Pardon My Interruption

There's something I don't understand.  Well, okay, there are a lot of things I don't understand, but this is specifically about the current GOP presidential race and something that I've pondered about for a long while, but was driven home loudly the other day.

It was while watching lowlights or the now-infamous Republican debate with Donald Trump's "Little Marco" and swaggering about the size of his male organ and repeatedly interrupting and yelling over his opponents, and on and on...

And although the thought has occurred to me for many months, it moved from "occurred" to a relentless pounding. What I couldn't figure out was this --

Before every debate, candidates go through debate preparation.  Some more intense than others, but all candidates do something, and it's all very professional and carefully planned.  So, why in the world has not one Republican candidate during a debate, from the time when there was a full stage to now, ever once had a debate prep coach prepare their candidate to be all set and ready the next time Donald Trump interrupted, wait for him to finish, and then turn directly and, as politely as possible, say the following:

"Mr. Trump.  We on stage here are all running for President of the United States.  It is a deeply serious position.  And no matter how anxious you are to respond when you hear something you don't like, the same as us all, I am sure that the American people expect you to treat the office with the respect it deserves, rather than continuing to interrupt before you have your turn, which you will have.  And if you don't have the discipline to contain yourself to do something that simple, that adult, perhaps you should get off the stage until you can."

I mentioned this to a friend last night, and he said, good point.  Though added he'd heard some candidates say something like that during a debate, about how Trump should quit interrupting.

No, I said, I don't mean "something like that."  I mean these exact words, or as close to them as possible.  Prepare a short retort exactly like this during debate prep that you had ready to say the next time Donald Trump interrupted like a 7-year-old.  These exact, prepared, pointed words.

Good point, my friend replied.  Though he noted that he had, in fact, heard a couple candidates say this exact sort of thing during some of their campaign speeches.

No, I said.  I don't mean during a campaign speech.  I mean, turn to Donald Trump, wait for him to finish, look him directly in the eye during a debate the moment it occurs and when there is the biggest possible audience watching, and say these exact words to him.

Good point, he answered.  And I'll bet we start to see that happen now.

No, I said.  I don't mean "now." Now is too late.  The race for the nomination is basically over.  Donald Trump is even cancelling his debate appearances now.  I mean for the last six months.  I mean for the last two months when it was clear that opponents were dropping by the wayside, and Donald Trump was getting worse and worse in his antics, and gaining support and winning delegates and taking the clear lead in the race.

Why on earth during all of that has not a single Republican candidate prepared anything to say and done that in the midst of a debate when Donald Trump has been insulting them and talking over them for the past six months???

If someone kept interrupting you in normal conversation, you'd tell them to knock it off, please let you finish.  But not when running for President of the United States?  Seriously?  If you're too afraid to tell someone to quit interrupting you when you're running for President of the United States, you shouldn't be running for President of the United States.

Is it because they're afraid that anyone who dares criticize Donald Trump will get slammed by him and lose support?  Well, again, if you're too afraid of that, you shouldn't try to be president.  Or at least just have a follow-up response prepared, it's not a hard concept.  But more to the point, what I'm suggesting here isn't blasting Donald Trump for his lack of policies or his thoughtless positions or or his proposing war crimes or his deceptive business practices.  It's just simply telling someone really politely to stop interrupting, he'll have his turn, when everyone watching can see clearly that he's interrupting.  When everyone watching understands that that's how they'd react if someone kept interrupting them.  And if Donald Trump had a meltdown over it, it would just confirm your point -- which you would repeat.  And keep repeating, over and over, each time.

And honestly, if you're getting pummeled in the race, what do you have to lose?  You're on the verge of dropping out anyway.

Again, this isn't "slamming Donald Trump," this is a rational, normal thing to say in any conversation.  Something pretty much everyone grasps.  And it can -- and should -- be said as graciously and politely as possible, to show that you're the adult in the room.  People get that, too.

But most importantly of all...it's not something you have to make up on the spot.  You get ready to say it during debate prep.  Everyone does debate prep.  Everyone knows that Donald Trump is going to interrupt.  Everyone knows that Donald Trump is going to be rude and obnoxious and childish and have nothing of substance to say.  They all know it.  And everyone prepares things to say.  Everyone prepares their standard lines.  That's the point of debate prep.  So, just prepare your short, polite comment to Donald Trump to stop interrupting like a petulant little boy needing a time out.

Yet for six months, not a single, cowardly, Republican candidate for President of the United States has had the courage or good sense...or Debate Preparation...to come up with two polite, prepared sentences tell the man who has been rudely interrupting them to just stop.

Until he's already run over them and it's too late.

I don't begin to understand.  I've heard all the explanations.  And not one make sense.  

"Mr. Trump.  We on stage here are all running for President of the United States.  It is a deeply serious position.  And no matter how anxious you are to respond when you hear something you don't like, the same as us all, I am sure that the American people expect you to treat the office with the respect it deserves, rather than continuing to interrupt before you have your turn, which you will have.  And if you don't have the discipline to contain yourself to do something that simple, that adult, perhaps you should get off the stage until you can."

Those words.  Exactly.  It's not difficult.