Great debate last night. Nice mix of lib bias and conservative substance.

By Tom Quiner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4_P1oZiQh4

You knew the media had their fangs out with the first question:

“What is your biggest weakness?”

Translation: why would you make a lousy president?

This set the stage for the most most ostentatious display of mainstream media (MSM) bias in history. Thanks in part to CNBC’s low level of professionalism and journalistic ethics, the debate was wonderful.

We learned much.

Let’s start with Jeb Bush and the MSM. The moderator baited Marco Rubio with an editorial from a Florida newspaper demanding his resignation from his Senate seat while he runs for president. As Mr. Rubio responded, the moderator tried to interrupt twice.

It didn’t work. Rubio kept his cool and responded powerfully.

Jeb Bush to his discredit jumped in and continued the attack in violation of Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”

Jeb Bush is desperate. His attacks on his ‘friend’ and protege’, Marco Rubio, were a disaster. He actually sided with the liberal MSM.

Rubio deflected his barbs without breaking a sweat.

He turned them around on Bush.

And then he spoke admirably of Jeb and ended on a positive note, honoring Reagan’s Commandment.

That exchange will haunt Jeb Bush the rest of his political career. Watch it above.

In spite of the brazen level of liberal bias from the moderators, substance emerged.

Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, and Rand Paul deserve credit for staking out courageous and intelligent positions on how to fix social security: 1. Retirement age needs to be raised. 2. Cost of living formula needs to be reduced. 3. Benefits for high income earners needs to be moderated.

Honorable people can argue over ‘how much.’

Demagogues (sadly, Mike Huckabee is one of them) can call it immoral. But what is immoral is to let the system go broke, because politicians aren’t being honest. Something has to give. These candidates deserve credit for sticking their necks out with gutsy policy ideas.

Another thing I liked was the consensus for tax simplification. Carly Fiorina, in particular, scored points for making the bold assertion that the tax code can be reduced from 80,000 pages to three. I love it.

Something I don’t like is Rand Paul’s call to “audit the Fed.” Most of us yokels don’t get it. What does that mean? How does that affect my life? What’s the point?

He needs a better way to explain the significance.

I again marvel at the quality of the GOP line-up in contrast to the tired, old leftists being trotted out by the Democrats.