GOP Debate Recap
Diane Ellis ·
September 8, 2011 at 2:08am
Ed.'s Note: This post was originally a note directing Members to the debate Live Chat over on the Member Feed. But now that the debate's over and you've had some time to digest what you saw and heard, do share your reactions in the comments below.
P.S. If you enjoyed tonight's chat, come back for tomorrow night's live chat during which we'll discuss the President's jobs speech and, perhaps more importantly, the beginning of football season.
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Comments:
Aug '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
From the looks of it, Nixon should have shaved right before the debate and made some effort to mop his upper lip.
Edited on September 8, 2011 at 7:04pmDec '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
I am having to watch this on the MSNBC feed, as by local NBC channel is off the air.
My comment, so far is that Brian Williams is trying to be more centrist and neutral, than he is every day. John Harris is a prancing buffoon..
I am so tired of all of the attention that they feed over to Huntsman, whom I despise now more than I did before the debate.
I think Romney is doing very well, especially as everybody got re-focused by Gincrich.
Bachman is tedious.
Perry is very good.
Cain is very good.
Paul is old and confused.
Santorum is vigorous and unimpressive.
Gingrich has been great.
So far, Romney knocks this out of the park, but Perry also does very well.
In both cases, very practiced politicians that I would never allow near me, in a time of trouble.
That's OK, as I don't want a politician anywhere near me during a time of trouble.
They both seem fine, to me, as long as they are nowhere near me.
Dec '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
In my opinion, Romney is done, now.
He just pulled the class warfare card and asked people makig more than $ 200,000 a year to give more to government.
Done.
Sep '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Perry unholstered the gun on capital punishment question. Gloves are off its Perry v Romney for the bullets versus bullet points fight.
Jun '11
Re: GOP Debate Recap
I have to say that I just loved Newt's dressing down of the media...'you're not going to get me to get into a (battle between myself) and my fellow Republicans' . I realize Newt's campaign is going nowhere, as are the campaigns of Herman Cain and even John Huntsman... but I liked the performance of both of them tonight. I wasn't too impressed with Bachman or Paul. I thought Romney and Perry both did well. Santorum is a non-starter...though he gave thoughtful answers tonight.
Nov '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Newt Gingrich is a very, very smart man.
Rick Perry is a good man, but not, quite yet, presidential material.
Michele Bachmann does her homework. I'm impressed. Although I agree with Ann Coulter that the route to the Oval does not run through the House, I'd like to see her on the ticket.
Romney's people need to position him more often to talk about the things he knows best. His comments on Bernanke at the end of the debate were spot-on; the subject seemed to invoke some passion on the candidate's part. And geez- not for anything, but- Ann really looked fabulous.
Aug '11
Re: GOP Debate Recap
I want to like Rick Perry more than I do. I think he needs a bit more polish, even as I think polish is over-rated. He had good answers, but didn't necessarily deliver them well. I still want to see more from him on foreign policy.
Dec '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Newt for VP?
Sep '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Perry is ruthless. His most unwavering answers tonight dealt with executing death row prisoners and executing Bin Laden. That is one heavyweight puncher.
Jul '11
Re: GOP Debate Recap
No, no, no, no ....
He's a brilliant guy (sounds like he was "on" tonight ... didn't see the debate myself), but has proven himself to be way too much of a loose cannon. Gaffe-o-rama in the making if he's on the ticket. We don't need to be playing defense and clarifying things when we should have a disciplined campaign that's always on offense.
Edited on September 8, 2011 at 4:24amJun '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Brian Williams seemed confused by it, but most conservatives don't hold innocent life--the life of an innocent crime victim--so cheap that we just let homicidal monsters die of bed-rest and boredom. Some imprisoned murderers aren't done killing. They'd kill prison guards and fellow inmates too if they got the chance. If life in prison is the maximum, then any prison murder is just a freebie.
Dec '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Cobalt Blue
No, no, no, no ....
He's a brilliant guy (sounds like he was "on" tonight ... didn't see the debate myself), but has proven himself to be way too much of a loose cannon. Gaffe-o-rama in the making if he's on the ticket. We don't need to be playing defense and clarifying things when we should have a disciplined campaign that always on offense. · Sep 7 at 7:18pm
I knew that would get a rise out of someone...
Jul '11
Re: GOP Debate Recap
The King Prawn
Cobalt Blue
No, no, no, no ....
He's a brilliant guy (sounds like he was "on" tonight ... didn't see the debate myself), but has proven himself to be way too much of a loose cannon. Gaffe-o-rama in the making if he's on the ticket. We don't need to be playing defense and clarifying things when we should have a disciplined campaign that always on offense. · Sep 7 at 7:18pm
I knew that would get a rise out of someone... · Sep 7 at 7:22pm
... just trying to whack the hornet's nest, eh? And I fell for it... I thought that was a bit of a softball!
Aug '11
Re: GOP Debate Recap
These "debates" are a disgrace. The moderators get to determine which candidates will get the most airtime, so they're essentially choosing who is or is not a serious contender.
That being said, the moderators gave Rick Perry the most time, hoping he would say something stupid or outrageous. But he didn't, so he wins.
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Rick Perry won on the question of execution. He could have been pithier, though, by saying the people who have committed these crimes have declared war on humanity.
Mr. Cain won--in my mind--on social security and taxes--far beyond Perry's inability to explain his controversial "Ponzi scheme" statement. I like Cain for Commerce Secretary.
Santorum was actually good on foreign policy.
Perry stumbled on the 20-1 wealth gap issue. He should have said that the rate has gone up remarkably under Obama, which shows that redistributionist Democrat policies are actually worse for the poor.
I did not come away thinking we were looking at one of these folks being the next president, but the campaign is still early.
Oct '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Reminds one of the the classic commercial where the old lady asks...
Where is the Beef ?
Other than that, this is just similar to chasing butteflies with a net in hope of a prize.
Beef or more fancy fluttering wings to dazzle ?
Beef leads the menu choices, found any in the current offerings ?
Edited on September 8, 2011 at 4:39amJun '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
It seemed to me that Romney was deliberately non-combative with Perry despite the best efforts of the questioners to get them to spar. Romney took the time to try to position his record more accurately (from his point of view) but was awfully polite and almost deferential to Perry. I almost got the sense that he sees the handwriting on the wall and may be keeping the door open for a VP spot on a Perry ticket. Would a Perry-Romney ticket help expand possible support among independents beyond the conservative base? Does Romney want to go down in history as someone who ran unsuccessfully for President twice without getting on a ticket...or does he want the chance to at least be in the White House as VP and an influence?
Jul '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
I agree that Perry fumbled the Ponzi scheme question. The Social Security "trust fund" is always good for a populist rant on the depravity of Washington. I do it standing on my head (come to our next DC soirée and I'll show you).
Bachmann was grasping when she took the prompt to change their "10-1" question and filibustered on Reagan, but the game tonight was to stand out from the pack.
And, though it is hardly a substantive quibble, Romney's head was going in seven different directions at times. I thought for just an instant that Max Headroom had resurfaced.
Dec '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
I thought Romney was everything we wanted in a candidate, in 2008. It's a different time where being the anti-Obama is key. He is proposing to mostly be Obama-lite.
Jul '10
Re: GOP Debate Recap
Last debate Pawlenty came out swinging and the moderators tried to turn it into a brawl with their questions. Not good for the GOP and not reliably good for any particular candidate. It was pretty obvious the candidates were pointedly less cooperative with the opposition media managing the debate this time.
Stupid, confused news reader: "These people just applauded the death penalty...." Obviously, he thought he was in California or something.