The Internet Has A LOT Of Feelings About The Plane

Remember when CNN wanted to raise the shock value of the September 16 GOP presidential debate by making it all anyone could talk about? Well, they done did it, you guys — if not with ratings, then at least with surprise. And they did it all with a plane. Not with the The Donald or Carly Fiorina or Rand Paul, or because someone made an unsurprisingly sexist comment (though as of this writing, it's still early in the night, so who knows what kind of shock value they'll bring). The Air Force One plane (which is making its second appearance on an election stage) served as the backdrop for both the Mini and the Main Events. It's a homage to President Reagan's America, and a gentle reminder that the current GOP field has a long way to go before they're back in America's good graces — if they'll ever be.

Year after year, the GOP gets further and further from its most important message (you know, the one that explains why they're supposed to be the best fit for running the country). The party is leaning heavily on the shock value of its presidential hopefuls and their never-know-what-they'll-say-next comments. So CNN lodged the Air Force One that once served President Reagan in the background of the debate to remind the us all of what the presidency should be — in the Republican party's eyes, at least. The plane put out the metaphorical call for a clear and focused leader. But by and large, the Internet was the only one to answer. (Though OK, George Pataki's comments on how much he hates The Donald and how foolish Kim Davis is came adorably close.) I'm gonna go ahead and assume that it wasn't the callback GOPs were hoping for, but TBH, I think social media responded beautifully.

Here were some of the best, most hilarious, most WTF things the Internet had to say about the plane on the stage at the presidential debate. Because now, instead of listening to candidates state their cases for policy and plans for the future, we've been given the gift of watching them play-act with props all across a grand stage. Ah, America. Better to laugh at the absurdity of it all than cry, I guess?