The Republican Debate (Did You Watch- I Know the Answer So Here is the Synopsis for You)

("Confrontation is Avoided In a Republican Forum")

It served more as infomercial than debate as 14 hopefuls paraded seriatim before a moderator more than willing to forego serious challenges. It was our first earful of Republican chest banging of announced accomplishments and of promises of a Democratless tomorrow.

And the man in the middle was nowhere to be seen as Mr. Trump contrived some perceived slight (as if this ever stopped him before) to serve as predicate for not appearing. "I am not a debater" will be Friday's headline if things go badly for the leader of the pack, as he frames his excuses before the top 10 list (no not that one) go mouth to mouth.

Monday's warmup proved only that no candidate is willing to step into the gaping void of centrist politician. On issues like immigration, Planned Parenthood and foreign policy, each wannabe took turns at the most conservative of platforms. If any of the assembled were chosen, we could rest assured we would be a nation of fence builders, not fence menders, of hands off instead of hands on care and of diplomacy marked by carrying both a big mouth and a big stick into intended confrontations with those who don't pay us the respect we are so clearly due.

There were the usual zingers pointed at President Obama, Ms. Clinton and the most hated of them all, Obamacare. But in the end, this audition proved little other than we are in for a long and painful summer, fall and spring as the hopefuls move ever farther right in an attempt to pull the crazies (John McCain's word) into their particular corner.