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| Donald Trump is the elephant in the room at conservative summit in Iowa | Donald Trump is the elephant in the room at conservative summit in Iowa |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Yet again, Donald Trump overshadowed the rest of the Republican field. | Yet again, Donald Trump overshadowed the rest of the Republican field. |
| At the Family Leadership Summit on Saturday, eight Republican candidates tried to distinguish themselves from each other and appeal to their party’s base. Instead, they all ended up having to talk about the ninth candidate who appeared. The real estate mogul’s claim that Arizona senator John McCain “was not a hero” in Vietnam forced every other candidate to address Trump, sometimes at length. | At the Family Leadership Summit on Saturday, eight Republican candidates tried to distinguish themselves from each other and appeal to their party’s base. Instead, they all ended up having to talk about the ninth candidate who appeared. The real estate mogul’s claim that Arizona senator John McCain “was not a hero” in Vietnam forced every other candidate to address Trump, sometimes at length. |
| But the event was not entirely devoted to dissecting the latest gaffe by the former Celebrity Apprentice host. This gathering of social conservatives offered Iowa Republicans a chance to further evaluate presidential candidates in a question and answer format facilitated by the pollster Frank Luntz. | But the event was not entirely devoted to dissecting the latest gaffe by the former Celebrity Apprentice host. This gathering of social conservatives offered Iowa Republicans a chance to further evaluate presidential candidates in a question and answer format facilitated by the pollster Frank Luntz. |
| Unlike previous Family Leadership Summits, which had speakers like David Noebel, the author of the 1965 classic Communism, Hypnotism and the Beatles, this was a relatively restrained gathering. There still were some flourishes. A giant picture of a fetus was displayed onstage for a few minutes and rightwing gadfly Frank Gaffney warned of the dangers of an electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States. | Unlike previous Family Leadership Summits, which had speakers like David Noebel, the author of the 1965 classic Communism, Hypnotism and the Beatles, this was a relatively restrained gathering. There still were some flourishes. A giant picture of a fetus was displayed onstage for a few minutes and rightwing gadfly Frank Gaffney warned of the dangers of an electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States. |
| But the event was televised nationally on C-Span and was more focused on giving candidates a forum to appeal to conservative caucus-goers than on revving up Iowa evangelicals. | But the event was televised nationally on C-Span and was more focused on giving candidates a forum to appeal to conservative caucus-goers than on revving up Iowa evangelicals. |
| Candidates seemed to compete against each other to demonstrate their opposition to rightwing bugaboos like the nuclear deal with Iran, abortion and gay marriage. | Candidates seemed to compete against each other to demonstrate their opposition to rightwing bugaboos like the nuclear deal with Iran, abortion and gay marriage. |
| Florida senator Marco Rubio said Isis needed to be “humiliated” and condemned the Obama administration for what he saw as an unwillingness to confront the threat posed by the group. He joked that the enemy the US is confronting “is not radical Presbyterian terrorism”. | |
| “It’s radical Islamic terrorism,” he said. | “It’s radical Islamic terrorism,” he said. |
| Wisconsin governor Scott Walker touted his record defunding Planned Parenthood, insisting that actions spoke louder than words and taking a shot at politicians who just give “great speeches on how they are going to defund Planned Parenthood”. | Wisconsin governor Scott Walker touted his record defunding Planned Parenthood, insisting that actions spoke louder than words and taking a shot at politicians who just give “great speeches on how they are going to defund Planned Parenthood”. |
| With the event held just a few weeks after the supreme court established same-sex marriage across the country in Obergefell v Hodges, that decision was universally condemned as well. Texas senator Ted Cruz, who received several standing ovations, attacked it as “naked judicial activism”. | With the event held just a few weeks after the supreme court established same-sex marriage across the country in Obergefell v Hodges, that decision was universally condemned as well. Texas senator Ted Cruz, who received several standing ovations, attacked it as “naked judicial activism”. |
| “It was lawless and fundamentally illegitimate,” he said. Cruz also expressed his hope that the decision would “awaken the body of Christ” and encourage social conservatives to get more engaged in the political process. | “It was lawless and fundamentally illegitimate,” he said. Cruz also expressed his hope that the decision would “awaken the body of Christ” and encourage social conservatives to get more engaged in the political process. |
