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5 Takeaways from the First 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Debate

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With “the elephant not in the room,” 8 GOP candidates for President spar over that elephant, Ukraine, government spending, and more.

Eight Republican presidential candidates took the stage in Milwaukee Wednesday night for the first in a series of debates ahead of the 2024 primary season. “The elephant not in the room,” as co-moderator Fox News anchor Bret Baier said, was the party’s frontrunner and former President Donald Trump.

Trump, who is leading the field by double digits with most polls showing him over 50%, decided to skip the debate in Wisconsin, choosing instead to record an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. That interview aired on X (formerly Twitter). The post of the interview has been seen nearly 167 million times in under 12 hours.

With Trump absent, the “undercard debate,” as some pundits labeled the evening, gave the other candidates an opportunity to present themselves to the American people without the former President stealing the spotlight. The candidates sparred over government spending, support for Ukraine, Biden’s economy, abortion and of course, the elephant not in the room – Trump.

At stage center was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, the two highest polling candidates behind Trump. Flanking the two were former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

Here are 5 takeaways from the first GOP debate of the 2024 cycle.

1. A viral song, a show of hands, and UFOs.

Fox News moderators Baier and Martha MacCallum stuck to their script as much as possible during the debate, but it was obvious that a fair number of the canned questions raised eyebrows from the candidates and viewers alike. Among those were the use of a viral song, a call for a show of hands, and a question on UFOs.

The debate opened with the playing of the viral social media song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” with the moderators using the song’s success to frame their first line of questioning. MacCallum asks DeSantis, “Why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now?”

MacCallum, following a video of a young voter commenting on climate change, later asked for a show of hands from the candidates if they believe “human behavior is causing climate change.” The candidates didn’t take that urging well, with DeSantis speaking up and saying, “Look, we’re not school children. Let’s have the debate. I’m happy to start.”

Toward the end of the debate in the “lightning round,” MacCallum asked Christie about the “recent spike in UFO encounters,” inquiring, “Would you level with the American people about what the government knows about these possible encounters?” Christie laughed, along with the audience, responding, “I get the UFO question? Come on, man.”

2. Pence shows vigor.

The former Vice President in the Trump Administration, often viewed as reserved, nudged his way into nearly every exchange during the debate, so much so that Baier had to repeatedly address his interjections and remind Pence to stay in his allotted time.

Pence couched himself as the most experienced, best prepared candidate on the stage to be the next President. He spoke methodically about his service as Governor of Indiana and as Vice President, rattling off his conservative bona fides and policy wins along the way.

He was also able to make an entire question segment about him doing his duty on January 6, 2021, upholding the U.S. Constitution in the face of what he recalls as pressure from Trump to act beyond his authority. Every candidate on stage, save one – Ramaswamy – backed Pence’s role in certifying the 2020 election.

Speaking of Ramaswamy, Pence directly called out the businessman’s lack of political experience, saying, “Now is not the time for on-the-job training. We don’t need to bring in a rookie. We don’t need to bring in people without experience.” Ramaswamy responded in kind, saying solving the economic problems facing the U.S. “isn’t that complicated” before listing potential solutions as he sees them.

3. Ramaswamy gets under the skin of the other candidates.

No matter the exchange or topic, it was obvious that Ramaswamy isn’t well regarded by a majority of the GOP field. As mentioned above, Pence took issue with the businessman’s inexperience in government. But that line of attack was mild after Ramaswamy unabashedly took on the entire field by claiming that they were all bought and paid for by SuperPACs and special interests.

“I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing up here,” Christie said of Ramaswamy.

Later in the debate when asked about Ukraine and continued monetary aid being sent to the country as they combat the Vladimir Putin-led Russian invasion, Ramaswamy said he would not support increased funding. He went on to express his opposition to defending the Ukranian border while the Southern U.S. border was left open.

Haley, also the former U.N. Ambassador under Trump, said Ramaswamy doesn’t understand international affairs.

