An Exceptional Presidential Debate

The GOP presidential debate Wednesday night was, for me, the best presidential debate ever. We were privileged to watch 11 exceptional Republicans present their views clearly, forcefully and honestly. Each of us has our own favorite candidate, and last night's debate probably reinforced our opinions. But, what we learned during the debate is that the GOP has a stable of mature leaders, any one of which would be an infinitely better US President than any candidate the Democratic Party can field. ~~~~~ Why do I say this? First, every Republican candidate spoke with reverence about the US Constitution. They made the rule of law under the Constitution their guiding principle for governing -- with respect for separation of powers, co-equal branches of government and the entire Bill of Rights that informs their determination to reduce taxes, empower the middle class and control government expenditures and regulation. Second, every Republican candidate spoke forcefully about protecting America from terrorism by canceling the Iran nuclear deal, and rebuilding the military gutted by the budget sequester and President Obama's purge of line officers who refused to kowtow to his views. Third, they all see the failure of Obama's weak world leadership and are determined to make America the world's leader again by taking control of the ISIS mess, confronting Russian President Putin and protecting Israel and our other friends around the world. And, finally, every Republican candidate spoke openly and proudly of the Christian faith and ethic that underpins the American body politic and gives form to American morality -- from their horror at the government-funded sale of fetal tissue to their willingness to give a name to the enemy, radical islamic terrorism. ~~~~~ Listen to Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden --- you will hear talk about expanding social programs, raising taxes, and walking on the Constitution and Bill of Rights --- with not a word about selling fetus tissue or America's defining Christian character. ~~~~~ So, dear readers, as the polls come in, some GOP candidates may fall away, but don't despair. Whoever the Republican candidate is, vote confidently for him or her -- the GOP winner will make you proud and put America back on track. There's a reason it's called the Grand Old Party. [Newsmax TV viewer poll, front-runner Donald Trump placed first in the statistically non-valid poll, followed by Carly Fiorina, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Here are the results from the Newsmax poll: Donald Trump 46.26% Carly Fiorina 20.11% Sen. Marco Rubio 9.32% Dr. Ben Carson 9.22% Sen. Ted Cruz 5.67% Gov. John Kasich 3.10% Gov. Chris Christie 2.14% Gov. Jeb Bush 1.45% Sen. Rand Paul 1.27% Gov. Mike Huckabee 1.04% Gov. Scott Walker 0.41%]