Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
While there was more blood spilled at the 5th GOP presidential debate 
Tuesday night than there has been in the last four previous debates — with more one-on-one challenges — there were still very few moments that seemed like they would make a big difference.
There were many serious things discussed in the debate focused on national security — our nation’s response to terrorism, policy in the Middle East, Syrian refugees, data gathering, defense spending, immigration. But I don’t think anybody made any real inroads.
Other than Donald Trump — who I think may drop a few points because of all his clownish facial expressions — and Ted Cruz, who I think might go up a notch or two due to his sheer bravado (which is, apparently, what the American voters like), Ladra bets the polls don’t move much after this performance in Las Vegas.
Read related story: Round 4 GOP debate winners and losers = no big surprises
Well, Jeb Bush might win a couple points for finally waking up from his coma and earning his exclamation mark.
But that’s the point: Whoever you support, you can point to a good moment for that candidate during the two hour CNN show Tuesday. Whoever you hate, you can point to a gotcha moment that made you smile.
Trump continues to dodge questions with outlandish remarks that should make him totally unelectable. It is appalling that he calls for the murder of innocent family members of terrorists. Are we going to extend that to mass murderers? Rapists? It’s a slippery slope, folks.
At least The Donald said he was willing to step aside if he didn’t win the nomination and that he would not run as an independent. That’s news, even though it’s hard to believe, given his ego. But he said it. That’s going to be a great sigh of relief to a lot of Republicans who think that would have handed Hillary Clinton the White House in November. Maybe he realized he might slip a few points and threw that out there as a life preserver.
Read related story: Third GOP presidential debate: And then there were four
But that was the only real news and Ladra is kind of sick of hearing the same ol’ same ol’ from everybody. Don’t they have highly-paid media people who tell them to break some news? It’s getting boring already.
Yeah, yeah, we know Chris Christie is Joe Everyman and that Ben Carson wants to save lives not take lives and that Rand Paul is the only real “fiscal conservative” in the race.
Yawn.
John Kasich, please stop insisting that everybody get along. Not gonna happen, dude. And Carly Fiorina… Girl, you have to stop telling people that you are the female in the field. We can see that, loca!
For many, the best part was the sub 
debate within the debate between the two men who, in Ladra’s opinion, are the only two real contenders here: Ted Cruz vs. Marco Rubio and Marco Rubio vs. Ted Cruz. Man, Ladra would pay to just see those two go at each other with nobody else to butt in.
Cruz — who is Marco’s biggest problem right now — scored points on Rubio’s cloudy immigration position. And Rubio — who seemed off his game, having performed better in all the previous debates — scored points on Cruz’s softness on NSA spying and defense spending.
But while Cruz drops the names of conservative radio show host Mark Levin and buzz words that will ring with Republican primary voters, Rubio was — as always — more forthcoming with details on the issues that show his supremacy in foreign policy and all matters dealing with national security. He knows what he is talking about. Watch it again and you’ll see.
And maybe a lot of people are 
looking at Cruz’s rising momentum, but he’s scared of Trump. That’s why he evaded questions about criticism he’s made in private about the TV billionaire. You can see it in his body language.
Meanwhile, Marco was attacked by Paul Rand, too — Paul Rand! Rand Paul! Same difference! — and, at one point, by Fiorina, showing that the Florida Senator, who still leads in predictability odds, is the man to beat among the members of that tiny club on stage.
Still, even with the few saving head-to-head jabs, there were no real game changers Tuesday night. Seriously, very little was said that would convince an undecided voter or peel someone in the tank for Cruz or Rubio or Trump, for that matter, away to another candidate.
But if Ladra were forced to sum up performances in yearbook superlatives — and I use the word force very loosely here — it would go like this:
Jeb Bush — Most Improved
Marco Rubio — Most Knowledgeable
Ted Cruz — Most Likely to Bend Over for Donald Trump
Chris Christie — Most Likely to be Confused with a Union Boss
Ben Carson — Most In Need of Robitussin
Paul Rand — Most Practical
John Kasich — Most Likely To Drop Out Next
Carly Fiorina — Most Whiny and also Most Vice Presidential
Donald Trump — Class Clown
This is the last debate before the first primary in Iowa Feb. 1 and the one in New Hampshire a week later. And it’s too bad that the field wasn’t slimmed down even more so we could have more head-on collisions like the Marco Rubio/Ted Cruz bout.
Betcha that would have been a game changer.
Another GOP debate yields no real game changers added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
