Other than the ineffable CNBC moderators (and the Mets), last night’s big loser was the Republican establishment.
While expressing outrage over the mockery the moderators made of the debate, RNC Chairman ReincePriebus conveniently neglected to mention that the deal to have CNBC run the show was cut by none other than … ReincePriebus — notwithstanding its vow to avoid more Candy Crowley debacles, the RNC keeps going back to the same Democrat-media well.
Throughout the evening, the candidates spanked the moderators and, as one would expect, Hillary Clinton. Right there with those targets of scorn, though, was the deplorable McConnell-Boehner budget deal beloved of the Obama White House and now endorsed by incoming House Speaker Paul “It Stinks, But I’m For It” Ryan. The candidates slammed the deal as “utter surrender” (Cruz), “severely flawed” (Rubio), so “horrible … it’s hard … not to use profanity describing it” (Paul), etc., etc. It’s as if Republicans watched Obama and Kerry negotiate the Iran deal and said, “Hey, we can do this too!”
Finally, the GOP establishment’s favored candidate, Jeb Bush, led with his chin in an exchange with Marco Rubio and got his bell rung – a moment all the more memorable because Jeb can’t blame it on the CNBC moderators: he went out of his way to provoke a fight with the wrong guy.
After the standing-eight count, the next sound the Bush campaign heard was the fat lady clearing her throat. Or maybe it was the donors galloping to the Christie campaign …