Trump on the Menu During JV Debate

The candidates in Tuesday night’s Republican junior varsity debate split into two camps on front-runner Donald Trump.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and former New York Gov. George Pataki blasted him for his proposed temporary ban on Muslims coming to America, while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum argued that he is raising a legitimate point.

The four contenders went at each other on what may have been their last chance to break out of irrelevance in the 2016 GOP presidential contest.

Relegated to the undercard debate because of their low poll numbers, all are running out of time to catch a late wave of support before the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses. At least for Pataki and Graham, they could celebrate that they were back on TV after getting bounced from the last GOP debate of 2015.

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore missed the cut again and remains as invisible as ever.

Graham said Trump’s proposed Muslim ban makes it harder to win the war on jihadi extremism.

“You may think this makes us safe, but it doesn’t,” he said. “Most people over there are not buying what ISIL is selling.”

If Trump got his way, Graham said, “ISIL would be dancing in the streets; they just don’t believe in dancing.”

Still, Graham said he would honor his pledge to support the GOP nominee — even if it ends up being Trump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bfvLIZWkEk

Pataki said Trump “demonizes and demeans millions of Americans.” Neither he nor Democrat Hillary Clinton are fit to be president, he said. He compared Trump’s Muslim policy to the anti-Catholicism of the 19th century Know-Nothing Party.

“Donald Trump is the know-nothing candidate of the 21st century, and he cannot be our nominee,” he said.

But Santorum came to Trump’s defense, arguing that it was not anti-Muslim.

“His comment was against this administration, which doesn’t have a policy to properly vet people coming into this country,” he said.

Santorum said it is obviously true that not all Muslims are terrorists. But he added that, “All jihadists are Muslims. That’s a reality.”

Of Trump, Huckabee said, “I’d rather him be president than Hillary be president any day.”

Huckabee said that while Trump’s proposal may be impractical, Trump had touched a nerve “because people are angry and afraid that we are facing an enemy that this administration refuses to acknowledge.”

Graham singled out fellow Republican candidates Ted Cruz and Rand Paul as “isolationists”

The debate revealed division on immigration. Graham, who was part of the so-called Gang of Eight that tried to negotiate immigration reform in 2013, said he would change parts of that proposal. He also said he agrees with a timeout on Syrian refugees.

The answer wasn’t strong enough for Santorum.

“Lindsey talks about how this is a real war until it comes to immigration,” he said. “Then it’s not such a real war.”

Huckabee argued for a “real pause” in immigration. He said the job of the president “is not to protect the reputation of Islam. It is to protect Americans first and foremost.”

Graham reiterated his call for putting 20,000 troops into Syria and Iraq, comprising 10 percent of a mostly Arab force to destroy the Islamic State and knock out Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

The debate featured a good deal of tough talk.

Graham singled out fellow Republican candidates Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul as “isolationists” and said he would reinstate the National Security Agency’s recently expired program allowing the collection of cellphone data. Santorum said such authority is “fundamental.”

Pataki endorsed the program and also said he would seek a law requiring cellphone companies to give a “back door” to allow investigators with a warrant to retrieve locked data. In addition, he said he favors monitoring mosques for extremism. He compared inciting violence against America to shouting fire in a crowded theater.