Dear Commons Community,

For three hours, eleven Republican presidential candidates debated their views on a CNN nationally televised program last night.  You can see the debate on youtube.   There was a good deal of bickering among the candidates mostly involving the frontrunner, Donald Trump.  However, it was also a chance for the TV audience to see lesser known candidates such as Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson. 

A number of issues were discussed including the Iran Nuclear Weapon Treaty, Planned Parenthood funding, and immigration but still a bit too much was about Trump.  New York Times columnist Frank Bruni provides a good recap of the evening:

“Trump had insulted Jeb Bush’s wife: Discuss! Trump had insulted Carly Fiorina’s business career: Respond!

So it went, somewhat tediously and surreally, for many stretches of the debate on Wednesday night and especially for the first half-hour, during which Rand Paul took the precise measure of — and raised the correct question about — the egomaniacal front-runner.

“Do we want someone with that kind of character, that kind of careless language, to be negotiating with Putin?” Paul asked.

“I think really there’s a sophomoric quality that is entertaining about Mr. Trump, but I am worried,” he added, and I nodded so vigorously at the “worried” part that I’m going to need balm and a neck brace tomorrow.

Paul went on to single out Trump’s “visceral response to attack people on their appearance — short, tall, fat, ugly. My goodness, that happened in junior high. Are we not way above that?”

No, we aren’t. “

Tony