There were a lot of howlers delivered at Tuesday night’s Republican presidential debate, and it wasn’t restricted to the candidates and moderators. Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus—or, as Ben Carson (accidentally?) referred to him late in the debate, Reince Pubis—kicked off the main debate with his own entry in the “did you really just say that?” competition:
What does the Republican National Committee do? A competent national party. A competent national party that has its act together on the ground and with data. Working in all communities, in black communities, Hispanic communities, Asian communities and being far better than we were in 2012.
The party of Donald Trump and all the rest of them is “working in all communities, in black communities, Hispanic communities, Asian communities.” Working to do what? Disenfranchise people? Deport them? Or convince them that Republicans aren’t working to disenfranchise and deport them?
And let’s not even get started on the idea that basic competence is what they’re aiming for here. If they were so incompetent in 2012, why is the guy who ran the party then the guy to turn things around now?