Last night’s debate in Detroit was Donald Trump’s worst performance yet. He was battered from all sides, including by the moderators, who made several of his factually challenged statements the main subject of their questioning. His reliance on insults in place of argument undermined his ability to deal with very basic questions from Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, and you could see an obvious tension between his desire to shift to a general election mindset – rebutting himself on H1B visas – and the fact that his negotiation with the Republican electorate is not yet complete. He was surrounded by an aura of whiny dysfunction. He insisted his hands and his manhood are not small. http://vlt.tc/2axw  The slathering interview by Bill O’Reilly in the wake of the debate did little to make up for it: this was a display of Trumpism in its worst form: reckless, cacophonous, and immature.

Mollie Hemingway: http://vlt.tc/2ay4  “Did you ever go to a baseball game where everyone’s having a blast, drinking a few brewskis, and enjoying the antics of that one exuberant fan who’s shouting at the Jumbotron and telling funny jokes about the umpires? And they’re really good jokes because the umpires aren’t having their best game? And then that fan just keeps going and won’t stop? And he starts making inappropriate jokes about the women seated a few rows back from him? And then he vomits all over the people in front of him? And then he starts yelling racist insults at the cops who remove him from the stands? Well if you haven’t, you need to go an Oakland A’s game some time! (I kid, I kid. Not really. They’re crazy.) Anyway, last night’s GOP debate in Detroit was like the tail-end of the above scenario, with Donald Trump playing the part of “Drunk Oakland A’s fan who is at first funny before he vomits cheese fries on your kids.”)”

Ted Cruz had his best debate performance of the cycle. His best moments were when he cast Trump as what he is: an operator who has played the system to his personal benefit, and who cannot be trusted to deliver on his promises. Cruz’s path forward is now clear: he must pivot out of the South and into the Midwest, presenting himself as the genuine, authentic version of what Trump is pretending to be. Speaking to the issues that matter to Trump voters in a sustained way – and much as they are about Trump’s personality, these voters are not without issue priorities – and putting more meat on the bones of a solution to be able to talk about puts him in the position to gain the support of more Trump Republicans. Trump’s total lack of actual solutions can be contrasted with more respect from Cruz, not through vetted white papers, but through a handful of solutions which target Trump voters on wages, housing costs, and Wall Street.

Marco Rubio had a decent debate, and scored a few hits against Donald Trump, but he was hampered by being under the weather and lacked the sunny uplift of his previous debate performance. There is recognition in Rubio’s face that his path to the nomination is closing rapidly, aided by the triplicate errors of Reince Priebus on the autopsy, the debate formats, and the primary schedule. There will be in the next few days a rising chorus from the conservative community that if Rubio prioritizes the country and the party over himself, he will get out of the race before the March 15^th winner take all contests and leave a path for Cruz to block Donald Trump. Rubio is extremely unlikely to do this. But if he stays in, and what is expected to happen happens, he will be remembered for it, particularly by disgruntled conservatives.

John Kasich hugged no one despite many opportunities to do so. This is unacceptable.

And what will those disgruntled conservatives do after a Trump takeover? http://vlt.tc/2axe  The actions of Senator Ben Sasse the other night give you a clue: principled conservatives will turn on the people who they viewed as allies, who revealed themselves as having other priorities. http://vlt.tc/2axo  “Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) confronted Sean Hannity Thursday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, chastising the Fox News host for suggesting his refusal to vote for Donald Trump was equivalent to a vote for Hillary Clinton. The brief verbal altercation occurred as Hannity spoke privately with Glenn Beck at TheBlaze’s booth on radio row. Sasse “jetted” over, according to a Blaze contributor who saw the Nebraska senator dart over when he spotted Hannity. “He came over and he said, ‘Sean Hannity, what you are doing is bull!’” Beck said. “And I have never seen Ben like that.” “He came over and he said, ‘Sean Hannity, what you are doing is bull!’”

“He was angry. … And Sean said, ‘Excuse me?’ And he said, ‘What you’re doing is bull!’ And he said, ‘Who are you?’ Which didn’t make things better,” Beck continued. “And he said, ‘I am Senator Ben Sasse.’” “Sean just didn’t recognize him and that happens,” Beck added. “And he said, ‘You can cuss me out all you want.’ And he said, ‘I’m not cussing you out, I’m cussing out your actions.’ He said, ‘You have gone on the air and said because I took what I believe to be a moral position and said I cannot vote for Donald Trump, I will not vote for Donald Trump, you are telling my constituents that I am voting for Hillary Clinton. And I am not voting for Hillary Clinton. And Sean said, ‘I didn’t say that. It’s half a vote for Hillary Clinton.’”

Half a vote is not, technically, a thing. But Mitt Romney, for his part, was not even offering that to Trump yesterday. Ace’s analysis here seems mostly correct to me. http://vlt.tc/2ay6  Romney’s remarks were not directed at Trump voters, of course – they were directed at Republican figures leaning in the direction of endorsing Trump. Essentially, he was warning them that their actions would be remembered akin to Chris Christie’s betrayal – that they would be betting on Trump against the interests of establishment figures and conservatives alike. It is a useful expression to keep people like Florida Gov. Rick Scott from breaking ranks. It is also a statement made at far too late an hour to make a difference.