I managed to watch about half of the Republican Debate on CNN the other night before I just couldn’t take any more and turned it off.

If these are the best the Republicans can come up with, the party is in trouble, not to mention the citizens of this country. The country is already in deep doo-doo, but there was nary a mention of the real problems we are facing, but I digress.

Hayek was spot on when he observed that “(it) is for this reason that the unscrupulous and uninhibited are likely to be more “successful” in a society tending toward totalitarianism” in chapter 10 entitled “Why The Worst Get On Top” in his book “The Road to Serfdom”.

The “stars” of the show, and it really was a carefully scripted show, were the most obnoxious, rude and opportunistic of the bunch. The polite, well-spoken men were relegated to the back of the bus. Rand Paul had probably some of the most intelligent responses, but in the middle on time allotted. If it weren’t for his comments on drugs, he would have probably gotten little or no post-debate commentary. He had some of the best rhetoric regarding foreign and domestic intervention, but it’s probably too little, too late.

Rand Paul is a huge disappointment unfortunately. When he sounded more like his father, his poll numbers were much higher, but he has chosen the supposed safety of the neocon path, which will result in his demise. He also suffers from nice-guy syndrome.

What many must be finding perplexing is the fact that Donald Trump continues to lead in the polls, but in the debate had nothing of substance to say. He claims he will “make America great again”, but offers no specifics. He has proven he will do what he says in the business realm, so maybe he will, who knows? Much of what he claims he will do sounds so hyperbolic, it’s hard to take him seriously.

Ted Cruz revealed himself as a Hamiltonian. Hamilton was a strong proponent of a powerful central government. Those so-called Tea Partiers who support him may want to reconsider.

Carly Fiorina attempted to position herself as a militarist who would be willing to go toe-to-toe with Putin. Tough talk, but unrealistic. She must be jockeying for some military/industrial complex contributions. What has Putin ever done to her anyway? Or the US? Is it just me or does she come off as a sourpuss?

Kasich and Cruz went into TV ad mode every time the camera was on them. Real earthy stuff. I felt real warm and fuzzy.

Christie was in federal prosecutor mode the whole night. The thought of having him as president is a scary prospect. He will continue to rout out those “terrorists” though. I wonder if he can name one terrorist he supposedly jailed?

Carson is a smart guy, but still not exactly sure where he stands on anything. He has publicly stated he is for forced vaccinations and is a little wobbly on gun control. That alone is enough to disqualify him.

Rubio is an opportunistic neocon who only knows how to speak in sound-bites. In other words a typical politician.

Walker, or as referred to by the media, Dead Man Walker, as of this writing has dropped out of the race. I guess the Koch influence wasn’t enough.

Bush is well, a Bush. The third in the Bush presidential trifecta. The culmination of the Bush political dynasty that has ruled us for so long now. (The Bush family influence goes back almost 100 years) And considering the money and the power behind him, the likely nominee. I will go out on a limb right now and make that prediction. Actually, I hope I’m proven wrong.

So why is Trump still leading by a huge margin? It’s pretty clear people have had enough of politicians. They’re looking for something, anything different. That is the mistake Rand Paul made. He comes across as a politician, and people don’t want politicians. Trump is experiencing the Jesse Ventura effect. When the voters have had enough, they’ll vote for anyone different. It’s doubtful he’ll ride that wave to the end unfortunately. In the meantime, it will continue to be entertaining watching him foil the establishment types who seem desperate for him to stick to the script.

Viva Donald Trump!