MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

GOP Debate on Fox News

• Posted by Beth on May 15th, 2007 filed in General, Politics    

Tags: GOP, debate, Republicans, 2008, primaries, elections, candidates, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, Tom Tancredo, Jim Gilmore

Well, after the live-heckle-blogging from the last hour, I’m not sure I’m game for live-blogging this. Maybe a random outburst here and there. Maybe just R@n P@ul* heckling. ;-)

One minute answers; 30 second rebuttals. At least it’s not the stupid format they had with MSNBC.

John McCain: He’ll be the “last man standing” on the issue of Iraq. See, that’s why I’ve warmed up to McCain so much lately. Resolve and toughness, regardless of the meme-of-the-day. HA, good–they’re asking Brownback why he opposed the surge, and why he thinks “looking for consensus” is the way to win a war. Excellent question, and that’s exactly what I’d have asked him. And he wants to split up Iraq into three states, which Iraqis do NOT want. Whatever. Rudy’s swinging at the Dhimmicrats, agreeing with McCain about the nature of the enemy. He knows, as does John McCain.

Tancredo is wrong on Iraq. Timetables. Idiotic. And speaking of idiots, the King of All Idiots, R@n P@ul. Chris Wallace: “Are you running for the wrong party?” HAHA–YES. Farking nutcase, with lunatic followers. Next!

Duncan Hunter lays out his credentials for “the job” of Commander in Chief; you can’t argue with those credentials, either.

Everyone else on Iraq: Tommy Thompson, Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Jim Gilmore–nothing you don’t know or haven’t heard already.

Eh, I’m not live-blogging this. I’ll just toss out random observations. Sorta-live-blogging. (OK, I guess I did live-blog it.)

McCain wisely hits on overspending again, and uses the “as a drunken sailor, I resent being compared to a member of Congress” line again. Huckabee is for the Fair Tax. (For the record, I’m not–I’m for the Flat Tax.†)
HA!!!! Congress spends like John Edwards at a beauty shop!!! HAAAAAAAA!!!! Mike Huckabee FTW!!!

R@n P@ul: same old utopian “shut down the gubmint” fantasy. Next? Gilmore: Talks about the other candidates, says his answer about taxes and spending will be on his website tomorrow. Sorry, the debate is tonight, dude. Tancredo: still has nervous (?) presence. Not ready for prime time. Everyone else: standard GOP “lower taxes, cut spending” talk, etc.

So far, after the first half hour: I’d say McCain is making the best impression, followed by Duncan Hunter and Giuliani. SO FAR. Huckabee hit a big home run with the John Edwards line, though, so he’s in there too.

More below the break.

Oh, great–tell Gilmore to go negative. This really annoys me; I lived in Virginia when Gilmore was governor, and he was a really good governor. I’m not liking him in this race at all. Goes after “Rudy McRomney” for being insufficiently conservative again.

Rudy: “I think Rudy McRomney would make a good ticket–in that order, John (McCain).” Nice save, Rudy. Giuliani says he was “the most conservative mayor of New York City in fifty years.” Sorry, that’s not sayin’ much. Say it about…I dunno, somewhere in Alabama, and it might mean something.

McCain turns the “are you conservative enough” question into who’s best prepared to deal with the most important issue–radical Islam. (Not “the war”–radical Islam. That matters.) Huckabee says he wishes he’d be put in that “Rudy McRomney” moniker, ’cause he might get a bump. HAHA. I love this guy. Romney makes the case that he’s pushed for conservative ideals in the “toughest” place to do it. True dat; to get anything within the conservative ideal done in Taxachusetts is noteworthy.

Ruh roh–here’s abortion and stem-cell research. Tommy Thompson is for embryonic stem cell research, but not for expanding it.

Giuliani is making his case for keeping abortion legal, despite his personal opposition to abortion. I’ll tell you, I do respect his not cynically changing his view just for the election. I disagree with him about it, but I can respect his position. Now Romney, who has changed his view over time. Says Roe v. Wade has cheapened the value of life, opening the door to human cloning and the like, and it’s made him believe that the courts have no place in it–it should be up to the people.

