GOP debate: Shift of forums alters the show

The fourth Republican presidential debate for 2016 brought another round of edgy crossfire from within the pack of candidates -- especially on immigration and foreign hostilities.

Overall, this two-hour Fox Business Network event gave candidates a more politically correct forum -- from the party's point of view -- than did the last debate on CNBC, in which the hopefuls found themselves fielding, and sometimes protesting, harder and more barbed questions about their personas and proposed solutions.

Along the way Tuesday night, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush seemed to elaborate more on his talking points.

Billionaire Donald Trump's personal bluster twice seemed to elicit more audible "boos" from the audience than before.

Physician Ben Carson treated certain questions about his past -- and whether he portrays them accurately -- more lightly than before.

And all eight candidates on stage pounded already established messages while adding some new material not heard before.

With the debate held on the eve of Veterans Day, most of the candidates made statements designed to show fealty to those who have been in the military. So for all the static, this show had more of a positive, if not feel-good, tone.

The first collision of opinions occurred between Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who tangled with the real estate mogul's position over how likely it is that millions of immigrants who arrived illegally will really be deported. "I don't have to hear from this man," snipped Trump, drawing audible hoots and hollers.

More extensive clashes took place over Russia, the Middle East and China. Of "global jihadists," Carson said, the goal has to be "not to contain them but destroy them before they destroy us." Trump suggested it would be advisable to let Vladimir Putin fight ISIS in Syria, while Bush said, "We should not be the world's policeman, but we sure as heck better be the world's leader."

Of a U.S. "no-fly" zone in Syria, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina said Russia cannot tell the United States where to operate. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul warned that the possibility of having to shoot down Russian aircraft would risk direct involvement by U.S. troops in a war. He said one cannot claim to be a "fiscal conservative" and support profligate military spending.

In a tangle over budget policy, Paul also knocked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's proposal for tax breaks for families. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz answered a question from the panel -- and drew fire from Kasich -- when he said he would not allow another bailout of giant banks even if inaction could threaten ordinary deposit holders.

All pushed different tax reform proposals, and no one on the stage voiced support for proposals to lift minimum wages to $15 an hour.

Bush, like the others, attacked the Dodd-Frank law enacted in the wake of the financial crisis. It became a symbol of regulatory overreach among the GOP candidates. Unlike at the last debate, Bush and Rubio did not chafe, at least on this point -- with Rubio also criticizing Dodd-Frank as having "codified" the concept of "too big to fail."

There was tough talk, too, on the matter of widely publicized Chinese cyber-attacks.

And of course, the one uniting theme: Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and, to a lesser extent, her socialist rival Bernie Sanders. When the network's Maria Bartiromo prefaced a question with a mention of Clinton's extensive resume, it caused a loud stir in the Milwaukee crowd.

Cruz called Democratic policies "disastrous." Most painted a current picture of the state of the nation as grim -- and whacked the opposing party's programs as promoting rather than closing income disparities.

Carson offered one of the lighter moments early in the debate. "First of all," he told one of the moderators, "thank you for not asking what I said in the 10th grade."

By Dan Janison

dan.janison@newsday.comDanJanison

Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.