The bottom tier of the Republican presidential field sparred in the undercard debate on Wednesday evening as they tried to break out and move up the ranks.
The debate on Wednesday marked the second time the dark horses in the race debated as a preliminary to the top candidates clashing later in the night. Businesswoman Carly Fiorina offered a strong performance in that first undercard debate which helped propel her into the the upper ranks of the GOP field. Fiorina wasn’t the only candidate from that first debate who was not on stage on Wednesday. Former Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, pulled out of the race at the end of last week and former Gov. Jim Gilmore, R-Va., did not qualify for Wednesday’s debate. But four candidates were back in the opening debate: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., former Gov. George Pataki, R-N.Y., and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.
The four Republican hopefuls offered quick introductions and laid out some of the themes to their campaigns. Santorum highlighted his record on social issues while Jindal threw a few jabs at Trump and Bush and Graham focused on foreign policy.
Jindal was asked about his criticism of businessman Donald Trump, currently leading the field, and the Louisiana governor defended his attacks.
“Let’s stop treating Donald Trump as a Republican,” Jindal said. “He believes in Donald Trump.” Jindal called for backing a Republican with “proven conservative principles” and went after Trump as “a narcissist who only believes in himself.”
Santorum said it was fine to attack candidates’ principles but insisted personal attacks were out of bounds. “I believe personal attacks only help one person: Hillary Clinton,” Santorum said.
Asked about his attacks on Trump, Graham turned to foreign affairs, calling for more troops in Iraq and Syria to defeat Islamic State (IS) terrorism. “If you’re not ready to do these things, you’re not ready to be president,” Graham said.
Questioned about his pledge to back the Republican nominee while refusing to back Trump, Pataki ripped the businessman’s record in Atlantic City and noted the first questions all involved that candidate.
“Donald Trump is not going to be the Republican nominee,” Pataki said, adding he planned to back the Republican nominee.
Graham was asked whether his political experience was holding back his campaign but he turned the question into foreign affairs and who should lead the military.
“We’ve had one novice as commander in chief, let’s not replace one novice with another,” Graham said.
The debate turned to immigration. Santorum insisted several of the Republican candidates backed “amnesty” and said Graham and Jindal were in that crowd.
“We need to secure the border, period,” Jindal fired back. “I’m not for amnesty.”
Pataki said he backed birthright citizenship but called for securing the border and deporting illegals who commit crimes.
Graham defended his support for ending birthright citizenship and noted he had backed that for a decade. Despite being one of the Gang of Eight working for immigration reform, Graham said the government was not going to send 11 million people back but did call for deporting felons and encouraged immigrants to learn English.
Santorum and Graham clashed over comprehensive immigration reform. Graham noted Santorum’s immigration bill went nowhere when he was in the Senate and defended President George W. Bush’s opposition to it.
Turning to Syrian refugees, Jindal said he opposed the idea of letting them in and called for destroying IS and overthrowing the Assad regime.
Graham used the opportunity to rip President Barack Onama’s handling of foreign affairs. “I’m blaming Barack Obama for this mess,” Graham said. “And I want to fix it.”
Keeping on international affairs, Graham insisted “we were in a good spot in Iraq” and “Barack Obama wasted it all.” Graham said if IS wasn’t defeated soon, “they’re coming here.”
Santorum said he also backed more troops in the region but not as many as Graham. Jindal also slammed Obama’s handling of Middle East affairs. Pataki noted his experience leading New York state on 9/11 and called for fighting IS terrorism in the Middle East. Jindal and Graham drew contrasts between Islamic terrorist and Christian conservatives. Pataki ripped Rowan County Clerk of Courts Kim Davis for denying same-sex marriage in Kentucky despite a federal court order and said he would have fired her.
"There is a place where religion supersedes the rule of law,” Pataki said. “It is Iran. It shouldn't be the United States."
Santorum fired back, insisting conservative Christians were being attacked by the federal government.
“People have a fundamental right under the First Amendment ... .that is the freedom of conscience,” Santorum said.
“We’re going to have a president who defies the Supreme Court?” Pataki demanded. “Then we don’t have the rule of law.”
Santorum insisted the Supreme Court was out of control while Pataki drew a line between elected officials like Davis and individual citizens. Jindal also defended Christianity in the public square. After joking about his poor performance in law school, Graham noted the Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage is the law of the land but said he disagreed with it and would protect religious freedom.
Turning to Supreme Court justices, Jindal ripped past Republican appointees and said he would have a “litmus test” on conservatism. Graham said the stakes were high on the judicial front and the GOP needed to win the election.
“We have to win this election,” Graham said. “The court’s at stake.”
Both Graham and Santorum defended voting for John Roberts as chief justice while Jindal criticized his ruling in favor of President Barack Obama’s federal health-care law.
Jindal called for term limits and “part-time citizen legislators” and said a Washington outsider was needed. Asked about calling former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a “national treasure,” Graham said that was in relation to her policies in Africa and demanded to know where she was during the Benghazi attacks. Graham noted Ronald Reagan worked with Democrat Tip O’Neill and said he would work with Democrats while still sticking to his conservative principles.
Asked about taxes, Pataki ripped the “corrupt tax code” and said he would throw it out, cracking down on loopholes. Jindal noted he cut government and said he would not raise taxes. Santorum called for a flat tax on income and corporations, saying it would lead to more growth. Pataki called for keeping home mortgage deductions and agreed with Santorum on cutting taxes on manufacturing.
As the debate turned to raising the minimum wage, Graham said that would hurt hiring and growth and undermine the middle class. Graham also noted the national debt was out of control and being ignored. Santorum noted less than 1 percent of Americans make the minimum wage and said the GOP should not turn their back on them. He ripped Republicans for backing corporate bailouts and said his plan was to raise the minimum wage 50 cents over three years.
Turning to Iran, Graham said he was open to military action against Iran if he thought they were close to a nuclear weapon. Graham called for “rebuilding our military” and warned about the dangers of Islamic jihadism getting a nuclear weapon. Pataki agreed, saying he was for a “strong military” and ready to take on Iran, including working closer with Israel. The former governor slammed Clinton for backing Obama’s deal with Iran on its nuclear program. Santorum ripped radical Islam in Iran and promised to be tough on that nation.
The debate continued on foreign policy and Graham said he would stand up to Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine and in the Middle East. Jindal hit Obama’s international policies and turned to Graham, demanding if the GOP majority in the Senate would stand against the Iran deal. Graham reminded viewers that Jindal served in Congress and noted that Obama still had the veto power on the Iran deal and other issues, including Obamacare.
As the debate closed, Pataki stressed he could win the general election and “govern successfully.” Pataki highlighted his conservative record in liberal New York State and said he could lead.
Santorum showcased his efforts fighting for conservatism in Washington and winning in a blue state. “I made things happen in a town where things don’t happen very much,” Santorum said.
Jindal turned his fire at the “surrender caucus” in the GOP ranks in Congress. “I’m a doer not a talker,” Jindal said. “The idea of America is slipping away from us.”
Graham closed the debate by calling radical Islamists “religious Nazis” and jabbed Trump’s take on foreign policy, comparing it to cartoons.
“I will win a war we can’t afford to lose,” Graham said, pledging to rebuild the armed forces.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
