he’s the only one in the group who has set apart Siamese twins (with a clear sense of humor and sarcasm about how they all differ in accomplishments). But he actually held his own in the debate — when he had the chance to speak.
It was also pretty clear that Trump has an ego/attitude that allows him to talk over commentators, get a little heated and speak quite emphatically in response to questions about his character. It puts into question what his real motivations are in the race and how connected he is with the serious issues that affect the majority of Americans.
I, for one, will do my best to avoid any (entirely hypothetical) indiscretion with Trump. Not because it would be too threatening, but more because it would be too hard not to laugh.