# Who do you think will do well in the debate tonight (8/6/15)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 6, 2015, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146 "2015-08-06T12:28:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/121 "2015-08-07T13:30:46Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > It is for getting elected though. What do you think the P stands for? > > Name one un-PC view or statement that was uttered by the candidate who went on to the White House. Does it count if the candidate apologizes? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/122 "2015-08-07T13:30:49Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Following the debate that way is allowing others to tell you what and how to think. You’ll note that I reported what they said about who won, not who I think won. I’m perfectly capable of understanding the potential for bias in secondhand reporting. I also tend to either crosscheck or caveat things I find on the internet that I pass on, which prevents embarrassment later. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/123 "2015-08-07T13:34:16Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > IDoes it take more time NOT to be a total boorish ass to women? To be fair, he IS a boorish ass, period. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/124 "2015-08-07T13:35:37Z")
The only big surprise for me of the night was that Trump didn’t dial it back at all. I therefore put another check in the column that says it’s not an act. He is just being his genuine self up there. Not sure if that should make the GOP feel better or worse. I suppose the worst of all worlds for them is if Trump continues to destroy his general election prospects without ushering himself out of the primary. The rest of the field performed about as expected. Maybe Rubio and Walker outperformed a tiny bit, aided by them apparently being the preferred candidates of Fox News. I was amused by the infographics during the first round. The one about Bush was like “hasn’t held office in 8 years, worked for Lehman brothers when it collapsed.” Got a laugh out of me. I think the “did God tell you what to do” question was pure trolling by that submitter, but sadly no one took the bait–though Fox did dial it up an extra notch by asking them to also address veterans. Classic. Big story seems to be the undercard debate and that people like Carly Fiorina. I thought she did fine, but I don’t really understand why people thought she had a break-out performance. Seems a little manufactured to me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/125 "2015-08-07T13:36:26Z")
I guess I was wrong about Trump-- he did act like his usual bombastic self. I don’t know if that turned off potential primary voters or not, but I expected him to comport himself better. I’m sure he is able to, but old habits die hard… ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/126 "2015-08-07T13:36:34Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > You’ll note that I reported what they said about who won, not who I think won. I’m perfectly capable of understanding the potential for bias in secondhand reporting. > > I also tend to either crosscheck or caveat things I find on the internet that I pass on, which prevents embarrassment later. Yeah okay. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/127 "2015-08-07T13:37:32Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > No, just call terrorism motivated by Islamic fundamentalism what it is. You (and many others on the right) keep expressing this burning desire, but you never actually spell out why it matters so much. Rhetoric aside, what operational difference does it make? What percentage of people atomized in drone strikes during the past decade have been non-Muslims? How, _precisely_, would our success in the war on terror be enhanced by Obama saying, “You know what, guys? The enemy’s radical Islam. There, I said it.” ? On the other hand, there is clear downside to the president openly invoking Islam. Presidents need to choose their words with an appreciation for how those words will play in the rest of the world and what attendant consequences there might be for American interests. Like it or not, declaring a war on “radical Islam” carries a risk that large parts of the Muslim world, parts of which happen to view US foreign policy through an understandably skeptical lens, will fail to understand the significance of the word “radical.” They might simply hear, “The American government and the American people hate Islam and are at war with Muslims.” That would count as a propaganda victory for our enemies, and would put American lives and interests in greater jeopardy. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/128 "2015-08-07T13:37:57Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > … Name one un-PC view or statement that was uttered by the candidate who went on to the White House. Oh most make at least one or two. Obama for example had “… they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion …” Thing most recognize that those poorly worded bits are best avoided, and try to invest a little bit of energy into thinking before engaging mouth. One or two won’t sink someone who is otherwise a strong candidate. Being unable to avoid them as a regular thing though means not that one does not have the time but that one does not have the brain cells or at least the impulse control required for any office. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/129 "2015-08-07T13:39:57Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I guess I was wrong about Trump-- he did act like his usual bombastic self. I don’t know if that turned off potential primary voters or not, but I expected him to comport himself better. I’m sure he is able to, but old habits die hard… If you do Facebook, check out the Tea Party pages. It seems to me that the TPers are rallying around him and are mad at Fox for being mean to him. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/130 "2015-08-07T13:41:24Z")
> [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](#): > > Name one un-PC view or statement that was uttered by the candidate who went on to the White House. W. calling NYT reporter Adam Clymer a _major league asshole_. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/131 "2015-08-07T13:46:31Z")
Thought I’d look at the debate in whether the candidate’s performance improved or diminished the feeling I had for him/her before the debate. Jeb Bush: no change Marco Rubio: + Scott Walker: + Chris Christie: no change John Kasich: no change Donald Trump: - Ben Carson: + Ted Cruz: + Mike Huckabee: no change Rand Paul: - Perry: no change Santorum: + Fiorina: + Graham: + Jindahl: no change Pataki: - Gilmore: + ---
