Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Biodun Iginla, BBC News
Showing posts with label Republican presidential debate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Republican presidential debate. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Republican candidates clash over how to counter Islamic State

  • 24 minutes ago


by Suzanne Gould and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Las Vegas


Media captionJames Cook reports on the Republican candidates debate held in Las Vegas

Republican presidential hopefuls sparred over how to stop the so-called Islamic State (IS), in the first debate since attacks in California and Paris.
The national security focus yielded heated exchanges between Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio who clashed on surveillance and immigration policy.
Jeb Bush also sought to revive his struggling campaign by forcefully attacking front-runner Donald Trump.
"You're not going to be able to insult your way to the presidency," he said.
Mr Trump was on the defensive early in the debate for his proposed ban on Muslims entering the US, saying, "We are not talking about religion, we are talking about security."
However the debate quickly expanded to broader issues of foreign policy and national security.
The candidates repeatedly addressed heightened fears of terrorism in the US on the same day an emailed threat shut down Los Angeles' school system.

Analysis: Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Las Vegas

Members of the audience standing with their hands on their heart during a singing of the US National AnthemImage copyright AFP
Image caption The audience was outspoken during the debate
The big question going into this last Republican debate of 2015 was how Donald Trump's competitors would try to take the front-runner down.
It seems, however, that only Jeb Bush got that memo. He alone among the candidates engaged the New Yorker directly, and if he had been as forceful several months ago as he was on Tuesday night, his campaign might be in much better shape.
Instead, most of the fireworks during the Las Vegas event occurred between the trio of first-term senators - Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz.
On the issues of national security and immigration, Mr Rubio faced off against his two congressional colleagues in often acrimonious exchanges.
Barely mentioned over the course of an evening that focused on foreign policy was Mr Trump's call to close the US border to all Muslims.
Given how all the candidates assiduously avoided the subject, one would never have guessed that it was a story that merited global headlines and ignited a firestorm of controversy.
What Trump doesn't get about the net
Republican debate: Winners and losers
But the top nine candidates disagreed over the scope of government surveillance and how to end the civil war raging in Syria.
"If terrorists strike again... the first question will be, 'Why didn't we know about it and why didn't we stop it?'" said Mr Rubio, taking aim at Mr Cruz, who had voted to curtail government surveillance powers.
Another of Mr Trump's proposals - "closing that internet up" to stop IS recruitment - has been hotly debated, with the candidate saying, "I don't want them using our Internet".
After defending it, he seemed confused by loud booing from the audience, and replied: "These are people that want to kill us folks."
It was not the only time that the crowd played a part in the programme; on several occasions the audience's cheers and jeers forced a pause in the candidates' conversation.
At one point, a heckler interrupted Mr Trump with inaudible comments.
US media review
US journalists watch the debate on television monitors in the press room in Las Vegas. 15 DecemberImage copyright EPA
Donald Trump's opponents "put a few dings in The Donald", according to comment in the New York Times. The debate "showed his substantial weakness on the critical topic of national security - and, at long last, his opponents' willingness to exploit it", it argues.
The common theme of the debate, according to USA Today, was an attack on President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton "for allowing the self-proclaimed Islamic State to rise and threaten Americans". But it was also a test of Mr Trump's credentials to be president. "Trump dismissed [Jeb] Bush's repeated jibes as though he was flicking lint off his lapel," it notes.
A Washington Post column argues that Ted Cruz is "more dangerous" for America than Mr Trump. "Although neither man is particularly constrained by truth or facts, Cruz is even more ruthless and cutthroat," it says.
A Fox News comment has Mr Trump winning the debate though "Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio gave incredibly strong performances... It follows that we saw Cruz and Rubio maintain their position as the GOP's best debaters and Trump retain his position as the leader of the pack," it concludes.
Republican presidential candidate Ohio Governor John Kasich (L) speaks as businesswoman Carly Fiorina looks on during the Republican Presidential Debate, hosted by CNNImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption Mr Kasich called for the country become more united

Other highlights from the debate included:

  • Despite expectations of a confrontation between the top candidates - Senator Cruz and Mr Trump - the men avoided directly criticising each other
  • Mr Trump said that he would not pursue a third-party campaign, saying he had "gained great respect" for the party's leadership
  • When asked whether he could order air strikes that could kill civilians or children, Ben Carson pointed to his experience as a paediatric surgeon and having to tell children about brain cancer
  • Kentucky Senator Rand Paul stuck to his strong libertarian foreign policy beliefs, despite stark differences with the other candidates
  • New Jersey Governor Chris Christie repeatedly stressed his executive experience as a governor and prosecutor and took a swipe at senators like Mr Cruz and Mr Rubio saying they were all talk
  • Ohio Governor John Kasich said world leaders would have been better off discussing terrorism than climate change at a recent summit in Paris
  • Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina said help from the private sector should be sought to fix an "incompetent" government

