Recycled Reaganism and chilling demagoguery

In his post-South Carolina primary speech, Marco Rubio might as well have been a priest worshiping at the altar of Saint Ronald Reagan.  Despite some references to conservatives fighting for those who are trying to get ahead but haven't quite made it yet, the core of the speech was recycled Reaganism, the same rhetoric that Republican candidates have been delivering since at least Goldwater: free enterprise, limited government, strong national defense.  Rubio wraps it in a "twenty-first century conservatism" wrapper, but it's the same old crap.

As for Trump's speech, it was pure demagoguery.  Both the speech and the reaction to it were frightening.  The "wall with Mexico" appears to have become an ideé fixe with him and a symbol of how far removed he is from anything that resembles reality.

Empty Reaganite slogans and chilling xenophobia. Thank goodness I didn't hear Cruz's speech.  I don't think I could have taken three performances like that.

Jeb Bush's withdrawal speech on the other hand -- and I say this as someone who loathes strongly disagrees with his ideology and his policies -- was actually kind of classy.