**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:** [August 7, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/132 "2015-08-07T13:57:55Z")
> [@Donald\_Rump](#): > > You (and many others on the right) keep expressing this burning desire, but you never actually spell out why it matters so much. Rhetoric aside, what operational difference does it make? What percentage of people atomized in drone strikes during the past decade have been non-Muslims? How, _precisely_, would our success in the war on terror be enhanced by Obama saying, “You know what, guys? The enemy’s radical Islam. There, I said it.” ? > > On the other hand, there is clear downside to the president openly invoking Islam. Presidents need to choose their words with an appreciation for how those words will play in the rest of the world and what attendant consequences there might be for American interests. > > Like it or not, declaring a war on “radical Islam” carries a risk that large parts of the Muslim world, parts of which happen to view US foreign policy through an understandably skeptical lens, will fail to understand the significance of the word “radical.” They might simply hear, “The American government and the American people hate Islam and are at war with Muslims.” That would count as a propaganda victory for our enemies, and would put American lives and interests in greater jeopardy. Whoa there, pal. That’s a lot of things to consider there! It’s almost as if you’re claiming that this situation isn’t simple at all; like your setting up an excuse for failure by trying to make this into yet another “complex” situation. Surely a real 'Merican could see thru the web and find the simple black&white heart of the matter to the real solution, which of course is lower taxes for the wealthy, right **adaher**? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/133 "2015-08-07T14:01:24Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > If you do Facebook, check out the Tea Party pages. It seems to me that the TPers are rallying around him and are mad at Fox for being mean to him. I don’t do FB, but thanks for the info. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/134 "2015-08-07T14:38:25Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And his solution is to cut out the middleman and buy the presidency directly? But he will pass the savings on to us! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/135 "2015-08-07T14:57:16Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > THe idea is for Americans to know what they are. His unwillingness to do so is equivalent to Bush telling Americans to go shopping. It’s as if our leaders are trying to keep us comatose in the face of a growing threat. ISIS is no threat to the U.S., and does not appear to be growing. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/136 "2015-08-07T14:58:43Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Ben Carson just came out against driving wedges into people. Doesn’t a brain surgeon have to do that sometimes? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/137 "2015-08-07T15:09:10Z")
> [@Donald\_Rump](#): > > You (and many others on the right) keep expressing this burning desire, but you never actually spell out why it matters so much. Rhetoric aside, what operational difference does it make? What percentage of people atomized in drone strikes during the past decade have been non-Muslims? How, _precisely_, would our success in the war on terror be enhanced by Obama saying, “You know what, guys? The enemy’s radical Islam. There, I said it.” ? > > On the other hand, there is clear downside to the president openly invoking Islam. Presidents need to choose their words with an appreciation for how those words will play in the rest of the world and what attendant consequences there might be for American interests. > > Like it or not, declaring a war on “radical Islam” carries a risk that large parts of the Muslim world, parts of which happen to view US foreign policy through an understandably skeptical lens, will fail to understand the significance of the word “radical.” They might simply hear, “The American government and the American people hate Islam and are at war with Muslims.” That would count as a propaganda victory for our enemies, and would put American lives and interests in greater jeopardy. Of course, the Republicans don’t mind this so much since, as last night’s debate showed, many of the candidates are quite happy to get the country involved in one or more wars in the Middle East without particular concern for the details of the individual cultures in question, so as far as they’re concerned we ARE at war with Muslims. > [@JohnT](#): > > But he will pass the savings on to us! I can’t help but hear this in an [Al Harrington](http://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/Al_Harrington) voice. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/138 "2015-08-07T15:17:44Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Thought I’d look at the debate in whether the candidate’s performance improved or diminished the feeling I had for him/her before the debate. > Jeb Bush: no change > Marco Rubio: + > Scott Walker: + > Chris Christie: no change > John Kasich: no change > Donald Trump: - > Ben Carson: + > Ted Cruz: + > Mike Huckabee: no change > Rand Paul: - > > Perry: no change > Santorum: + > Fiorina: + > Graham: + > Jindahl: no change > Pataki: - > Gilmore: + Bush looked worse than I expected. I wouldn’t say Walker improved himself, he looked like he was over his head to me. Christie, however, looked like the confident adult in the room and I thought he exceeded expectations (I don’t like the guy). In fact, IMO, he’s the only one that improved his position. Carlson seemed completely unprepared for prime time. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/139 "2015-08-07T15:44:52Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Christie, however, looked like the confident adult in the room and I thought he exceeded expectations (I don’t like the guy). In fact, IMO, he’s the only one that improved his position. One thing Christie certainly demonstrated last night is he is a demagogue of Gingrich-level virtuosity. With practice, he might one day even rival Ted Cruz. Wrapping himself in the flag and trotting out the grieving 9/11 families of his state in order to slap down Rand Paul on a legitimate matter of Constitutional principle–I thought that sort of shit died with the Giuliani campaign back in '08. Evidently I was wrong. I would agree that he generally improved his position last night. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2015, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146/140 "2015-08-07T15:48:40Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Bush looked worse than I expected. I wouldn’t say Walker improved himself, he looked like he was over his head to me. Christie, however, looked like the confident adult in the room and I thought he exceeded expectations (I don’t like the guy). In fact, IMO, he’s the only one that improved his position. Carlson seemed completely unprepared for prime time. I agree that Christie appeared poised, intelligent, and most prepared to lead. I say this as someone who is aware of his poor record as Governor, and not as a supporter. But I thought he did well. I also agree that Bush doesn’t come off as polished in any way, which I think portends that he will be underwhelming if he gets the nomination. I actually predict that (like Hillary in 2008) he will start out as the presumptive nominee but not actually get the nomination. Carson (I assume that’s what you meant) seemed okay to me, and I laughed out loud when he said at one point that he didn’t think he was going to get another chance to speak. It didn’t seem like the moderators really took him seriously as a candidate, which I think was his biggest albatross. None of the others really stood out to me (well, besides Trump, but that’s because he’s a bombastic blowhard, and he seemed to be making funny faces anytime he was listening to a question), although my dark-horse prediction is that Rubio gets the nod. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-think-will-do-well-in-the-debate-tonight-8-6-15/727146.md?page=8)