# 9th Republican presidential debate tonight 02/13/16 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 13, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063 "2016-02-13T23:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/61 "2016-02-14T17:09:36Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Yeah, that’s big. Even very few Dem officeholders go so far as to blame Dubya for 9/11 itself, despite the fact that the infamous August 6, 2001 PDB was something like the sixth in an increasingly hair-on-fire series of PDB warnings to him from our intel community that something like this was coming. So for the leading candidate for the **GOP** nomination to say that - that’s quite something. To be fair, it doesn’t look like Trump is saying Bush was at fault for 9/11. Rather he’s just saying Bush failed to keep America safe. Subtle distinction. And as has been the case throughout this entire election season, the pundits are overblowing what impact, if any, this will have on Trump. While denouncing Bush is, I’m sure, still taboo among the establishment, keep in my mind that Trump is drawing most of his support from people who loathe the establishment and who at this point probably don’t give a shit about Bush, even if they voted for the guy twice. Expect Trump’s poll numbers to go up another few points as a result of this. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/62 "2016-02-14T17:56:13Z")
Wow! Each GOP debate is stupider than the last. The audience is especially crazed in this one: are they serving liquor? And each GOP contender (except Kasich) acts like a 6th-grade brat. And of course the moderators are also stupid. I just heard the question “Do you agree with liberals that Wall St. executives should be jailed for causing the financial crash?” _ **Nobody proposes that Wall St. executives be prosecuted for "causing a crash."** _ The foregone prosecutions are for very specific frauds and malfeasance. Heaven help us if any of these dolts actually wins the Oval. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/63 "2016-02-14T19:53:20Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > It’s like watching a giant multivehicle crash in which the emergency response crews are a bunch of inept numbnuts who cause an even bigger multivehicle crash while trying to reach the site. The Keystone Candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/64 "2016-02-14T20:52:07Z")
Trump dialed up the Asshole to 11! ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/65 "2016-02-14T20:58:32Z")
> [@](#): > > To be fair, it doesn’t look like Trump is saying Bush was at fault for 9/11. [No, but Rubio is blaming Bill Clinton for it.](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/269447-rubio-putting-9-11-on-bill-clintons-decision-not-to-take) ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/66 "2016-02-14T21:54:20Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Trump dialed up the Asshole to 11! Wow! I didn’t know it went to 11! You have to admit, it’s pretty good theater. So good, that if it were fiction, no one would believe it. “You think it’s realistic that one of the major modern parties of the greatest superpower on Earth would field such a group of narcissistic, mendacious imbeciles and losers? Pull the other one.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/67 "2016-02-14T21:58:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [No, but Rubio is blaming Bill Clinton for it.](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/269447-rubio-putting-9-11-on-bill-clintons-decision-not-to-take) > [@](#): > > “This is what happens when you have a chance to take out the leader of a terrorist organization, and you failed to do so. And the results are something like 9/11,” he added. Like how Bush pursued Bin Laden with every resource he had? ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/68 "2016-02-14T22:32:11Z")
[Doonesbury sums up Trump perfectly](http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury), IMO. And this was even written BEFORE the debate. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/69 "2016-02-15T00:43:15Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > [No, but Rubio is blaming Bill Clinton for it.](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/269447-rubio-putting-9-11-on-bill-clintons-decision-not-to-take) He’s right; Clinton didn’t kill Bin Laden. That was without a doubt the worst presidential bungling since Ike failed to kill Lee Harvey Oswald. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/70 "2016-02-15T00:57:46Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Expect Trump’s poll numbers to go up another few points as a result of [saying Bush was at fault for 9/11]. As someone else noted, it’s more accurate to say that Trump said Bush didn’t keep us safe, and he was absolutely right. I get so tired of conservatives who pretend that Bush was sworn in on Sept 12. That aside, his remark still drew a lot of boos from the audience, and I doubt they were all Bush donors. I was sure Trump’s comment (some months ago) about McCain’s war hero status would sink him, and I was wrong, so I won’t say this will sink him nationally. But I have to think it’s going to hurt him badly in the SC primary, because those people are idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/71 "2016-02-15T01:00:31Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > [Doonesbury sums up Trump perfectly](http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury), IMO. And this was even written BEFORE the debate. If Trump wins the nomination, I want that whole cartoon on a T-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/72 "2016-02-15T01:46:43Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > As someone else noted, it’s more accurate to say that Trump said Bush didn’t keep us safe, and he was absolutely right. I get so tired of conservatives who pretend that Bush was sworn in on Sept 12. > > That aside, his remark still drew a lot of boos from the audience, and I doubt they were all Bush donors. I was sure Trump’s comment (some months ago) about McCain’s war hero status would sink him, and I was wrong, so I won’t say this will sink him nationally. > > But I have to think it’s going to hurt him badly in the SC primary, because those people are idiots. How fucked up is it that the worst thing a republican say is the truth about 9/11 or Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/73 "2016-02-15T01:52:37Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > How fucked up is it that the worst thing a republican say is the truth about 9/11 or Iraq? Very. That’s why Dems can’t look at these guys and be complacent. They will get millions and millions of votes from idiots. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/74 "2016-02-15T03:24:04Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > If Trump wins the nomination, I want that whole cartoon on a T-shirt. I am sure you’ll get it for free, when purchasing his two new books and enroll in Trunp Uni LLC. It’ll be the official campus shirt. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/75 "2016-02-15T04:11:01Z")
Trump: Screw Jeb Bush: Screw Donald Rubio:Screw Ted Cruz:Screw Marco Kasich:I want to run a positive campaign Carson: Please visit my website ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/76 "2016-02-15T04:14:23Z")
Has anyone mentioned Rubio calling Cruz out on not being able to speak Spanish and Cruz responding with really bad Spanish? ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/77 "2016-02-15T04:17:11Z")
Each candidate had good and weak points, except Kasich who did very well and Carson who was irrelevant and made a false Starling quote. You could really feel the tensions between Jeb Bush and Donald Trump. I really liked how Bush really put Donald in his place. Cruz also put Trump and Rubio on the defensive beautifully, I found myself actually liking Cruz. Bush could have given better answers regarding his family, but overall he did well. Trump stupidly mentioned eminent domain when no one had brought it up, and when Jeb mentioned the old lady and failed casino, Donald gave a defeated smile. The moderators need to take more control. By the way a CNN fact check found that whole Donald spoke out against the Iraq war on March 25, 2003, there is no record of his opposition and warnings prior to the start of the war, so his claims of “warning attacking Iraq are false”. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/78 "2016-02-15T04:19:58Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Has anyone mentioned Rubio calling Cruz out on not being able to speak Spanish and Cruz responding with really bad Spanish? I gave more points to Ted in that spat, he quickly proved Rubio wrong, ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/79 "2016-02-15T04:34:58Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > By the way a CNN fact check found that whole Donald spoke out against the Iraq war on March 25, 2003, there is no record of his opposition and warnings prior to the start of the war, so his claims of “warning attacking Iraq are false”. March 25th was only a few days after the invasion, and things hadn’t totally turned to crap at that point, so I’ll give him a pass on that. Especially when there are people to this day who say it would have been a great success if not for Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063/80 "2016-02-15T04:36:26Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > If Trump wins the nomination, I want that whole cartoon on a T-shirt. I wouldn’t, if I were you. Trumpists would likely beat you up for it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/9th-republican-presidential-debate-tonight-02-13-16/746063.md?page=5)