“Liar, liar, pants on fire!”
That seemed to be the theme of the ninth Republican debate Saturday night. Good thing the liar taunt is not true or there would’ve been six candidates, pants in flames, requiring treatment for third-degree burns.
Whatever happened to dignity, civility and decency in the presidential debating process? When and why did it turn into a version of Saturday Night All-Star Wrestling?
The ruckus, like a food-throwing fight by tall brats, began when Donald Trump, well known for his own untrue whoppers (big lies), accused Ted Cruz of being a liar, liar, “the single biggest liar.” Then the other candidates (except John Kasich and Ben Carson, who managed to retain their dignity) launched into a hissy fit, erupting into nasty bouts of liar, liar, liar.
When these “liars” weren’t lying, they were – to put it politely – misrepresenting the facts, as fact-checkers proved after the debate and as reported Sunday morning in a great article in USA Today.
- Marco Rubio said illegal immigration is worse today than five years ago. Wrong. The fact is, the numbers are about stable over that period of time.
- Trump claimed an eminent-domain case involving a casino project wasn’t for a parking lot. Wrong. It was. Trump also claimed the national economy did not grow in the last quarter of 2015. Wrong. It did.
- Carson quoted Josef Stalin, Soviet dictator, about how to destroy America. Wrong. The quote, apparently, was never spoken by Stalin.
- Cruz claimed there have been no confirmations of U.S. Supreme Court justices during an election year during the past 80 years. Wrong. Justice Anthony Kennedy, nominated by President Ronald Regan, was confirmed in 1988, an election year.
- Trump claimed he is a “self-funder” of his own campaign. Wrong. About $6.5 million (or 34 percent) in campaign contributions are from individual donors.
Liars, liars, indeed! The whoppers and wrong “facts” that muddied the air at that debate are too many to mention. For more of them, visit FactCheck.org.
In last weeks’ debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, there were plenty of charges and counter-charges that were either untrue or half true or mostly false. Sanders and Clinton haven’t erupted into hissy fits of liar, liar, liar. Not yet, anyway.
All-Star Wrestling has long featured contenders with names like The Stomper, The Butcher, Gorgeous George and – not to forget – Minnesota’s very own Jesse “The Body” Ventura. Pumped up with hilarious braggadocio, those sweating hefties would stomp into the ring, roaring ferocious insults, threats and vicious promises.
They acted – no lie! – a lot like the current crop of presidential contenders: Trump the Trouncer, Bush The Whacker, Cruisin’ Cruz, Rubio the Dude-ee-O, Killer Kasich, Carson the Crusher.
For their next debate, forget the podiums. Just haul out a big wrestling mat and have plenty of fire extinguishers at the ready. Then we can all pop some corn, sit back and enjoy the free-for-all.
“Bushy Wussie, your mother wears combat boots!”
Pow! Punch!
“Old Wig Head, you’d turn the White House into a floating casino!”
Slam! Dunk!
“What’d you say, Bubble Boy? You’d stack the Supreme Court with prissies?”
Stomp! Slap!
“Hey Cruz, you big fat road kill, you’re cruisin’ for a bruisin’!”
Whop! Slap!”
Stay tuned, folks.