“You are choosing a murderer over a pro-American country,” Haley said to Ramaswamy, adding, “You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows. It shows.”

However, Ramaswamy held his on in his first-ever political debate, sticking to his main points and not backing down from the attacks. The 38-year-old repeatedly made reference to the need for the next generation to take the reins and lead. He was poised and direct in his pronouncements of his positions and clearly leaning into his role as the outsider.

In his closing statement, Ramaswamy summed up why he’s running. It was a list of “truths” that appears to be resonating with GOP voters as he is currently polling third among the field.

“I was born in 1985 and I grew up in a generation where we were taught to celebrate our diversity and our differences so much that we forgot all of the ways we are really just the same as Americans bound by a common set of ideals that set this nation into motion in 1776. And this is our moment to revive those common ideals,” Ramaswamy said. “God is real. There are two genders. Fossil fuels are a requirement for human prosperity. Reverse racism is racism. An open border is not a border. Parents determine the education of their children. The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to man. Capitalism lifts us up from poverty. There are three branches of government, not four. And the U.S. Constitution, it is the strongest guarantor of freedom in human history.”

4. DeSantis walks away unscathed.

The Florida Governor expected to draw fire from all sides at the debate, given that he was the leading candidate in the polls among those in attendance. However, much of the attention and attacks were directed at Ramaswamy, leaving DeSantis mostly unscathed.

DeSantis, running second to Trump in the polls and down by over 30 points, largely avoided the firing squad by speaking succinctly and passionately, and not engaging directly with his fellow candidates.

He was able to set the tone of the evening in the first question, taking a direct shot at the Biden Administration which led to other candidates, like Christie, to state their agreement with him.

“Our country is in decline. This decline is not inevitable. It’s a choice. We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis was rarely interrupted or challenged throughout the debate. The most notable one was when Pence pressed him to answer the question on whether he supported the former Vice President’s actions on January 6, 2021. Pence said the American people deserved to know.

“Mike did his duty,” DeSantis said. “I’ve got no beef with him.”

DeSantis’ influence was perhaps most felt in challenging the moderators, refusing to participate in their urging of a show of hands over a climate change question and attempting to recenter the conversation on abortion, directing back to the media’s reluctance to hold Biden and Democrats’ accountable for what he believed to be their more extreme views on the matter.

Whether the performance helped DeSantis gain attention, however, is suspect as avoiding the fray seemingly relegated him to the sidelines much of the evening.

5. Trump’s standing in the polls unlikely to change.

Despite him not attending the debate, the former President is unlikely to be negatively impacted in the polls. Trump has a commanding lead in nearly every credible poll across the county and the margins are so wide that his campaign is essentially on cruise control at this point.

However, his ongoing legal troubles – having been indicted now four times in both state and federal courts from New York, Florida, Washington D.C. and Georgia – could eventually give voters pause if he is found guilty in one or more of the cases.

But even then, all of Trump’s legal battles are largely viewed as “political persecutions” in the minds of a majority of Republican voters. That fact was on display in Wednesday’s GOP debate.

All candidates, except Christie and Hutchinson, vowed to support Trump in the General Election if he’s the party’s nominee, with Ramaswamy being the most vocally supportive. The businessman called Trump the greatest U.S. President this century.

“We cannot set a precedent where the party in power uses police force to indict its political opponents. It is wrong. We have to end the weaponization of justice in this country,” Ramaswamy said.

Christie and Hutchinson did not shy away from saying Trump’s indictments disqualify him from leadership of the party and should disqualify him from being the next President.

“Someone’s got to stop normalizing this conduct,” Christie said, as a mix of boos and cheers could be heard from the audience. “Whether or not you believe that the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct his beneath the office of President of the United States.”

Trump’s lack of attendance in this first debate does not mean that we won’t potentially attend the second debate that is slated for late September. Although, Trump has already cast doubt on his attendance at that event.

