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🇺🇸 Debate Debrief: GOP Edition

🇺🇸 Debate Debrief: GOP Edition

Plus, a reverse Goldilocks.

Good morning, and happy Friday. It started with an unassuming book with an unknown author, but it turned into a meteoric success virtually overnight. How did a kind stranger catapult a veteran’s debut novel into a bestseller?

Plus, a California man's home security camera was recording when a bear, apparently taking cues from Goldilocks, broke into his apartment, foraged for food, wrecked his TV, and took a nap on his bed.

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Trump’s Shakeup, Hochul Demands Funding, BRICS Expansion

US: Trump replaces top Georgia lawyer ahead of surrender (CNN)

US: Hochul presses Biden to fund migrant housing and social services: 'Shouldered this burden for too long' (FOX News)

US: Trump ally Mark Meadows turns himself in after Georgia election indictment (NPR)

World: Putin says Prigozhin was ‘talented man’ who ‘made serious mistakes’ in first comments since plane crash (CNN)

World: Iran and Saudi Arabia are among 6 nations set to join China and Russia in the BRICS economic bloc (AP)

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2024

Debate Debrief: GOP Edition

On Wednesday, the major Republican presidential primary candidates (minus the front-runner, former President Donald Trump) participated in a televised debate, sparring on a range of national issues including abortion, Ukraine, education, and more.

Reporting from the Left: GOP Candidates Rip Each Other at Debate—Just Hardly the Guy Ripping Them (Daily Beast)

Reporting from the Right: Republican debate: GOP hopefuls battle as Trump sits on sidelines (Cami Mondeaux)

From The Flag: While the candidates present frequently went after each other's qualifications and records, few used their time to critique front-runner Trump. Instead, the leading candidates on stage were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy with the latter facing the most attacks from any candidate. Here’s how both sides are covering the debate.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Nothing Good Came From This

Some candidates may have criticized Trump, but when it came down to it, they’d still stand behind him even if he was criminally convicted.
While former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley faired the best, most candidates still didn’t make very compelling cases for themselves.
“Despite the pious-sounding, high-minded promises from moderators and candidates alike to focus on the really, really important issues… there was little that was serious or substantive in this so-called debate.”

What I Saw on That G.O.P. Debate Stage Was Complete and Utter Moral Cowardice Frank Bruni, The New York Times: “Ron DeSantis faulted Donald Trump for the Covid lockdowns during his presidency. Nikki Haley slammed him for runaway government spending. They did so early during the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday night and they did so readily, as if showing voters just how dauntless and independent they were. What guts! What bunk. When they were later asked to raise their hands if they would support Trump as the 2024 Republican nominee even if he’d been convicted of a felony, up shot DeSantis’s arm. Haley’s, too. No hesitation. No equivocation. No concern about which of Trump’s 91 felony counts might be under discussion. No insistence that they’d have to see how strong the evidence turned out to be. Just fealty. It’s what the Republican electorate seems to insist on, so it’s what all eight candidates onstage in Milwaukee except Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson pledged.”

The GOP debate introduced voters to 8 hapless contenders — and an absent lead Karen Tumulty, The Washington Post: “The loser: entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who discovered the limits of his Trump 2.0 appeal when he was put side by side with people who actually know what it’s like to govern. … Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) — for whom some Republicans have great hopes — all but disappeared for much of the evening. … The debate picked up real heat only when the candidates were asked for a show of hands whether they would support the GOP nominee if it were Trump and he were convicted of some of the charges he faces. Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson and Christie were the only two to decline. … No one had more on the line — or to prove — than DeSantis. It’s hard to imagine that DeSantis’s performance — he came off as an angry robot as he recycled lines from his stump speech — will make [his donors] feel any more confident in his prospects.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: These GOP candidates are not serious people. The debate proved it. Mehdi Hasan, MSNBC

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Mixed: Great Night for GOP vs. Not Much Changed

It was good that Trump stepped out of this debate given the controversy surrounding him, and it allowed the other candidates to substantively discuss their ideas.
Ramaswamy was the clear loser, resorting to personal attacks at odds with his normal personality. Haley stood out as the winner, showing her national security prowess and offering a winning position on abortion.
“As the dust settles in Milwaukee, it’s hard to say that the fundamental dynamic of the GOP race changed much Wednesday night.”

A Very Good Republican Presidential Debate The Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal: “The debate benefited enormously from Donald Trump’s decision to stay away. The Fox News moderators asked a round of questions about Mr. Trump’s indictments, and Mr. Christie told the audience what it didn’t want to hear about Mr. Trump’s behavior not being worthy of a President. Even if GOP voters think, rightly, that Democrats are using prosecution as a political weapon, tens of millions also know in their hearts that Mr. Christie is right. The press corps and Democrats were disappointed because they wanted the debate, like they want the entire 2024 campaign, to be all about Donald Trump all the time. The former President will dominate the news again Thursday when he presents himself for booking at a Georgia courthouse. But at least for one night GOP voters were able to see that they have better choices.”

First Republican debate: The biggest loser and the biggest winner Liz Peek, FOX News: “Ramaswamy on several occasions boasted of being the only political novice on the stage, derisively describing his fellow candidates as PAC-puppets; he also insulted the group by describing them as ‘bought and paid for.’ The lack of civility was shocking… Nikki Haley, as expected, went after Ramaswamy on numerous fronts and especially on foreign policy. … She was passionate but not emotional — a difficult balance for female candidates. Similarly, she stood her ground but did not come across as harsh — another challenging dynamic for women in politics. If Ramaswamy was the biggest loser of the night, Haley was the biggest winner. Tough on national security and securing the border, smart about education, she was also the only candidate to stake out a winning position on abortion. Though she declares herself proudly pro-life, she also acknowledges that Republicans must respect the deeply personal nature of the issue and find a middle path.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: The Elephant Brawl in Milwaukee Mark Antonio Wright, National Review

FLAG THIS

Debate Created Some Shifts

The debate saw many debate watchers form new opinions of the candidates — some for the better, some for the worse.

For example, former Governor Nikki Haley saw a 14-point increase in her favorable rating with virtually no change to her unfavorable rating, while Governor Ron DeSantis increased his net favorability rating from +41 points to +48 points.

Former President Donald Trump, notably not present at the debate, saw his favorability rating drop from 64.7% before the debate to 59.8% after (FiveThirtyEight).

Did Wednesday's debate shift your opinion in any way regarding any of the candidates?

FLAG FINDS

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WATERCOOLER

Oz Debuts, Beating Jet Lag, Pro-Subtitles Generation

On This Day in 1939: the Wizard of Oz, which will become one of the best-loved movies in history, opens in theaters around the United States.

NPR: Planning a long-haul flight? Here's how to outsmart jet lag

Mental Floss: Pickleball: How a Bored Teen Inspired His Dad to Invent Today's Fastest Growing Sport—In 1965

BBC: How fidgeting is good for you

Today I learned the majority of Millennials and Gen Z use subtitles when streaming TV.

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