Excessive, comical, provocative … American millionaire and current Republican forerunner Donald Trump demonstrated the best and worst sides of himself on Thursday during the very first debate of the voting season. His opponents struggled to impose a sense of seriousness.
Center stage at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Trump stood surrounded by nine rival candidates, all of whom are languishing in the polls. The real estate tycoon didn’t hesitate to set the tone, explaining his intention to run as an independent at the 2016 elections if he fails to win the primaries. Trump is the only candidate not to disregard this option, which would undoubtedly give the advantage to the Democratic candidate.
“I will not make the pledge at this time,” Trump explained. This declaration was met with boos from the thousands of campaigners present at the 2-hour debate, and the anger of fellow candidate Rand Paul.
But the businessman nevertheless managed to incite laughter — or rather, forced laughter — from his crowd, claiming that “most of the people on this stage I’ve given to, just so you understand, a lot of money” in order to buy their favor, including Hillary Clinton.
Fox News journalists in charge of organizing the debate had only one question: Why? “I said, ‘Be at my wedding,’ and she came to my wedding … She had no choice,” Trump recalled with glee.
Daring Declarations
The real estate tycoon has led the leader boards since he announced his intention to join the campaign in June, earlier this year. His popularity has exposed him to criticism, with opponents accusing him of having previously been a Democrat, only to do a political backflip on issues such as abortion, immigration and health care, which he initially aimed to nationalize.
“I would also just say this. Since he has changed his mind on amnesty, on health care and on abortion, I would just ask, ‘What are the principles by which he will govern?’” asked the only female candidate, Carly Fiorina. The former Hewlett-Packard co-chief executive did well to stand out during the Fox News debate for the seven candidates trailing behind in the polls.
With nonchalance and a trademark pout, Trump managed to elude the more complex questions, narrowly refraining from calling Obama “incompetent.” His inflated self-esteem even led him to sympathize with one of his opponents, commenting, “You’re having a hard time tonight.”
Illegal Immigrants and Surveillance Measures
The 17 Republican candidates demonstrated a remarkable sense of ideological unity, collectively denouncing the Obama-Clinton era, and promising to revisit many of the Democratic policies on Iran, health care, the environment and banking regulations.
The burning issue of immigration and the fate of the 11 million illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S. seemed to create a rift between candidates. Republican candidate Jeb Bush faced opposition from several conservatives who disapproved of his gradual regularization plan, which requires illegal immigrants to pay fines — among other things.
“I believe that the great majority of people coming here illegally have no other option. They want to provide for their family,” he said.
A heated discussion on the breadth of surveillance measures in the U.S. also served to illustrate the gulf separating the libertarian wing of the Republican Party and those in favor of the current surveillance system.
Clinton Targeted
The 17 candidates each battled to convince the audience of their ability to run against Democratic forerunner Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential elections. Jeb Bush, heir of the Bush family political dynasty, repeated his favored expression, “I am my own man,” and reiterated his successes as former governor of Florida.
According to Sen. Lindsey Graham, Hillary Clinton “represents the third term of a failed presidency.”
When one of the Fox News moderators asked the Republican contenders to describe Clinton in several words, they replied “not trustworthy,” “no vision at all,” “socialist” and even “professional politician.”
During the debate, Clinton sent a message to her supporters: “Right this minute, ten Republican men are on national TV, arguing over which one will do the best job of dragging our country backwards. I’m not watching, and I don’t need to be.”
Ask ANY of the presidential candidates here in the United States if they have a THEORY OF HISTORY. You will get a perplexed ,dumbfounded look : what does that question have to do with anything that matters ?
What ” matters ” for Democrats and Republicans in high office is the political,economic, and ideological interests of the U.S. ruling class.
They cover up this crude truth with unctuous abstract words and phrases: ” freedom “, ” democracy “,” national independence “, ” economic progress “. Even the ” war on terrorism ” is a vacuous fraud.
These political leaders of the capitalist class share the delusion of that class that History has ended, that the evolution of human society culminates in THEIR supremacy.
A world in which THEY -this ONE PERCENT plutocracy – is on top is necessarily the best of all possible worlds.
Even vague and phony liberalism has become hateful to this arrogant elite. That is why they ignorantly call Hillary Clinton a ” socialist “.
A real socialist might call THE DONALD a fascist. If THEY are nervous enough, Trump will do in the 2016 election.
Could it be that the great American middle class is getting sick of capitalism ? The ” socialist ” Bernie Sanders just might win the New Hampshire primary. Then what will the ruling class do ? Tame Bernie ? Introduce him to Hillary’s brand of ” socialism ” ?
But how about the real thing for a change ?
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