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By: Frank Corder
Title: 5 Takeaways from the First 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Debate
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/08/24/5-takeaways-from-the-first-2024-republican-presidential-candidate-debate/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-takeaways-from-the-first-2024-republican-presidential-candidate-debate
Published Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2023 15:04:43 +0000

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Staring mortality in the face at Christmas

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1 year ago

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December 16, 2023

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My friend Jarrod is dying after an eight year battle with cancer. He’s lived a life worth celebrating, one that has drawn people to Christ.

I was going about my business this week when I received a text that stopped me in my tracks. A college friend was being moved to hospice care.

Jarrod Egley was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in early 2017. In the fall of 2018, tests revealed the cancer had spread to his lungs and Jarrod’s cancer was classified as Stage IV.

For almost eight years from the date of the original diagnosis, he’s fought. Through surgeries, radiation, endless rounds and cycles of chemotherapy, and experimental immunotherapies, he’s fought.

Last year, I flew out to California and spent some time with Jarrod and his wife, Emily. We sat outside one night. He acknowledged to me that it was not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’ the cancer would claim his life. I told him I was sorry, because what else is there to say?

We talked about our faith, about the trials of Job, about Jacob wrestling with God, about Paul’s affliction. But mostly we reflected on our time together in school, on the good things, and the mundane things, that happened since.

Jarrod and I met at Tulane University. One Sunday morning in the Spring of my freshman year, I rose from my dorm room bed, dressed, and began walking down Saint Charles Avenue in New Orleans with no particular agenda. I walked until I came across First Baptist Church and the thought flickered in the vacuous recesses of my brain to enter.

Some would say it was a lark. The Calvinist in me says providence. The walk that morning changed the trajectory of my time at Tulane and my life on the whole. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry became central to my life and put me in regular league with Jarrod. I met him first at the BCM and we ultimately ended up attending church together.

Jarrod was a faithful servant on and off campus. He helped organize a group of us that would weekly make our way down to the Esplanade seawall on the backside of the French Quarter to feed the homeless. On Friday nights, he could be found at chapel with a small cadre of students foregoing Bourbon Street for early 2000s worship music.

Jarrod was a loyal friend in those years. Never rude or biting. Not prone to an insult for an easy laugh. Persistently encouraging. An engineering student, his mind worked linearly and was oriented to problem solving. There were never a lot of wasted words — always a lot of deliberative questions when he disagreed or did not understand a point. He exhibited intelligence, empathy, and the kind of moral conviction that sets someone apart.

He also had a wry and dry sense of humor and a penchant for beating people at Madden football. He was fair-to-midland on the ultimate frisbee pitch. Along the way, there were crawfish boils, Mardi Gras outtings, poorly attended Tulane football games, and more than a decent amount of wing eating.

After college, I lost touch with Jarrod. He moved back to his home state of California. He got married to his college sweetheart, who could not have anticipated her husband’s journey, but has been a steady and constant helpmate throughout. Jarrod became a very successful engineer and a bourbon connoisseur. One of his bucket list trips took him to Kentucky, where he got to meet and became friends with bourbon “Hall of Famer” Freddie Johnson of Buffalo Trace acclaim.

Jarrod at Buffalo Trace Distillery (Spring 2022).

Sitting in his backyard nearly 20 years after graduating from Tulane, I saw many of the same qualities I had grown to admire when we were students together. I saw a husband who doted on and supported Emily’s passions. But I also saw someone whose body had been beaten to hell and back, who was tired, and who, like Jacob, had been wrestling with God. We quickly fell back into friendship, which perhaps is the mark of good friendship.

We all have aspirations in our youth — for the kind of spouse or parent we might be, for what we might accomplish, for what we might experience. Along the way, dreams are satisfied, modified, or they die on the vine. The clock inevitably works against all of us. That night in Oceanside, California, Jarrod, a numbers guy, saw that time was not on his side. He believed, as we all would, that he still had more to give, more impact to be made, and more things to see and experience.

