October 4, 2023

Higher Education and the Republican Debates

Through a word search of the full transcripts of both December 15 Republican debates, here (verbatim) are all mentions of the terms “college,” “education,” or “higher education.”

Also see “Higher Education and the (Dec. 19) Democratic Debate


Main Republican Debate

John Kasich (in opening remarks):  “And when we think about our country and the big issues that we face in this country; creating jobs, making sure people can keep their jobs, the need for rising wages, whether our children when they graduate from college can find a job, protecting the homeland, destroying ISIS, rebuilding defense. These are all the things that we need to focus on but we’ll never get there if we’re divided.”

No mention at all of either “education” or “higher education”


“Undercard” Republican Debate

George Pataki:  “I’m a great believer in the First Amendment, of Freedom of Speech. I wish we had more of it on our college campuses, but you can’t shout fire in a crowded theater. Calling on Americans to engage in violence against their fellow Americans in the name of jihad is crying fire in a crowded theater.”

Mike Huckabee (on using social media to identify potential terrorists):  Let’s use every tool, but let’s also check out the Facebook posts, let’s look at Twitter accounts.  My gosh, we were told we couldn’t do it because it might invade somebody’s privacy. This lady who came over here and shot up San Bernardino was posting things on Facebook, yet, we were restricted from looking. Every college kid who goes to a frat party gets drunk and puts his picture on Facebook is going to have a potential employer looking at that photo before he gets hired.  Why should we have more attention? I mean, for heaven’s sake, towards some college kid who wants to one day ten years from to get a job, then we’re going after who wants to come in with a semi automatic weapon or a pipe bomb and blow up a bunch of Americans. This is what I think a lot of Americans are frustrated with, it’s the duplicity of our policy that is illogical and irrational.

Mike Huckabee:  “We have to get our military rebuilt from the ground up. And all over America I hear young people say, would you tell me what you’re going to do? Would you give me free college? Will you make sure that I can have medical marijuana?  You know what we ought to tell young people? We aren’t going to give you anything. We’re give you the opportunity to get off your butt and go serve your country and secure your freedom. Because if you don’t, nobody else is.”

Mike Huckabee (on increasing military participation):  “Well, I would say that, if you want a college education, let’s go back and reinstate the full-blown G.I. bill. You give something to your country; your country gives something back to you.”

No mention at all of “higher education”

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