| While Walker and Rubio are in the top tier of candidates in national polls, the Republican who did best at the event was Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. While Jindal is polling at roughly 1% nationally and is considered an afterthought in the 15-strong Republican field, he was once considered a rising star in the party. He demonstrated his political talent on Saturday. | While Walker and Rubio are in the top tier of candidates in national polls, the Republican who did best at the event was Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. While Jindal is polling at roughly 1% nationally and is considered an afterthought in the 15-strong Republican field, he was once considered a rising star in the party. He demonstrated his political talent on Saturday. |
| Jindal received a number of spontaneous standing ovations, including one that lasted nearly half a minute after he bashed the media for having a liberal, pro-Obama bias. | Jindal received a number of spontaneous standing ovations, including one that lasted nearly half a minute after he bashed the media for having a liberal, pro-Obama bias. |
| Jindal won over the crowd by consistently offering up red meat with lines like “America did not create religious liberty – religious liberty created the United States of America” while bashing the supreme court on same-sex marriage. | Jindal won over the crowd by consistently offering up red meat with lines like “America did not create religious liberty – religious liberty created the United States of America” while bashing the supreme court on same-sex marriage. |
| Jindal wasn’t the only candidate to surprise. Senator Lindsey Graham both teared up on stage and got the conservative audience to offer applause to his condemnation of Trump. | Jindal wasn’t the only candidate to surprise. Senator Lindsey Graham both teared up on stage and got the conservative audience to offer applause to his condemnation of Trump. |
| In response to a question from Luntz about what he would say to his parents, who died when the South Carolina Republican was in college and left him raise his younger sister, Graham got emotional and said: “Darline turned out really good.” | In response to a question from Luntz about what he would say to his parents, who died when the South Carolina Republican was in college and left him raise his younger sister, Graham got emotional and said: “Darline turned out really good.” |
| It was a rare moment of genuine emotion at a presidential cattle call. Graham, an inveterate jokester, slightly undermined the moment by joking shortly afterwards: “I feel like I’m on Oprah.” | It was a rare moment of genuine emotion at a presidential cattle call. Graham, an inveterate jokester, slightly undermined the moment by joking shortly afterwards: “I feel like I’m on Oprah.” |
| However, Graham’s propensity for cracking jokes in every situation played to his advantage. While the previous speaker, former Texas governor Rick Perry, condemned Trump in strong language to mild applause, Graham’s attack got a much better reception. | However, Graham’s propensity for cracking jokes in every situation played to his advantage. While the previous speaker, former Texas governor Rick Perry, condemned Trump in strong language to mild applause, Graham’s attack got a much better reception. |
| Asked if Trump should withdraw from the race, Graham said: “I believe in democracy, don’t you?” | Asked if Trump should withdraw from the race, Graham said: “I believe in democracy, don’t you?” |
| He went on to express his belief that “the good people of Iowa, the good people of New Hampshire and the good people of South Carolina are going to figure this out. And here’s what I think they’re going to say: ‘Donald Trump, you’re fired!’” | He went on to express his belief that “the good people of Iowa, the good people of New Hampshire and the good people of South Carolina are going to figure this out. And here’s what I think they’re going to say: ‘Donald Trump, you’re fired!’” |
| The room laughed and gave Graham warm applause. | The room laughed and gave Graham warm applause. |
| The question is whether Iowa social conservatives will agree. Besides his remark about McCain, Trump fumbled on basic questions for evangelicals, saying he had never asked God for forgiveness and referring to a communion wafer as “a little cracker”. | The question is whether Iowa social conservatives will agree. Besides his remark about McCain, Trump fumbled on basic questions for evangelicals, saying he had never asked God for forgiveness and referring to a communion wafer as “a little cracker”. |
| But then again, Trump has said plenty of controversial things during his presidential run. Voters haven’t yet seemed to mind. | But then again, Trump has said plenty of controversial things during his presidential run. Voters haven’t yet seemed to mind. |