It’s debate night and I have to say, I’m ready for it. Let’s see the contenders for the Republican presidential nomination on a stage, all together, and see how they fare against each other. One notable absence will be Donald Trump. Trump, being Trump, is doing his event in the form of a pre-taped interview with Tucker Carlson. Look for Trump to be doing his form of live-blogging the debate on his Truth Social account.

Some odd things have been happening today. This morning a pro-DeSantis PAC, the Never Back Down PAC, was suspended on X (formerly Twitter), before it was un-suspended later. When it became accessible again, the account had lost a lot of followers. Hmm. Was it a nefarious act by Team Trump? It is being speculated that pro-Trump supporters reported the account as spam en masse, which led to the suspension.

We can take an educated guess and assume that Ron DeSantis will be the primary target of the other candidates. That includes the Trump partisans, who will be active online.

Everyone get your bingo cards ready for tomorrow night! #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/JIMycY4NVQ

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) August 23, 2023

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is in Milwaukee as a Trump surrogate. She’s running hard to be his vice presidential pick if he secures the nomination.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum suffered a leg injury Tuesday as he was playing a pick-up basketball game with staffers. He was taken to a Milwaukee emergency room Tuesday and he has since been released. As I write this beginning to my post, his debate appearance status is in limbo. Will he or won’t he be able to debate? Burgum, 67, suffered a high-grade tear of his Achilles tendon. He’s using crutches to walk now. This staff said he would decide the debate after he completes a walk-through of the debate hall this afternoon.

The debate is scheduled to last two hours. I’ll be watching and live-blogging throughout the event. Check-in to see what I have to say. Also, Beege is doing live blogging with a post, too. You know how it is – we have things to say.

UPDATE: Good news. Doug Burgum can soldier through and participate in the debate.

I’m in pic.twitter.com/DZqLf3Yxik

— Doug Burgum (Text "DOUG" to 70177) (@DougBurgum) August 23, 2023

Now, on to the debate.

8:51 PM – Here we go. The candidates are on the stage, waving to the crowd.

8:58 PM – Tim Scott, and Nikki Haley sing along to the National Anthem. (Sung by Country Western artist Natalie Grant.)

9:06 PM – “Rich Men North of Richmond” is used as introduction to a question on Bidenomics. DeSantis goes first – Bidenomics must be reversed.
Then Chris Christie said economic ideas have to be sold to America. He touts his record in NJ as GOP governor in a blue state. Rebuttal
from Bret Baier that NJ had second lowest credit rating when Christie was governor.

9:09 PM – Tim Scott asked what he has done to reign in the federal government while he’s been in the Senate. Scott wants to send money back to
states. Helped write the Cut Taxes and Create Jobs Act (?) in Senate.

9:12 PM – Why should voters pick Vivek over experienced politicians? Vivek gives his biography. Says he’s worried about the American Dream for
his sons, future generations. Wants a new generation to take over.

9:13 PM – Nikki Haley slams Republicans for increasing national debt, uses COVID spending as example. It wasn’t just Biden. Takes a shot at
Pence, Scott for expanding debt.
9:15 PM – Pence refers to Trump as “even the one probably looking on” as he touts his pride in the previous administration’s record. He tweaks Vivek
for saying a president can’t do everything. Vivek gets to rebut his business record. Pence and Vivek mix it up. Yikes! “Now is not the time
for on-the-job training.”
DeSantis blames COVID spending on debt problems. Said he’d fire someone like Fauci.

9:19 PM – Vivek wants an American Revolution. Vivek, Pence are snarking with each other, both with smiles.

9:20 PM – Burgum talks about energy policy and energy independence.

9:21 PM – Hutchinson talks about conservative record in Arkansas, pro-life record. Wants to reduce the size of federal non-defense force by 10%.

9:25 PM – Vivek says he’s the only one on the stage that isn’t bought and paid for. Christie says he’s had enough. Said Vivek is the same type of
amateur that Obama was in 2008. Nikki Haley gives Margaret Thatcher quote – if you want something done, ask a woman. She trashes Biden
policies on grain subsidies, alternate energy as good for China. Tim Scott calls the ugly back and forth as childish.

All the candidates seem to have enthusiastic supporters in the audience. Lots of applause for all of them. Especially loud for Vivek and DeSantis. Burgum also very enthusiastically supported by audience. It’s good to see Burgum get some spotlight – this is his big shot at national attention.

9:33 PM – Nikki speaks about abortion, a strong topic for her. Wants to find consensus on abortion in Congress. Good luck with that, Nikki.

9:35 PM – Big donor of DeSantis wants moderation on abortion in order to win the election. DeSantis speaks of being pro-life. Says states have different laws. Pence jumps in with his long support on pro-life causes. Dings Nikki for consensus remark. “A lack of leadership,” he calls concensus. Nikki points out there are not 60 votes in the Senate on anything.

9:39 PM – Burgum is not in favor of a federal ban on abortion, is a pro-life governor. Cites the 10th Amendment. Good for him – isn’t that what conservatives are supposed to want – state law over federal? Burgum signed a 6 week ban in N.D.

Tim Scott is showing more emotion tonight than I’ve seen from him in a long time. That’s a good thing, otherwise he looks stiff.

9:44 PM – Homelessness, urban poverty and crime next. Pence asked about much of the urban problems began during COVID when Trump was in WH. Pence pledges to bring cities back.

