Quotes compilation: GOP Debates as Pro-Wrestling matches

VIDEO: Trump Turns GOP into Pro Wrestling  

MICHAEL SMERCONISH: (0m 18s) What went on in Houston Thursday night gave me a flashback. Early 1970s, Saturday mornings, our Family rec room. My brother and me on bean bag chairs watching Pro-Wrestling... Good guys VS Bad guys, mudslinging and foreign objects. Well, guess who learned on those mats too, Yes the classy Trumpinator. And so it was in Houston, Rubio and Cruz tagteamed the villainous Trump but their victory was short-lived as the Trumpinator pulled someone else into the ring thankfully not wearing tights. Former arch-rival Chris Christie was suddenly his sidekick but can anything stop Trump's ascent before this episode of Wrestlemania wraps up on Tuesday?

Kurtz: Trump controls the media (and bumps me!)
HOWARD KURTZ: (1m 52s) The debate was fascinating because even though Rubio finally did what the press wanted him to do and attack Trump. They went toe to toe and Cruz did some attacking as well. There was so much yelling and so much crosstalk and these guys talking over each other. It was one eccentric moment after the other, Wolf Blitzer had utterly lost control of the debate at several points. I think that blunted the whole thing. I think many of these attacks cancelled each other out because it was such a professional Wrestling match.

Carson: Moderators didn't want to gain control of GOP debate
ERIC BOLLING: We just got out of a raucous debate sir. What are your thoughts? How did you do tonight?
BEN CARSON: Well I did fine with the few questions I was asked and the few opportunities I had to weigh in. But it was clearly a debate that was aimed at World Wrestling Federation. There was no interest in hearing about the actual issues and what the solutions are
BOLLING: Boy there was a lot of fighting. The middle three especially Trump/Rubio/Cruz going back and forth. Did the debate moderators lose control of that a bit?
CARSON: I don't think they wanted to gain control because I think they were enjoying the fight. They probably figure it was increasing their ratings
BOLLING: Let me call you on that sir. At one point, I think it was you that said "Could someone please fight with me?"
CARSON: It seemed that was the only way you were going to get airtime if somebody attacked you. It's pretty sad that we've gotten to this point in our Country. Where we're talking about a Presidential debate. Where we're talking about electing a President and we're not talking about people's real policies. What do they believe? Why do they believe that? Don't the people deserve to know that?

Rubio changes tactics, tries to 'out-Trump' Trump
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN: (2m 04s) Everybody in Stevens Point is watching and thinking "We're all nuts here". They watched that punching back and forth. I wonder if they're thinking this is great democracy working or this is just a bunch of nutty people yelling insults at each other going way off the rails.
CONGRESSMAN SEAN DUFFY: I think this is where the debate is today and if you wanna win and you're going to wrestle with a pig you're going to get dirty. Marco Rubio got dirty last night wrestling with Trump but he came out the winner and ate his lunch...

Deep rifts on display in 9th Republican debate
JOE SCARBOROUGH: I tell you what that was a horrible debate, I know it was like the most watched. Not only what was going on on-stage, I'm sorry the crowd was offensive.
WILLIE GEIST: I loved it
(panel laughs)
SCARBOROUGH: Of course you would. But it was so offensive you would have candidates halfway through their answers and they would start booing. It was like a Gladiator match...
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON: It made me feel like I was a watching a Professional Wrestling match. These are important conflicts between these candidates that we need to tease out... it's not that these candidates don't need to be engaged in hand-to-hand combat on stage but something about the audience did give it more of a feel of watching a Professional Wrestling match.

Rubio attacks on Trump too little, too late?
LELAND VITTERT: (1m 10s) Rubio continues to pound on Trump, "Conman, Con-artist and everything else. Hair Force One". Too little, too late by Marco or does he have Trump rattled?
PETE SNYDER: I was half expecting John Cena to pop out of the back screen, classic WWE style. I think this has gotten a little out of hand Leland and I think it is a little too little, too late. We had months and months to see who could be the alpha and who could stand up to Trump and noone did. I can understand the strategy of Marco trying to make it a two-person race but this thing is all but over on the Republican side.

- Politics is wrestling, Quote roundup (2010)