[George W. Bush]

Tancredo looked very Presidential tonight. But he has a problem with his running away from Vietnam Service.

No, his biggest problem is lack of national experience. At moments, it's like he's in a panic. During that one answer tonight, I thought he might start crying.

He's a great congresscritter and we're all very fond of him, very grateful for the fight he's made for us and the mud they slung at him for it. And I think he has suffered from some of the abuse they've hurled at him over the years and with that filthy Giuliani referring to him rather directly as a Know-Nothing. Disgusting.

He should stay in the race, at least through the fall. But he's an issues candidate and he's said it himself very clearly. He's out to defeat McStain and any other Zamnesty candidates in the primaries and to find a proper solution to the illegals and the border.

I like Tom and want to see him in the race. I like his ideas, his spending restraint, his willingness to say things he knows people don't want to hear said out loud. But he really isn't well-prepared to be an American president, let alone run a large organization and do all the politicking required to mount a successful general election campaign. Electability has to do with being able to lead a large busy campaign organization. And presidential candidates do largely lead their party, either to victory or defeat.

All that said, I like Tom and want to see him in this race, pinning down every candidate on the borders/Zamnesty. I think that without Hunter/Tancredo/Paul, there would never be any real debate on the issue so I want all of them in there. Or maybe, in the fall or early winter, just one of those three that all the border voters can get behind and who might then break 5% in the polls so they can stay in right through the primaries.

At some point, we need to separate our serious intent with implementing policies from some of our favorite politicians. Sure, we love these guys but the issues are more important than the personalities, I think.

[marsh_of_mists]

Tancredo does have a sort of deer-in-the-headlights sense about him, doesn’t he? Frankly, Hunter isn’t too charismatic either; kind of stooped and glowering. That’s why so many people like Fred Thompson, I think. They think he has the “gravitas.”

[TomasUSMC]

if it is apparent that we cannot, then we have to do and tell the Iraqis the exact same thing that Benjamin Franklin said when he came out of the convention in 1787 and somebody said to him, “Dr. Franklin, what have you given us?” And he said, “A republic, if you can keep it.” It is exactly that time and it is exactly that thing that we have to say to the Iraqi government. We have given you this. We bought it with our blood and sweat. It is now up to you to keep it.

And I want the Iraqis to be in fact patrolling Baghdad. If they need vehicles, you let them have the vehicles. But I want them patrolling their city and putting their lives at risk.
- Tom Tancredo

The best thing said about Iraq to date.