An impassioned Lindsey Graham implored voters to give him the chance to reverse the policies of President Barack Obama during Wednesday's undercard GOP presidential debate.
Asked about foreign policy, the senator from South Carolina said the United States is "being walked all over because our commander-in-chief is weak in the eyes of our enemies."
"Do you think Putin would be in the Ukraine today if Ronald Reagan were president? Why are the Chinese stealing our intellectual property, hacking into our system? Why are they building islands over resource-rich waters?" he asked. "Because they can get away with it."
"The last person" who needs to replace Obama is his former secretary of state, the current Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, he said.
"So to the Chinese, when it comes to dealing with me you have a clenched fist or an open hand. You pick. The party's over to all the dictators," Graham said. "Make me commander-in-chief and this crap stops."
During a later question, Graham reeled off a list of problems that needed to be solved, including immigration, Obamacare, and climate change.
"At the end of the day, folks, I am trying to solve a problem and win an election," he said. "I am tired of losing. Good God, look who we're running against. The No. 1 candidate on the other side thought she was flat broke after her and her husband were in the White House for eight years. The No. 2 guy went to the Soviet Union on his honeymoon and I don't think he ever came back. If we don't beat these people, who the hell are we going to beat?"
Clinton drew fire after saying she and former President Bill Clinton came out of the White House "flat broke," even though they were able to buy a house in an upscale Chappaqua, New York neighborhood, and Bill Clinton commanded high speaking fees.
As for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist, he spent his honeymoon with his current wife just outside Moscow in 1988.
Graham also used his trademark self-deprecating humor to draw the biggest crowd response, saying he had looked at the host University of Colorado-Boulder's academic standards, and wouldn't have made it onto campus if he hadn't been invited to the debate.
Asked about climate change, he quipped, "I'm not a scientist, and I've got the grades to prove it."
The undercard debate featured four presidential candidates lagging in the polls: Graham, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former New York Gov. George Pataki and former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.
All four have been stuck in the so-called happy hour debate for all the previous debates with no sign of an uptick on their polling.
The candidates in the earlier debate attacked both Democrats and Washington. "We need an outsider," said Pataki, who served as a mayor, assemblyman, state senator and New York governor.
One or more of those on the main stage tonight may not make the prime-time show at the next gathering on Nov. 10 in Milwaukee. For that session, candidates will have to earn 2.5 percent or higher support in the four newest national polls prior to the debate.
Material from Bloomberg was used in this report.
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