Left, Right & Center

A Friendly GOP Debate?

Republicans endorse each other and blame Obama for Trump's rise.

By Robert Scheer • Mar 11, 2016 • 29m Listen

The latest Republican debate has candidates being courteous to each other. Why? Rich Lowry said Donald Trump still won the debate. "This is so frustrating to me as someone who doesn't like Trump. He has a hammer lock on the Republican electorate that is angry and wants an outsider... It doesn't seem to matter what he says or does." Juliette Kayyem admires Trump's ability to use the word "security" to link 9/11 and the Great Recession. In the Democratic debate, both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders said they would not deport undocumented adults who had not committed an crimes. "Isn't this akin to no immigration policy at all?" Josh Barro asked. Is President Obama to blame for Donald Trump's popularity in the Republican party?

Josh Barro (Business Insider) moderates from the Center. On the Left, Robert Scheer (TruthDig.com, KCRW podcast, "Scheer Intelligence"). Rich Lowry (National Review) is on the Right. Juliette Kayyem (WGBH News podcast "Security Mom," Harvard Kennedy School of Government) is our special guest.

Photo: Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich stand together onstage at the start of the Republican candidates debate sponsored by CNN at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida, March 10, 2016. (Joe Skipper/Reuters)