The repeated conjuring of both heroes and villains, which directed attention away from rather than toward those in the debate, was emblematic of the event.
Republican presidential candidates took the stage for a second debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California, on Wednesday.
Appearing in order of their standing in national polls were Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
As the seven White House hopefuls did their best to articulate their messages and project a presidential aura, three people who were not present seemed to get nearly as much air time as those who were, presidents all: Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
President Regan was often cited by both the moderators and candidates as an almost mythic leader who fired striking air traffic controllers, granted amnesty to immigrants, and handed down the 11th commandment, “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”
President Biden was cast as the country’s nemesis, the cause of every ill from the economy to the border crisis to wokeism.
President Trump, who was 2,300 miles away in Detroit, speaking to striking auto workers, was mentioned more than any other. The former president, who leads Republican candidates by some 40 percentage points in national polls, was both praised for the achievements of his administration and criticized for his failures. But mostly, he was chided like a schoolboy for his absence from the stage.
“Donald Trump hides behind the walls of his golf clubs and won’t show up here to answer questions like all the rest of us,” said Mr. Christie said.
Mr. DeSantis said President Trump was “missing in action.”
The frequent conjuring of both heroes and villains, which directed attention away from rather than toward those in attendance, was emblematic of the two-hour event. Though the debate provided some moments of interest, it offered little new information about any candidate.
