The third Republican presidential debate live from Boulder, Colorado and moderated by CNBC was a mess. The GOP contenders repeatedly criticized questions they did not agree with or could not answer as liberal and biased, and to be fair, some of them were, but not to the extent that some on the debate stage, most notably Texas Senator Ted Cruz alleged, when he sensed an opportunity to appear as a party unifier against what he said was “why the American people don’t trust the media.” Florida Senator Marco Rubio along with Cruz can count themselves as the winners of last night’s showdown that will be remembered more for the failings in basic economic policy prescriptions among the Republicans as it will be for the beginning of the end for the once seemingly insurmountable campaign of former Florida Governor Jeb! Bush.
When attacked by Bush, Rubio delivered what was a key moment of the debate dismissing critiques on his voting record and absenteeism in the Senate and confidently stated “I’m not running against Governor Bush, I’m not running against anyone on stage. I’m running for the president of the United States.”
During the CNBC debate Ben Carson was questioned about flaws in his tax proposal that would leave a $2.5 trillion deficit after a proposed deduction to a flat 10% tax rate by moderator Becky Quick who pointed out that for Carson’s plan to be economically sound the federal government would have to be cut by an estimated 40% overall.
Immigration briefly made an appearance when Donald Trump, who has been replaced in the top spot atop GOP polls this week by Carson, was asked about his supposed opposition to the H1B visa program that allows skilled technology workers to come to and remain in this country. After it was pointed out that he had criticized Senator Rubio for his support of the program, Both Trump and the Florida senator clarified their support for the program as a good way to bolster the economy.
On his notorious and perhaps most famous campaign idea, support for a wall across the southern border, Trump dug in exclaiming “we’re going to have a big, fat beautiful door right in the middle of the wall. We’re going to have people come in, but they’re coming in legally. And Mexico’s going to pay for the wall.”
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