Immigration: Tancredo first, of course. You know his position. McCain: “I’ve never been for amnesty.” He is for the temporary worker program. First and foremost priority: enforcement; cited the Fort Dix Six as an example of people here on expired visas. Romney: Will tell illegals to “go home.” Opposes McCain’s plan, says it’s a “special pathway” to become a permanent resident. “McCain-Kennedy would do to immigration what McCain-Feingold did for campaign finance.” RED MEAT. Giuliani: Need a fence, need a tamper-proof ID card, need to keep track of immigrants in this country.

Nutcase R@n P@ul speaking as though we asked for 9/11. Asshole. Giuliani is pissed–”I don’t think I’ve ever heard that before, and I’ve heard some pretty absurd explanations for 9/11.” Challenges him to take back what he said, which he does not. Giuliani’s even more pissed (as, I’m sure, the others are). F–k you, R@n P@ul. Crazy bitch.

Dumb question alert! Confederate flag in South Carolina? WTF? McCain had said it should be up to the states, says he called it wrong at the time, but that it’s not still flying over the state capitol today, it’s not an issue today. (Is this really the best use of time in a debate? Is this something that’s even an issue today? No.) Moving right along…

Tancredo brings up R. P@ul’s saying 9/11 was our own fault again–good. I hope they all go after him again for it.

Brit Hume asks McCain how aggressively he would allow interrogation to occur at Guantanamo. McCain says it’s not about “them” (the terrorists), it’s about us–we only do ourselves harm when we allow torture, and it does no good. (What Presidential candidate is going to say torture is OK, anyway?)
Sorry, I missed Giuliani and Romney’s answers thanks to a nagging child and a cat that wanted to sit on the keyboard. ARGH.
“Enhanced interrogation techniques”–Romney (and some others) for them, McCain against.

HA! Score one for Tancredo! “We’re talking about nuclear attacks in the US, and worrying about waterboarding? I’m looking for Jack Bauer when that happens!” Thank you! (Still not getting my vote, though–sorry.)

Romney is asked if he’s ever changed his position? Huh? And he says, “Sure, lots of times.” Errr…OK. Probably shouldn’t have been so exuberant about that “yes.” Says he used to be for the abolition of the Department of Education, but after being Governor, he feels differently. Supports school testing (so do I), and says (as I do) that the “major civil rights issue” of our time is what’s happening in public schools, with underprivileged children not getting an adequate education. Amen to that.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Rudy Giuliani did much better this time around, came off stronger, stuck to his positions (in spite of what one may think of them). John McCain did very well again, and I’d say he again probably did the best, although Romney also performed well tonight, despite a lot of heat on him. Romney just seems too…rehearsed? Polished? Duncan Hunter would probably have made a stronger impression had he had more face time; his responses were all coherent, smart. Mike Huckabee again got too-little face time, but when he did get it, he was extremely likeable and positive. He’s not going to win the nomination, obviously, but his time could come in a few years.

Tom Tancredo had one great line, but was otherwise unmemorable except for his high-strung demeanor. Tommy Thompson may as well have not been there. Jim Gilmore only hurt himself, in my opinion; he’s too unknown to make first impressions as being a negative campaigner. For someone with his political experience, he seems to be surprisingly unaware of how he comes across to the public during this campaign. As for R@n P@ul? He’s a distraction, disruptive, and has no place on that stage running for the Republican nomination. He’s still in the September 10th mentality, and unlike any conservative, he blames America for 9/11. I’m now annoyed that he’s even included in these debates or on any GOP polls. Let him run for the Libertardian ticket (and lose, as he will under any ticket)–he needs to get out of the damn way, because he’s nothing more than a distraction, a curiosity, a crank.

UPDATE:
The Hotline On Call is saying much the same as I did in their overall scoring. Ace has the same reaction to R@n P@ul that I do.

STUPID: R@n P@ul is winning the text vote to Fox News about who won the debate. As usual, the crazies are out in force for their man. :eyeroll:

MORE POLLS: Hot Air (plus video highlights), LGF

UPDATE again: Michael Steele said on Fox News that he thinks Huckabee moved into the top tier of candidates. Maybe, maybe not, but it’s good to hear it. I can’t help but root for him. (OK, he’s not my first choice, but that’s only because he wouldn’t win in the 2008 general election.) Honestly, it’s too bad Steele isn’t running himself, although I guess after losing in Maryland, it’s not the right time (see also: George Allen–another one about whom I’m still smarting).

* Name munged so the R@n P@ul lunatics will stay away–I don’t need the traffic that badly. ;-) [go back]