On the one hand, Noah is right that these two candidates are giving Trump too little grief when they need to be exploiting his absence from the stage. On the other hand, the moderators don’t want them to attack Trump with the primary electorate, they have asked only that they side with Biden against Trump with the general electorate. This debate is an especially bad time to have liberal CNN moderators.
The back-and-forth battle between DeSantis and Haley is evenly matched so far – Haley will win an exchange, then DeSantis will, but neither are nearly as compelling when fighting with one another as they are when they’re talking about the problems with the nation.
Trump’s absence has completely distorted the contours of these debates.
DeSantis has been a better governor than Haley, in a state not as red. But so much of the subtext of DeSantis comparing his record as governor to Haley is that Haley was governor in an earlier era, and faced a Republican legislature much more entrenched in an older style of politics.
One of Chris Christie’s foremost critiques of his former opponents in the race for the White House is that they developed a bad habit of pretending as though the frontrunner in the race doesn’t exist. This debate proves his point. Unless the moderators prod their interlocutors into acknowledging Donald Trump, the former president is an entirely theoretical presence in this debate.
DeSantis: “We need to make it easier for people to raise children in this country.” Yes indeed.
If the federal government wants to stop funding highways, it should eliminate the gas tax. If the federal government wants to keep funding highways, the gas tax is a good way to do that. Keeping the money in the states, as Haley suggests, is the right thing to do. It would likely result in higher state gas taxes. State gas taxes are already higher than the federal gas tax, and states already own and operate all highways (including the Interstate system).
Kind of silly for Haley to attack DeSantis for high insurance rates in Florida, given natural disasters; also, it’s gotten more expensive because more people want to move there.
DeSantis cribbing the “bold colors, not pale pastels” rhetoric from Reagan’s CPAC speech in, if I recall correctly, 1974.
Look out! Haley’s blessing hearts!
“I disagree with Gov. Haley. We don’t need an accountant in the White House. We need a leader in the White House.” – DeSantis.
That’s a great line, and it renders one of Haley’s staple rhetorical flourishes foolish. She should retire it after that one.