Three Different Polls Say The Same Person Was The Clear Winner Of The GOP Debate

It’s moments like this I wonder why I even bother.

I actually enjoyed the GOP Debate last night, strangely enough. There was Actual Discussion of issues that mattered. Most of the candidates had a good showing (Jeb Bush looked like a scared chihuahua most of the night), and even John Kasich kept his flappy-hands… almost to a minimum. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio did well for themselves. Rand Paul even had some shining moments. Chris Christie impressed me more than he has at any other point during the campaign. I think he’d make a good Attorney General – if he weren’t already doing a fairly good job in New Jersey (New Jersey needs him more than America does, let’s be real here).

The point is, I didn’t feel like I need a week-long shower after watching a political debate. Political junkie I may be – I am not a fan of debate night in general. I’m tired of empty bullcrap promises from establishment candidates, I’m tired of hearing great things from candidates I know don’t have a prayer in the general election, I’m tired of the childish attacks everyone (including the moderators) often engage in. Doesn’t matter who is on stage or who’s moderating or who’s broadcasting the thing – I’d rather go ten rounds with a Deathclaw on Survival mode armed with nothing but a dinky pipe pistol in Fallout 4 than watch a presidential debate.

That is, until this year. Because we have some genuinely GOOD candidates running for president. This campaign year should have been a conservative’s dream. So many great people with principled conservative ideas vying for the top job in the land and communicating conservative ideas and messages to the rest of the country. I actually felt like this was going to be an enjoyable primary season. Somewhere in this blend of candidates is an amazing president who’ll get us out of the total hole that Barack Obama put us in and get us back to fundamental American principles (and in the corner somewhere is Jeb Bush).

And then – Donald Trump happened. And that dream primary season got shot to pieces.

I tried to like Donald. There were a few good things he said that I liked – mostly about immigration and terrorism. But then there were more than a few bad things he said that I didn’t like. Things like supporting eminent domain and letting the federal government take over state and private land. His past support of Hillary Clinton and single-payer healthcare. And his behavior was just embarrassing. THIS is the guy I’m supposed to want representing our country to the rest of the world?? It’s just Barack Obama all over again! All style and no substance. I’ve already sat through seven years of that nonsense. No more. I mean, the guy can’t even stand up to Megyn Kelly. How is he going to talk tough with Iran and Russia and China?

And then I see polls like these that show that people actually thought Donald Trump won the debate by not showing up. And I want to cry.

From OANN –

From Time –

From TheBlaze –

Granted, two of those polls (Time and The Blaze) are internet polls and anybody could vote on those (multiple times, even). So, they’re not exactly scientific. But the one at OANN? That’s a market research firm putting that together. That’s actual scientific polling data.

The good news is that Frank Luntz’s after-debate poll party did say they thought Marco Rubio did the best last night (which, he’s in my top five). That was of actual Iowa voters, so their opinion is actually going to mean something sooner than a bunch of random internet people clicking on a poll. The bad news is that the Iowa Caucus is just one state voting and the primary season is just getting started.

I’ll just say this – if it comes down to Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in the general election, I’m writing in Mickey Mouse on my ballot. And then I’m going to go on a date with a Deathclaw.

(h/t Young Conservatives)