The 2024 Presidential Debates Thread

Discussion in 'Politics & Government' started by Yvonne Smith, Aug 23, 2023.

  1. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I don't really believe that he is, but I consider that a possibility. I had my doubts about Trump during the early part of the 2016 primary, too.
     
    #16
  2. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    Tonight is the second Republican debate, this one to be held in California, again with Donald Trump choosing not to participate. Instead, President Trump is in Michigan and will be talking to the United Auto Workers, who have been on strike , and are upset about Biden’s transition to electric vehicles.
    They have eliminated a few more of the GOP candidates, and I think that it is six who will be onstage tonight.

    Since they had so few people even watching last time, and not much was actually said of much interest, I am expecting an even poorer turnout of people watching this event on television tonight.
    There are several news commentators talking about the debates tonight, and I think that this guy sums it up pretty well. He states that unless one of these GOP candidates says something that catches the interest of the American people, then Donald Trump will win this debate by default, just like he won the last one.

     
    #17
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  3. Denise Evans

    Denise Evans Supreme Member
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    Thanks for this Yvonne I might take a peek once it comes out on YouTube but I think president Trump is doing the right thing for sure talking to the auto workers that sounds excellent I just don't believe there's anybody that can beat him if he's able to run I mean if he's not imprisoned by the Biden administration and all their his cohorts
     
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  4. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    This was unexpected, even for a RINO. DeSantis actually blamed Trump for Biden’s recession ! Bobby listened to part of the GOP debate last night, and the little bits I heard, they were spending time mocking Trump for not being there, as opposed to actually talking about the invasion of illegals, or anything that is important to the American people right now.
    As bad as the first one was, I think that this one was even worse, except for maybe Ramaswamy looking the best of them.

    Some people have suggested that Trump might pick his VP from one of these candidates, and the only one that I can see him choosing would be Ramaswamy, at this point. No way is he going to choose DeSantis after last night, and giving Biden an out for the bad economy he has created ever since he took office. It is beyond me how anyone could even rationalize Donald Trump being responsible for what Biden has been doing the last couple of years.

    IMG_5511.jpeg
     
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  5. Vada Bloom

    Vada Bloom Very Well-Known Member
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    I decided to try to watch the debate and I made it 10 minutes. I listened to some clips and read about it today.

    I didn’t think it was possible for Fox Business to be worse than Fox News but I underestimated them. Of course, it really wasn’t Fox Business even though it was advertised as such. Varney is from Fox Business but Perino isn't and then there was Ilia Calderón from Univision. Pro-illegal immigration Univision moderating a Republican debate??? Unbelievable.

    Perino finished by asking them who they would vote off the island if they could. There are so many serious issues to ask about and she pulls that out of her hat. Again, the biggest loser was the moderators IMO.

    This country is in so much trouble.

    Btw, Trump announced today that he will not choose his VP from the current field of candidates.
     
    #20
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  6. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I watched most of it. It was mostly just a lot of multiple people trying to talk over one another and waiting for a chance to get in a pre-planned talking point or zinger. I don't think any of them played very well. Of those there, I would be most inclined to agree with Ramaswammy, but he barely got a chance to talk. Perhaps he was told that he was too aggressive last time, so he didn't say much of anything this time, which didn't help him. Early on, I would have much preferred Trump, but I was open to DeSantis; the more he talks, the less I like him, though. I never have liked Nikki Haley. She was governor when I was living in North Carolina, and she was just another neoconservative trying to play both sides. Tim Scott seems like an accomplished actor who has the role of playing the part of a stereotypical Republican, which he does well, except that his heart isn't in it. Another guy, whoever he was, from one of the Dakotas, did well, but since no one even knows who he was, it was pointless. Mike Pence and Chris Christie are just a waste of space as candidates. Christie looks and sounds a bit like someone who should be living in a van down by the river. I'm unsure where the live audience came from, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were Mitt Romney staffers or others who are still sad because John McCain died.
     