9:45 PM – Guns – Christie talks about prosecutors who don’t do their jobs. He’d appoint an attorney general to instruct U.S. Attorneys to demand prosecutors do the work. Vivek says we need the spine to solve crime problems – mental health epidemic, need more cops on the streets. Bring back mental health institutions. Goes into National Identity Crisis, something he speaks about regularly. Patriotism.

Pence – We aren’t looking for a new national identity. Vivek – This isn’t a Morning in America time.

DeSantis reminds that Florida has a 50 year low in crime. Hits Soros for funding left-wing attorneys. Talks about firing 2 Soros-funded district attorneys.

Burgum talks about the contrast between small town values – everyone helps each other – versus big cities.

9:51 PM – Hutchinson talks about law and order beginning at the top. Talks about Trump’s indictments. I’m surprised it took this long for it to come up. Kinda surprised Christie let Hutchinson go there first.

Indictment talk now. All signed pledge to support nominee. Christie and Hutchinson take a pass on supporting Trump if he’s the nominee. Talks about conduct of POTUS. “Booing is allowed but it doesn’t change the truth.” Crowd booed him so he responded. Vivek speaks up for Trump. Criticizes Christie’s campaign of vengence while accusing Trump of same. Audience boos Christie whenever he opens his mouth. Bret Baier tells the crowd to settle down, stop taking time from candidates. Christie reads Vivek the riot act over lack of experience.

10:02 PM – Did Pence do the right thing on Jan 6? Scott – absolutely the right thing. He’d fire Merrick Garland, Chris Wray. DeSantis – end the weaponization of government. Wants to move ahead from 2020.

I don’t have a Truth Social account. I bet Trump is going hot and heavy on this part of the night.

Burgum says every moment spent talking about the past is time not spent talking about China, Ukraine. Vivek says he’s the only one who has committed to pardon Trump. Vivek talks like he’s Trump’s surrogate on the stage, if you ask me. Pence talks about hopes that criminal proceedings didn’t follow Jan 6. Trump asked him to put Trump over the Constitution.

10:11 PM – Ukraine – increase in war funding. Vivek raises hand that he won’t support more funding. DeSantis wants support contingent on more support from Europe. Vivek talks about support for our southern border, versus Ukraine’s border. Pence – we can do both, Vivek. Christie slams Trump for glowing words about Putin.

Pence going rogue. Ignores Baier on time constraints.

Nikki Haley talks about Ukraine support in relationship to GDP. Vivek doesn’t understand, she says. Brings up his talk about not funding Israel. Vivek is choosing a murderer over pro-American countries. Yikes, these two are blowing steam at each other. Nikki – “You have no foreign policy experience and it shows.” DeSantis wants to send troops to southern border. Nikki says we can do both, DeSantis says we aren’t doing both.

Burgum – Russia has become China’s gas station, the Biden policies are a complete fail. Need to arm Taiwan.

Scott – fire the 87,000 IRS agents Biden wants to hire, double Border Patrol officers. Stopping flow of drugs over the border.

Would Hutchinson authorize lethal force on the border? Yes. Border Patrol would be authorized. Fight the cartels. Military has to be limited in use.

DeSantis – Would he support special forces sent over the border? Yes, he’d do it on Day One. Yes to lethal force. Talks about Angel Moms.

10:30 PM – To Christie – what would he do with the 7M illegal aliens already here? Stop the flood of illegal aliens first. Detain them, don’t reward them for breaking the law. Christie would send illegal aliens back. “Of course. You have to.”

Thank goodness for that commercial break. This girl needed a comfort break and those people on that stage needed to settle down for a minute. Everyone screaming over everyone else is obnoxious and we don’t understand what they are saying.

10:36 PM – Education. DeSantis would eliminate the Department of Education. Need education, not indoctrination – something he frequently says. He’s right, though. Increase civic understanding the Constitution. Yes! Civics! Bring back civics in schools.

Vivek also wants to shut down Dept of Ed. School choice. High school seniors should have to pass a civics test. Talks about epidemic of fatherlessness – women paid to not have a man in the house. I assume he’s talking about welfare here.

Burgum speaks up for teachers – not all are indoctrinating students. Also get rid of Dept of Ed.

Haley talks about reading in early years. And, teach kids to build things again. Fight for girls. Biological boys don’t belong in girls’ locker rooms.

10:43 PM – Pence is a no on mental and physical tests for presidents. “Don’t need one too old or too young.” Vivek’s supporters boo. Vivek says no to mental tests for those over 75. Hutchinson – touts education improvements in Arkansas. On testing presidents, he didn’t answer.

DeSantis reminds the audience he’s a veteran. (He’s the only one running.)

Christie gets the UFO question. He jokes about that, being from New Jersey. He says he’d level with the American people about UFO information.

Time for closing arguments. What would each candidate do to inspire a better America? Each gets 45 seconds.

Burgum gives a little of his bio, wants to inspire Americans with good jobs, better lives. Hutchinson – our best is not a Biden or Trump presidency. Scott – The American Dream is alive and it is healthy. Christie – Got to beat Joe Biden. He has beat a Democrat incumbent. Haley – Talks of husband’s deployment. We should fight for America here. Pence – The American people have had enough. Time for different leadership, proven leadership. God is not done with America yet. Vivek – Born in 1995. Celebrate diversity. Time to revive common ideals. DeSantis – Our time for chosing, send Joe Biden back to his basement. Blue collar kid. Veteran who knows how to put service above self. Father of three. 2024 is make or break. No mulligans.

11:00 PM – End of debate.

Thanks for joining me tonight. I’ll probably write up some thought in the morning.