One of the great things about being a presidential candidate with no chance of winning the nomination is the freedom to say and do anything. Shouting one’s relevance from the top of the lungs does not make it so, but many people in society became famous celebrities just by announcing repeatedly that they were famous celebrities. Zsa Zsa Gabor, Arianna Huffington, and Melrose Larry Green fall into this category. Elizabeth Taylor and George Hamilton did at one point have acting careers, so they get a quasi-exemption.
This is fine for Hollywood, and tolerable for commentators (barely one rung above), but it is a nuisance for serious presidential candidates, which in the republican party consists of Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney. The remaining 7 republican dwarfs are a distraction. They have had their 15 minutes, and it is time for them to exit the stage. The problem is they won’t. They will have to be banned form future debates sometime in the near future.
One of them is a former Arkansas governor that is not corrupt, which in Arkansas seems to warrant a medal. Another one is a non-descript former Midwestern Governor. Some others are filling in where Alan Keyes and Bob Dornan left off.
Remember Morrie Taylor the tire executive? Look, he probably knows more about steel belted radials than I do, but politics? Come on.
So what is the problem with these fringe candidates? They take up valuable time. We are fighting a war on terror, and three adults cannot have a serious conversation with 7 children crying for attention.
The moderators did not help by asking some inane questions. Why were all the men on stage white males? Should they apologize for this? I do not remember any of them forcing Condi Rice not to run. I think she was too dignified to be put through a dog and pony show where even the most unequal of candidates are forced to be treated as equals.
The sheer stupidity of the event was highlighted by Ron Paul. No, he is not the rastafarian who sings “I’ve got the right temperature to turn you on.” That is Sean Paul. Apparently the text message surveys showed he won the debate,which only goes to show that for all their mill-vanillion flaws and incompetencies, liberals do know how to text message.
The Jayson Blair times will report Ron Paul won the text message poll, mainly to extend a bogus theory that a healthy percentage of republicans have turned against President Bush and the War in Iraq. They haven’t. The top three candidates support the War on Terror, and understand the complexities in Iraq. So do most republicans. A 90 minute debate between McCain, Romney and Giuliani could give each of them almost 30 minutes. It would be substantive.
As for the debate itself, Giuliani was the big winner. He slapped down Ron Paul hard, although this guy seems too self absorbed to gracefully bow off of the stage. McCain held his own, and Romney messed up badly when he announced he was against the assault weapons ban but supported the 2nd amendment. That was a straddle that I would expect from troop supporting cut and run democrats, not a non-Ron Paul republican.
The bottom tier candidates took some jabs, but the disagreements between the top tier was civil. Romney went after McCain hard at one point, but it was based on policy. It was not personal.
The losers continue to be the watchers of the debates like myself. While this debate had some real substance, especially from Giuliani, there is too much nonsense.
The 7 republican dwarfs have had their fun. They need to go back to whatever it is they actually do professionally. If Duncredo Gilthompabee wants to be a top tier candidate, he needs to debate even less serious candidates, such as Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich, and Joe Biden. Think about it. These guys can’t even reach the level of the Hilbamards monstrosity. Now that is insignificant. When one does not have enough substance to be top tier in a party that stands for nothing, the only solution is to go back into the forest and be that tree no one hears.
The democrats can do what they wish, because ntohing about them is consequential. Republicans, however, have a relevant message. It needs to be heard free of noise. The 7 dwarfs need to go back to their Snow White existence. The three adults have some serious business to discuss.
eric
I support Ron Paul – He’s is simply the only choice for a conservative/republican who is/was against the war in Iraq. And, believe it or not, there are some! Most intellectual conservatives were against this war before it started in 2003. Did you know that? Pat Buchanan, Tucker Carlson (a little silly, I know) Charley Reese said in 2002 “is a prescription for the decline and fall of the American empire. Overextension – urged on by a bunch of rabid intellectuals who wouldn’t know one end of a gun from another” Paul Craig Roberts, who was one of the highest-ranking Treasury Department officials under President Reagan and now a nationally-syndicated conservative columnist, wrote: “an invasion of Iraq is likely the most thoughtless action in modern history.” On and on and these quotes are from 2002! This war was Undeclared, un-provoked, liberal “nation building” I know it is hard, but we, as conservatives, have got to do some deep thinking about this issue and wake up!