This past Thursday evening, I watched the Republican presidential debates on Fox News. This column will be a discussion of my thoughts on those debates – who won, who lost and who just showed up. Truth be told, it is extremely difficult to get one’s points across in one or two-minute sound bites, but those were the rules, and they applied to everyone on the stage. All in all I thought the debates were entertaining, enlightening and equitable.
For me, there were some surprises. Surprise number one was Carly Fiorina. She came across much more intelligent and prepared than I thought she would. She showed herself to be a true stateswoman: polished, smooth and sophisticated. I liked her. My next surprise was Marco Rubio. I was expecting a young, inexperienced politician. What I saw instead was a mature, educated senator with a firm grasp of the world and our place in it. I liked him as well. Another surprise for me was Gov. John Kasich. He looked presidential. He was calm, assured and competent. I came away with a new appreciation for Kasich.
A big disappointment for me was Donald Trump. He looked out of place. He was angry, dour and mean. I didn’t appreciate his performance, and I doubt many others across the country did either. The sooner he goes back to his other world, the better.
I watched the debates looking for another Ronald Reagan; unfortunately I did not find him. I was hoping to see an individual who showed heart and courage with the strength it will take to be president and deal with this world. I wanted to see a traditional American with the heart of a conservative. I’ve been told Reagan was a once-in-a-lifetime guy. That’s probably true, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hope. There was no Reagan there but there were some good stand-ins.
Who won the debates? I believe the American people won the debates. They won because in this group of candidates on the Republican side were people of character, wisdom and true leadership abilities. Almost any one of them would do a much better job than has been done during the past few years.
I think the loser in these debates was the Democratic Party. When compared with the quality of individuals on the stage in Cleveland, the entire Democrat entourage looks lame and second-rate. I cannot imagine Hillary Clinton as commander-in-chief of our military, and God help us if Bernie Sanders gets the nomination. In fact, it’s clear to me any of the announced Democrats will just be a continuation of the failed presidency of Obama or worse.
I am not prepared at this time to tell you my personal favorite. I like Bush, Walker and Huckabee. They are all governors or former governors. I appreciate their executive experience. Like you, I will watch closely as this race unfolds. There will be several more debates. All of these fine people will be vetted to their fullest. Picking among them makes America the winner, and we need a win. Those who don’t make it will be great candidates for the cabinet. I like Dr. Ben Carson, an intelligent man with the heart of a surgeon. Our government needs people like Carson, but in a policy-making job. Not as the ceremonial U.S. Surgeon General.
Finally, the world is watching. They are watching and hoping we make the right decision. What we need is a Republican candidate who can win. America needs that, the world needs that, I need that.
