For those of you interested in entire debates dedicated to narrow interest groups, the democrats will be pandering to an audience near you at some point. As important as it is to discuss reparations for slavery, global warming hysteria, trisexual bestiality rights, and how to destroy education by letting public schools exist, children are for the daytime. This was a prime time debate by, about, and for adults. The liberals were sent to bed, and the grownups spoke with each other.
Fox News asks tough questions, and unlike Bill Clinton, who wagged his finger and blamed Chris Wallace for having the nerve to question him about anything, these adults took some difficult questions. Wallace did cross the line more than once, as did Wendell Goler. No wonder the democrats are more scared of Fox News than Osama Bin Laden, which is what their own rhetoric indicates.
As for the debate, while it was solid overall, the first question about Fred Thompson was stupid. Rudy Giuliani remarked that his Law and Order character was based on Giuliani’s Mayoralty, and then Giuliani listed his accomplishments.
The rest of the debate was substantive, and serious.
On illegal immigration, Mitt Romney stated that as Governor, it was a Mayoral issue. This was not a brave answer. It also allowed Giuliani to state what he did right as a Mayor. John McCain offered nothing, and Mike Huckabee committed the Joe Biden error of plagiarism by stealing Newt Gingrich’s Fedex joke. The press is fawning over Huckabee, but let’ s see if he gets called on this. Tancredo went ballistic, because water is wet. Hunter promised to finish the fence. Giuliani mentioned technology and tamper proof IDs, although I often wonder how that would work. McCain praised immigrant soldiers and Romney promised to after employers that hire illegals. Giuliani won the round.
A family values discussion centered on Larry Craig. Brownback mumbled about family values being important. Hunter correctly pointed out that republicans evict their criminals, while democrats elect them to chairmanships. On abortion, Romney wanted the states to decide, while Huckabee gave a powerful answer about valuing all life from the unborn to Utah coal miners to people in long term care facilities. People who hate pro-lifers are scared of Brownback, but not Huckabee, who simply comes across as warmer. He vowed to pass a human life amendment without sounding threatening. On gun control, Giuliani wanted the states to decide, and that NYC was the safest large city because of him. Ron Paul, another water is wet candidate, bellowed. Brownback wanted a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Huckabee won the round, with Hunter also doing well.
Because this was not a debate among liberals, questions about leadership and Iraq were asked and answered seriously. McCain rattled off his credentials. Giuliani emphasized that he was running not on 9/11,but on his record of turning NYC around. Romney stated the surge was working, but McCain stated it more emphatically. Rupaul actually believed that we could leave Iraq without a bloodbath, and that we should not have gone into Afghanistan. Even some liberals supported going into Afghanistan. Rupaul is against war if it is an aggressive war. Perhaps he favors a sensitive war like the defeated 2004 democrat. Brownback announced the world was flat, because Kansas is flat. Huh? Huckabee praised McCain and stated that “you break it, you buy it.” Unfortunately, Huckabee did not praise our going in to begin with.
Then Huckabee and Rupaul got into a free for all that probably will give Huckabee major praise. Rupaul blamed the Neocons for getting us into war, and Huckabee pointed out we all went in together as Americans. Rupaul stated the war would cost republicans in 2008. This truly is the argument of democrats, that polls should guide decisions. Huckabee stated that it was not about losing an election, it was about losing honor. This has been a McCain theme for some time.
Hunter then stated victory was necessary, Tancredo mentioned Radical Islam, the one time when his forcefulness is quite sane. With regards to the endgame in Iraq, Romney was too quick to praise Tancredo. Tancredo was right, but keeping distance from Tancredo should be the order of top tier candidates. Romney redeemed himself by saying that he would wire mosques with judicial approval, and that the most important civil liberty is the right to stay alive. Tancredo favored torture, McCain stated that our enemies would then torture us, and Tancredo correctly pointed out that they already do. McCain recovered by stating that those with military experience are against it. I disagree with McCain on the issue, but his credibility is rock solid. On Guantanamo Bay, Giuliani pointed out that we can’t close Gitmo because nobody worldwide is stupid enough to take these people. Even liberals have not welcomed them into their backyards yet. Apparently Ted Kennedy does not want them at Martha’s Vineyard. Hunter said there has never been a murder at Gitmo, which is better than prisons in many liberal cities.
