Vocabulary from the Ninth Republican Debate, February 13, 2016

The Ninth Republican Debate was held on February 13, 2016 in South Carolina. This debate contained a lot more personal attacks than previous debates have, and there were numerous accusations that one candidate was lying about another one, and much talking over one another. There were some policy discussions too, but the atmosphere of the debate can perhaps best be summed up by the moderator, John Dickerson, who at one point, exasperated by all the sniping and fighting said, like an exhausted parent, "Hold on gentleman, I'm going to turn this car around." Here are 20 vocabulary words from the raucous Ninth Republican Debate.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. viability
    the state of being capable of normal growth and development
    I think what we really need to do is start trimming the regulatory agencies rather than going after the people who are trying to increase the viability, economic viability of our society.
    -Dr. Ben Carson
  2. denigrate
    attack the good name and reputation of someone
    But, if you want to talk about weakness, you want to talk about weakness? It's weak to disparage women... It's weak to denigrate the disabled. And, it's really weak to call John McCain a loser because he was a... That is outrageous. The guys an American hero.
    - Governor Jeb Bush
    Governor Bush is referring here to Donald Trump's comments about Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly, which some took as disparaging to women, and Trump's impression at a rally of a reporter who had a degenerative disease, which some regarded as cruel.
  3. rescind
    cancel officially
    In addition to that, Marco [Rubio] went on Univision in Spanish and said he would not rescind President Obama's illegal executive amnesty on his first day in office.
    - Senator Ted Cruz
  4. asinine
    devoid of intelligence
    In terms of the rules of engagement, I was talking about... Obama has said, you know, we shouldn't bomb tankers... coming out of refineries because there may be people in there, or because the environment may be hurt.You know, that's just asinine thinking. And the fact of the matter is...You know, we -- obviously, you're not going to accomplish all of your goals without some collateral damage. You have to be able to assess what is acceptable and what is not.
    - Dr. Carson
  5. arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
    I feel like I have to get into my inner Chris Christie, and point out that the reason why I should be president is listening to two senators talk about arcane amendments to bills that didn't pass.
    - Gov. Bush
    Governor Bush made these remarks when an exchange between Senators Cruz and Rubio over an immigration reform bill had just ended.
  6. disparage
    express a negative opinion of
    I think the dysfunction in Washington is really dangerous, that's what I think. And we need a proven leader that has a record of solving problems, someone who doesn't cut and run; someone who could be a commander-in-chief to unite our country around common purposes; someone who doesn't disparage people.
    - Gov. Bush
  7. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    I would build consensus with Congress and Congress would agree with me. I'll give you an example because I don't like the idea of using executive orders like our president. It is a disaster what he's doing. I would build consensus, but consensus means you have to work hard. You have to cajole. You have to get them into the Oval Office and get them all together, and you have to make deals.
    - Donald Trump
  8. seminal
    influential and providing a basis for later development
    We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will reverse the Heller decision, one of Justice Scalia's seminal decisions that upheld the Second Amendment right to keep and to bear arms.
    -Senator Ted Cruz
    Here, Senator Cruz is using "seminal" metaphorically, to mean the key or most important aspect that can later be built upon and expanded.
  9. regulatory
    restricting according to rules or principles
    I think what we really need to do is start trimming the regulatory agencies rather than going after the people who are trying to increase the viability, economic viability of our society. Now, that doesn't mean there aren't some people out there who are doing bad things. But, I'm not sure that the way to solve that problem is by increasing all the regulatory burden.
    -Dr. Carson
  10. recrimination
    mutual accusations
    I really wish the president would think about not nominating somebody [ to fill Scalia's seat on the Supreme Court] If you were to nominate somebody, let's have him pick somebody that's going to have unanimous approval, and such wide spread approval across the country that this could happen without a lot of recrimination. I don't think that's going to happen, and I would like the President just to for once here put the country first.
    - Governor John Kasich
  11. partisan
    a fervent and even militant proponent of something
    Here's my concern about this. The country is so divided right now, and now we're going to see another partisan fight take place.
    - Gov. Kasich
    Governor Kasich was referring to the fight that would ensue if President Obama nominates someone to fill Justice Scalia's seat on the Supreme Court instead of waiting and letting the new president nominate someone. Supreme Court appointments are lifetime appointments, and because the nominee needs Congressional approval, the debates around the nominee are often long and bitter.
  12. retribution
    the act of taking revenge
    I saw the images of these little children -- been gassed and poisoned by their own leaders and we were angry. Something had to happen, and there was the sense that we needed to seek retribution.
    - Senator Marco Rubio
    Senator Rubio is discussing the 2014 request by President Obama to authorize military action against President Assad of Syria and the evidence that was presented in support of it.
  13. instill
    produce or try to produce a vivid impression of
    The American people were scared about the future. They were scared about what kind of country their children were going to live in and inherit. And yet somehow Ronald Reagan was able to instill in our nation and in our people a sense of optimism.
    - Sen. Rubio
  14. beholden
    under a moral obligation to someone
    You know, we have this manipulation by the political class and by the media telling us who we're supposed to pick and how we're supposed to live. We, the people, are the only people who will determine that. And if you elect me as your next president, I promise you that you will get somebody who is accountable to everybody and beholden to no one.
    -Dr. Carson
  15. burden
    a serious or difficult concern
    Now, where do you get economic growth? If you look at cause and effect over our nation's history, every time we lessen the burden of Washington on small business owners, on job creators, we see incredible economic growth. You do that through tax reform and regulatory reform.
    - Sen. Cruz
  16. forge
    create by hammering
    We need someone with a proven record to be able to forge consensus to solve problems.
    And right now, both Republicans and Democrats in Washington don't get it. People are struggling -- 63 percent of Americans can't make a $500 car payment. Most Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. And we need someone has a proven record of growing the economy, reforming the things that are broken.
    And I'm that person.
    -Gov. Bush
    Governor Bush is using "forge" metaphorically, to mean "create" in general. Because of it's association with hammers and anvils this use of "forge" is a very strong synonym for create or build.
  17. disgrace
    a state of dishonor
    the Iran deal is one of the worst deals I have ever seen negotiated in my entire life. It's a disgrace that this country negotiated that deal. But very important...Not only a disgrace, it's a disgrace and an embarrassment.
    - Donald Trump
  18. purist
    someone who insists on great precision and correctness
    Not only that, he [Senator Ted Cruz] proposed doubling the number of green cards. He proposed a 500 percent increase on guest workers. Now his position is different. Now he is a passionate opponent of all those things.
    So he either wasn't telling the truth then or he isn't telling the truth now, but to argue he is a purist on immigration is just not true.
    -Sen. Rubio
  19. embroil
    force into some kind of situation or course of action
    But, but, the fact is we got ourselves in the middle of a civil war [ in Iraq]. The Sunni, the Shia, and the Kurds, never gotten along. In fact... the borders of that country were drawn after World War I by Westerners that didn't understand what was happening there. The tragedy of it is that we're still embroiled. And, frankly, if there weren't weapons of mass destruction we should never have gone. I don't believe the United States should involve itself in civil wars.
    - Gov. Kasich
  20. implement
    apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design
    That's how you turn the country around, not just hoping and praying for it but implementing policies that work.
    - Sen. Cruz
Created on Sat Feb 13 23:33:51 EST 2016 (updated Sun Feb 14 00:49:32 EST 2016)

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