How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Over on the Member feed, Michael Tee wonders what debate some people were watching. He had sensed that Gingrich won and yet all the media seem to be saying otherwise. Well, I agree. Gingrich was not my personal favorite but the guy who hits multiple grand slam home runs is the winner. That's what Gingrich did. I don't even agree with him on judges, but there's no question that his attack on them was a moment. But note this front pager from the Sioux City Journal:
Look at each pull quote. Bachmann is quoted going hard after Gingrich. Romney's allowed to say he's always been a champion of traditional marriage. Perry gets to Tebow. And Gingrich? Well, that's just not in any way one of his best quotes of the night, unlike the previous three. And he had some unbelievably good lines.
Now, I'll tell you that I actually enjoyed Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman the most (I know, I know -- you all really don't like these guys). But the point is that I'm self-aware enough to know that I'm in a distinct minority on that. I wouldn't argue that either man won the debate even though they won it for me.
Likewise, I don't care if you despise Newt Gingrich, but all of this talk of how he did seems almost fantastical.
Mitt Romney had some good lines. If you say he won the debate, I wouldn't fight you. But I just wonder how accurately the debate is being filtered through various media.
And how do we avoid the spin if we want to make these decisions ourselves? We can't all watch 17 hours of debate each primary, right?
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Sep '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Newt even earned some sympathy (from me at least) when Bachmann went on that completely unhinged rant about his pro life credentials. I still can't figure out what she was trying to say. Somehow Newt isn't sufficiently opposed to partial birth abortion? She expects people to believe that?
Aug '11
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Out of everything Newt Gingrich said last night, that's the line they used for the pull-quote? "EPIC FAIL" as the kids say.
Jun '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Newt is often described as a historian. If they REALLY wanted to smear him, they'd tell people he writes those high school history textbooks, or in other words, he tortures children. That would end his campaign.
Oct '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
I gave up on the debate about half way through after suffering from Ron Paul fatigue and recognizing that I've heard what these folks have to say many times over in these debates. From the portion of the debate that I watched, they all looked pretty good other than Gingrich trying to defend himself on the Freddie Mac and Paul on foreign policy (of course) and his hypocrisy on his own pork earmarks for his district. Paul and Gingrich looked fine beyond those issues.
I expect that Romney, Gingrich, and Paul will have decent results from the Iowa caucuses and that Paul will drop off pretty quickly once the primary states start voting and we'll see whether it's Romney or Gingrich in the end.
Aug '11
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
By the way, Mollie, I assume the headline in the photo says "Closing Clash," but what an interesting way to crop the photo!
Jul '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
17 hours? That must be a typo. Surely it's been at least 170 hours by now.
I enjoyed Ron Paul quite a lot. But he is even scarier than Mitt and Newt. An 18th C. foreign policy is suicide in the 21st C. As long as he sucks up the aluminum foil portion of the small government crowd Newt Romney's administrative progressive express looks credible. When those votes are released, and consolidate in a small government conservative from Earth, they won't be going to Newt Romney.
Paul Ryan needs to get in the game, or at least endorse a credible small government conservative everyone but the usual suspects can rally behind to consolidate that bloc.
Edited on Dec 16, 2011 at 8:03amRe: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Actually, Newt has repeatedly tried to argue that human life doesn't begin when it does -- at conception -- but instead begins at a later point -- I think he was picking implantation or something. This has been a trend among pro-choicers -- redefining what is pretty basic science -- so that some abortifacients and medical procedures can be called "birth control" or the like.
His failure to acknowledge that he's tried this line of argument repeatedly in the past actually bothered me a great deal.
Aug '11
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
Actually, Newt has repeatedly tried to argue that human life doesn't begin when it does -- at conception -- but instead begins at a later point -- I think he was picking implantation or something. This has been a trend among pro-choicers -- redefining what is pretty basic science -- so that some abortifacients and medical procedures can be called "birth control" or the like.
His failure to acknowledge that he's tried this line of argument repeatedly in the past actually bothered me a great deal.
Well, you've only got so much time before the Plunker-alarm.
Sep '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
Actually, Newt has repeatedly tried to argue that human life doesn't begin when it does -- at conception -- but instead begins at a later point -- I think he was picking implantation or something. This has been a trend among pro-choicers -- redefining what is pretty basic science -- so that some abortifacients and medical procedures can be called "birth control" or the like.
His failure to acknowledge that he's tried this line of argument repeatedly in the past actually bothered me a great deal. · Dec 16 at 8:08am
Fair enough. I was talking about her hyperventilations on partial birth abortion. Citing some overheated George Will quote multiple times. It made her look like a lunatic.
And furthermore, Mrs. Bachmann, if you have to take time to state that "I'm a serious candidate", you definitely aren't.
Mar '11
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Mark Belling Fan
Fair enough. I was talking about her hyperventilations on partial birth abortion. Citing some overheated George Will quote multiple times. It made her look like a lunatic.
And furthermore, Mrs. Bachmann, if you have to take time to state that "I'm a serious candidate", you definitely aren't. · Dec 16 at 8:27am
Her argument that he was pro-partial birth abortion was downright dishonest. I was very disappointed in her. The guy voted against it twice.