Huckabee won the round for b*tchslapping Rupaul, but McCain was winning by everyone else praising him, and offering his views better than he did himself at times.
An irrelevant question about Vice President Cheney was answered by Brownback incorrectly, and the debate then continued.
On taxes, McCain and Giuliani have not signed the pledge. McCain said his record speaks for itself, and that he will kill spending. Giuliani remarked that his only pledge is to uphold the constitution, before announcing his tax cutting history. Brownback protested that the pledge matters. Romney forcefully promised to kill the death tax, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, and eliminate the capital gains tax entirely on anyone with less than $200,000 invested. Now that is a brilliant policy proposal. Huckabee remarked that the IRS is scarier than muggers, and Rupaul wants to eliminate the government entirely, which I believe was tried in “Lord of the Flies.” Romney had a rough night, but he won the round hands down.
A tactless question beneath republican voters asked if Giuliani can be elected given his divorces. He pointed to his record.
The issue of Iran allowed Rupaul to truly go off the charts of Earth. We should back off, and talk to Iran, because they are cooperating. With who, Hezbollah? Ron Paul also said Iran is not a threat to Israel, and that Israel can take care of itself. Ron Paul can go…well…enough said. Tancredo pointed out that political correctness gets people killed. The hypothetical scenario was an issue, although Brownback said it was realistic. Huckabee added little, Hunter barely more. Giuliani correctly pointed out that Iran is not the Cold War. Giuliani did quote McCain, and then invoked Reagan by pointing out that Reagan did talk to Russia, but with thousands of nukes pointed at them simultaneously. It took forever to invoke Reagan, and Giuliani did it well. McCain then invoked Reagan by saying he got the hostages back. Romney sounded like a democrat when he talked about getting democrats, allies, and other Arab nations on board. It is idealistic and unrealistic to expect them to cooperate. They didn’t with Iraq. Giuliani won the round.
The republican focus group was a shocker. They felt most of the candidates were underwhelming, with one exception. They declared McCain the winner. McCain did do well, but they declared Giuliani the loser. The rationale was that he answered every question by going back to his record as Mayor of New York.
Of course he did that! That is what he is supposed to do! Did Frank Luntz pick actual republicans? This is why Northeastern republicans are considered barely republicans. A man justifies his being worthy of the Presidency by running on his record. Anyone can offer pie in the sky promises, but Giuliani should keep doing what he is doing.
Giuliani, McCain and Huckabee were the winners. Romney got hammered, often unfairly. Fred Thompson was not there, and I refuse to comment on players not in the game. The remaining gentlemen are what they are.
As for the three winners, What separates Giuliani and McCain from Huckabee is that Huckabee wins debating points, but his warmth and humor are not a substitute for gravitas. Giuliani and McCain are still the best chances of defeating whatever child the demagoguic party foists upon us.
In the same way nobody outside of Dix Hills Notch, New Hampshire, cares about who those 30 people vote for, the focus group of that debate does not represent republicans even remotely. The debate was an excellent discussion among some intelligent individuals about the few relevant issues that actually matter. Once the dwarves leave the stage and let Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Fred, and maybe even Huckabee, confront each other, it will be a debate that will reach the intellectual stratosphere in terms of significance.
eric
“Adult”???
I don’t know…
“…the grownups spoke with each other.”
Except of course for the man running second-to-third in the GOP primary polls. He was in Liberal La La Land with Jay leno…
“…Huckabee… plagiari(zed)… Newt Gingrich’s Fedex joke.”
I knew I heard that one before! It was some think tank speech I saw on C-Span! I actually wrote about it on my blog, though I didn’t refer to this particular joke.
“Guliani mentioned technology and tamper proof IDs, although I often wonder how that would work.’
I think Guiliani basically backs Bush’s dead “comprehensive immigration reform” with “tamper proof ID cards” to go to all immigrants, legal, or illegal but given “amnesty.” Personally, I’d rather they just fix SS info processing, but they don’t want to to do that, what with all that entitlement-free FICA money pouring in from the 2/3rds of illegals that pay payroll taxes. Are you sure you like that idea? (Doesn’t sound like you!)
