In last night’s chaotic Republican debate, Dana Perino’s final question captured the essence of the entire spectacle.
Perino, suggesting that Donald Trump would easily secure the nomination if all the candidates remain in the race, asked them to vote one individual “off the island” and out of the contest.
The moderators treated this as a game show.
The candidates, led by Ron DeSantis, who objected first and loudest, refused to participate in this game.
But it was too late: By merely showing up, they all appeared as reality-TV wannabes.
For some candidates, that may be precisely what they desire. Chris Christie is more likely to find success in a television career than in winning the Republican nomination.
However, Governor DeSantis must have envied Trump’s decision to skip the debates.
Trump doesn’t attend not because he deems these political spectacles beneath him, but because his presence would only boost ratings for the show, benefiting his rivals more than himself.
If DeSantis were to also boycott the debates, his audience would lose interest, and “Survivor: Reagan Library Series” would have to settle for whoever was bored enough to tune in and watch the third-tier hopefuls provoke and insult each other.
Ilia Calderon of Univision was one of the moderators, alongside Fox News regulars Perino and Stuart Varney.
However, Calderon functioned more as an opponent than a moderator, firing off biased questions about immigration that seemed as if they were drafted by the Democratic National Committee.
Instead of asking Vivek Ramaswamy to explain his opposition to the “birthright citizenship” interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which grants US citizenship to children of illegal immigrants born in the country, Calderon framed her question as a gotcha moment, asking Ramaswamy on what grounds he would “expel legal citizens.”
She used the same tactic with DeSantis, asking him a biased question about Florida history standards that, according to DeSantis’ adversaries, portrayed slavery in a somewhat favorable light.
DeSantis called her question’s premise “a hoax,” but Senator Tim Scott seized the opportunity to criticize the governor.
While it is fair to discuss both birthright citizenship and history standards, the framing of these questions by Calderon consistently assumed wrongdoing or ill intentions on the part of the candidates.
It felt as if they were being interviewed on MSNBC.
Yesterday’s news
For Ramaswamy, all publicity is good publicity. As a longshot candidate with nothing to lose and plenty to gain in terms of name recognition, participating in the debates makes sense for him.
It also makes sense for Christie and Nikki Haley. Haley, being the only woman in the race and a relatively moderate Republican, is guaranteed positive headlines every time.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum also benefits from participating. Although he has no chance of winning the nomination, he can increase his national profile, which is otherwise nonexistent.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, on the other hand, diminishes his image by associating himself with such a group. With younger and less predictable Republicans on stage, he appears outdated.
Senator Tim Scott had a successful night, and since he is behind in the polls, he needs all the attention he can get, even if it comes in the form of a demeaning debate like last night’s.
However, Ron DeSantis has made a grave mistake. By participating in the debates, he has positioned himself as just another punchline and punching bag – someone for Ramaswamy and Haley to talk over and Calderon to belittle.
The only winner in this game is Donald Trump. Ron DeSantis now realizes this, but it may be too late.
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