Sep '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
I loved this clip from Gingrich on the Keystone Pipeline deal. Of all the candidates, he never comes across like he is reciting speaking points. It all looks extemporaneous and genuine. That leads me to the question: What's the fear about this guy?
If he was a total nutcase, wouldn't it have shown up in the debates by now? He's been speaking off the top of his head in pressure situations for how many debates, 153 or something like that? He isn't coming apart at the seams which is the complaint so many have had about him. If he's really the loose cannon and unelectable like the pundits love to tell us, there's been precious few real data points in these debates to support that hypothesis.
If he's the catch-all for the ABR votes, he's going to be pretty tough for Romney to beat because he's just not self-destructing the way the others have.
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Douglas
Mark Belling Fan
Fair enough. I was talking about her hyperventilations on partial birth abortion. Citing some overheated George Will quote multiple times. It made her look like a lunatic.
And furthermore, Mrs. Bachmann, if you have to take time to state that "I'm a serious candidate", you definitely aren't. · Dec 16 at 8:27am
Her argument that he was pro-partial birth abortion was downright dishonest. I was very disappointed in her. The guy voted against it twice. · Dec 16 at 8:42am
When Bachmann is good, she is very good. But she can be just awful -- as she was on the HPV vaccine business against Perry. She has an unbalanced demogagic side.
Jun '11
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Mollie, I believe that the spin is driven by Newt's poor start. He was shaky early on and that stuck in people's minds, especially if one tuned out early.
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
The Fox News panel thought that Gingrich did better than anyone else. He was excellent on national defense and the Keystone Pipeline.
It is possible that the press as a whole took its cues from the great pile-on by the pundits.
May '11
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
Actually, Newt has repeatedly tried to argue that human life doesn't begin when it does -- at conception -- but instead begins at a later point -- I think he was picking implantation or something. This has been a trend among pro-choicers -- redefining what is pretty basic science -- so that some abortifacients and medical procedures can be called "birth control" or the like.
His failure to acknowledge that he's tried this line of argument repeatedly in the past actually bothered me a great deal. · Dec 16 at 8:08am
Mollie,
Just to clarify, does your position mean that when my wife removes an ectopic she becomes an abortionist. Just wondering because she is as pro life as they come.
Sep '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Paul A. Rahe: The Fox News panel thought that Gingrich did better than anyone else. He was excellent on national defense and the Keystone Pipeline.
It is possible that the press as a whole took its cues from the great pile-on by the pundits. · Dec 16 at 10:17am
The media sense possible chum in the water like with Herman Cain. It looks like this is playing out the way I expected -- the media will go at him hard early, but if he withstands the attacks, I think he rebounds unless he runs out of cash or primary delegates too early, in which case Romney wins by walking the bases.
As for Michelle Bachmann, she can't seem to restrain her inner piranha as well, and seems to like pounding the table in which case any fact will do, whether real or conjectured. Not a pleasant thing to contemplate in a White House Commander in Chief.
Sep '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
emory king
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
.....
His failure to acknowledge that he's tried this line of argument repeatedly in the past actually bothered me a great deal. · Dec 16 at 8:08am
Mollie,
Just to clarify, does your position mean that when my wife removes an ectopic she becomes an abortionist. Just wondering because she is as pro life as they come. · Dec 16 at 10:21am
Folks, this one requires an extended Member or Contributor Post and discussion as there are too many twists and turns on this one issue alone to clog up the debate thread.
Mar '11
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Paul A. Rahe: The Fox News panel thought that Gingrich did better than anyone else. He was excellent on national defense and the Keystone Pipeline.
It is possible that the press as a whole took its cues from the great pile-on by the pundits. · Dec 16 at 10:17am
That's exactly what burns me about the NR editorial yesterday. I truly think that they knew it would be used not by conservatives as much as it would be noticed by moderates and the MSM. "See, even National Review says the guy is dangerous. Better to vote for Romney or re-elect Obama".
May '11
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
Pseudodionysius
emory king
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
.....
His failure to acknowledge that he's tried this line of argument repeatedly in the past actually bothered me a great deal. · Dec 16 at 8:08am
Mollie,
Just to clarify, does your position mean that when my wife removes an ectopic she becomes an abortionist. Just wondering because she is as pro life as they come. · Dec 16 at 10:21am
Folks, this one requires an extended Member or Contributor Post and discussion as there are too many twists and turns on this one issue alone to clog up the debate thread. · Dec 16 at 10:28am
You're right, sorry for the highjack.
Jun '10
Re: How The Debate Is Being Played By Iowa Media
emory king
Pseudodionysius
emory king
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
.....
His failure to acknowledge that he's tried this line of argument repeatedly in the past actually bothered me a great deal.
Mollie,
Just to clarify, does your position mean that when my wife removes an ectopic she becomes an abortionist. Just wondering because she is as pro life as they come. · Dec 16 at 10:21am
Folks, this one requires an extended Member or Contributor Post and discussion as there are too many twists and turns on this one issue alone to clog up the debate thread.
You're right, sorry for the highjack.
I think it's perfectly OK to take a thread that comes legitimately from the topic here. I want to hear Mollie's reply -- right here and now, if possible. She can help shed light on the issue as Newt sees it.