After that trip, Jarrod and I stayed in touch, most frequently triggered by news of his cancer. It has been mostly the bad variety in recent months. Now spread throughout his body, down to his bones, he has lived in constant pain for months. Not even a steady diet of morphine and an implanted pain pump solve for it. Jarrod’s been hospitalized twelve times just in 2023.

But his matter of fact sense of humor and way of seeing the world remains in tact. So too does his faith that despite these trials, he has always been safe in the hands of Christ.

There are people in the world who believe that life is random, disordered, and without reason. I am not among them. I think my friend is staring mortality in the face at Christmas for a reason.

For thousands of years before Christ came, there was darkness and despair. Sin and shame gripped the hearts of men. Until one holy night, God, in His infinite love, mercy and wisdom, sent His son to save. Jesus is the light of the world and the hope of man. He has won victory over death and Jarrod’s will not be the exception. Jesus came for Jarrod, and for you.

For thousands of years since Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, His disciples have been used as divine instruments to point the way to God. Jarrod is among them. If life expectancies were the measure, Jarrod would be at the midway point for most people. He’s made a lifetime of impact for the Kingdom and on other people.

So, to my friend Jarrod, you were placed here with a purpose. You have run your race. You are loved. And when this chapter closes, you will hear “well done, my good and faithful servant.” There is no greater evidence of a life well lived.

While Jarrod and Emily have been fortunate to have health insurance, their portion of the medical bills so far in 2023 have eclipsed $30,000, and Emily is facing additional uncovered expenses during Jarrod’s hospice care, including a night nurse that costs over $400 a night. If you would like to help defray the cost, a contribution can be made at their Go Fund Me page.

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Title: Staring mortality in the face at Christmas
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Published Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2023 15:05:22 +0000

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Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023

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December 15, 2023

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Important state and national stories, market and business news, sports and entertainment, delivered in quick-hit fashion to start your day informed.

In Mississippi

1. Laurin St. Pe’ named CEO of Singing River Health System

Laurin St. Pe

The Board of Trustees of Singing River Health System announced the immediate appointment of Laurin St. Pe’ as the Chief Executive Officer on Thursday.

“We are thrilled to announce Laurin St. Pe as the new CEO of Singing River,” said Steve Ates, Board President in a statement. “His wealth of healthcare experience and proven track record make him the ideal leader to steer our health system toward its next phase of growth and success.”

St. Pe’, who has been serving as Interim CEO since July 2023, said he is honored to assume the role of CEO at Singing River. He has worked at Singing River as Administrator of Singing River Health System’s Pascagoula Hospital and Gulfport Hospital, in addition to overseeing program service lines throughout the entire system to his subsequent appointment as Chief Operating Officer of Singing River.

The health system says St. Pe played a crucial role in the financial revitalization of Singing River Health System while steering the organization toward financial stability.

2. Gulfport-Biloxi airport, Stennis evacuated after threats

The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport was evacuated on Thursday morning “out of an abundance of caution,” airport officials said, after receiving an emailed threat to certain transportation entities across the state.

The airport was thoroughly security swept, cleared and reopened in just over two hours. Gulfport-Biloxi is now operating regularly.

The threat was also sent to Stennis International Airport. Their staff and personnel were also evacuated until the facilities could be swept and cleared.

Any passenger whose travel was affected by the evacuation is encouraged to contact their respective air carrier.

3. Cassidy arrested in Iowa for beheading Satanic Temple statue

Former Mississippi congressional and legislative candidate Michael Cassidy was arrested this week in Iowa for beheading a statue at the state’s Capitol erected by The Satanic Temple.

Cassidy reportedly decapitated the statue and turned himself to police on Thursday. He was charged with fourth degree criminal mischief. He then started an online legal defense fund where he’s raised upwards of $20,000 as of Thursday night, according to his X account.

