GOP candidates play nice at debate

[Geee]

The Hill:

The four Republican presidential candidates still running for the White House held a debate in Miami on Thursday night that was notably more wonkish and polite than any of their previous contests.

 

Front-runner Donald Trump set the tone by calling for the party to unify around his candidacy in his opening statement, arguing he was bringing in new people to the party and the establishment would be smart to rally behind him.

 

“We’re taking people from the Democrat Party, taking people as independents, and they’re all coming out and the whole world is talking about it," he said. "I think, frankly, the Republican establishment, or whatever you want to call it, should embrace what’s happening. Millions of extra people joined and we’ll beat the Democrats, Hillary or whoever it may be, and we're going to beat them soundly."

Trump concluded the debate with similar remarks, and in between — while there were skirmishes between Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) — the candidates generally talked policy and never got truly personal.

 

"We're all in this together, We’re going to come up with solutions,” Trump said. “And so far I cannot believe how civil it’s been up here.”

[Geee]

A Low-Energy Debate in Miami

 

Miami — The final debate before next Tuesday’s critical primaries in Florida and Ohio was closer to a group therapy session than to the bloody brawls that have characterized the Republican primary season thus far.

 

Though the stakes have never been higher, Donald Trump’s rivals spent the better part of two hours on stage here at the University of Miami’s Bank United Center avoiding attacks on the front-runner. “I think the Republican establishment, or whatever you want to call it, should embrace what’s happening,” Trump said in his opening remarks. And for a while, it seemed that his three remaining challengers, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich, were listening to him.

 

When the momentum picked up, it became clear that, with the future of the conservative movement and the Republican party hanging in the balance, Cruz will emerge as the anti-Trump candidate — and that he will be a formidable foe. But all three of Trump’s rivals initially let the businessman’s gauzy responses to detailed questions on trade, immigration, and entitlement reform go unchallenged.

It wasn’t as if Trump gave them nothing to attack: He spent much of the debate delivering the policy equivalent of kittens, rainbows, and gummi bears.

 

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/432662/miami-republican-debate-donald-trump-rivals-avoid-attacks

[Geee]

TONIGHT’S GOP DEBATE — BASICALLY A NON-EVENT

 

Tonight’s Republican presidential debate produced virtually no fireworks and nothing that is likely to change the trajectory of the race. In other words, it was a good night for Donald Trump.

 

The mild tone of the debate was due, in part, to CNN’s approach. Perhaps feeling embarrassed by their previous outings, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash asked policy questions almost exclusively. Food fight questions were left for near the end, and then only of the tepid variety.

 

More importantly, Trump’s rivals weren’t interested in a food fight. Marco Rubio faces a make-or-break contest in Florida. He cannot afford a Chris Christie style suicide mission (though some might say he has already conducted one).

 

John Kasich has to win in Ohio. He has stayed alive by being above the fray. Tonight was no time for him to get down and dirty.

 

Ted Cruz pressed Trump the hardest, but almost entirely on policy. Cruz is counting on the field to be reduced to two before long. If and when it gets to that point, he doesn’t want to be viewed as being any nastier than he already is.

 

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2016/03/tonights-gop-debate-basically-a-non-event.php

[Geee]

GOP Candidates Finally Drop Personal Attacks, Stick To The Issues

 

Miami, Fla. - The remaining four GOP candidates dropped the personal insults and stuck to the issues tonight during the final debate before Tuesday's winner take all primaries. In a subdued tone, the candidates focused on their records and covered topics ranging from illegal immigration, HB-1 visas, the U.S. relationship with Cuba, Social Security reform, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and more.

Tonight's debate didn't have a definitive winner and all of the candidates did a generally good job of presenting their positions.

 

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2016/03/11/gop-candidates-finally-drop-personal-attacks-stick-to-the-issues-n2131902