Tonight's Republican Debate

++90 days out from the Iowa Caucus--factor in the holidays and football--we are there. One of the "establishment" politicians needs a break out night. They are languishing in single digits, except for Rubio and JEB!--and even they aren't registering in Iowa. 

++John Kasich went Howard Beale yesterday by saying "It's all crazy. Where is the conservative movement." Kasich has done a massive ad buy in New Hampshire and has only reached about 8% there. Kasich went on to trash every "idea" thrown out in the race so far.

++Ms Lindsey is just flabbergasted that someone like Ben Carson is beating him. Actually everyone except George Pataki is beating him. I don't understand why he is still in the game.

++Soon to be former Governor Bobby Jindal is complaining that his failure to make the adult debates is hurting his media time. 

++Even the Donald was complaining on Morning Joe that the Iowa polls are hurting him." How could you do that,Iowa?"

++The "smart" money if there is such a thing in GOP politics says that Rubio will take down JEB! and Cruz picks up the nut vote. 

++JEB! manager is now calling Marco Rubio "the Obama of The GOP". "We gambled on Obama and what did that get us?" While Jeb has a proven track record of governance. 

++Rubio's team is arguing that he's the anti-JEB and not an old fogey,although all his policy positions are old fogey. He wants to take on Putin and Castro. No abortions under any condition, even the life of the mother. Keep our military expansion.

++All the candidates agree that President Obama is the worst President in history. All candidates agree Obamacare is a job-killing program, costing taxpayers billions. All candidates agree we should Drill,Baby, Drill. All candidates want to defund Planned Parenthood. (Remember when they all wanted to defund Sesame Street?).

++So you have a conundrum. Marco Rubio says he is missing all the votes in the Senate because he is annoyed at Senate procedure and thinks being Senator is a waste of time. JEB! says that he has a lot of cool things to do if he isn't President. Ted Cruz wants to be President to shut down the government.

++Since all three of these guys don't want to govern, why are they running for President? 

++The GOP establishment is afraid that over 50% of primary voters favor people who have never been in government. Gee, and their candidates hate government. So why shouldn't primary voters want the Donald? 

++Tonight will be the death throes of Chris Christie,maybe Rand Paul and I hope Bobby Jindal.

++For all the beltway chatter that Marco Rubio is sucking up all the Koch Brothers' money,conservatives are remarking that he is not in great financial shape. JEB! assured his donors with Poppi around that he is just being prudent by cutting staff and making those who wanted to stick around work as volunteers. Donors have said "That sounds like the campaign is in a death spiral". But then again Obamacare has been in a death spiral since it was passed.

++The Iowa Caucus is not particularly meaningful. You have had such successful Presidents as Pat Robertson,Pat Buchanan and Rick Santorum win. The reason is that the once sensible state has gone bats hit with the evangelical vote. That's why a Ben Carson can win. 

++New Hampshire is Do or Die for people like Jeb,Christie and Kasich. Some say that the Donald's success in New Hampshire is the result of an infection from Boston. The rougher language and more strident tone of the debate is a result of Boston politics. Interesting theory. But Pat Buchanan did alright in New Hampshire and the state was supposed to become the libertarian heaven, which accounts for the present day divide between Democrats and right-wing Republicans.

++This state should be where Rand Paul makes his bid . But I have seen that his father's network is fund-raising on more obscure DC-related issues and none that have been embraced openly by Rand. They have turned off on Rand as not libertarian enough.

++Mike Huckabee explains why he is not dropping out because there is time to organize for the Iowa Caucus. Time is slipping away--fast.

++For the rest of Americans,it seems to me that this debate should reveal some semblance of a desire to govern. Which means someone has to put forward ideas--even if wrong--about policy. So far, we know all Republicans are for war even though they are not good at it. The Republicans do believe now more than ever we have to get rid of Social Security and Medicare--and Obamacare. Republicans also believe the tax code should benefit the wealthy and corporations. Maybe American voters will suffer from amnesia and not remember the disastrous policies that were enacted by Thom Franks' Wrecking Crew. 

++If you want to know what austerity economics is look no farther than Kansas. Governor Sam Brownback has a stunning 16% approval rating, despite having been re-elected. Then go south to Jindal's Louisiana where he goes out with about the same approval rating. Which mirror the Americans view of Congress. 

++It will be interesting to see whether any candidates speak about other ethnic groups. JEB's favorable rating among Hispanics is 26%, Rubio's is 23%.  The Party has written off Hispanics and African-Americans. So depress the vote is the answer.

++They still have to win white women. How defunding Planned Parenthood,eliminating abortion as an option, and denying equal pay wins the women vote will be interesting. 

++Fox News ran on their Facebook Page a Reuters computer projection that Republicans win this year's Presidential election because the voters hate President Obama so much. Don't bet on it.