The Candidates Debate

It sure was an interesting GOP debate the other evening in South Carolina.

After an initial coming together to express condolences over the tragic passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (perhaps the worst day for freedom loving Americans since Obamacare was passed), things got rather dicey quickly.

This was to be expected, as South Carolina has in recent cycles been where the gloves come off, and winners and loser are separated.

However, it was particularly ugly on Saturday night, with the majority of the altercations coming, not from those initially attacking front runner Donald Trump, but Trump attacking & his challengers.

Trump labeled Cruz nasty and "the single biggest liar, a real nasty guy who does not get along with any of his colleagues. In a news conference today, Trump essentially went scorched earth on Cruz.

"Ted Cruz is a totally unstable individual. He is the single biggest liar I’ve ever come across, in politics or otherwise, and I have seen some of the best of them. His statements are totally untrue and completely outrageous. It is hard to believe a person who proclaims to be a Christian could be so dishonest and lie so much".

Trump is feeling heat from Cruz, and unleashed a major attack, however, the Donald was sadly incorrect in his assertions.

I am not seeking a candidate who gets along with Congressional members who are complicit in the destruction of our nation.  Cruz called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a liar on the Senate floor, and Cruz was correct in doing so in my opinion.

Given what CNN reported publicly, Cruz is also correct in the dispute with Ben Carson Trump references. CNN is not a sound news organization,  which Cruz's team should have known, but with the information out, it was not only appropriate, but a responsible and smart course of action to inform voters.  If anyone is to blame, it is Ben Carson for not making his plans known to his supporters to prevent any misconceptions.

And for the record, Cruz is also correct in his ongoing spat with Marco Rubio on immigration.

Then Trump really got going.
 
First, Jeb Bush has a much more favorable assessment of his family than most do.  Most folks think the Bush family are good people, and I certainly do.

As a Floridian, it is my opinion Jeb Bush, whom I voted for, did a great job as governor of the Sunshine State.  I gleefully voted for Bush 41 in 1988 but found his performance weak, but supported him again in 1992 against Bill Clinton.  I enthusiastically supported Bush 43 in 2000 and in 2004, and while I still consider his presidency successful and know he was far superior to his Democrat challengers, the more time went on the more disappointed I became with his administration.  However, my disagreements with 43 are minimal and my admiration for him (particularly as a man of class and honor) is strong.  It would be difficult for anyone to no consider the Bush family as a great principled family who care deeply for the United States of America.

But Trump got loose, calling not only the war with Iraq a mistake, but called George W. Bush a liar, commenting that Bush and his team had lied about weapons of mass destruction while saying under 43 "we were not safe".

After being attacked on 9-11, George W. Bush did in fact keep us safe.  Many can question the steps he took to make that happen, but we were not attacked again on our soil during his administration, unlike the Obama administration.  Argue about the Patriot Act if you please, and I will join you, but to say that Bush did not succeed in keeping America safe while prosecuting a global war on terror war is false.

As far as concluding Bush lied about the weapons of mass destruction being in Iraq, I vehemently challenge that statement as false. There were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and they were moved to Syria and are there as we speak. As I noted in a post in December of 2012:

"No longer politically expedient to admonish George W. Bush for going to war with Iraq on false assumptions of the existence of these weapons, it should come as no surprise that stories shining light on the weapons transfer from Iraq to Syria are emerging in frequency. While many reports are discussing recently discovered pathways of weapon movement from Iraq to Syria, hidden behind the discussion is the transfer during the postponement of the invasion of Iraq that France President Jacque Chirac, a dishonest broker who worked against US interests, bought. The second to none editorial page of Investors Business Daily leads the way as usual in presenting and detailing the truth. IBD, in an editorial yesterday, continues to present the facts even if few Americans are willing to absorb it".

I have always personally liked Donald Trump and admired much of his business accomplishment and while he is not my first choice for the GOP nomination, unlike many, I had felt comfortable in supporting him should he win the nomination.

I am now questioning that assessment.

Donald Trump is not an idiot, so I am sure his attacks are based on some level of methodology. However, defeating opponents on merit and on the battlefield of ideas has often been superior to berating with opponents with name calling, lies and threats.

America is some kind of pissed at the establishment of both parties, and Trump has a very unique opportunity before him.  However, while I may be wrong, his scorched earth ramblings in recent days may not only burn up his opponents, it may engulf his candidacy as well.

Disagree with their policies as you wish, but I conclude neither Ted Cruz nor George W. Bush (and I note that Bush is no fan of Cruz) are liars.  Trump; however, is starting to look as though he may be.

Or maybe this is just South Carolina as usual.

GOP Debate Update

The main event GOP presidential candidates debate took place in Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH, and it did not disappoint; highlighting the fine field of top candidates there are to choose from.

The under-card GOP debate winner was Carly Fiorina, who continues to impress, exhibiting broad knowledge of the issues. Particularly astute of her was to note the movement of money within the global financial system. Bobby Jindal, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry round out our final four first round performance, although it would seem Perry was in need of a stronger performance to leave his misfortunes in 2012 behind him.

The main event featured a very impressive field. For the GOP debate on this evening, Dr. Ben Carson was the winner. Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee round out the final four in first round performance.

Jeb Bush seemed to get caught in a lie on the issue of Common Core, but otherwise did no harm. John Kasich looked good to the viewers and Scott Walker was steady as she goes successfully navigating away from any potentially rough seas.

Nobody blew up, but it appears Rand Paul and Donald Trump failed to gain any ground while others did.

