The Republican Candidates Face Off in the Fourth Republican Debate

On Tuesday November 10, 2015, the presidential Republican candidates faced off for their fourth debate in Milwaukee. It was an eventful night, where the candidates debated foreign policies, minimum wage, and even the other candidates.

Chris Christie was bumped down to the kiddie debate at 7:00, leaving Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, and Rand Paul debating in the big leagues at 9:00. Each candidate had their highs and lows, but for the most part Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, and Ted Cruz dominated the show.

The fourth Republican debate started with a series of questions about the minimum wage. With this prompt, Marco Rubio discussed the need for more vocational training, saying, “We need more welders and less philosophers.” He continued to say welders make more money than philosophers, though not entirely accurate, Rubio was met with much applause.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump was given the chance to share his views on foreign policy. During the debate, Trump expressed the need for a wall between the United States and Mexico. He claimed, “We need borders. We will have a wall. The wall will be built. The wall will be successful,” creating a foreign policy that everyone can understand.

Donald Trump was able to continue with his profound statements when sharing his opinion of the war in Iraq. Trump wanted the United States to keep the oil and give “big chunks of it to the people who lost their arms, their legs, and their families and their sons and daughters.” Looking at the many casualties in Iraq, he does not want to send troops to Syria.

Rand Paul called Marco Rubio out for his lack of conservatism, as Rubio once said he wanted to support tax credits and increase defense spending. To the entertainment of the debate’s viewers, Rubio responds by calling Rand Paul a “committed isolationist.” This argument caused the candidates to go back and forth as to who the real conservative is.

Reflecting on the debate, many argue that this was one of Jeb Bush’s better performances (but the bar was not set very high). He started off strong, pledging to repeal all of Obama’s executive orders. Despite this initial strength, Jeb Bush shifted to the background of the debate, as he missed several opportunities to discuss tax reforms. Although the debates have proved to be one of his weaknesses, victory cannot yet be ruled off the table for Jeb Bush.

With just a few more debates to go, it’s time to start deciding whom you will vote for in the next presidential election.