Tomorrow's debates

Let's go to our go-to guy on the 2016 election, Roger L. Simon at PJ Media,for an analysis of tomorrow's debates. Roger writes today about each of the GOP candidates, but I will excerpt just what he had to say about Carly Fiorina and Donald trump:

Carly has been the most articulate candidate from either party so far by a significant amount, in my view. She’s certainly the best at answering questions, for what that’s worth, which admittedly isn’t everything. (Obama has made me skeptical about whether good campaigners make good presidents. They seem totally different skills. Some have both, but not many.) Nevertheless, I’d like to see Carly in the next administration and I know I’m not alone. But I don’t know what she could say on Tuesday that would improve her lot that she hasn’t already said. Maybe a bigger audience will help, but being on the undercard doesn’t help with that.

..THIS NIGHT IS ABOUT DONALD. His Trumpesty, the Trumpster or whatever we want to call him (maybe he should name himself) will be sitting in the number one center catbird seat with all eyes on him, probably even when he’s not talking. The other candidates are lucky they have close-up cameras or no one might know that they were there — unless and until they insult Trump or vice-versa. (It’s like the old joke about actors: “Enough about me. What do you think about me?”)

Here’s what he has to do. (Okay, not has to. How could I criticize or advise such a phenomenon? Let’s say should or ought to.) One, he ought to demonstrate he’s a good guy. Being rude or mean to the other Republican candidates or former candidates (McCain) — justifiable or not — worked for a while, but I sense it has played out. If he’s going to be nasty, he should direct his attacks at the opposition, from Obama and Hillary on down. Reassure us about what team he’s really on. Failing that, he should go after the media. Everyone loves that. (Just leave me out of it.)

Two, he should demonstrate some mastery of the issues, although not necessarily a lot. I don’t think any of us want The Donald to be a wonk, not that that’s likely. But a few words to let us know he’s actually read the Iran Deal (or a decent précis) and some sense of how he intends to make Mexico’s Nieto pay for the wall (threatening the kleptocrats?) would be helpful. If he pulls that off, he’s probably golden (his favorite color). There won’t be much time to do more anyway.

...No one wants normal anymore. Not only is normal boring, it hasn’t worked for some time.

This is a particular problem for the Number #2 in the polls, Jeb Bush. Jeb is nothing if not normal. But he has to dig deep to find something about himself that’s different. All of them do, actually. I know this is hard, but they have to pretend Trump isn’t there. Each one has to be alternatively witty and intense, witty (even self-deprecating) to show their humanity and intense to show they care. The issues of the day are pretty clear: Immigration, the economy, Obamacare (obviously… and veteran’s health care), foreign policy (Iran, ISIS and, yes, immigration again — it obviously relates — not to mention those old favorites China and Russia), abortion through Planned Parenthood, and education (special points to those who go beyond Common Core, which is only a small part of a massive problem).

Read more here.