Still having our serious discussion (hahahaha) about the economy with the frontrunning Republican presidential candidates. They would be, in order:
Donald Trump
Ben Carson
Marco Rubio
Carly Fiorina
Jeb Bush
Ted Cruz
Mike Huckabee
John Kasich
Rand Paul
Chris Christie
Unfortunately, unless you have a cable subscription including CNBC, you can't watch live. If you do have that subscription and want to subject yourself to this, here's where to go.
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:02 PM PT: Trump asked about his bankruptcies, how he can be trusted after those failures. "Boy am I good at solving debt problems! No one can solve debt problems like me." Like many other big biz guys, we've all used the bankruptcy laws to our own benefit.
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:04 PM PT (Kerry Eleveld): Question: Should the govt be involved in controlling drug prices? Carson: we have to think, what can we do for average people? Actually, he says, we need to have a major reduction in the regulatory influence. (In other words, the government is already fleecing people with regulation. So no, he doesn't think the govt should control drug prices.)
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:05 PM PT: Kramer sends a softball to Christie in faulty ignition switches that ended up killing people—would he fix that? Christie—as a prosecutor, you bet I'd go after them. Then make his attorney general and Justice Department prosecute for price gouging.
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:11 PM PT: Rubio asked about his numerous financial debacles—foreclosed houses, mismanaging campaign fund, liquidating a retirement account—does he have maturity and wisdom to be president. He refuses to answer because that's his opponents' talking point. Then launches into his blue collar background and how he relates to everybody else who has to pay student loans. Moderator presses on why he had to liquidate his retirement account after a huge windfall he got for writing his book. He tries to sell some copies of his book and attacks Hillary.
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:14 PM PT (Meteor Blades): Kasich: Run government like a business. Snooooooooorrrrrrre.
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:18 PM PT (Laura Clawson): You say you value equal pay but don't support legislation to promote it so what would you do? Cruz: Strengthen the economy but I don't want women who are discriminated against to be able to sue. (That's a paraphrase.) There are single moms in my family. so ... (I guess we're supposed to infer that he's in favor of women.) At this point he shifts to attacking Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and big government, while he is fighting for the little person.
Then Carly Fiorina jumps in to attack Hillary Clinton as being bad for women using claims that have already been debunked.
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:21 PM PT (Barbara Morrill): Carson tells gay people to stop assuming that he's a homophobe just because he doesn't believe they deserve equal rights. Carson then gets the crowd to boo a moderator who asked about Carson's judgement for endorsing some scam "health product."
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:28 PM PT (Kerry Eleveld): Rubio questioned on his support of increasing H1B visas. Rubio: First, if you get caught abusing H1Bs, you should never be able to use it again. But we need to get back to training people for these jobs. We need vocational training. Should have never stopped.
Trump says he's also in favor of increasing H1B visas. Then adds—he's the only person who's self funding his campaign (yes, no relevance). But he makes a distinction that Super PACs will control the other candidates (not him, obvi).
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:31 PM PT (Meteor Blades): Fake populism has been popping up a lot tonight, from Kasich, from Carson, from Cruz, lamenting the plight of the working person out of one side of their mouths and pushing policies that make their lives harder.
Wed Oct 28, 2015 at 6:33 PM PT (Barbara Morrill): New thread here.