So, how about a 50,000-foot view of last night’s Republican debate? Of course, it wasn’t totally a Republican debate — because President Trump wasn’t there. More on that later.  

Of those who were there, I thought many of them had good moments, but, frankly, I don’t think they totally made the sale against President Biden. They spent too much time sniping at each other, but they didn’t rip apart Bidenomics.  

They didn’t talk enough about the problem of middle-class affordability, the high prices of basic necessities like groceries and gasoline, falling real wages, sky-high mortgage rates, Mr. Biden’s crazy climate change war against fossil fuels that has driven up hundreds of prices throughout the economy, telling people they can’t have appliances like gas stoves, hot water heaters, lightbulbs, dishwashers, microwaves, ceiling fans, and on and on. 

The candidates didn’t talk nearly enough about all the craziness, or the plain fact that Mr. Biden’s central planners — who are shoving modern socialism through the regulatory state down our throats, telling us how to live and behave — completely lack any semblance of common sense. 

Most disappointing to me, I didn’t hear a single MAGA or “Make America Great Again,” first said by President Reagan. Let me give you the quote again from the August 1988 Republican convention, when the Gipper said: “We left with a mutual pledge to conduct a national crusade to Make America Great Again.”   

Here’s a recent first-rate MAGA from Mr. Trump, a couple of weeks ago in South Carolina: “With your help, your love, and your vote, we will put America First, and we will — I promise you — make America great again. Thank you very much.” 

The Republicans on the debate stage last night were too busy sniping at each other. They didn’t really produce what I would call a big, positive, optimistic “we will be the stewards of economic growth and prosperity” message.  

There were some good moments, though. Vice President Pence did argue for tax cuts: “I mean, a lot of people don’t know that those Trump-Pence tax cuts that we got signed into law go away at the end of 2025 if we don’t have a Republican president and a Republican House and a Republican Senate. When I’m president of the United States, we’re actually going to cut taxes further. We’re going to extend those tax cuts.” 

Good for Mr. Pence.  

Vivek Ramaswamy made mincemeat of Mr. Biden’s climate change war against fossil fuels: “Unlock American energy, drill, frack, burn coal, embrace nuclear.” 

Senator Scott had a nice whack at Bidenomics with this: “What we also need to understand is that Joe Biden’s Bidenomics has led to the loss of $10,000 of spending power for the average family. When you see 16 percent inflation, your gas is up 40 percent. Your food is up 20 percent. Your electricity is up 20 percent.” 

I also liked Governor DeSantis on law and order and firing local prosecutors: “When we had two of these, the district attorneys in Florida elected with Soros funding who said they wouldn’t do their job, I removed them from their post.” 

Then, of course, there’s Mr. Trump, who is still the front runner. 

From Mr. Kudlow’s broadcast on Fox Business News.