    #21
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2023
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  7. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    This is one of those “shorts” videos, and you have to click on the link to watch it. This one shows Vivek Ramaswamy saying almost identical things to what Obama said when he was running for president. (There are other similar videos on youtube that show more plagiarism from Obama, too .)
    He also closely copies things that Donald Trump has said; but he seems to be telling us that these are his own ideas at the same time he is copying almost word for word what Trump or Obama has said.

    https://youtube.com/shorts/xUnGKGw16pA?si=0QepnJugRKZM7SiP
     
    #22
  8. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    I haven't viewed the polls since the "debates", but both Ramaswamy and DeSantis have dropped significantly prior to the debates. Some in the population are seeing in him a bit of what some here have seen--disingenuousness. Copying some winning style from other candidates is not new. I saw a lot of Hitler's speaking techniques in Obama's speeches and noticed that he was able to speak a long time, say nothing, but impress the commentators as a great orator. Ramaswamy is apparently now doing the same with Trump. I have no idea if he means what he says or not.

    I am looking at the governor of South Dakota as a "best possible VP choice" for Trump, but I don't know that he will agree with me:)
     
    #23
  9. John Houlihan

    John Houlihan Very Well-Known Member
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    I have two comments to make about the Republican debates.

    1. The first two debates (especially the second) have been very disappointing because the moderators seemed unable to prevent nearby candidates from continuously interrupting the designated speaker resulting in two candidates shouting non-stop at each other. Stupidity on display. In my opinion, moderaters should be able turn off interrupting mikes as needed. I finally decided the interruptions were too much, so I stopped watching the second debate.

    2. Trump says he is so far ahead that there is no advantage for him to debate. True enough. But there is a second reason why it is better for him not to appear at these debates. From what I have read, the audience for these debates is rigged with a certain percentage for each candidate. If Trump did appear at these debates, the rigged audience for other candidates could loudly boo Trump all night long.
     
    #24
  10. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Supreme Member
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    I can't imagine anyone auditioning for V.P. for 2024. It is usually thought of as a stepping-stone to the presidency for the following cycle. Ask Mike Pence how that worked out.

    I can't imagine anyone of those candidates even accepting the position if offered, which they won't be.

    On second thought, I think Ramaswamy would accept. He likes the attention.
     
    #25
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2023
  11. John Houlihan

    John Houlihan Very Well-Known Member
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    Vivek Ramaswamy may be the Manchurian candidate. It’s hard to tell because of all the fake news about him. His website shows the 10 beliefs his campaign is based on:

    1. God is real.
    2. There are two genders.
    3. Human flourishing requires fossil fuels.
    4. Reverse racism is racism.
    5. An open border is no border.
    6. Parents determine the education of their children.
    7. The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind.
    8. Capitalism lifts people up from poverty.
    9. There are three branches of the U.S. government, not four.
    10. The U.S. constitution is the strongest guarantor of freedoms in history.

    Yesterday, Ramaswamy gave a 30-min speech which spells out what he intends to do. If interested, you can decide for yourself. Here is the link to his speech:



    The jury is still out on Ramaswamy.
     
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  12. Ed Wilson

    Ed Wilson Veteran Member
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    I didn't see any winners or losers last night. It was a way of getting to know them better. I knew little about Vivek Ramaswamy except that he was running. He did not pull any punches especially when it came to the hosts and fake news. I loved it. Christie is just a political hack. Out of all, one of them will probably end up being Trump's running mate.
     
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  13. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I didn't watch; the first one was enough for me. I read somewhere that Trump said Tucker Carlson would make a good running mate. Oh. My. Gawd. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: My voting days might be over.
     
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  14. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Vivek is pretty much the only one with anything to say, although one excerpt of him was all I've seen of the last debate. Tucker Carlson is a political entertainer, in my opinion. Anyone looking to him for direction is likely to be disappointed. I've said before that while Trump is my choice for president, he really ought to let someone else make the selections. With some exceptions, the people he chose to fill positions or whom he endorsed for public office were not good choices. He sucks when it comes to picking people.
     
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  15. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Compared to the current VEEP, Tucker is probably at least as qualified. However I don't consider that much of an endorsement.
     
    #30

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