Posted on 08/05/2007 5:29:36 AM PDT by CounterCounterCulture
Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #4 – Des Moines, Iowa 08/05/07 - Official Discussion Thread
ABC News will be conducting a debate to be aired on This Week. The nine announced GOP presidential candidates meet in a campaign debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. George Stephanopoulos is the moderator; Des Moines Register political writer David Yepsen poses additional questions. Debate starts at 8 am CT (9 am ET/ 6 am PT) * check local stations for broadcast time in your area *
Candidates participating
It looked and sounded like there was a small, but vocal coterie of Paul supporters who applauded everything he said. Paul is the GOP’s Mike Gravel.
“Tommy Thompson has a plan.”
Tommy Thompson said we need to build our military, and I’m always for making the military stronger, but Duncan Hunter tremedously built the military that Bill Clinton tore down when he was Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. While the other candidates talk the talk, Hunter has already walked the walk and still is walking that walk!
DUNCAN HUNTER actually had a fence built which stopped drug trafficking and crime in San Diego, and HUNTER authored the bill for a fence from California thru Texas, which was signed into law, and HUNTER got us ABS deployed in Alaska, and HUNTER built up the defense that Bill Clinton tore down, and got equipment and weapons to protect our troops, and our country, when he Chaired the House Armed Services Committee (when the Republicans had the majority), and HUNTER went to Iraq FIVE times, and HUNTER did some tough fighting duty in ‘Nam and won a medal, and HUNTER has a son who did two tours in Iraq, including Fallujah, and is now doing a 3rd tour in Afghanistan, so HUNTER has a lot a stake personally, as well.
That’s just a little bit of what HUNTER has DONE, while the other candidates talk or write articles.
I should have spent my time on some debugging. I’m way overdue issuing an update, eh? Been busy with summer work.
Paul is not in the middle tier.
Mitt Romney is bright and articulate. Some of his positions are another matter, but....
I watched the debate. Sometimes I just listened with my eyes closed because they were tired. I thought Hunter did pretty well. It seems to me that he recieved the least amount of time. Maybe I’m wrong. I know I counted him being skipped at least twice. I clicked on the link you provided for ABC, but it said error when I clicked on Hunter and tried to proceed. I’m going to check out ABC for myself.
Ron Paul brought his hoard of poll spammers with him who cheered when he said he would bring all the troops home. He came off like Mike Gravel in his rock in the water video to me. I can say I probably wouldn’t vote for him if he was the GOP nominee.
You might be right.. there was a crowd shot during the last applause after his “neocon” comment, and I didn’t see anyone clapping.
If Ron does well in the Staw Poll in a few days as I suspect he will, he’ll move past all the middle tier candidates. Iowa has a big independent strain to their politics.
Hate to see Julie get the nod. Like you, not ready to throw in the towel. Wonder when Fred will throw his hat in the ring, after all the debates? Kind of unfair to the rest of the bunch.
Agree with you on McCain. He poured his heart out for W in 00 and 04. Speaking/writing of W, other than Hillary (just a gut feeling) wonder who he is secretly pulling for.
Agree. In this format, he is at his best. He is articulate and nimble. Of the so-called top three [excluding Fred Thompson] I could support Romney over Giuliani and McCain. Romney has had extensive executive experience, private and public. When you run the largest corporation in the world [the USG] you need someone like that. To me that is the weakness of the Dem candidates like Obama and Hillary who have never run anything larger than an office staff. It is the reason why very few sitting senators, JFK being the last, have been elected for President.
It sounded like the noise was coming from the balcony. You could barely see anyone clapping in the camera shot of the audience.
I didn’t like seeing them post polling percentages as they were introduced. People have a tendency for wanting to be in a majority and feeds into people’s prejudices about who “can win.” Not one vote has been cast and no votes will be casted for many months.
Paul is no contender. He shouldn’t even be on the stage. He is the darling of the Libertarians and the Dems, who see him as the skunk at the garden party or the crazy uncle up in the attic.
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