HOPEFULS FOR THE Republican nomination for the US Presidency squared off in another debate last night and, this being kind of like a job interview, each one was asked their biggest weakness.
The answers were somewhat varied, from Mike Huckabee saying his is that he “tries to live by the rules” to Ben Carson saying that his was “not really seeing myself as president until hundreds of thousands of people began to tell me that I needed to do it”.
Ted Cruz said that he was “not the guy you want to grab a beer with” and Jeb Bush said that he is “impatient and can’t fake anger”.
Others somehow missed what a weakness is. John Kasich said “my great concern…is picking someone who cannot do this job” and Marco Rubio said “I share a sense of optimism for today’s country”. Chris Christie used his answer to slate the Democratic nominees, saying he sees “a socialist, an isolationist and a pessimist”.
However, it was Donald Trump who gave the most succinct answer, telling the CNBC moderators that he was “too trusting”.
“I think maybe my greatest weakness is that I trust people too much. I’m too trusting. And when they let me down, if they let me down I never forgive”.
Trump was also asked about his permit to carry a gun in New York city, saying he has the gun on him sometimes.
“I do carry on occasion. Sometimes a lot. But I like to be unpredictable.”
Winners
In all, it was a good night for Trump as Ben Carson, the neurosurgeon who usurped him at the top of the polls this week had an anonymous night. Carson was attacked on his tax plan and his seeming lack of energy. He was also asked about his involvement with corporate brands, an answer which became about Carson’s views on gay people.
He was also asked about his relationship with a company that claimed they could cure autism.
Marco Rubio, seen as the most serious establishment challenger beyond Jeb Bush to go up against Carson or Trump, neither of whom have held elected office, also had a good night. Attacked by Bush for missing Senate votes while campaigning, Rubio was in combative form.
“Literally, the Senate, is it a French work week?” Bush hit out in a fiery exchange with his Florida neighbour early in the debate in Boulder, Colorado. “Just resign and let somebody else take the job. There are a lot of people who are living paycheck to paycheck in Florida.”
Rubio responded to Bush by saying many White House hopefuls – including John McCain – had missed Senate votes as they focused on the presidential race.
Rubio stands third in the RealClearPolitics average of opinion polls, at 9%, well behind Trump (26.8%) and Carson (22%) but ahead of Bush (7%).
Texas senator Ted Cruz was also in fiery form, railing at the media while New Jersey governor Chris Christie made an impact for the first time in the debates, landing on of the moments of the night when asked about fantasy American football regulation.
“We have $19 trillion in debt, we have people out of work, we have ISIS and Al-Qaeda attacking us, and we’re talking about fantasy football? How about we get the government to do what we’re supposed to be doing?”
The rest of the field, Kasich, Huckabee, Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina all failed to make telling impacts.
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