In undercard debate, candidates hammer Obama but differ on how to fight ISIS

Staff and wire reports

Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 | 5:43 p.m.

Candidates who were relegated to the preliminary round of today's Republican presidential candidate debate in Las Vegas were critical of President Obama's handling of ISIS but were divided on how they'd fight the terrorist organization.

Sen. Lindsey Graham called for sending ground troops into the Middle East, a position that former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum disagreed with, although he said that he wanted to “take back the land in Iraq” using the military forces of Sunni Muslim in Iraq and Kurds. Santorum added that he feared playing into ISIS’s apocalyptic theology by committing the American military.

“You’re not going to win that way, Rick,” Graham said. “If you don’t understand that, you’re not ready to be commander-in-chief.”

Graham added: "The key to fighting this war is to fight it in their backyard, not ours."

Former New York Gov. George Pataki said he would require Silicon Valley companies to provide an entryway into their systems for law enforcement to use when investigating terrorists. He criticized the Obama administration for being “too politically correct” in not examining social media.

Also pushing for more military intervention in the Middle East, former Arkansas Gov. Huckabee said the only way to defeat ISIS was to “kill some terrorists and kill everyone one of them we can” to discourage people from joining.

Huckabee declined to put a number on how many troops should be sent overseas. He also declined to say whether the U.S. could defeat ISIS in 10 days, but he said he wanted ISIS to think that.

Huckabee, talking about young people, says they expect that things to be given to them, like health care and medical marijuana. “Get off your butt and go serve your country,” Huckabee said.

Santorum and Graham sparred throughout the debate on how to defeat ISIS. “The enemy is a theocracy and war is their doctrine,” said Santorum, who said he opposed the use of American ground troops.

“We have to offer a hopeful life instead of a glorious death,” Graham said. “Most people don’t want to live in the 11th century.” The South Carolina senator has argued for 20,000 American military forces to be deployed in Iraq and Syria.

The four challenges in the undercard debate, held at the Venetian before tonight’s main event, lag in the polls. Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2008, has struggled to motivate the conservative Christian voters he relied on during his previous run for president, as has Santorum.

Graham made headlines recently after throwing away his prepared remarks to attack Donald Trump at a meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition. “ISIL loves Donald Trump,” said Graham, who argued that the frontrunners attacks on Muslims would allow the terrorist group to recruit members more easily. Pataki, a moderate, has faced similar troubles to those of Jeb Bush in connecting with voters more inclined to back conservative candidates in the primary.

During the debate, only Graham appeared to focus on contenders who would be taking the main stage later. He criticized both Cruz and Trump by name. "Mr. Trump, you don't need to talk about everything," said Graham. The other undercard candidates mostly confined their disagreements with each other.

Discussing whether to open combat roles in the military to women, Pataki and Santorum diverged. Where Pataki praised the new policy, saying that it showed that the country has “made enormous progress,” Santorum said that troops would be killed as a result of it.

Pataki sharply disagreed with Santorum. "This is America," he said, drawing scattered applause.

Graham's take: “As to women, if you want to kill terrorists, I’m your guy.”

Huckabee held firm on his concerns about the National Security Agency's data collection program, saying the government instead should focus on social media profiles. He also said sending people to mosques to check for “anything nefarious” was necessary and would not violate the First Amendment.

"If Islam is as wonderful and peaceful as they say, shouldn't they be begging us to listen?" Huckabee said.

Staking out a different position, Graham thanked thousands of Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces and said Islam as a whole was not the enemy.

He apologized to allied Muslim leaders in Jordan, Egypt and elsewhere for Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. "I am sorry. He does not represent us," Graham says.

Foreign policy issues were a focal point of the debate from the outset.

Santorum said that the threat of Islamic terrorism constituted a third world war, and blamed President Obama for allowing the conditions that allow it to thrive. “His policies in the Middle East created ISIS,” said Santorum.

Graham played up his foreign policy experience. In his opening remarks, Graham spoke about a recent trip to Iraq — the 36th he has taken to that country or Afghanistan — in which an American soldier told him, “Sir, I will do my best to stay safe, but I came here to win.”

Pataki, citing the threat on Los Angeles public schools, talked about the need for bolstering national security and combating ISIS abroad in his opening remarks. He said Republicans needed to nominate a leader who will unify them both as a party and a nation.

Huckabee, in his opening remarks, criticized the government’s security policies and said that the American people had lost confidence in their government following the recent attacks in San Bernardino. “They’re just plain scared," he said.

In the hours before the debate, bomb-sniffing dogs inspected cars entering the Venetian parking garage and all was quiet in the hallways leading to the theater where the candidates will spar.

Outside, it was a different story.

Newscasters, police officers, protesters, costumed characters and tourists converged near Roman-inspired statues and fountains along Las Vegas Boulevard.

“It looks like a zoo,” said Tammy Sciarillo, a tourist visiting from Dallas. “It doesn’t even look like a presidential debate. It’s actually a little disappointing.”

CNN is hosting two debates at the Venetian, with the focus expected to be on terrorism and foreign policy.

Businessman Donald Trump continues to lead in the polls, while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is gaining in critical early voting states including Iowa.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush make up the rest of the top tier of candidates. Contenders such as Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and businesswoman Carly Fiorina are looking to shine in what could be one of their last big chances to appeal to voters before primary ballots are cast.

Outside the Venetian today, protesters gathered on the sidewalk.

“No justice! No peace!” they yelled.

“Black lives matter!”

“Up with love, down with hate, then we’ll have a real debate!”

The protesters took swipes at the GOP candidates, whose likenesses appeared on giant puppets towering over the group. They called for a “no hate debate” — a prominent social media hashtag today — that would address issues such as immigrant rights, social justice, gun violence prevention and fair wages.

“If I had my way, Bernie Sanders would be elected, and the Republicans would not be in control of the House and Senate,” Las Vegas resident Vern Quever said.

Nearby, a trio of women representing the Make It Work campaign advocated for “pocketbook issues” — affordable child care, family leave and equal pay for women.

“The goal is to make sure the candidates are actually talking about the issues,” said Tracy Sturdivant, co-founder of Make It Work.

Not everyone was there to rally, though.

A steady stream of tourists used their smart phones to document what had become part of their Vegas vacation.

A man dressed as Elvis, complete with a white sequin suit, clutched a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer on the edge of the protest. He listened for a few moments, then sped off in his motorized wheelchair.

“All right, shut up,” he said as he scooted away.