It seems that the debate went on for hours. The candidates stood at their lecterns, responding to the moderators and to the questions they posed. One after the other, they put forth positions, citing past legislative efforts; past crises confronted; personal experience outside of the political realm, and , of course, education and training.
Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, continued to recall and recount his experience as a Federal Prosecutor. He then would extend that role into decision making and dealing with crime. he made a point that New Jersey was in the van when it comes to drug decriminalization in favor of treatment programs and long term care of drug -addicted citizens. This response came after a question of 'how would you confront the opioid epidemic in the Northeast US'?. Mr. Christie stated that New Jersey health officials were actually helping New Hampshire to change to a healthcare program from a criminal drug program. These points resonate across a broad swath of America as states adopt revamped attitudes toward the drug problems that afflict cities and suburbs nationwide.
Ted Cruz got lots of mileage on veterans' issues. One aspect of the debate focused on women's role in the military. They mentioned Def. Sec. Ash Carter's announcement last month that women would be eligible for all combat roles as long as they could pass the training regimen. Some candidates said it was time for women to register for the draft as do their male counterparts when they turn 18. But, pointedly, no candidate called for a return to the draft.
Dr. Ben Carson continued his rhetoric based on his medical experience and his desire to put real conservatism into the White House.
Darn Old Trump, plastic hair intact, continued to bluster and rant with the same old topics he's been hammering with for months(seems like forever). Immigrants: no path to citizenship; a higher wall on the border; legal immigrants first and only first. When confronted on 'eminent domain' by Jeb Bush, Darn Old said he didn't take the widow's house for a parking lot for his casino. Well, yea, he did try, but he abandoned that attempt. He had high praise for eminent domain and the government's use of same, citing its use when it comes to locating schools, firehouses, hospitals, and government buildings. He also stated that property owners were compensated at fair market value. Hmmm. I'm sure many in the viewing audience would take him to task on that one.
Ted Cruz, remarking on the care and treatment of veterans, stated that all veterans should be able to seek treatment at any medical facility, not just a VA hospital or clinic. Really? You would support this? The, of course, is a response to the legions of problems uncovered in the VA health care system.
Dem. candidate Bernie Sanders, who chaired the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, was slow in his response to claims the VA system was failing in its duties, despite clear evidence to the contrary. Ted says he'll make treatment of veterans mental health issues a high priority, citing a statistic that 22 veterans commit suicide everyday in the US. A despicable truth!
Jeb Bush is still struggling to resonate with voters on any level. He has funding and can continue on, but his family legacy cannot be overcome.
Marco Rubio: a malfunctioning robot. He repeated the same response three(3) times during the questioning. Chris Christie called him on it. His stock answers kept overriding his thoughts. He could not detach himself from his preprogrammed answers. How sad: a candidate without the ability to think for himself.
Tuesday-it can't come soon enough.
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