Good news bad news…Good news is that the field is starting to narrow Huntsman, Bachmann, & Cain are out. Bad News is that the remaining candidates now have more time to answer the questions.
This additional time is a double edged sword for some of the candidates. Perry, Newt & Santorum all did better with the additional time. Mitt looked uncomfortable with having more time and Paul loves hearing himself speak so the more time the better in his mind. The FOX moderators were on point however, the one criticism I did have was that FOX decided to do away with the buzzer when the candidates time expired…big mistake allowing the candidates to moderate themselves when it came to time keeping. That aside this debate was light years ahead of the ABC/NBC debates in the form of content and substance.
So here we go…
Newt Gingrich
If all Presidents had to do was debate all the time then Newt is your man. Newt has the ability to give short answers of a Yes or a No, and follow that up with detail and context to make any answer he gives sound logical and reasonable. Newt drove home his thoughts regarding having children work at a young age as a way to empower themselves to succeed in the future. Conservatives love this as a statement of the power of the individual over his or her own fate. I feel most Americans agree and understand this. Liberals hate this stating that it harkens back to the days right out of a Dickens novel.
Newt’s best quotes of the night were “Only the elites despise earning money & I know among the politically correct you are not supposed to use facts that are uncomfortable.” If Newt keeps his temper in check he may still have a chance. However, these platitudes aside, Newt’s most likely out of time to close the gap between him and Romney.
Ron Paul
The best thing about the extended time for answers in last night’s debate was that Paul just looks like the rambling buffoon that he really is. He kept showing his true feeling in regards to his foreign policy. Paul believes that the fact that America has a presences across the globe is what is in his words are, “getting us into trouble & we are digging ourselves deeper into trouble” Paul believes that if we have absolutely NO presences anywhere outside America that America would never be attacked. And since we do have a presence around the world that it’s our own fault that people hate us. Paul was booed last night because of these moronic statements. The more he talks like this the better, the more people see Paul for who he really is the better.
Rick Perry
Perry once again had a good debate. Perry stuck to policy, drawing applause in his call for a part time congress and a balanced budget amendment. I will make note of Perry asking Mitt to submit his tax return to the public. Mitt was able to deflect this pretty easily but it did return to haunt him later. Perry has the smallest chance of gaining any momentum at this point, and he may be just practicing for the 2016 elections or the next time there is a Republican primary. His idea for a part time congress should be part of the national conversation. However,without a strong showing in SC Perry will most likely drop soon. If not soon it will be after Florida.
Mitt Romney
In my opinion this was Mitt’s worst debate yet. I’m not sure if it was the extended time for responses or he was just caught off guard by some of the questions. Mitt did something that he has not done with any of the previous debates. Mitt stumbled. There was a time during one Mitt’s replies that he had a look on his face like “oh crap I still have a full minute to answer and I don’t know what else to say”
Mitt was asked directly when will he release his tax return? Mitt stammered, stalled and did not give a clear answer on when he will do this. Perry was smiling because he has this one on Mitt, because Perry has been releasing his tax returns for the last 10 years. I really think Mitt is afraid to release this because he knows this will be used against him by all sides. Mitt has every right to be concerned because the America Obama is trying to create Mitt’s own success will be used against him. And shame on America for holding success against a person, Republicans and Democrats alike are guilty of this.
But it will be Obama the middle class warrior who will try to drive this home to win in 2012. People may not care about Bain Capital but they will care about how much tax he is paying or not paying. Damage control on Mitt’s tax returns alone may cost him more then he bargains for. Keep in mind that the media, Obama and the establishment want Mitt to win the nomination and that makes me very uncomfortable as a conservative.
Rick Santorum
Solid and consistent last night. Ron Paul did call out Santorum on his voting record and Santorum did have an interesting answer. He said that sometimes you have to vote one way to stop something else from happening. I understand that state issues and the votes needed to support state issues sometimes do not transfer when questioned at a national level. However, I have to question how Santorum would apply this thinking to when it comes to fighting say Harry Reid on the debt ceiling? Will he agree to something that goes against his conservative core just to get something passed?
If Santorum wants to progress in this primary he will need to confront his own voting record to quell any doubts of his conservative credentials.
Final thought
Certain states moved up their primaries to try to finish this off quick and close the door as soon as possible to lock in a nominee. Think to yourself who has benefited most by this? Who is pulling barely over 20% yet the media is calling this person the obvious republican nominee and the most electable? Keep in mind McCain was called the most electable republican back in 2008 and look where that got us.
More next time
America Prevails
A.B.O
Information Minister
Loyal Opposition
JohnGlat1984
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