Republican Candidates Unite

by J.R. Holmsted

The dust has finally started to settle from the calamity that was the 3^rd Republican Debate on CNBC Wednesday. Some conclusions are obvious. The moderators were ludicrously biased and even many other in mainstream media admitted so. We know Reince Priebus, RNC chair, is seething and has pulled future NBC debates. (Maybe.) We know the candidates aren’t holding anything back in their criticism after the fact. Everybody's mad, mad, mad.

So what else can we take away from this debacle?

In the last 2 elections, Republican candidates have been baited into attacking each other, defending against ridiculous accusations, and sucking up to a media that will never have any love for them. The beginning of this debate seemed to be heading in the same tired direction when Donald Trump was asked if he was running a “comic book version” of a presidential campaign. Gov. John Kasich was asked to attack Trump and Dr. Ben Carson. Gov. Jeb Bush went after Sen. Marco Rubio, who took the high road and said he wasn’t going to engage in such personal assaults. Carson was accused of not being able to do math.

Then suddenly something magical happened. Sen. Ted Cruz stood up. In an epic lashing, he took the moderators and the mainstream media to task. Rubio followed his lead. Trump, Christie, and Huckabee weren’t far behind. Shortly the entirety of the large Republican field stood on the main stage and took back the control. They formed a united front and refused to be bullied into backing down.

It was truly awesome to behold. I found myself out of my chair and fist pumping before I could help myself. They finally did what so many of us have been furiously shouting, blogging, and tweeting. Hell, I was ready to take to skywriting. Finally. Finally. FINALLY.

Calling out the media and the atrociously snarky, biased CNBC moderators specifically, undeniably impressed the debate audience. It seems the effect was just as great on those watching on TV. The pointed assault launched on the moderators by Cruz registered with the highest favorability ever in Frank Luntz’s 15 years of focus groups.

Yet one question begs to be answered. Though his debate performance was well-received, will the candidates’ solidarity hurt Trump? He has been outspoken in fighting political correctness, but also giving the proverbial middle finger to the media. It has been a major part of his appeal. Now that most, if not all, candidates have hopped on board that ship, will it prove to slow his popularity?  Time will tell.