Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #2 - Columbia, SC 05/15/07 - Official Discussion Thread

May 15, 2007

[omnivore]

"...Dr. Paul? You don’t like the fact that he wants to address WHY people are upset with us ..."

No, it's perfectly reasonable to inquire why the terrorists are terrorists. It's just that Dr. Paul's pseudo-analysis is unconvincing. It's just blame-America-first, using the classic litany of assorted historical factoids that are obsessively cataloged and parroted by left-wing nutters.

It doesn't matter how many times they are repeated or who repeats them, there isn't any actual evidence that these things are some magical source of extremist Islamo-nutter hatred of the West. None. Zip. It's a fantasy invented by self-flagelating Westerners.

It's reminiscent of the Cold-War liberals who loved to blame the evil and weird stuff the Soviets did on "Western provocation" or "the Russians are fearful of being encircled" and so on, any excuse to blame everything on America and the West. When in fact the Soviets did their weird and evil things because they were living out a totalitarian ideological belief system. Stalin didn't torture, starve, and kill millions of his own people because of something America did. He did it because he was a bad person and held bad beliefs about how Russia and the states under his control should be. Same with present day hellholes in the Islamo part of the world. The items which loom large on the lists of people like Dr. Paul aren't the problem and no amount of sophistry will make them the problem. The problem is some bad people in the Islamo part of the world who have some very bad beliefs and who are intent on doing bad things.

When Dr. Paul completes building and programming his super-duper computer which can predict all future world events based on inputting the actions taken by American presidents, so that all unintended consequences of US foreign policy can safely be predicted and avoided, we'll all be suitably impressed. But as long as he's just trying to peddle warmed-over criticisms pulled out of back issues of The Nation from during the Reagan administration, no thanks.

[SoCalPol]

I knew it wouldn’t take long for R. Paul’s wheels to come off the cart in debate.
He is either in a far left dist. in TX or the folks there
are inbread for generations and don’t know any difference.

[EternalVigilance]

The NRA oftens plays footsie with the Left. The old story: Dems propose a plan to tear down the Washington Monument, and the squishy liberal Republicans come up with a “moderate” counterproposal...to tear it down in three stages.

[HonestConservative]

I’m watching the replay.

WADR, I don’t think Rudy and McCain did well at all.

McCain saying that none of the Dix 6 came across the border. That’s not the case. 2 came across the border illegally, as babies, yes, but illegal.

Rudy demonstrated that he is in no way a conservative, although I admit that if I must have a lib or whatever, I’d take him if I had to.

[nwrep]

There is a posibility that Ron Paul is a closet case.

[patriciaruth]

Have the faith of your fathers, Patricia.

My father was raised Episcopalian. He is now buried at Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery. Today was his birthday and my brother put flowers with a couple little American flags on his grave.

Happy Birthday, Daddy.

[calcowgirl]

Gun laws will be up to the state . They wont change if Rudy wins or any other republican for that matter .

Are you aware that Rudy, in the past, has called for NATIONAL gun licensing? His proposed policy ideas were embraced by the Clinton administration in writing the 1994 Crime Bill. Clinton was so impressed that he had Rudy meet with Janet Reno to try to draft legislation.

What makes you think he has changed now?

[James W. Fannin]

Was it a mistake to fight Germany to save the USSR?

Dude. Read and learn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripartite_Pact.

That was September 27th, 1940.

Also: SOME DOCUMENTS RELEVANT TO THE ALLIANCE OF GERMANY, JAPAN, AND ITALY DURING WORLD WAR II The Anti-Comintern Pact was signed in 1936, and made it clear who was who in WWII.

You would be speaking German or Japanese now if we hadn't fought on the side of England in WWII.

[mylife]

They sucked. Pandering buttheads. but not as bad as Romney

[SoCalPol]

Very true

[Salvation]

Thanks for the analysis.

[AliVeritas]

re:

Funny how you’re the one demonstrating the arrogance and utter lack of understanding throughout the thread, while
I’m the one simply pointing out the clear statements of the candidate and stating the facts. I guess it must be “arrogance” to make you party hacks defend your lies and spin in the face of reality...or how do y’all define it this week down at the RNC, lapdog?

Let’s see...

That lapdog is fighting for your elitist *ss; Your parents taught you common courtesy and respect... didn’t they?

Nice of you to think that ONLY YOU understand and everyone else here requires an explaination in bite size kindergarten chunks. We don’t know how lucky we are. /s

[cva66snipe]

Ron Paul has over inflaated exit poll results due to all of you Liberaltarians working up calluses on your dialing fingers.

LOL I can honestly say I have never voted libertarian. Can you say you never voted DEM? If a good Conservative isn't running I vote Constitution Party actually. I didn't vote for Bush in 2000 or 2004 and I did not vote for Bill Frist in his last term nor his replacement. I support Ron Paul because I actually bother to listen and read what he says. I don't let Glorious Party Leaders nor Media Spinbots do my thinking for me.

[Antoninus]

Sean says repeatedly that he’s a Libertarian.

He also claims to be a good Catholic, but he's not that either, is he?

I say this as a former listener: Yawn Vanity is a phony who used conservatives to hit the big time. Once he got there, he promptly abandoned us. His ratings deserve to hit Air Amerika levels.

[HonestConservative]

We have several, several!

There is only one man on that stage, that isn’t an improvement on the Dimwit crowd. Ok, there is NO one on that stage that is not an improvement.

Moreover, the second and half the third tier are very admirable and trustworthy men.

[Beagle8U]

“There is a posibility that Ron Paul is a closet case.”

Its possible that the sky is blue and grass is green.

[Mariebl]

Fred is smart to stay out of this circus until the current set of clowns have all bored the audience to death. Fred doesn't need to make a move till mid or even late summer. The primaries are still 10 months away. Fred is doing more to solidfy the base with no money than these clowns are doing with their millions.

Personally, I'm getting bored with Fred, simply because he's not running. I give him a pass for the moment, for practical reasons, (Law and Order needs to finish its season.) But, the more time goes on after the start of summer, without his declaring, the more I'll put him into either the 'gutless wonder' class, (afraid to debate the other candidates), or the 'doesn't really want to run but likes the attention and flattery' class.

[HoundsTooth_BP]

“The right to life is unalienable, and is protected by the Fifth and the Fourteenth Amendments.”

Which serve to hold the government taking of life to due process limits, not the citizens. The Constitution does not criminalize murder, that is left to the states.

[cva66snipe]

What pisses me off is the growh of Gov. I can do a better job than some Gov Boob that I pay in taxes You can too. We are citizens after all

Agreed