“People who hate pro-lifers are scared of Brownback, but not Huckabee, who simply comes across as warmer. He vowed to pass a human life amendment without sounding threatening.”
Brownback is the moron who went after the music industry in ’97. You should check out the C-Span archive of the hearing. far from being scary, Brownback is a joke. Huckabee seems not just “warm,” but genuinely warm – as in a Good Person – and is record in Arkansas does play that out. Of all the GOP candidates, I prefer him. His tax ideas, however, are quite a flip from his gubenatorial record.
“Because this was not a debate among liberals, questions about leadership and Iraq were asked and answered seriously.”
God, I wish you’d stop that sort of silly, comic-bookish, commentary. Dems are not all that liberal, are no more or less “serious” than Republicans about anything.
“Rupaul is against war if it is an aggressive war. Perhaps he favors a sensitive war like the defeated 2004 democrat.”
I really don’t get the “Rupaul” joke? What? Is he a cross-dresser or something?
And I hope you understand what he meant by “aggressive war.” It had nothing to do with tactics or rules of engagement and everything to do “preemtion” as opposed to “reaction.” He meant that we were the aggressors in this Iraq war. It’s a fact as plain as Paul’s libertarianism.
“Brownback announced the world was flat, because Kansas is flat. Huh?”
It was a Tom Friedman reference. Surely you’re familiar with “The World is Flat”?
“Huckabee praised McCain and stated that “you break it, you buy it.” Unfortunately, Huckabee did not praise our going in to begin with.”
Huckabee is a minister. He doesn’t praise sin.
“On taxes, McCain and Guliani have not signed the pledge.”
They must remember what happened to George HW Bush! Really, though, good for them. Responsible people should never make promises like that. One never knows what the future holds.
“Romney forcefully promised to kill the death tax,…”
“Kill the death Tax!” Now that’s funny! You cons should use that one! Thank God there’s no such a thing as a “Death Tax,” though.
“Ron Paul also said Iran is not a threat to Israel, and that Israel can take care of itself.”
It can. They’re armed to the hilt, and they have finest per capita fighting force on Earth.
“The hypothetical scenario was an issue,…”
One of them should have said, “What kind of fool would announce to the world what I would do in such a scenario!”
Guiliani could focus on his record in NYC all he wants, but the fact is that crime was already dimishing in NYC before he took office (as it was and continued to be throughout the 90’s, only to rise again with the onset of the GOP in the WH and the Hill). Abortion, peace and freindlier government were probably the main reasons. True, Guiliani did clean up some of the worst parts of the city, and did concetrate on community policing and nuisance crime, but he wasn’t the inventor of those ideas nor the first to implement them.
Paul was his usual libertarian self.
McCain towed the a more traditional GOP line, as opposed to the loony “neo-con” failed ideas.
Romney looks and sounds like a rightwing Bill Clinton. Slick Mitty.
Brownbank is his usual self, pandering to overweight housewives in Jesusland.
Huckabee was his usual preacher in politicians clothes, comfortable with Godly positions, while a little squirmy on evils like the war and crazy rightwing tax schemes.
Tancredo was on his one issue, as usual, and you could just see his face turn three shades of purple when he was reminded of Huckabee’s belief that “some” anti-illegal-immgration folks are just flat-out racists, like Tom and his constituency.
It was the best of the GOP debates to date, yes, but “adult?” Nah. Same ol’ song ‘n dance. At least YouTube wasn’t involved.
JMJ
Didn’t see the debate. Fun getting your take. Laughed at the Rupaul moniker. Freudian slip?
“….tamper proof IDs.”
No such animal. Guiliani is naive.
First they have to be willing to apply for these ” tamper proof” I.D.s
With or without one they still ship 20 billion cash U.S. dollars out this country every year.
Thank God Ron Paul has no chance. Although he sounds more like a liberal than anything, did you folks see the look on his face when he was duking it out with Huckabee ?
He the last guy I want next to the button.
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I love the fact that you can’t even spell Giuliani properly! It’s so cute… and so anti-Italian!
Hey, I’m Italian and I do that too, so knock it off with the grammar police!
JMJ
Roeddwn i’n jocio.