Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #1~ Reagan Library 05/03/07 - Official Discussion Thread

[CounterCounterCulture]

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #1 – Reagan Library 05/03/07 - Official Discussion Thread

• Sam Brownback
• Jim Gilmore
• Rudy Giuliani
• Mike Huckabee
• Duncan Hunter
• John McCain
• Mitt Romney
• Ron Paul
• Tom Tancredo
• Tommy Thompson

  The debate will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and will air live on MSNBC from 8:00 to 9:30 pm (ET) and stream live on MSNBC.com and politico.com and will include audience questions gathered on politico.com.

[romanesq]

Well uh, yes sir Mr. President. :)

[txradioguy]

Why? None of them are the Conservative that we so deperately need. None of those three can rightfully claim the mantle of Reagan Conservative anymore than the current President can. In facy...McLame, Rudi and RINO Ron are closer to W than they are Ronaldus Magnus.

And as much as people here on FR complain about what a Moderate the current President is...it just dumbfounds me why anyone would support more of the same...if all we do is bitch and moan about how bad that kind of leadership is bad for the country.

[romanesq]

That is in fact the goal of the pro-life movement. To take it to the grassroots and let the moral force of each community appeal to their neighbors.

Although I find Romney’s overall position on abortion in Mass. too cute for my taste, I respect the larger position in this regard.

He is a smart guy and is positioning himself square in line with the result of the Supreme Court throwing Roe vs. Wade into the garbage and back to the states.

[showme_the_Glory]

Rudy is ‘out of his league’ tonight—only better than Paul and Tancredo Actually, I think Tancredo whooped him.

I definitely agree. Tancredo was waaay better than Rudy. I like Ron Pauls passion but he should not ever be considered for anything but dog catcher.

[Netizen]

He is a smart guy and is positioning himself square in line with the result of the Supreme Court throwing Roe vs. Wade into the garbage and back to the states.

That may be, but as someone else pointed out earlier, replace the word abortion with slavery. Some things just shouldn't be, even at the state level.

Abortion isn't the only issue out there, but its right at the top of the list. If it's a hot potato to toss to someone else, then don't apply for the hot seat.

[beachn4fun]

What did you say? LOL

[Guenevere]

I visited the RR library in 2001...

Is this a new room they were using last night?...Air Force 1 wasn't there when I visited....

[George W. Bush]

Hunter drops slightly because of this, as a lot of his confidence seemed to come from the fact that he largely stuck to his talking points, even if they only had a loose relationship with the question asked.

Hunter did well. Not well enough to move to the first tier. I think Tancredo will lose support, especially financial. The closed-border crowd had better pick one candidate, the same that the conservative base needs to settle on one candidate to stop the leftwing mayor.

Tommy Thompson gets a bump up. I think I mistook his quiet thoughtfulness for lack of confidence the first time around, as he seemed to genuinely want to answer every question directly, honestly, and completely.

No charisma. He'll prove, yet again, that resume isn't everything.

Overall, my list of winners and losers stays roughly the same. Romney was the biggest winner, followed by Hunter and, to a lesser extent, Paul. ... The biggest winners, though? Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich, because, aside from Romney, no one was particularly impressive.

I still agree. I'd add that Thompson and Gingrich might be more tempted to enter but also that Ron Paul's performance and the stronger-than-expected response he'll get in the polls will tempt Hagel to enter as well. Ron Paul as the last constitutional conservative, Hagel as the last living Eisenhower Republican.

[romanesq]

As I noted, his answers are a bit too cute for my taste. But I can not argue with the logic of the overall position whatsoever.

The idea that the nation will rally to the life position based on an analogy to slavery is a non-starter.

It will be some time in the future when historians are able to muster that matter of fact idea and apply it to the past, much like slavery.

But today, no, no one is expecting that analogy to change any tide.

[Netizen]

He’ll never get my vote with his stance.

[Bigg Red]

Matthews is back to McCain.

Did Hunter get a question?

&&&
I did not go back to check the transcript, and I was only able to watch about half of the debate, but it looked as if Chrissy’s method was to jump around and aim for the weakest player. Even the camera work reflected this. How many times was the camera aimed at someone else when a candidate was answering? This so-called debate should have been called Chrissy Matthews’ “Dodgeball”. Oh how I despise that piece of clinton!

[Bigg Red]

I’m stuck on a modem and just can’t keep up, lol.

***
I empathize. I was there until about a month ago.

Welcome to FR!

[tillacum]

Texas_Jarhead, I’d forgotten that part, being voluntary. One thing about the government, it’s always in flux, depending on the party in charge.

[AFPhys]

Thanks for your thoughtful analysis.

[Bigg Red]

McCain-I will follow him to the gates of Hell.

**
Don’t trust McCain, but I loved that answer.

[AFPhys]

I believe your comparison of Rudy & Romney is exactly right.

This is way, way too far away from the elections for anybody to get hyper about the Rudy candidacy.

[Bigg Red]

‘Cause Chrissy’s playing Dodgeball, aiming for what he hopes is a weak answer. He’s ignoring the stronger players.

[Bigg Red]

I’ll see your ‘move heaven and earth’ and ‘raise you to the gates of hell’.

&&
Too clever!

[AFPhys]

Being realistic, not idealistic:

How many votes in Congress would have to be reversed in order to get a “Human Life Amendment” passed. Recall the requirement is a 2/3s vote of BOTH House and Senate. THEN, that Amendment would require 3/4 of the states to agree before it took its place in our Constitution.

Romney’s position on this is the only way the President matters - judges on the USSC to throw the issue back to the states. ... He doesn’t even have to sign on to any Amendment - only Congress matters in this.

A president backing Justices who believe that the Constitution is NOT a living document, but must be amended in order to be changed, is the proper approach to this issue, and I don’t see that Romney’s position on this issue is at all incorrect, improper, or in any way disqualifies him from being considered a down-the-line conservative on this issue.

[The Pack Knight]

No charisma. [Tommy Thompson will] prove, yet again, that resume isn't everything.

Of course. I was just correcting my initial impression that he wasn't prepared. I appreciated his straightforwardness, but no, he doesn't have the charisma or presence to win the nomination, much less the election.