MILWAUKEE, WI - NOVEMBER 10: Presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks while Ohio Governor John Kasich (L-R), Jeb Bush, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Donald Trump look on during the Republican Presidential Debate sponsored by Fox Business and the Wall Street Journal at the Milwaukee Theatre November 10, 2015 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The fourth Republican debate is held in two parts, one main debate for the top eight candidates, and another for four other candidates lower in the current polls. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (2015 Getty Images)
I am so proud of the Republican Party — so proud after watching as a Milwaukee Wisconsin audience booed Donald Trump and put Ted Cruz in his place as he stumbled through another of his now infamous xenophobic rants.
Yes, Cruz had his Rick Perry moment when he told us that he would cut five agencies, then forgot the fifth. Nervously and suddenly, he blurted out the Department of Commerce twice. Oops!
Just a few short months ago, those bigoted, red meat for the base, disparaging lines about Latinos would have garnered huge support among GOP voters. In Milwaukee last night, it seemed more like a yawn.
However, for me, as an American who represents 18.4 percent of our population because I also happen to be Hispanic, this debate appeared to put a dagger in the heart of single-issue candidates and voters who care not a wit about insulting Latinos.
Donald Trump, sounding as mindless as ever, reached for applause lines that never came by talking about his magical mystery wall. He then savored his next utterance almost callously as he expressed his desire to kick millions of perfectly good and decent people out of the country without even giving a thought or mention to what that would cost the American economy.
Thank God (I mean literally thank God) for John Kasich, who had the courage to say what no other candidate would. The Ohio Governor took on the bully in the room and told him to his face how stupid it is to pretend that you can simply round up, Gestapo-like, millions of “law-abiding” people. Kasich made clear that he’s all for border security, but he’s not willing to be mean or stupid enough to base an immigration policy on bigotry just for the sake of an applause.
The irony is he may have gotten one of the biggest applause of the night for saying just the opposite. He was applauded for defending the rights of undocumented immigrants. Then, when Trump went after Kasich calling him “this guy,” the audience actually booed Donald Trump. Let me say this again, the audience actually booed Donald Trump.
Smelling blood in the water, Jeb Bush effectively joined in the Trump attack pointing out how suicidal it is politically for Republicans like Trump and Cruz to sound so bigoted toward Hispanics by threatening to kick millions of them out of the country.
"Even having this conversation sends a powerful signal,” said Bush. “They're doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign right now when they hear this. That's the problem with this.”
That’s when a completely tone-deaf Ted Cruz decided to jump in. He seemed to think that just because Trump’s (I hate Mexicans) approach failed, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t pull it off. He was wrong. After his stirring and economically ridiculous statement, which every single economist would disagree with about immigrants hurting out economy, Cruz could barely get a reaction from his audience.
It was a great night for John Kasich, a really good night for America and a fantastic night for the Republican Party. Why? Just a few short months ago, those bigoted, red meat for the base, disparaging lines about Latinos would have garnered huge support among GOP voters. In Milwaukee last night, it seemed more like a yawn.
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