NEWS AND OPINION:
The GOP presidential debate field is finally shrinking, down to seven on the main stage at the sixth Republican prime-time debate on Thursday, this one hosted by the Fox Business Network. The A-team for the bout: Donald Trump, Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, plus Govs. Chris Christie and John Kasich — who both have displayed surprising resilience in a volatile White House marketplace. The contenders met the qualifying popularity threshold in 17 national polls conducted through mid-December.
Sen. Rand Paul? Not so much. He missed the requirement by very little, has refused to participate in the undercard debate and seeks reinstatement in the main event.
There could be more drama though. Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo — who moderates the debate with anchor Neil Cavuto — appears to think the GOP is at a pivotal, perilous juncture.
“This is an incredible moment in time. This is an incredible point in the entire election, because anything can happen,” she says. “We’re going into the first of the major primaries, that’s why this is so important. The American voter of today knows where we’ve been but has no idea where we’re going. Americans are frustrated because nothing is getting done. This is about their values. This is about how they see their lives changing. We are in a moment of time when America is in play.”
Meanwhile, the undercard debate begins at 6 p.m. ET on the network, featuring Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, moderated by anchors Trish Regan and Sandra Smith. The main event begins at 9 p.m. ET; the network will also live stream the broadcast free to all viewers at FoxBusiness.com.
TRUMPALICIOUS
Yes, NBC and former reality TV star Donald Trump parted acrimoniously only seven month ago — this after the Republican presidential front-runner accused Mexico of loosing criminals and drug dealers on the U.S. during the immigration process. The indignant network cited its “values,” along with respect and dignity. But time and audiences march on. Mr. Trump has been back on the network multiple times since then, most notably during an appearance last fall on “Saturday Night Live,” which yielded an enormous audience, followed by outcry from critics who felt NBC had sold out for ratings generated by the, uh, ew, Republican.
“At the end of the day, he was on the show for 11 minutes. And, as I like to say, the earth didn’t fall off its axis. We’re not in business with him, but love it or not, he’s one of the most political figures of our time, and he’s on our shows,” NBC entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt told an audience of curious TV journalists on Wednesday. “I think that if we were in the business of never having anyone guest on the network who had views that disagreed with our views, we would be out of business.”
AND IN SUMMATION …
“I can’t abide being lectured in there one last time. This is my last chance to step out of there. I’m going to the Member’s Chapel, where I will pray for the restoration of our Constitution, for the lives of the unborn — and pray that God will raise up a leader who he will use to restore the soul of America.”
— Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, explaining why he walked out on President Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, to Charlie Spiering, a correspondent for Breitbart News
And a relevant aside: 31.3 million viewers tuned into Mr. Obama’s address, according to Nielsen Media numbers; 31.7 million tuned in during the 2015 broadcast, 33.3 million in 2014. In the ratings derby this time around, Fox News bested its competition, drawing 3.5 million compared to CNN (3.4 million) and MSNBC (2.5 million).
A WARTHOG VICTORY
With its 30 mm cannon and titanium armor, the fabulous A-10 Warthog — once destined for the boneyard — has received a reprieve. The Air Force abandoned its fancy plans to retire the durable close air support aircraft, which first entered service in 1976. The A-10 has proved just too critical in the U.S. bombing campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, says Defense One analyst Marcus Weisgerber, who broke the news.
Huzzah, yippee, sound the klaxon— and spread the takeaway message: Trying to retire the A-10 is like trying to retire the B-52. Both remain can-do aircraft. And both remain must-have aircraft, at least for the moment.
“It appears the administration is finally coming to its senses and recognizing the importance of A-10s to our troops’ lives and national security,” says Rep. Martha McSally, a 26-year Air Force combat vet, A-10 instructor pilot and former commander of the 354th Fighter Squadron.
“I’ll continue to lead the fight to ensure we keep these planes flying until we know without a doubt we can replace their capabilities,” the Arizona Republican adds.
CHANNELING AL-JAZEERA AMERICA
“This was never going to work. Ever. We’re talking about the prospects of Al-Jazeera America, which by its name alone was doomed to fail from the beginning,” notes Mediaite analyst Joe Concha, on news that the network owned by the government of Qatar will cease operations on April 30.
“And, by the way, you know who’s having a good chuckle right now? Former Vice President Al Gore — who sold his failing Current TV to Al-Jazeera for a cool $500 million in 2013,” Mr. Concha adds.
POLL DU JOUR
• 55 percent of Americans disapprove of the way President Obama is handling immigration; 86 percent of Republicans, 55 percent of independents and 29 percent of Democrats agree.
• 54 percent overall disapprove of the way Mr. Obama is handling health care; 87 percent of Republicans, 54 percent of independents and 26 percent of Democrats agree.
• 54 percent overall disapprove of the way he is handling the threat of terrorism; 91 percent of Republicans, 52 percent of independents and 23 percent of Democrats agree.
• 51 percent overall disapprove of the way he is handling gun policy; 83 percent of Republicans, 52 percent of independents and 22 percent of Democrats agree.
• 49 percent overall disapprove of the way he is handling the economy; 85 percent of Republicans, 47 percent of independents and 20 percent of Democrats agree.
Source: A CBS/New York Times poll of 1,276 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 7-10.
Querulous outcry, chatter to jharper@washingtontimes.com
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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