GOP debates like 'clown shows,' unlike Democratic one

I would like to thank Joan Shirey for the laughs as I read her Oct. 20 letter to the editor, "Democrats' so-called debate a waste of time." I wonder what she would call the last two Republican debates, which can only be termed "clown shows."

The Democratic debate was substantive and focused on the issues. How can this be called a waste of time?

On the other hand, the Republican debates focused on the candidates participating as they unleashed one personal attack after another on each other. Donald Trump sucked all the air out of the room as he turned what was supposed to be a debate into a two-hour commercial for himself.

The writer brought up Benghazi in her letter, and of course blamed Hillary Clinton for the deaths of the four Americans who died there. I would like to remind her that during the Republican debate when Jeb Bush claimed that his brother, George W., had kept us safe, Trump was quick to remind him that the attack on 9/11 took place during his administration, an attack, by the way, in which not only four but over 3,000 Americans died.

The fact is that the Republican debates have been an embarrassment to the GOP; however, getting any Republican or conservative to admit this would be like trying to pull a tooth with a spoon.

Carol Gazell

Bradenton

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "GOP debates like 'clown shows,' unlike Democratic one ."