The GOP Debate Scorecard

My takeaway on the debate: CNBC folks were a bit excited - more like juniors at prom rather than seniors but they did a decent job, regardless of what the mouth-breathers in the audience thought and the candidates thought was easy media bashing.

The candidates? Well my theory is that we'll get all these folks paraded in front of us like we really have a choice and by the end we'll get back to establishment candidates that are beholden to corporate interests, as usual. Plus, the 'outsiders' become less interesting the more you hear them talk.

It's like talking to drunk in a bar. His insights are interesting/entertaining maybe once or twice, but then you get a bit tired of hearing them.

So here's my rundown.

Rubio is like an overindulged child - impatient, assertive and over confident. Too much a bounder to be a good leader. Maybe in another decade. Time to shut up and grow up Marco. Underneath his tough talk is scared little boy who will no longer be a senator and has little political future if this doesn't pan out. Maybe Secretary of HUD?

Bush is like Rubio's father. Patient, a bit world-weary. Or maybe it's more like a little dog and big dog. Sure the little one seems a lot more aggressive and the big one will let him steal his bones and nip at him. But at the end of the day, if you need a dog to protect you, that little one is going to be under the sofa.

Fiorina, she is everything I dislike about the West Coast money class. Every time she talks I feel like she is just saying what sounds good - she doesn't give a shit about the working class, please. Show me where she made any decision that evidences that. And by the way, she did a crap job at HP and Lucent, regardless of what rationalizing goes on in her spin camp. She couldn't even win her state in a Senate bid. A side show - establishment Republicans showing that they are 'diverse'.

Trump is acting like a winner. Some sniping; shot down Kasich with one overhand right, but stayed relatively civil. Too much complaining about the questions. You're running for president, you have to answer questions you don't like. You're not king. Will starting sounding like a whiner if he keeps it up and his is not a persona that can be whiner. Answer the questions, no matter how stupid or challenging; that's your responsibility whether you like it or not.

Carson looked good. He's the cerebral right wing nut. But as long as he uses his indoor voice he doesn't sound as uninformed as he appears to be. He's also rapidly correcting that aspect of his persona. I think he ran with a loose platform never thinking he'd be where he is and now he has to get his policy chops together or end up being laughed off the stage as Herman Caine 2.0.

Kasich. I like him. I think he's the most credible candidate that could actually get something done in Washington. But because he isn't a polarizing figure he isn't TV interesting. He's not about grandstanding and blood sport. He's about getting shit done and the GOP has spent 8 years trying not to get things done and it's hurt the party as well as the process. Not sure he can unify all the divisions but he has a good American centrist message and he's from a key swing state.

Cruz seemed to create a buzz in the press but for the life of me I don't see why. Like Rubio, he's done nothing in his Senate career to distinguish himself except to be an obstructionist. Does he realize the president is the leader of his party, not a bomb-throwing outsider fomenting revolution? If you want to do that, stay a senator and what until you mellow bit. Your tannins are overwhelming at this point. I'm guessing you won't be a senator or a presidential candidate again.

Paul is about in the same boat as Cruz. But his problem is he left his Tea Party/Libertarian roots and moved to the middle to gain mainstream credibility - and in an ironic twist lost credibility in doing so. Not sure he has much left since he isn't really running for re-election in the senate because he's still focused on the presidency.

Huckabee. Well is there really anything to say about him? Just a washed up politician looking to stay relevant and get a paycheck out of his former profession.

Christie. Props to his efforts to not attack his opponents but take his populist rage out on Clinton and the moderators. We actually ended up staying at the same place in Jamaica as him and his fam last year. Our kids (and I) played soccer with his daughter. Nice kid. He was a bit removed but who could blame him? Anyway, his hard-ass thing is a bit late and he still can't really differentiate himself. Meh.

A Little Capex Story 

To keep my little capex argument going, here's a story I saw today about the fact that capex is drying up in big tech now.

A Shout Out to Halle

My daughter actually reads this crap and was feeling slighted when out mentioned her sister but didn't say anything about her.

Sorry you missed lunch today but daddy-o had to grind out some change to keep you in smartphones.

Well here you go, a whole subsection.

Rock on, gal.