4. “Serial fraudster” ordered to cease offering investments into companies

According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office, on October 26, 2023, Secretary Michael Watson and the Securities Division issued an order against Stephone N. Patton. The SOS says Patton is a serial fraudster with multiple criminal convictions in Mississippi and Florida.

Through business filings with the SEC and Mississippi, Patton has held himself to be the CEO of various companies, including Star Oil and Gas Company, Inc., North Gulf Energy Corporation, Inc., Patton Oilfield Services, Inc., and Patton Farms, LLC.

The SOS says using these business filings and company websites, Patton claimed to have raised hundreds of billions of dollars through investment opportunities. Through investigative efforts and collaboration with the SEC, the SOS discovered none of Patton’s companies are operational, have any assets, or generate any revenues. Account records show Patton spent investors’ funds almost as soon as he received them on personal expenses. The total amount of known investments made to Patton’s fraudulent companies is over $80,000. Further, none of Patton’s investment offerings have been registered or notice filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office.

The SOS order requires Patton to cease and desist from offering investments with his companies, requiring Patton to permanently deactivate his companies’ websites to prevent any further dissemination of his false or misleading information. Patton is also ordered to pay an administrative penalty of $25,000 to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office for these violations, in addition to restitution owed to all his Mississippi investors.

National News & Foreign Policy

1. Congressional retirements mounting as 2024 election cycle nears

Retirement and departure announcements are piling up ahead of the start to the 2024 election cycle. The New York Times has developed a Retirement Tracker that currently shows 22 Democrats and 11 Republicans who are in Congress now will not be seeking re-election next year.

“Dozens of members of Congress have announced plans to leave their seats in the House of Representatives, setting a rapid pace for congressional departures, with more expected as the 2024 election draws closer,” the NY Times reports. “Given Republicans’ razor-thin House majority, the wave of exits has the potential to lead to a significant shake-up next year.”

You can find the tracker here.

2. Texas, Daily Wire, The Federalist sue U.S. State Department over media censorship

The U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center has come under fire as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton along with The Daily Wire and The Federalist have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the department funded technology that could “render disfavored press outlets unprofitable.” They claim that the department has helped social media – Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) – to censor free speech while funding technologies used to censor right-leaning news outlets such as theirs.

New Civil Liberties Alliance is representing The Daily Wire and The Federalist. Paxton and the outlets claim the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a British think tank, received a $100,000 grant from the State Department in 2021, and NewsGuard, which rates the “misinformation” levels of news outlets, received $25,000 from the State Department in 2020, according to the lawsuit.

According to the State Department’s website, the Global Engagement Center’s mission is to direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and coordinate U.S. Federal Government efforts to recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, its allies, and partner nations.

As reported by Reuters, the lawsuit cited a GDI-produced list from December 2022 that ranked The Daily Wire and The Federalist as among the 10 “riskiest sites” for news while the least-risky included The New York Times, Associated Press and NPR. Reuters notes that the lawsuit alleges such “blacklists” are reducing revenues to The Daily Wire and The Federalist along with their visibility on social media and ranking results from browser searches.

Sports & Entertainment

1. SEC releases 2024 schedules

Wednesday evening, the Southeastern Conference released the 2024 football schedules for its member schools, including of interest in the Magnolia State the schedules for Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

It is the first schedule that includes new conference members University of Oklahoma and University of Texas, bringing the conference to 16 schools. Each SEC team will play eight conference football games plus at least one required opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 or major independent, each team will have two open dates.

The 2024 season will be the first year the SEC will play a schedule without divisional competition since 1991. The top two teams in the league standings based on winning percentage will play in the 33rd SEC Football Championship Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, December 7.

2. White, Jesiolowski, Jones honored by MAIS

John White

The Midsouth Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) in Mississippi, comprised of non-public schools, announced this week that Madison-Ridgeland Academy’s senior quarterback John White was named the 6A Player of the Year while Hartfield’s Reed Jesiolowski and Hartfield Chris Jones were named the MAIS 6A Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

All three have committed to play college football at the University of Mississippi.