The Republican contest - in depth

Marco Rubio and Ted CruzImage copyright AFP / Getty Images
Image caption Senators Cruz and Rubio had a heated argument over surveillance and civil liberties
How to dump Trump - four ways his rivals might beat him at the debate
Muslims on Trump - Muslims in Las Vegas reflect on Trump ban plan
Cruz on the rise - five things to know about Trump's biggest threat
Clinton's secret agent? - Conspiracy theorists claim Trump is Hillary Clinton's plant
Mr Trump loomed large over the so-called undercard debate, with the four candidates split over the efficacy of his proposed ban.
Senator Lindsey Graham apologised to US-allied Muslim leaders saying: "I am sorry. He does not represent us".
Democrats debate on Saturday night, and both parties will hold debates in January.
The state-by-state primary contests in the presidential election begin in six weeks in Iowa on 1 February and will last for months.
Each party will formally nominate their candidate over the summer, with Hillary Clinton the favourite to win the Democratic nomination.
Americans will finally go to the polls in November, and the newly elected president will assume office in late January of 2017.

Road to the White House

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Trump and Cruz take aim at one-another in latest Republican debate

17 minutes ago



by Suzanne Gould and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, New York
Ted Cruz and Donald TrumpImage copyright Getty Images
Front-runners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are expected to clash, breaking their months-long entente in the last Republican presidential debate of 2015.
It is the first Republican debate since Mr Trump urged the US impose a ban on Muslim arrivals, in light of the California terror attacks.
The plan was condemned by his White House rivals and several world leaders.
New York billionaire Mr Trump is the frontrunner but Texas Senator Ted Cruz has surged in recent weeks.
Tensions have recently increased between the two men who have made pains to avoid criticising each other.
National security is expected to be a central theme of the night, two weeks after a radicalised Muslim couple killed 14 people in California, and just over a month since the attacks in Paris.
One of the suspects in the California attack, Tashfeen Malik, professed support for Islamic State militants on social media.
The attack in Paris brought the issue of Syrian refugees to the front of the US political debate. That debate expanded to include the entry of all Muslims to the US with Mr Trump's proposed ban following the attacks in California.
Mr Trump loomed large over the so-called undercard debate, with the four candidates split over the efficacy of his proposed ban.
Senator Lindsey Graham apologised to US-allied Muslim leaders - such as Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi - saying: "I am sorry. He does not represent us".

The Republican contest - in depth

The so-called undercard debate is taking place before the main eventImage copyright EPA
Image caption The so-called undercard debate is taking place before the main event
How to dump Trump - four ways his rivals might beat him at the debate
Muslims on Trump - Muslims in Las Vegas reflect on Trump ban plan
Cruz on the rise - five things to know about Trump's biggest threat
Clinton's secret agent? - Conspiracy theorists claim Trump is Hillary Clinton's plant
Mr Trump's proposal generated global criticism, and in its wake, Mr Cruz has tried to cast himself as a more electable alternative.
The Texan senator has a reputation for clashing with his own party and for his prickly personality.
The two have avoided open and direct clashes for months, but the friendly relationship has shown cracks in recent days.
Meanwhile, Florida Senator Marco Rubio is working to pitch himself as the favoured alternative to both men - capable of capturing both the Republican establishment voters and those who crave a so-called "outsider".
Mr Rubio, a Cuban-American like Mr Cruz, has tried to paint his fellow senator as a political opportunist who is weak on national security and foreign policy.
Marco Rubio standing in front of an American flagImage copyright Getty Images
Image caption Mr Rubio, trailing both, is hoping to present himself as an electable alternative to Messrs Trump and Cruz
Mr Cruz's campaign has roundly denied the allegations, with a spokesman saying "nobody believes Senator Cruz is weak on national defence and security".
The debate will also prove crucial for two candidates who have so far struggling in the polls: Florida Governor Jeb Bush and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Mr Bush, whose campaign is flush with cash but strained when it comes to support, is looking to head off calls that he should drop out of the race; those calls have been growing louder in recent weeks.
Mr Christie did not enjoy early support, but appears to be gaining ground as the other governor loses it. In the important primary state of New Hampshire, he's captured important endorsements and appears to be gaining in polls in recent weeks.

Three candidates to watch

Donald Trump, Chris Christie and Jeb BushImage copyright Getty Images
  • Donald Trump to defend himself and his recent anti-Muslim policy against attacks from his rivals
  • Jeb Bush to perform well enough to justify staying in the race, despite calls to drop out
  • Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor who has enjoyed recent gains in New Hampshire, to have a break-out moment
Also on the stage, will be Ben Carson, who is struggling to regain his footing after a series of missteps on foreign policy issues.
The main debate featuring the top eight Republican candidates will start at 2100e (0200 GMT), after a so-called undercard debate featuring those in the lower ranks.
The state-by-state primary contests in the presidential election begin in six weeks in Iowa on 1 February and will last for months.
Each party will formally nominate their candidate over the summer, with Hillary Clinton the favourite to win the Democratic nomination.
Americans will finally go to the polls in November, and the newly elected president will assume office in late January of 2017.

Road to the White House


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)