You know it. I know it. My little dog, MacDuff, knows that the G.O.P. debate at the Ronald Reagan (Peace be upon him.) Presidential Library in California last night was a shit show inside of a dumpster fire. The moderators embarrassed themselves (Dana Perrino, Survivor?). The candidates embarrassed themselves (Chris Christie, Donald Duck?). The audience learned nothing worthy of their time. It was tough to pick winners and losers although our Deanna tried here. However, a Trump senior adviser has suggested that the G.O.P. cancel any future debates so that we can concentrate our energies on defeating Joe Biden. Our answer is HALE TO THE NO!

Contrary to last night as evidence, Republican debates are a good thing. In theory that is. Dana Perino proved that there is no one at Fox News Channel with a working brain. She asked the onstage candidates should be voted off the island Survivor style. Speaking of style, Governor Ron DeSantis got beaucoup style points for shunning that excrement down. Ilia Calderon, the Univision person, clearly despised the G.O.P. candidates and did not try to hide it. I don’t blame Trump for not showing up for the G.O.P. debates, so far. These have not been real debates and who wants to get pecked to death by
a bunch of turkey vultures.

But Cancel Future Debates?

Chris LaCivita, a Trump Campaign Senior Advisor sent out this missive:

Statement from senior ⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ campaign advisor Chris LaCivita pic.twitter.com/s8WP1jpVyY

— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) September 28, 2023

Oh hale no, again. What we need are real debates. Lose some of the candidates, who are lovely people, but have a snowball’s chance in Hell of every be elected President. Governor Doug Bergam is smart, but no. Chris Christie is bitter and unlikeable and buh-bye. Sorry Tim Scott. Love you but you are gone.

Ed Kilgore of The Intelligencer agrees with the Trump aid:

Please, please, Republicans–let’s don’t do that again! Trump himself obviously agrees (as reported by the Daily Caller) even though the nightmare on the stage at the Reagan library in California probably benefitted him: “They have to stop the debates. Because it is just bad for the Republican Party. They are not going anywhere. There is not going to be a breakout candidate.”
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Before we even get to the futility of the debates in separating sheep from goats, let’s address the possibility that the second debate was so bad mainly because the Fox/Univision moderators totally failed to control the warring debaters. They seemed to lose their grip on the microphones from the get-go, presumably because the candidates had been heavily briefed about the need to seize time and take the initiative. They constantly talked over each other and squabbled like grade-schoolers on a poorly supervised playground. Doug Burgum ranted constantly off-camera; at first I thought his voice was that of a heckler in the audience. It was unwatchable for long stretches.

Definitely unwatchable. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Fix the debates. Do not end them. LaCivita is a currently inactive Marine. There is not such thing as a former Marine. Marines aren’t afraid of any challenge. Fix the debates.

No more Dana Perino, Ilia Calderon or (ugh) Brett Baier. Megyn Kelly, maybe. There aren’t any male anchors with the gravitas or trust to keep the debate on the rails, off the top of my head. Listing those who need to lose their place on stage, I forgot Mike Pence:

I agreed with Trump skipping the first two debates. They need to tighten up now. AND, Trump needs to be in them.
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Featured Image: Gage Skidmore/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons