Trump the main attraction at 1st Republican election debate

[webfact]

Trump the main attraction at 1st Republican election debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Billionaire businessman Donald Trump, who has broken ahead of a crowded Republican presidential field with a series of incendiary comments on the U.S. immigration crisis and his opponents, is expected to be the main attraction at the party's debate Thursday, the first in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump remains a longshot candidate to replace President Barack Obama, but the brash real estate mogul and reality television star will hold center stage during the debate in Cleveland, Ohio, thanks to his status as the top performer in several recent national polls. Only 10 candidates were invited to participate in the main event, with the remaining seven relegated to a pre-debate forum.

It's a key test for Trump, whose unpredictable style and unformed policy positions mean he doesn't fit neatly into any single wing of the Republican Party. That appears to be a draw to some Republicans frustrated with Washington and career politicians, but others fear his eccentricities and outlandish comments — whether about Mexican immigrants being "criminals" and "rapists" or his questioning of the war record of Sen. John McCain — will taint the American public's view of the party.

Virtually all Trump's rivals prepared for the debate by having an aide play the man known as "The Donald" during practice sessions, but no one knows how Trump will perform in his first presidential debate.

The narrowing of the vast field of Republican presidential hopefuls begins in earnest with the debate. At stake for Republicans: not only picking the candidate to represent them in the general election, but also selecting the direction the party will take as it seeks to regain the White House.

As in the 2012 Republican primaries, the party faces a tug of war between those eager for a candidate with broad general election appeal and those who think the key to winning is nominating a fiery conservative. Four years ago, the establishment favored Mitt Romney, but he struggled to gain the support of conservatives who dominate the primary race and was battered by his Republican rivals.

Standing to Trump's left on the debate stage Thursday night will be former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a favorite of the wealthy donors and business leaders that populate the establishment wing of the Republican Party. But Bush, the son and brother of two former U.S. presidents, has struggled to separate himself from the rest of the field and he faces questions about whether his nomination would mark a return to the past.

To Trump's right on the stage will be Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, whose victories over labor unions in his home state created his national profile.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the youngest candidate in the field at age 44, is trying to carve out a niche as a foreign policy wonk, but has struggled to break through this summer — particularly since Trump's surge.

The remaining seven candidates who didn't make the cut for Thursday night's main debate were relegated to a pre-debate forum, a low-key event in a largely empty arena, where candidates avoided debating each other and largely stuck to scripted responses on domestic and foreign policy.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and businesswoman Carly Fiorina opened the early event with biting criticisms of Trump.

Perry — whose failed 2012 White House campaign was damaged by an embarrassing debate stumble — accused Trump of using "his celebrity rather than his conservatism" to fuel his run for president.

Fiorina, the only woman in the Republican field, said that Trump had tapped into Americans' anger with Washington, but she challenged the businessman as lacking policy positions. "What are the principles by which he would govern?" she asked.

While the candidates pitch their visions for the Republican Party's future, they'll also be making the case that they would present the strongest general election challenge to Hillary Rodham Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

Clinton was scheduled to be traveling during the debate and didn't plan to make a statement afterward. Her campaign was pre-emptively making the case that there was little difference between Trump's "outrageous" positions and the rest of the field.

Thursday's debate is the first of six Republican Party-sanctioned debates scheduled before primary voting begins in February. Fox News, the host of the event, used five national polls to determine which 10 candidates would be on the stage.

The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, released plans for its presidential debates Thursday, announcing the first of six will be held Oct. 13 in Nevada.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-07

[tx22cb]

Trump as POTUS and Suthep as Thailand's PM ... doesn't the Book of Revelation say that these 2 events are the harbingers of the return of Satan and the start of the Apocalypse?

[JakeSully]

If you guys think that a Trump Presidency would result in anything other than a nationwide (worldwide?) economic catastrophe you are badly misinformed.

[Just1Voice]

Trump gets my vote because I'm sick and tired of the same old bull shit from both the Democrats and Republicans that we've been hearing for the past 20+ years. He may not be the "best man for the job", but as far as I'm concerned, he's a hell of a lot better than the tired old cookie cutter politicians we have now.

[HeijoshinCool]

Of course, it's not really a debate. It's a question and answer period. A debate would be a lot more fun.

[Neurath]

Trump is a politician in the same sense that Kim Kardashian is an actor. They are both very big drawcards.

[khwaibah]

Watching LIVE on <deleted> NEWS.

Pick one.

[Neurath]

Trump on Foreign policy:

"Our leaders are stupid. Our politicians are stupid. And the Mexican government is much smarter, much sharper, much more cunning, and they send the bad ones over because they don’t wanna pay for them, they don’t wanna take care of them, why should they when the stupid leaders of the United States are doing it for them?

[Loptr]

Watching LIVE on <deleted> NEWS.

Pick one.

No thank you... I'm going with George on this one...

[BKResort]

Somebody knows if debaes will shown on Thai TV? Days and times?

Edited August 7, 2015 by BKResort

[Publicus]

Watching it here now live.......

http://www.livenewschat.eu/the-republican-debates-live-stream/

(Apologies many people did not know where to watch it live. )

Edited August 7, 2015 by Publicus

[Publicus]

Somebody knows if debaes will shown on Thai TV? Days and times?

http://www.livenewsc...es-live-stream/

[BKResort]

http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/youve_been_trumped/#.VcKxgoVkZu4.facebook

[Linky]

Trump will just bankrupt the US then sell it off.

Why would anyone bother watching a telecast about who is going to lose the election.

[Publicus]

When I wuz a kid I had to pay to see the circus....

Trump raped Megan Kelly right there in the auditorium.

Almost every time the camera goes to Charles Krauthammer he looks like he just sat up in his coffin.

[BKResort]

The only one with a healthy brain on this debate...was a brain surgeon... If he can brain wash the Republicans....he may get my vote.

[boomerangutang]

If you guys think that a Trump Presidency would result in anything other than a nationwide (worldwide?) economic catastrophe you are badly misinformed.

Trump's answer to US's challenges: borrow under false pretenses, and borrow some more. Lie, and don't pay back borrowed money, and lie some more. That's been his business modus operandi and it's gotten him rich, so why change a good program. Note, in 18th century England he would have been slammed in Debtors' Prison at the age of 24, but in today's USA, borrowing (based on deception) and declaring bankruptcy every few years is accepted as the norm - heck, it's even feted.

Edited August 7, 2015 by boomerangutang

[boomerangutang]

My older brother is a Bible-thumping Republican who has played Trump's game. He got two credit cards, bought as many of the highest quality power tools as he could, put them in a large locked metal storage shed with no windows at an obscure location in the desert. When it was shown he couldn't pay for the thousands of dollars of tools, he just declared Chapter 11. He also gets military pension for life, for just being a soldier for a brief time in the 1970's (Korea after the war there). He faked insanity, and was discharged. That's the American way of doing things: Cheat and lie to get funny money, then abscond. Multiply my brother's type of game by 200 million, and you get a better idea of why the US is a debtor nation with most people (yes, even most rich Republicans) getting Federal hand-outs.

[boomerangutang]

When I wuz a kid I had to pay to see the circus....

Trump raped Megan Kelly right there in the auditorium.

Almost every time the camera goes to Charles Krauthammer he looks like he just sat up in his coffin.

He did the mash / He did the Monster Mash

He did the mash / It was a graveyard smash

[Pinot]

A few of the high points from Cirques De So Stupid

- Except for Trump it was all the same right wing nonsense. All of them going for that nutter base.

- Trump isn't loyal to the Republican party. Only clown who says he'll go third party. Democrats applaud their sure win over a divided Republican party. The truth is, it won't matter.

- They're all afraid Trump will cost them the White House. (See above)

- Why is Walker popular with the base? How could he possibly be a candidate? Oh yeah, nevermind.

- Cruz seemed tame with the Donald on the stage.

- The apocalyptic theme ran through the debate, as it often does here on TV. The Obama presidency has been "the end of the world as we know it" and I feel fine.

- I love when they try out Jeebus each other.

- In 5 minutes 4 GOP candidates explained 12 ways they'd start WWlll

- The winner? The only candidate who made any sense was Kasich who also eliminated himself with his stances on same sex marraige, Obamacare and Medicade. He might have been able to give HRC a race. Naaaa

[arjunadawn]

If you guys think that a Trump Presidency would result in anything other than a nationwide (worldwide?) economic catastrophe you are badly misinformed.

Trump's answer to US's challenges: borrow under false pretenses, and borrow some more. Lie, and don't pay back borrowed money, and lie some more. That's been his business modus operandi and it's gotten him rich, so why change a good program. Note, in 18th century England he would have been slammed in Debtors' Prison at the age of 24, but in today's USA, borrowing (based on deception) and declaring bankruptcy every few years is accepted as the norm - heck, it's even feted.

I dont care about your opinion other than when it is fabricated. Trump has never filed for bankruptcy, chapter 7- which is basically insolvency- ie; that which makes bankruptcy personal. Reorganization bankruptcy exists to protect the lender and the borrower to restructure in order to successfully satisfy the debt or lessen the burden of making it whole. Everyone ostensibly wins- that is why it exists in Bankruptcy reorganization. It is corporate and a man who has more businesses than most have ever owned underwear would be associated with such ups and downs, but they are corporate.

Debtor's prisons were sadly for the indigent, people who could not satisfy debts. By virtue of chapter 11, the assets remain in some form of collateral. Besides, it is not a personal debt. Lastly, there is no evidence nor indeed any suggestion that Trump ever borrowed money on deception. Indeed, he would not have been a candidate for your imaginary corollary.

Not only is your post garbage but you define yourself as decidedly unable to even deliver your fiction clearly.

[thaibeachlovers]

If you guys think that a Trump Presidency would result in anything other than a nationwide (worldwide?) economic catastrophe you are badly misinformed.

Impossible to do worse than the incompetent incumbent.

I watched the "debate" live on Fox, and the scum managers put AD BREAKS in!!!!!!!!!!

This was not a debate anyway, as it is really just q & a.

Anyone hoping for a Trump show will be sadly disappointed, as he got very few opportunities to say anything, as did they all. Between the ad breaks, the waffling by the presenters and the far too long questions, there was very time available for any of the candidates to say much at all.

Kelly should be ashamed at her crass attempt to embarrass Trump with her pathetic question about his attitude towards women. Anyway, Kelly 0, Trump 1.

Then, the questions were pretty rubbish, and at the end where they asked them about God in their lives was stupid. God doesn't run America, people do.

IF Cruz and Huckabee hadn't already turned me off, their rabbid bias to Israel certainly has now. One minute to say what they will do to sort America and they waste it ranting about Israel.

IMO Carson was the big loser with an almost invisble presence.

Rand Paul shot himself in the foot, and Christy came across as just mean.

The others just didn't register in the memory banks.

Winner- IMO Kasich did well, but again, too little time to make a real judgement.

VERY DISAPPOINTING. 2/10 for the organisers.

[thaibeachlovers]

If you guys think that a Trump Presidency would result in anything other than a nationwide (worldwide?) economic catastrophe you are badly misinformed.

Trump's answer to US's challenges: borrow under false pretenses, and borrow some more. Lie, and don't pay back borrowed money, and lie some more. That's been his business modus operandi and it's gotten him rich, so why change a good program. Note, in 18th century England he would have been slammed in Debtors' Prison at the age of 24, but in today's USA, borrowing (based on deception) and declaring bankruptcy every few years is accepted as the norm - heck, it's even feted.

I dont care about your opinion other than when it is fabricated. Trump has never filed for bankruptcy, chapter 7- which is basically insolvency- ie; that which makes bankruptcy personal. Reorganization bankruptcy exists to protect the lender and the borrower to restructure in order to successfully satisfy the debt or lessen the burden of making it whole. Everyone ostensibly wins- that is why it exists in Bankruptcy reorganization. It is corporate and a man who has more businesses than most have ever owned underwear would be associated with such ups and downs, but they are corporate.

Debtor's prisons were sadly for the indigent, people who could not satisfy debts. By virtue of chapter 11, the assets remain in some form of collateral. Besides, it is not a personal debt. Lastly, there is no evidence nor indeed any suggestion that Trump ever borrowed money on deception. Indeed, he would not have been a candidate for your imaginary corollary.

Not only is your post garbage but you define yourself as decidedly unable to even deliver your fiction clearly.

Trump scored big time over the questioner when he pointed out that the people that loaned his businesses money are not stupid and were aware of the risks.

[thaibeachlovers]

When I wuz a kid I had to pay to see the circus....

Trump raped Megan Kelly right there in the auditorium.

Almost every time the camera goes to Charles Krauthammer he looks like he just sat up in his coffin.

Trump raped Megan Kelly right there in the auditorium.

And she deserved it with her crass attempt to embarrass The Donald in front of millions- stupid girl.

Bet she regrets it for the rest of her life.

[MZurf]

If you guys think that a Trump Presidency would result in anything other than a nationwide (worldwide?) economic catastrophe you are badly misinformed.

Trump's answer to US's challenges: borrow under false pretenses, and borrow some more. Lie, and don't pay back borrowed money, and lie some more. That's been his business modus operandi and it's gotten him rich, so why change a good program. Note, in 18th century England he would have been slammed in Debtors' Prison at the age of 24, but in today's USA, borrowing (based on deception) and declaring bankruptcy every few years is accepted as the norm - heck, it's even feted.

I dont care about your opinion other than when it is fabricated. Trump has never filed for bankruptcy, chapter 7- which is basically insolvency- ie; that which makes bankruptcy personal. Reorganization bankruptcy exists to protect the lender and the borrower to restructure in order to successfully satisfy the debt or lessen the burden of making it whole. Everyone ostensibly wins- that is why it exists in Bankruptcy reorganization. It is corporate and a man who has more businesses than most have ever owned underwear would be associated with such ups and downs, but they are corporate.

Debtor's prisons were sadly for the indigent, people who could not satisfy debts. By virtue of chapter 11, the assets remain in some form of collateral. Besides, it is not a personal debt. Lastly, there is no evidence nor indeed any suggestion that Trump ever borrowed money on deception. Indeed, he would not have been a candidate for your imaginary corollary.

Not only is your post garbage but you define yourself as decidedly unable to even deliver your fiction clearly.

Man, you're really bending over to defend the King of bankruptcy. The fact remains that the Donald has shamelessly used bankruptcy as a tool to further his own economic interests. And you want this clown to be the next president???

[bartender100]

The world is going to become a much more interesting place when Trump becomes President, which I believe he will if he can see off Hillary.

The panel tried their hardest to shoot him down last night, which i thought unfair as they did not do that in such a forthright way with the others

I also like Ted Cruz from Texas, he has done a great job there by the sounds of it

[daoyai]

Trump gets my vote because I'm sick and tired of the same old bull shit from both the Democrats and Republicans that we've been hearing for the past 20+ years. He may not be the "best man for the job", but as far as I'm concerned, he's a hell of a lot better than the tired old cookie cutter politicians we have now.

Not a very bright way to pick a candidate but Trump does apeal to the lowest common denominator.

Edited August 7, 2015 by daoyai

[thaibeachlovers]

Trump gets my vote because I'm sick and tired of the same old bull shit from both the Democrats and Republicans that we've been hearing for the past 20+ years. He may not be the "best man for the job", but as far as I'm concerned, he's a hell of a lot better than the tired old cookie cutter politicians we have now.

Not a very bright way to pick a candidate but Trump does apeal to the lowest common denominator.

I guess you must prefer the professional political class, beholden and in thrall to the money men. Grey men and women all.

Have you not noticed that the average middle class American regards them as lower than used car salesmen, ( I would have said lawyers, but most of them are! ) and slightly above pond scum?

[thaibeachlovers]

The world is going to become a much more interesting place when Trump becomes President, which I believe he will if he can see off Hillary.

The panel tried their hardest to shoot him down last night, which i thought unfair as they did not do that in such a forthright way with the others

I also like Ted Cruz from Texas, he has done a great job there by the sounds of it

True, The panel were obviously anti Trump, but he beat them anyway.

Cruz lost me with his Israeli bias. What does Israel have to do with electing an American President?

[Just1Voice]

Trump gets my vote because I'm sick and tired of the same old bull shit from both the Democrats and Republicans that we've been hearing for the past 20+ years. He may not be the "best man for the job", but as far as I'm concerned, he's a hell of a lot better than the tired old cookie cutter politicians we have now.

Not a very bright way to pick a candidate but Trump does apeal to the lowest common denominator.

So, if everyone is feeding you bullshit, and then someone comes along and offers you a tuna salad sandwich, even thought it may not be the best tuna salad, you going to turn that down and just keep stuffing your mouth with bullshit?