GOP Debate: Michigan Live Blog

Normal live blog rules: this is an immediate response to events as they unfold.

Bias alert: I have given money to Cruz in the past. I have friends who work in the Rubio, Trump, and Cruz campaigns.

I am a conservative and my family has been GOP since 1864.

Tonight is about Donald Trump. In the votes to this point, Trump has gotten 36% of the vote.

The FOX and paid media establishment has gotten orders to get behind the casino owner. Today “insider” Mitt Romney (with his Mormon values) excoriated the longtime political operator Trump.

Trump: Romney is a failed candidate. Every other country is killing us and killing us on trade. We are losing money and dying over trade. He is going full protectionist and talking about “free trade.”

You are the eighteenth person to ask me about this question.

Rubio: vulgar jokes and jabs.

Trump: he hit my hands. And he just referred to his virility.

Donald Trump is a shame and blot on this party.

Cruz: we need to think about single moms. We need to focus on the people out of work.

Trump: is now talking about his polls.

Kasich presents his resume . . .this is impressive. Kasich will not need “on the job training.” He says: “I am reasonable and will bring sides together.” Kasich says: “I will win Ohio.” He admits that he needs a contested convention.

We turn to the economy.

Rubio: government does not create jobs. We need people that understand how.

“This little guy” . . . and then tells lies.

Trump is shaming our Party. Trump is back to “little Marco” . . . Trump is blowing up.

Trump is now cutting almost nothing . . . we “can really” cut it. “Waste, fraud, and abuse.” The numbers are put on the screen. Trump is now talking about “waste” due to proper bidding responses. We don’t negotiate. We do, in fact.

Cruz is attacking by promising to abolish the IRS. Poor Cruz just had something on his face. Trump is painted as the corruption.

Hire the bribe payer to stop bribes. That is the argument.

Kasich makes a good point: he balanced the budget. He has done it.

I will vote Kasich. I will vote for Cruz. I will vote for Rubio. “No theories, reality.”

We can understand “corrupt.”

Trump wrote checks to Clinton.

Trump says Megan is looking ‘well.’

“I had an off the record meeting.” We need some “tug and pull on deal.” We need some “flexibility.”

He will not release his “off the record” talks. He now says that unicorns exist and Mexico will pay.

He will not “release the tapes.”

Trump says: “I am changing.”

Fact: Donald Trump did the “my Dad is rich” route to Wharton.

Is Trump playing to our fantasies?

If he runs as third party, the GOP rejoices.

Cruz and Kasich are winning this debate.

Simply release the tape.

Trump says he has hired people “thousands.” He is now bloviating. “People don’t want a short term job.”

“You are hiring your workers oversees and making your clothes overseas.”

“I take advantage.” Release the tape.

Trump calls Cruz “lying Ted.” Trump is a bloviating bully boy. He is a stain on this party.

He is behaving as Alcibiades by the Gulf.

We are now discussing torture. Tip: no Christian ethicist supports torture. Trump is now supporting torture.

Cruz says “yelling and cursing does not make you a tough guy.” Yes.

It is a grotesque betrayal of Christian ethics to support torture or killing non- combatants. No Christian can vote for any person who knowingly supports torture or killing non-combatants.

Trump is now talking about his foreign policy experts.

Kasich: “Who would be the best person to conduct foreign policy?”

Kasich is now arguing he is old.

Kelley is showing Trump contradicting himself.

Trump is now saying stuff. “Believe me, I was always against it.” He now quotes “Howard Stern.” Trump now does a political thing. He is hemming and hawing. Trump is actually on sound ground here. He changed his “tune” on many things. What is your core?

“I have never seen a successful person who was not flexible.” What is your core?

This is good.

Kasich: “If someone tells them something can you believe it. . . ”

Rubio: flexibility is not compromise.

Trump U. This was illegal. I promise I know this personally. In NY and Texas you cannot use the WORD “university” without being one . . . and Trump did it. That is not good.

He will take five years.

At the end of a few years . . . he will give their money back.

This is humiliating. Trump is humiliating himself.

Cruz is kicking it.

“Count to 10 Donald.”

I am happy to vote for Cruz, Rubio, or Kasich.

Cruz just slammed Donald on the CNN poll.

Kasich now agrees with Cruz.

Cruz and Rubio have massacred Trump.

I know for a fact that the phrase “Trump University” is illegal in New York and Texas because you cannot use higher education terms without being an accredited higher education school. This is why early on, The Saint Constantine School picked “school” . . .even though now we have an agreement to offer college classes.

Cruz is crushing it. Really. Not really a Cruz guy, but he is crushing it.

This is not the Cruz I met. The Cruz I met was small and irritating. This is a Cruz who is smart and large and knows what is doing. OK. Was I wrong in my first impression?

Kasich is the most wimpy person in the world.

But wait! He is now making sense. He is arguing for tolerance and common sense. I actually like this.

Cruz goes Tenth Amendment.

This is smart. Trump now talks about guns in Paris and California. Trump is a Second Amendment supporter.

Cruz is killing it. And Cruz irritates me normally.

“Donald has a tenuous relationship with the facts.”

Rubio: “he is very flexible.”

Trump is smoking with impotent rage.

Dear Dialectic Who Often Humiliates My Opinions: was I wrong about Cruz?

Why is Trump unprepared?

Marco: points out that Trump is unprepared.

Trump has “no intellectual curiosity.”

Rubio is not a leader. “They will do as I tell them”

This is a dangerous answer.

We need “seriousness” says Rubio.

We should “get along with the world.” This is what Trump says. Wow.

Putin and Kasich begins. Kasich is not biting . . . he is moral coward. He then says sensible things. So Kasich is great at being chief of government, but horrific at being head of state. He inspires nobody.

This is a great debate. Trump went wild.

Nobody is #nevertrump.

Beats me.

“Even if it’s not me?” says Trump. “Yes. I will.”

Kasich has a record. It is vinyl.

Rubio says “embrace opportunities.” We can win.

Cruz speaks to workers. . . and veterans. . . and cops. . . he will have our back.

Wow.

Trump: jobs back. Fix military. Proud of our country.

Winner:

Cruz

Second: