Posted on 09/22/2011 8:12:40 PM PDT by dangus
Newt Gingrich won again. I'm actually starting to get excited for him. In fact, if Sarah Palin doesn't run, I'm going to have to consider him, in spite of his personal life. He came off as the smartest, most capable guy in the room, but also, again, the most feisty and courageous.
Michelle Bachmann continues to fade into the background, despite explaining her Gardasil comments. Much better than the last two debates.
Herman Cain gave a great performance, a huge improvement over a couple debates ago when he was a non-factor. I think his 9-9-9 is idiotic, since a sales tax is BOTH regressive and crushes spending, which might have been a plus in 2005, but is a killer to hopes of an economic recovery. But his *performance* was strong.
Rick Perry was absolutely terrible. He was so stiff, he looked as stiff as Charles Krauthammer and as propped up as Mike Dukakis, and so incapable of annunicating his attacks on Romney that they fell apart with a simple denial by Romney. His answers about illegal immigration were complete crap, forcing him to run away from Rick Santorum's painfully simple question.
Romney in contrast played a game of "I'll deny this, but I'll admit this," openly acknowledging that there's stuff in his past that people will have problems with, but denying each of Perry's specifics. To me, his admissions in general to unpopular stances, but denials of specific accusations by Perry actually made his specific denials credible, and Perry seem weak.
Santorum was excellent, second only to Gingrich in his sharpness and boldness. Too bad he's unelectable, but he actually started to seem vice presidential to me.
How can Ron Paul top siding with Ahmadinejab? How about making the US into the Soviet Union and the Mexican border with the Iron Curtain? Despicable. Loathesome. Insane.
Gary Johnson came off as the credible libertarian candidate. An awkward delivery style, but he avoided the bizarre statements and embarrassing positions of Ron Paul.
Jon Hunstman quit attacking Republicans and actually started to sound like one. Not a bad talker, but too much like Romney. Not at all because they're both Mormons.
The big winner: Newt Gingrich, with Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and Rick Santorum being strong. Johnson takes the libertarian title.
The big loser: Rick Perry actually manages to top Ron Paul in offending the most people, by calling opposing giving special $100,000 tuition breaks to illegal aliens, "heartless."
Still waiting for Sarah.
Can’t argue with your assessment. Perry is boxed in by the tuition problem. The majority of R primary voters are opposed to this, but the Texas legislature overwhelmingly voted for it so it was not prudent at the time to veto it as he had to run for governor and needed Hispanic votes. Just as Romney felt he had to support State sponsored health insurance as the governor of the most liberal of liberal states.
Santorum is forceful and knowledgable on many fronts and Newt would be formidable if not for his moral and personal failings.
Romney is the most “presidential” in style and appearance and will likely be the one standing at the end. Romney/Santorum .... I could live with that!
Can any of them actually beat Obama? Ron Paul is Wally Cox/Kuchinch lite. Gingrich would be a great candidate but he is damaged goods. Name recognition hurts most of the others. Romney is too liberal...period. Perry’s hair is smashing his brain and he is toast. We had better get it right or Obama will be re-elected.
Your assessment matches mine 100%
Oh, that was Megan Kelly. I was wondering what Christina Applegate was doing hosting the debates. (Samantha WHO?) HHOK. I’m not sure what she was referring to.
Frankly, not worth watching. I’ll wait and see if Sarah Palin announces. Otherwise, no relief in sight.
I didn’t watch it (will catch the replay) but from reading posts from a diversity of people on Facebook and Twitter, most seem to like Cain, Perry, and Newt’s responses. Even Paultards were facepalming his answers and most of them were shifting to Johnson. Bachmann seems to be fading, people weren’t even mentioning her.
Newt is still the smartest guy on the stage. People forget he was the one who engineered the Revolution of 1994, the first Republican takeover of the House in some 40 years. Although it went astray as time went by, it was an historic achievement.
Purists will continue to sputter about his personal life but by next year most voters will be in such a desperate state they won't care. Newt gets it and that's what will count.
The bumbling and fumbling by the "front-runners" is pushing that ad into oblivion from where I stand.
Gingrich-Cain '12.
You know, I have to agree with you. This is the first debate of 2012 I’ve watched. If Palin’s been watching these, I think she knows there’s still plenty of time to jump in. Her poll numbers are going up......she might just be the shrewdest politician of our time. And I don’t mean that in a bad way.
>>What did Gingrich say that Megan Kelly said was the best of the night?
>>>Someone phoned me so I missed part of this.
Newt said when Ronald Reagan was running for the presidency, if your brother in law was unemployed, it was a Recession.
If you were unemployed, it was a Depression.
When Jimmy Carter became unemployed, it was A Recovery!!
Wait until the others hit Perry with his attempt at state taking over land by eminent domain for a Trans Texas corridor...another big government non conservative approach... couple with HPV ... he can’t defend those as anything but government overreach...
Can any of them actually beat Obama? Ron Paul is Wally Cox/Kuchinch lite. Gingrich would be a great candidate but he is damaged goods. Name recognition hurts most of the others. Romney is too liberal...period. Perry’s hair is smashing his brain and he is toast. We had better get it right or Obama will be re-elected.
Newt of course won. Not even close. What a waste.
Perry’s done over the tuition for illegals issue and his BS about it being for kiddies when it’s actually for young adults - hiss.
Santorum tore Perry up.
Format was gay.
I only saw the 2nd half. Perry stumbled on his attack about which Myth showed up. He should quit using pre-written lines. He’s much better just talking straight than trying to sound clever.
Gary Johnson’s joke about his neighbor’s dog was the best line of the debate. He seems to be Ron Paul lite.
Newt is very high on my list, so is Cain.
Don’t make it like Perry was dragged into the Texas DREAM Act. He was a champion of it, and just about every other sop to illegal immigration he could invent.
* Opposes the border fence
* Opposes E-Verify
* Opposes English as the language of instruction in the classroom
In other words, he doesn’t want to enforce immigration externally or internally, and he doesn’t want to integrate those who do come. I’ll admit I was thrilled at how Perry came off stiff, bumbling and incoherent, because I absolutely will not vote for Obama, and I absolutely would hate to have to vote for an un-American traitor like Perry.
A humble vanity ?
about pontificating politicians?
I think at least two of the best debaters are not the best candidates,
With the economic news worsening, we’re going to need someone who will make Ronald Reagan look timid. The next president is going to have a terrible time of it.
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