Trump The Debate Leader

When the debate first started, I couldn’t believe that the moderators would single out any candidate the way they did Mr. Trump. Who, they asked, would pledge not to run as an Independent? The question presupposes, still eighteen months before the election, by people who said Trump and any other republican would automatically be toast for denouncing illegal immigration (wrong), that an Independent run by Trump would split the vote and give Hillary the election, when she hasn’t even won the nomination yet.

It seemed to me that rather than approaching the forum in a fair and balanced way, the moderators intended to cast a dim impression on Mr. Trump from the outset. I should say here that I was listening to the debate via SiriusXM, and did not see The Donald, front stage, raising his hand, the center of attention, the undisputed leader and ring master – who fully understands.

And, even though it seems to me that he ultimate won the initial encounter with the moderators, the approach was inappropriate. Who, after all, can say with certainty that an Independent run – eighteen months from now – wouldn’t win the election? The question really seemed to have a vitriolic underpinning from the beginning. Really, who cares if the man we choose as best to lead the country is running as a Republican, Democrat, or Independent?

The media pundits continue to speak out of both sides of their mouths as they declare on one hand that Donald Trump has struck a chord and is invigorating previously disenfranchised voters, while still claiming he is unfit, unworthy, inappropriate, can’t be taken seriously, doesn’t represent… ad nauseum.

So the debate rambled on. Rand Paul, Hip Hop Crissy, and the right to privacy. Blah, blah, blah. After awhile I began to hear the same ole rhetoric from the same ole, or different, faces. And then I began to analyze on the larger more general scale. In spite of my growing chagrin, this debate was exciting. The crowd roared after every response. Wait. Isn’t that usually taboo? Since I was listening to the radio instead of watching, the roaring crowd finally started to resemble the canned laughter of a 1960’s sitcom. That ain’t right.

There is no doubt about it. The debate was well orchestrated and spit polished from the beginning. I mean, I really want to go and vote today – right now – eighteen months too early. And that reminds me of the fact that Hillary has been running for president for four years already. She’s been mentioned in the media so often that I actually began to think the media was trying to blow her wad so far in advance that she’d become passe by election time. I mean, the email scandal might hurt her, but it could turn out to be a refreshing pallet cleanser before she get’s down to the real campaigning. Even still, are the Republican’s trying to catch up to her premature election?

It’s hard for me to imagine the Republican’s will be able to keep up their steam through the twelve debates currently planned all the way through next spring. And, Hillary’s email problem’s may still be her undoing. Anyway you look at it, I think this is going to be one very, very long campaign season.