Chris Christie and Rand Paul got in quite a dust up over surveillance.  Each candidate has a long list of support for their position, and while I am on the opposite side of many folks I generally am in agreement with, including of note Kimberly Guilfoyle, I stand with Rand Paul on this topic.

FOX News was horrible and clearly aimed to diminish Trump.  Megan Kelly, whom I generally think highly of, was way off base in some questioning of Donald Trump and she seems to be paying quite a price for her odd and suspicious line of questioning of Trump.  Among those who are hammering her is The Great One, Mark Levin.

It should be clearly noted that these GOP debates were inclusive of some very fine candidates, each having a long list of impressive credentials, and any candidate on the either stage on this opening evening of debates would be far superior to anyone the Democrats have to offer.

Free Market Capitalism an Economic Sky Hook

Like many, I was very saddened by the recent goings on in Baltimore, from concern over the possibility that the suspect Freddie Gray was mistreated, to the horrendous and unlawful actions  of violence and lawlessness of by hundreds of thugs and the despicable leadership just about all of the political leadership in this once proud town.  Although I have not been to the city in decades, as a direct descendant of Lord Baltimore, it was somewhat personal.

Among the destruction, the fact that we again have lost the rule of law in a major US city is of grave concern. The lawlessness led to the unthinkable; forcing the Baltimore Orioles to cancel a game, then play a home game in front of nobody because the police were unable to protect fans, and then move a home series with the Tampa Bay Rays down to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, again, for safety purposes.

How about arresting those who fail to follow the lead of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr by engaging in looting, violence and the destruction of private and public property? Well, in Baltimore, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake doesn't think much of private property, and ironically, she is not related to the Rawlings Co. that makes baseballs.

One could argue the current leaders of the federal government are not unhappy about since it gives them the opportunity gain even more control over the citizenry.  Al Sharpton, a proxy mouthpiece for President Barack Obama, quipped that due to the events of Baltimore, and the previously orchestrated protests in Ferguson, MO outside of St. Louis, it is now time to federalize the nations police departments.

Let that one sink in for a moment.  Sharpton, and make no mistake, Obama, want the power in Washington and not locally in our communities, cities and states.  This directly contradicts the wishes of our Founding Fathers, but Obama and his teammates view our founding documents as charter of negative liberties, limiting what the federal government can and should do.  The Founders, of course, sought to limit government.

Those that have weighed in on these events include anybody and everybody. I was interested in the thoughts of two individuals; Dr. Alveda King and Dr. Ben Carson.

Dr. Alveda King, is the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, who so eloquently and effectively championed the civil rights movement.  She knew both her father and her uncle would strongly disapprove of the protests in Baltimore, and said so in an editorial, although the political leadership of the city did not want to hear of it. You see, to the progressive leadership in this county, King's message is considered weak, failing to include the grievances and reparations this group feels they are owed.

As the chief neurosurgeon at John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Carson, who has announced his candidacy as a republican for president in 2016, could offer informative commentary given his longtime residency in the city.  Carson did an interview printed in GQ, noting "Obviously I'm sad to see what's going on there."

Jesse Lee Patterson had a brilliant piece over at World Net Daily, pontificating if white America just said no!

One of my all time favorite NBS stars, legendary NBA Hall of Fame player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers. Although I am not sure if it is deserved, Abdul-Jabbar is getting hammered over his written comments about the unrest in Baltimore.

“I suggest we all pay attention to what’s happening in Baltimore, because it’s very likely that unless the economic and injustice issues raised there are addressed in a meaningful way across the country, we will be seeing many more Baltimores throughout the election season.”

Maybe Abdul-Jabbar sees thing differently than I do.

I blame much of the inner city issues in Baltimore and other major cities on the failed experiment of The Great Society, where government has infiltrated, and help break up, the family by introducing incentive killing entitlements. Marriage rates have tanked, leaving many youngsters to be raised without a Dad, or in many cases, without parents.

Entitlements from the government have placed many low income inner-city individuals and families in a box, with decreasing avenues of escape; just as it has been planned. School choice, ended by President Obama who frowns upon folks leaving the inner city for the suburbs, has reduced opportunities for those who seek to advance their education beyond the capabilities of the inner-city schools.

Government has established a permanent voting base in these cities, for those who are in regular receipt of the entitlements will likely never vote to have them taken away.  Of course, they fail to recognize they have become a slave to the state.  Do they even know the are rioting against the Man while voting to become a continuous slave to the Man in supporting the progressive Democrats.

There is no easy answer here. However, I have a few simple ideas:

*Faith needs to regain its rightful place as the centerpiece ones spirit.
*The family needs to re-established as paramount.
*The election of city leaders who inspire greatness; not race hustlers who claim the residents are victims. As noted in Proverbs 29:2, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."
*Firmly establish the rule of law.  If the city is lawless, commerce and brotherhood is lost.
*Educational opportunities need to be expanded, not squelched.
*Mentoring is a vehicle which can provide a vision for youngsters to find avenues of success
*Freedom; the removal of shackling governmental regulations and taxation, assisting in the establishment of the entrepreneurial spirit and individual discipline required to achieve gainful employment.  Freedom to try, buy, sell and fail.
*Elimination of the grievance industry.  No reparations, no social justice; just free market capitalism.

Why not give it a try?  Free market capitalism is the equivalent of basketballs' unstoppable sky hook shot, a staple of Abdul-Jabbar's game.  After all, how's the progressive big government Great Society working for the inner city folks?  It is where dreams go up in flames; literally and figuratively.