I followed, as closely as I could stand which was not much, the first of the GOP debate and I heard nothing to make be think about voting for any Republican next year. Frankly this is quite sad for me. While I am a life long Democrat I have, from time to time, voted for Republicans. In fact my first Representative in the House was a Republican and I voted every time he ran for reelection. I was what was known as a Reagan Republican in the 1980’s

So what did I hear in the Debate that I didn’t like? First the response to the idea of ending Social Security and Medicare. I admit that this is very personal for me as all I have to live on now that I’m retired is Social Security. An before you say it, yes it is my own fault that I’m in this position. Back in 2006 Lin and I decided to start our own business. 2009 was our break-even year and we got hit by the Great Recession. In an effort to save the business we put everything we had into to it. To no effect. I lost everything. But I would still be totally apposed to ending Social Security. As to Medicare/Medicaid just try and get medical insurance if you are over 35 on the open market and have any kind of medical issues, like higher than “normal” blood pressure. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

What got me in the debate was not that a candidate proposed the idea, no. What got me was the enthusiasm the proposal got. The audience loved it. I also noticed the lack of any defense of Social Security and Medicare by any of the other candidates. I heard nothing. Did Fox just ignore any response or was there just none? I don’t know.

The second major take away for me was the idea that Climate Change (Global Warming) is a myth. Once again it is personal, I am a scientist. Yes it is a Social Science but it still is a Science. I still use the scientific method and math. Get over it. The very idea that millions of individuals have colluded to pull a great hoax on the American people for the sole purpose of destroying the ‘Carbon Industry’ (an just what is the ‘Carbon Industry’ anyway?) just blows my mind. That the GOP would give this idea even the time of day worries me. Not because the party leadership believes it but that they are so clinical that the are willing to use it for a few more votes. What else are they willing to do to get and keep power? I don’t want to find out.

In their effort to scare the mass of GOP voters I think the ten candidates last night have accomplished something else. The are scaring the great mass of the Middle voters. Not right nor left but the middle. The very voters you need to win in the general election. Last night I heard nothing to attract that voter. Now we can wait and see.