White is Mississippi’s all-time leader in career passing yards with 15,259 yards, a record he broke during the 2023 season.

MAIS, like the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) for public schools, is broken down into classifications, from 1A to 6A. However, MHSAA added a 7A this season.

Markets & Business

1. Consumer retail sales up as energy, gas prices move down

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week that the Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in November after being unchanged in October. Retail sales rose 0.3% in November after rising 0.2% in October, meaning consumers continue to spend at the start of the holiday season.

The CPI or inflation rate is 3.1%, higher than the Federal Reserve target of 2% but below the 9% peak in 2022 which reached a 40-year high.

As for the energy index, BLS reported that it fell 2.3% in November after decreasing 2.5% in October. The gasoline index decreased 6% in November, following a 5% decrease in the previous month.

The index for fuel oil fell in November, decreasing 2.7%. However, the natural gas index rose 2.8% over the month after rising 1.2% the previous month. The index for electricity also rose 1.4% in November, after increasing 0.3% in October.

The energy index fell 5.4% over the past 12 months. The gasoline index decreased 8.9%, the natural gas index declined 10.4%, and the fuel oil index fell 24.8% over this 12-month span.

2. Week’s market rally continues into Friday

At close of trading on Thursday, the U.S. markets continued the week’s rally, pushing the Dow up 158 points to 37,248 while the Nasdaq and S&P also made gains, 27 points and 12 points, respectively, to close at 14,761 and 4,719.

The record high for the Dow on Thursday moved futures up 102 points.

According to CNBC, the major averages are headed for their seventh straight positive week. As of Thursday, the Dow is higher on the week by 2.8%. The S&P 500 is up by 2.5%, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.5% this week.

Stocks rallied after the Federal Reserve left rates unchanged this week while members look towards cuts in the new year and beyond.

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Title: Magnolia Mornings: December 15, 2023
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Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:00:00 +0000

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New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off

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December 15, 2023

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Interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin said this week that only about 59% of the City of Jackson’s water customers are paying their bills.

JXN Water has announced new rates and fees coming in 2024. Those who are not paying will be at risk of shut offs.

The company, which was established by federal appointed interim Third-Party Director Ted Henifin, has been overseeing the city’s water system for the better part of a year.

Officials estimated that the average cost for water in the city was $76 per month for residents. Henifin clarified that JXN water will not attempt to recoup any charges prior to November 29, 2022, and will work with those who have failed to pay since that time.

He said only about 59 percent of the city’s water customers are paying their bills.

“You can’t forgive bills, so we have to be creative in how we part that,” said Henifin in reference to Mississippi’s laws that prevent giving away water.

According to a release by JXN Water announcing the rate changes, residents in single family households with small meters that use up to 748 gallons daily would see a bill increase of roughly .30 cents per day. Research indicates that the average U.S. family uses 300 gallons per day.

SNAP customers will have a new rate tier that could lower their bill by up to .69 cents per day, on average.

“Those who need to save the most benefit from saving money by drinking tap water. This new rate structure makes water affordability possible for 12,500 JXN Water customers who receive SNAP benefits,” said Henifin in the release.

Read more about the anticipated rate changes here.

New fees will also be implemented, including a new service fee of $50, service deposit of $100, returned check fee of $25, service restoration fee of $100, and meter tampering charge of $500. 

JXN Water has continued to encourage residents to use the water, with Henifin going on the record in a federal status hearing saying that the water “was safe to drink.”

More conversation regarding the billing process is expected to come at next week’s Jackson City Council meeting.

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By: Sarah Ulmer
Title: New water rates expected in Jackson come 2024; those who don’t pay face shut off
Sourced From: magnoliatribune.com/2023/12/15/new-water-rates-expected-in-jackson-come-2024-those-who-dont-pay-face-shut-off/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-water-rates-expected-in-jackson-come-2024-those-who-dont-pay-face-shut-off
Published Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2023 20:00:00 +0000

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