It's a good thing I didn't expect much from the alleged political debate last week because that's exactly what I got: not much.
Well, let me modify that.
What I did get was a headache from the performances of the main characters on camera, more of the same from the clapping, shouting and shrieking by the audience and severe agita from the ineptness of the so-called moderators.
To clarify: agita means great anxiety or more aggravation than I can stand.
That night, it was more than I could stand – I have only to look at my notepad for proof.
As is my wont, I take notes on a yellow legal pad as I watch the debates. That comes from my years as a reporter.
The program started out normally, but as it progressed, the mood and the performances of the candidates changed, especially that of Sen. Marco Rubio.
It turned into a barrage of insults and shouting.
As I watched, it was astonishing to hear the increasing speed of his words and the volume of Marco Rubio's attacks on Donald Trump, as well as his blatant playing to the audience as they shouted and shrieked.
I finally lost it and without even thinking, shouted out loud at the TV set: "OH, SHUT UP!"
I scrawled those three words on that yellow pad and I admit my annoyance at Rubio's appalling performance actually surprised me! I don't usually talk back to a TV set!
As I watched his act – and it was an act – Marco Rubio appeared no more than a show-off, sixth-grader who thinks he's smarter than everyone else and loves the attention he gets.
Rubio may have had valid criticisms of Trump, but how he did it simply turned me off. And I don't think I'm the only one affected that way.
I suspect it will come back to bite him.
Rubio would say something snarky and insulting – then pause – look at the audience for a response and then, he'd do it again.
He was so proud of his "in-your-face" attitude, it was disgusting.
Taunts, insults and challenges, giving no time for any decent response and doing it again and again. He was performing for the audience – that's all it was.
He'd say something and then smirk at how clever he was. Boosted by the audience reaction, he'd do it again and again and again!
I will tell you, that if I had had any inclination to favor him with my vote, his performance that night put an end to it.
There is no way I would vote for Marco Rubio for president or anything else, ever.
At that debate, he presented himself to the world as a spoiled know-it-all who thrives on audience approval. He tried to out-talk and out-insult Donald Trump and anyone else who got in his way.
Several times, it took the pleadings of two of the so-called moderators to try getting him to shut up.
They didn't say those specific two words, but they were begging him to calm down and stop it and let someone else get a word in edgewise. The CNN moderators had lost control.
Which presents another problem with the whole evening.
It's called a "debate" – but it's no such thing.
And that's a shame.
A real debate would allow each candidate to address important questions about issues and give responses that would help voters make up their minds about what direction the presidency would take with any one of them at the helm.
The childish zoo that actually transpired only serves to give the pundits and talking heads grist for the media mill – tearing down the candidates they've already decided against and helping those they like.
Now that the field is down to five – poor Dr. Ben Carson actually had to beg for someone "to please attack me" so he could get into the mix of what loosely could be called a "discussion."
Gov. John Kasich was called on once in a while in a somewhat feeble attempt to make it look like a fair "debate."
But it was fair neither to those two men nor to Ted Cruz nor to the man on the receiving end of the verbal attacks, Donald Trump.
It's also not fair to the American public – citizens who deserve an opportunity to evaluate candidates and ultimately choose the one they want to lead us out of the quagmire Barack Obama has created.
All of this is because Trump appears to be on a smooth road to the nomination, and the media hate it.
Trump is not their choice, and they're gloating that Rubio has chosen the low road to attack him.
The GOP establishment also opposes Trump, and they're apoplectic in their efforts to figure out how to defeat him. They are even floating "threats" to get Mitt Romney into the campaign to defeat Trump.
ROMNEY?! Are they nuts? It didn't work last time; what makes them think it would work now?
Then again, if they think the Romney threat has Trump shaking in his boots, they really are nuts!
None of this is a joke. The key issue is to have a candidate who will defeat whomever the Democrat nominee turns out to be.
The lesson in electing a Democrat is that it would be Barack Obama redux – or even worse.
The real issue is getting a Republican elected. Nasty, childish infighting doesn't help.
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