Seems like only a …well.

CUZ IT WAS

And here we are again, on the very cusp of yet another thrilling evening of presidential candidates trying to outdo each other with memorable witticisms, criticisms, and hissy fitticisms.

Perhaps someone even has that breakout moment.

I have to be honest – I have some teensy hope for a little bit of perkiness as far as DeSantis goes. Did you guys see him on Ingraham last night?

Holy SMOKES – he was en fuego and throwing punches.

All I could think was “bring that guy with you when you show up tomorrow!”

🔥 DESANTIS on what he would say to Trump on the debate stage if Trump was brave enough to leave his basement:

“He’s running in 2024 on a lot of the same promises he ran on in 2016 and didn’t deliver on.

“He said he was going to drain the swamp. He still defends hiring… pic.twitter.com/Rw4LanJNym

— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) September 26, 2023

That could liven things up considerably.

Tim Scott needs to speak up would be my next “watching for” item.

How Gov Carbon Capture Burgum made the stage. I have no idea – it must have been the bazillions he spent on ads between debates that barely pulled him across – but I know enough now I won’t be falling for his folksy, “Just a small-town guy” act. YMMV

I thought Haley and Christie had their moments last time, but they’re both good at this sort of thing.

Pence – oh, man. Drone drone drone. Whatever.

The frenetic, chattering fellow with the big smile will be the wild card again, I guess. Ramaswamy likes to throw bombs into the middle of the pack and gauges his answers to everyone else’s reaction.

The elephant in the room won’t actually BE in the room, exactly like last time. We’ll see if the moderators have to stoop to stupidly juvenile “raise your hands IF” games to get a conversation going about Trump, or if one manages to surface on its own.

Now – the rules of the game for tonight’s live-blog.

1) NO CRACKIN’ ON DA BEEGE: There WILL BE SPELLING ERRORS, EGREGIOUS PUNCTUATION MISTAKES, AND SERIAL MIS-GENDERINGS. I’ll be typing like a fiend trying to keep up, refreshing the page to get what I’ve just typed to you all, and FOR SURE trying to get down in the comments to say howdy or point out the error of your ways. ‘Cuz I’m always right.

As I said last time when someone pitched a fit I misspelled Carbon Capture’s last name:

I AM NOT A STENOGRAPHER.

via GIPHY

I will also be juggling a perpetually full glass of Mondavi Woodbridge cabernet.

Damn. I’m good.

2) SEE RULE NUMBER 1

Alrighty. I’ll do a test refresh just prior to Fox Business kicking this thing off. I can’t WAIT to see you all again. Man, we had such a good time last time – I hope these guys are worth it tonight.

Top off your adult beverages and get ready to rumble!

Slàinte Mhaith!!

*Quick note if you’re not a member*: They’re running a great special and we would love to have you join us. I know I sure appreciate all the support I get from the folks I’ve met in the comments since I started writing for HotAir. It’s beyond wonderful working for an organization where I can bring issues and information to folks without worrying about what the approved narrative is, and then to hear “I didn’t know that” and “Thanks, Beege” – WOW. You all make me more determined than ever to keep the information flowing. #Freedom

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7:57 Is this thing on? whap whap whap

8:00 Kudlow just used “exigencies” I love that guy

8:01 Oh frick I already love this beginning. Hope they can live up to it

Huh. They show Pence in a chair

8:03 Argh Varney gads

8:05 Bidenomics ? to Scott – would you fire autoworkers

8:07 Pivots from weak answer to southern border. Okay

8:08 Dana brings it back – Vivek – empathy? Agree with Scott? No patience w union bosses? He understands hardship Dad worked for

Outstanding answer – picket the White HOuse

8:10 Great answer from Ramaswamy

Now to Pence about siding with workers: DRONE thanks Fox etc – canned line about Biden on unemployment ilne. GOLLY NELL, he needs to lighten up. “Good for Beijing bad for Detroit” okay great but he just can’t capitalize on a good line

8:12 Scott’s answering and it’s nice. Haley’s now talking about why strike to begin with. Higher gas, groceries, talks about her economic plan, cutting taxes on middle America, diesel taxes etc. Make small biz tax cuts permenent

8:14 carbon guy subsidizing electric vehicles to subs batteries which comes from China – he’s right here – they need 2/3s less workers. Strike at Biden’s feet

8:15 Christie hitting Trump fopr $7T in natl debt as well as Biden and agrees w Haley. Biden “hides in his basement” and hits Trump hiding from answering ?s about debt

DeSantis says DB shutting down Amer dream spare me crodile tears. Donald Trump missing in action – he owes it to you to answer for what they added to the deficit. Rattles off FL budget and tax cuts. WHOA

8″18 Childcare topping 10grand a month?!

