The 10 Dumbest Moments From The GOP Debate

The fourth GOP debate is over, and to the delight of many Americans, there won't be another one for five more weeks. This was a somewhat more boring debate than the past forums, but don't worry: The candidates still said a plethora of idiotic things on stage tonight, which will keep us plenty entertained until the next forum. This was ostensibly an economic debate, and yet — as with the last "economic" debate — it veered wildly off course at times, with the candidates spending lots of time bashing illegal immigrants, Vladimir Putin, no-fly zones, and plenty of other issues that are not principally economic in nature. It's worth taking a look at some of the stupidest things said at the fourth Republican debate.

Many commentators noted that the first Democratic debate succeeded in painting the party itself in a favorable light, while the Republican debates more resembled an elementary school food fight. That trend continued tonight, with still-overcrowded Republican field thrashing around and slinging mud, pausing occasionally to attack Hillary Clinton, President Obama and each other. Occasionally, they hit the mark; often, they did not, and on a few occasions, they stumbled badly. Let's take a look at some of the times they stumbled.

On Priorities

"The most important job any of us will ever do is the job of being a president." — Marco Rubio

The context made it clear that he intended to say "parent," but still, that's a pretty awful Freudian slip.

On Russian Involvement In Syria

"The idea that it's a good idea for Putin to be in Syria... that's like a board game. That's like playing Monopoly, or something." — Jeb Bush

If we're likening international politics to board games, the proper comparison is clearly Risk, not Monopoly.

On The Minimum Wage

"People have to go out and they have to work really hard, and they have to get into that upper stratum." — Donald Trump

That's all well and good — but the question was about the minimum wage, an issue that explicitly concerns those who haven't made it into the upper stratum. Trump was basically saying that everybody should be in the top 1 percent, a clear mathematically impossibility.

On Jobs

"Welders make more money than philosophers. We need more welders and less philosophers." — Marco Rubio

Finally, Rubio is taking a stand on this hotly-debated issue.

On Immigration

"I will say for those of us who believe people ought to come to this country legally, and we should enforce the law, we're tired of being told it's anti-immigrant. It's offensive." — Ted Cruz

Considering he defended Trump's deplorable remarks about Mexican immigrants, Cruz probably shouldn't be bringing up offensive immigration-related comments.

On Global Economics

"We shouldn't have another financial crisis." — Jeb Bush

Well... yeah. That would be ideal.

On The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

"If you look at the way China and India and almost everybody takes advantage of the United States — China in particular, because they're so good. It's the number-one abuser of this country. And if you look at the way they take advantage, it's through currency manipulation. It's not even discussed in the almost 6,000-page agreement." — Donald Trump

As Rand Paul pointed out, China isn't a participant in the TPP, making Trump's entire argument, well, nonsensical.

On Business Qualifications

"I know more about innovation and entrepreneurship than anyone on this panel." — Carly Fiorina

It's been said before, and it will be said again: Fiorina's business record is terrible, and there's no reason to remind people of that.

On Taxes

"There are more words in the IRS code than there are in the Bible." — Ted Cruz

Irrelevant, to everything.

On Media Accuracy

"I have no problem with being vetted. What I do have a problem with is being lied about, and then putting that out there as truth. And I don't even mind that so much if they do it about — with everybody, like people on the other side." — Ben Carson

Is Carson really saying that he's okay with the media lying about everyone? That makes it a bit hard to take him seriously when he criticizes the press.