Republican Undercard Debate: Live Coverage

Remember that pretty detailed and out-there list of format demands that was circulating after the last debate? Things like: Will you commit that you will not:

• Ask the candidates to raise their hands to answer a question.
• Ask yes/no questions without time to provide a substantive answer.
• Have a “lightning round.”
• Allow candidate-to-candidate questioning.
• Allow props or pledges by the candidates.
• Have reaction shots of members of the audience or moderators during debates.

etc etc … I think this is the best debate of the election season so far, and partly because the hosts didn’t agree to the demands. Without “candidate-to-candidate questioning” in particular, we never would have had that Christie-Jindal exchange. Even the shorter questions have been illuminating. The main difference? Only four people on stage. It’s just a simple fact that with more than five or so people on stage, it’s impossible to conduct a civil and productive conversation.

This argument that the Federal Reserve is keeping rates low to help Obama really doesn’t make much sense. Beyond the lack of evidence that the Fed is acting politically, how would that conspiracy work? If low rates are helping the economy, that’s presumably a good thing. And if low rates are hurting the economy, won’t that also be bad for Obama and the Democrats?

Going back to who will drop out first — I say none of them. This seems to be a hobby for the ones for whom it is not a job. It’s like people who have a band on the weekends and a day job the rest of the time. (I’m thinking of Santorum and Huckabee particularly.)