MARCH 11, 2016
Photo: Getty
Will this debate schedule never end? The past three days has brought us two separate debates from Miami in anticipation of the important Florida primary on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Bernie Sanders, fresh from his upset victory in the Michigan primary, tangled with Hillary Clinton in their second debate in four days, and on Thursday, the four remaining GOP candidates clashed after Donald Trump won 3 of the 4 Tuesday primaries.
The Republican debate was much more of a surprise, simply because, after the dick-measuring contest that consumed last week’s debate, Thursday’s meeting was comparatively civil. Gone were Trump’s “Little Marco” and “Lyin’ Ted” taunts that had brought the quality of the debates down to sandbox level. Instead, there was actually substantive discussion about Israel, Cuba and Social Security reform.
Trump didn’t have a great debate — once again, there were nothing but generalities (“I’ll make the military strong again.” OK, but how?). Still he would have to be considered the winner because if you’re the front-runner going in and nothing happens that changes the makeup of the race, you’ve won.
After suffering a primary-night humiliation, winning zero delegates on Tuesday, Marco Rubio came back with a strong debate performance, particularly hammering Trump on his neutral stance regarding Israel and Palestine, as well as Trump’s anti-Muslim stance, citing the number of Islamic crescents on the gravestones of fallen soldiers at Arlington National Ceremony (an effectively strong image). When it came to opening relations with Cuba (a particularly hot topic in Florida), Trump’s weak answer (“I would have made a better deal”) was cut to ribbons by Rubio. The Florida senator may lose his home state’s primary on Tuesday, but last night he decided to go down swinging.
Surprisingly, Ted Cruz, who needs to keep pace with Trump’s 100 delegate lead, and John Kasich, who needs to win his home state’s primary on Tuesday in order to survive, turned in shockingly lackluster debate performances right at a time when their campaigns really needed a breakthrough to have any chance of stopping Trump. Again, if the debate maintains the status quo, Trump wins.
In the Democratic debate on Wednesday, oddly within days of their last dust-up on Sunday, Sanders and Clinton tackled largely the same topics (and talking points) that they previously discussed. But Sanders’ surprise Michigan win seemed to put a little more fire in his belly that sharpened the exchanges between them. Though Sanders had his moments (he deftly handled a potentially dangerous question in Florida regarding his past praise for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro), he didn’t have the kind of game-changing breakthrough that would correct the increasing lead that Clinton has in convention delegates. But one fashion note: he managed to pull off wearing a brown suit! Perhaps the Michigan win did give him a little extra confidence.
For her part, Clinton didn’t have a strong night, either. Her wild swing that Sanders was against the auto bailout didn’t connect in Michigan, and it didn’t connect last night. And she still doesn’t have a satisfactory answer about her ties to Wall Street. But she did create one moment that gave voters an insight to the personal Hillary Clinton. When asked about her problem that voters question her honesty, she calmly explained,
“I am not a natural politician, in case you haven’t noticed, like my husband or President Obama. This is not easy for me.“
It was the most honestly human moment Clinton has displayed this entire campaign, and it couldn’t have come soon enough.
Five important states — Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina — vote on Tuesday in one of the most delegate-filled primary days of the season. Be there or be square!
