Dan Roberti, who once ran for Congress, watched the recent Republican debate with great interest –and he has strong opinions about the performance of the candidates. “Rubio is emerging as the Republican candidate but that doesn’t mean Bush won’t recover because he still has access to deep pockets although the establishment is fickle,” said Roberti, who lives in Connecticut. “Carson is a current fad, like all fads in presidential Republican politics, he will fade, and he’s leading the polls.” Like Roberti, many viewers weighed in about the candidates and also the media and had plenty to say.
On Wednesday, October 28, Republican candidates stumbled on tough questions from the moderators and complained that they were designed to provoke confrontation rather than genuine policy discussion. “The questions were antagonizing and disrespectful, particularly with the one asking Trump, ‘if it’s a comic campaign,” said Kerel Cain, a PR student referring to Ted Cruz statement who was very offended with the moderators for asking whether his opposition to raising the debt ceiling indicates he may not be “the kind of problem-solver American voters want.” However, Cruz wasted his time firing back at moderators repeating questions asked to other candidates and never answered his question.
On Twitter, moderators were ridiculed as bias and condescending. “The moderators had a worse night than the New York Mets who lost game 2 at the World Series,” said a tweet which caused a roar on social media. At varying times, the audience booed the moderators, giving the candidates space to draw together for the attack against what they said was their common enemy, “the liberal media.”
Rubio tells his story of living the American dream and shines as humble when he talks about his mother working as a maid and his father as a bartender. “I like Rubio because he seems the most presidential. He was very composed, he responded to Bush criticism very well” said Smith. Analysts were divided about who really won the debate. Senator Rubio took the lead with Cruz behind, Trump followed.
Roberti continues, “Trump has shown in last debate he’s taking this campaign seriously and not relying on just being bombastic and throwing darts. He clearly calculated his importants, the need to alter his handling of Carson going from attacking him to treating him with kid gloves.” The Republican candidates each took shots at Democratic front runner Hilary Clinton. Maybe the moderators will do better at the next Republican debate.
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