Throwing Scott a lifeline here since he’s never been a gov.

9:19 Vivek The divide is not on the stage is b/n peoplewho love America …blah blahblha.. and DEm fringe minority

92:20 dana shutting burgum down

Time switch on me – I’m looking at my central time here

9;21 Calling Christie out on his previous immigration status. Whachoo gonna do now? He says enforce the law firct and foremost. NatGrd stop the floe of fentynal but needs you to fill job vacancies as long as you get here legally

9:23 Are we wasting $ on immigrations to Haley – we need to make sure we are cntry of laws. Defubnd sanctuary cities. Put 25K more BDR patrol and ICE on grd. Go back to remain in MEx and catch and deport

We have to change budget process in 40 yrs on time budget only 4 times

9:25 DeSantis are u comfiortable w china with our neighbors Elites in DC are happy with china – we need a new approach economic independence from china. We chousln’t have confucious institute. We’ll choose strength not surrender

927 Ramaswamy end birthright citizenship

Scott doesn’t want to end it. Are the people who come here under the jurisdiction of our laws. If you’re illegal you are not. Scott hits Vivek on “bought and paid for” from last time? And now ties him to Hunter Biden?! WOOT

THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING WHILE I’M INTERRUPTING
Scott got him – It’s a debate between you and you – what a hoot. I don’t think Vivek was expecting this from SCOTT

Oh yeah. Pence. zzzzzzzz

Holy CRAP Pence hits Vivek too BWAHAHAHA

9:33 OMG zzzz

Crap. I should have gotten either a bigger bottle or a bigger glass.

9:38 Crime and Christie What would you do about revolving door of criminality- I’m the only one whose done it. Appoint atnyGn to bring cities under control

Hits Trump again – You’re afrid. Donald Duck

Kind of curious to see what DeSantis says – You’vre fired Soros DAs.

We can’t be successful is people aren’ safe. We back the blue – 50 yr low in crime. I will use DoJ to bring cases against Soros DAs

9:42 To Haley – more police? We’ve done it in SC follow thru Start prosecuting according to law. Back to China…Us antibiotics but feds will only get it from China

9:43 To Burgum gun violence – Lib left bent on law abiding gun owners. Get back to core issues and enforcing the laws, morale down cuz defunding the police.

9:44 Vivek How to stop drug flow – Seal the S border, but also demand problem here. bring back faith based mental health care. 16 yrs old or under shld not be using addictive social media product

(;49 deSantis says using military going after drug cartels – are we going to let this carnage happen? Those mexican drug cartels are going to be treated like terrorists they are

9:47 Dan hits Pence on Obamacare but he diverts to mass shooting and stutters through it She calls him out He says he wants to return programs etc back to states. Lord what a pedant

9:50 varney on insurance to DeSantis FL not so good what up? It’s a countrywide decline. hea;th care recognize patients to back of the bus. Varney pushes him on why we’re worse, RDS says we’re dynamic we don’t have welfare benefits. CNBC no fan of mine ranks FL no 1 economy/ Good answer

9:50 haley brings up a good point about medications w her mom’s tylenol in hospital and tort laws. She’s good on this Cert of Need etc

9:53 carbon boy – fedgov says well subsidize this and make it more productive – it wasn’t about health care it was about picking winners and losers. Okay that was good.

*BREAK OBSERVATION – this is less than compelling TV although DeSantis is much more engaged, not wasting his points, Haley has been terrific and who put the pop in Scott’s Cheerios.*.

9:59 Haley about school choice which is not a state law – statistics are sad. Child that can’t read by 3d grade…hello?! She’s out there for votech classes and parents’ rights. Strong

Christie now – but lousy black and hispanic scores on math and reading. He says they instituted more charter schools and choice. Public systems run by teachers unions, president of us sleeping with union member so will never take on teacher’s union

10:03 Oh cripes slave question deSantis says hoax stop playing games – written by descendants of slaves. We’re ranked number. Didn’ just talk about we ENACTED it. FL is showing how it’s done

10:05 And now SCott is going after him “no redeeming…in slavery”>? OMG man stop. “He and Kamala should have just taken the sentence out.” American is not a racist country

10:06 Vivek would you pass law on parental rights? LONG answer to get to yes.

