[Hoot Gibson]

The debates are boring, and they remind me of arm wrestling contests at work or a bar somewhere. Invariably, when you take somebody down, they look all surprised and insist on doing it again. And inevitably they go down again. And it was not Trump who raised his voice in asking "how many debates are enough?" I had been hearing that idea kicked around for at least a week prior to his having mentioned it. But early on, the debates did serve a valuable purpose this time around.

For example, had it not been for Trump, Republicans would yet be groveling in fear of a direct question about any social issue whatever. The non-existent war on women, illegal immigrants, Radical Islamic psycho's who want to kill us, or any of the nauseatingly numerous layers of political correctness in general. For that alone, we owe Trump a debt of gratitude and our respect. And let us not forget, the sudden courage shown by the other candidates along those and other lines of dispute, was modeled first by Mr Trump for them to see and then to emulate.

From what I have seen from those who actually think for themselves and are not just another example of some think tank's pet parrot, there are as many credible supporters of Trump as there are detractors. I don't see how categorical predictions of doom can be attributable to a Trump Presidency at this point.

The plan to steal or otherwise scheme away a Trump nomination is as Hoot mentioned, no doubt extremely ill advised. These little columnists and media types from "The National Review," and the "We'll Tell You What to Think Magazine" will pay the ultimate price in the end. Readership will go the way of the dodo, along with any credibility as perceived by the public, or any respect I may have had for them. I mean, move over Glen Beck, cause company is a comin! The one's behind the attempt to disenfranchise the voters are the same bozo's who were too timid to make a peep when the Dems were steering this ship of state onto the rocks. I've learned my lesson you know, fool me once.

I disagree. The debates have been boring only because Trump is so ignorant of issues that, until the last debate, he has relied on ad hominem attacks and hyperbole to hide that ignorance. Watching Trump in a debate is worse than watching the pre-shot clock North Carolina Tar Heels under Dean Smith execute its four-corner offense.

I despise the GOP establishment but the answer to RINOism is not electing a fascist to the White House. The only reason that Trump is leading this race is name recognition and the media's quest for ratings. Trump is the best argument against limits on campaign fund raising that there has ever been.

Entrenched incumbents in Congress have almost universal name recognition in their districts or states, which is the same advantage with which Trump began his campaign. As I have pointed out many times, Trump is not and has never been "self financed." He takes donations and has loaned his campaign millions of dollars. Those loans will be repaid by donors and he will finance his campaign in the general election campaign the same way that every other candidate will. In short, Trump is a lying hypocrite.

Trump is a Washington insider. He has financed mostly members of the liberal establishment for decades. There is no reason to expect that Trump will keep any of his campaign promises because he has always acted in his own selfish interests. People who have bought political influence in the past are no less corrupt than the people who have sold that influence. Not all people donate to politicians for personal gain, but Trump has boasted that his past donations were made as bribes for political favors.

I know that people in this country are angry at our corrupt federal government, but supporting one of the most corrupt Washington insiders to express that anger makes no sense. Trump has been a fraud in the business world and he has been a fraud in this campaign.

The Republican Party is in dire need of reform - a thorough house cleaning. Trump's goal is not to reform the party, but to destroy it. Rubio and Kasich are the status quo, establishment Republican candidates. Ted Cruz, in contrast, has fought to reform the party since he was first elected to office.

I am a proud member of the #NeverTrump movement and I remain unconvinced that Trump would make a better president than felon Hillary Clinton would. Slapping an "®" beside of his name does not make Hillary's dear friend, Donald Trump, any more presidential than she is.

[Image: http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/b...large2.jpg]