GOP Rankings Report #8

The latest Rankings:

You can see the criteria I use to develop this report - here.

Again, I used the latest debate to rank the candidates on their attack focus - at other GOP candidates, or at the opposition in the Democrat Party.  This was important to me when I started these reports in August.  Apparently, it is a priority of a majority of GOP voters, and it has stifled internal attacks with all but two candidates (Jeb! and Kasich).  Further, I docked Rubio in this report, as you can see above, after his cheap shot on Rand Paul. 

Debate Observations:

Have you noticed there is only one person at the debates who would probably pass on being offered the VP role?  

Gov. Kasich is an anomaly.  An unwelcome, limp, RINO anomaly.  Rush nailed it - audio at Breitbart - fast forward to the 3:12 mark.

Fiorina had some great tax change suggestions, but I cannot reflect this in the report, as I require specific promises on the candidate's website.  Is this how she'll govern?  Say the right things to the right audience, but ignore their desire to see it in writing or the policy's execution?

Quote of the Debate #1 - Sen. Paul, on the growing wage gap:

We have to look to see where income inequality is the worst.  It seems to be worst in cities run by Democrats, states run by Democrats, and currently countries run by Democrats.

Quote of the Debate #2 - Fiorina, on the banking crisis of 2008:

I think what is interesting about Dodd-Frank, is it a great example of how socialism starts.  Socialism starts when government creates a problem, and then government steps in to solve the problem.  Government created the problem.  Government created the problem of a real-estate boom.  How did we create it?  Under Democrats and Republicans alike.  Fannie May and Freddie Mac.  Everybody gathered together.  Republicans and Democrats said ‘home ownership is part of the American dream.  Let’s create a bubble,’ and then government stepped in, by the way under President George W. Bush, banks were told, encouraged, told really, to buy other banks.  To take money.  And now what do we have Dodd-Frank?  The classic of crony capitalism.  The big have gotten bigger.  1590 community banks have gone out of business.  And on top of all that, we’ve created something called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a vast bureaucracy with no congressional oversight, that’s digging through hundreds of millions of your credit records to detect fraud.  This is how socialism starts, ladies and gentlemen.  We must take our government back.

If you missed it, check out the foreign policy segment of the debate.  Nearly all the candidates were strong.  I don't recall McCain or Romney this strong or this detailed.

Grand slam by Fiorina in her plan to deal with Putin.  She set herself apart on foreign affairs.
Rubio was spot on re: Putin: "He's a gangster."

Jeb took time away from criticizing the other Republicans to get a dig or two in on Hillary.

Kudos to Bush for suggesting full reversal of ALL Obama regulations.  I'd be willing to add that to the Domestic Policy list in this report if I saw the specifics.  Frankly, if Bush were serious, he'd post such a plan on his website.

Candidate Website Reviews:

Changes to candidate sites since my last review:

1. Trump has added a US-China Trade position,
2. Jeb finally changed his home page picture - a new, younger Jeb,

Cruz, Fiorina, Kasich and Pataki still do not have Issues tabs on their websites.  I am considering sending this fact to the next debate moderators.  If it made the debate, it would light a fire under the candidates and maybe sell a Glorious Hat or two.  Until they explain themselves, I will suspect they don't have Issues tabs for one of five reasons:

1. The candidate has had their success handed to them their entire career, and has never thought of leading or taking a stand, or communicating their vision,
2. The candidate is hiding something - similar to the way Democrats hide their actual plans for office,
3.  The candidate's campaign is in disarray and is trying to wait for a Trump flame-out,
4. Taking a stand will reduce the candidate's donor pool, or
5.  The candidate thinks you are too stupid to notice.

The website rankings have not changed since the last report.