10:08 Burgum I’ve created X jobs and we treat the taxpayer like a customer in ND. We made every school in ND an “innovation school” WHATEVER

10:09 How are you going to protect the alphabet crew. What is with the Latino chica’s question. And here where go with Pencezzzzzz.

!0:10 RDS Ging after google gives CCP an edge? NO. Issue of China will be fundamental – need to reshore and decouple. Top geopolitical adversary. Gotta beat them on the economy

10;13 Christie cooling his jets so far – retrraining folks who lose jobs to AI – we can’t be afraid of innovation we’ve been the leader and can’t be afraid of that. We have to be pro innovation get the gov the hell off it’s back Good answer

10:15 Vivek too hep and haley going ape on him too “Every time I hear you I feel a little bit dumber for what you say” SCRuM!!!

10:16 RDS about Putin and Ukraine: in our interest to end this war – make the EU pay pay what they need to do. In the meanwhile WE are being invaded. I watch these guys in dc and THEY DON’T CARE. I will defend this country

Scott defending Ukraine as a “loan” Oh GTFO

Our natl vital interest is in degrading the Russian military

Haley : A win for Russia is a WIN for China
And here comes Pence drone drone drone.

10:21 Christie says every one of them – Obama Trump – has been wrong.

10:23 How would Carbon boy protect farmers from China? – cold war w China and economic and cyber.Man, he is stumbling through this BAD, energy, Kerry, climate policy – a HOOT coming from Burgum

Mexico is us most important partner – Haley says NOT a good partner is we’re losing 75K people to overdoses and cartel hits. Trump went wrong focused on trade i stead of what he was doing HERE

10:26 Al Qaeda: to Scott – this is a gimme for the non-executive on the stage. And Pence…”I stand before you today///this is a time for those of us today who have the executive experience…” Does he hear music before he opens his mouth or what?

*NOTE TO SELF – bigger bottle if Pence and Burgum are in the next one.*

10:33 Drill baby drill? OMG Someone drag Stuart out of the 90s. And worse, the question was to Mr Teeth.

And then to Pence? JUST

SHOOT

ME

Haley – Oh. boy – she’s going after RDS. Here we go

Midland over Moscow Bakaan over Beijing etc- wow. He is fricking crushing her.

10:38 Student loan to RDS Colleges should have skin in the game. Goes back to joining to military after 9/11 going to Yale etc, came out more conservative not easy to do. Extraordinary moment and well done. Dana mentions Haley’s husband overseas

10:40 i feel for Scott – he is at a real disadvantage with actual executives here

10:42 RDS HOLY SMOKES While haley and Scott spit at each other, RDS pipes up and says The Democratic Party lies in ruins – I’ve done it

10:43 And Carbon Capture ND is leading the charge ! I feel so much better

To Carbon – we’ve shrunk the state budget by 27% becuz biz leader! Totally possibly if you have someone whose worked in tech for 27 yrs

10:44 to RDS What about abortion – How are u gonna win those people – same way we did in FL. I reject that pro lifers are to blame for defeats. I want Trump to explain why he blames us. We’re better off when everybody counts. Should hold Dems accountable

Christie vetoed planned parenthood funding 14 xs – need a leader who can explain to people.

10:48 How will YOU reach out to LATINO voters to Pence ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Scott: I have the ONLY HISPANIC FEMALE CHIEF OF STAFF!!! WHOOP DEE EFFIN DDO

And now he’s stumbling Haley says “Bring it, Tim” And Haley EXPLODES

THEY’RE FIGHTING ABOUT FRICKING CURTAINS?!?!?!

OMG I need two bottles

And I’m talkin’ to Ed – they don’t pay me enough to cover this expense account item.

10:57 Good for RDS – called Dana out on the vote them off the island Polls don’t elect pres voters elect presidents. We’re not getting a mulligan We’ve got t chose right. HOLY SMOKES HE IS LIT AF

Christie votes Trump off the island – good for him. Because everyone had the respect to show up for the event. “Put your hand down Vivek” I’m DYING

WHUT?! It’S OVER

Okay. Thank you guys for joining MOI! Loves ya to death and we will chew this over tomorrow. Tell me what you think!

First impression for me?

DeSantis, period. Haley a good second and Christie was controlled for a sane third.

The rest of them?

MEH.

Again, can’t thank you enough for spending you time with me here. I love it.

Later, gators.