Posted on 10/21/2007 8:35:38 PM PDT by jellybean
Everybody Was Good; Fred, Rudy, and Huck Were Best Wow. By far, the best debate of the cycle in either party. Just about everybody came out swinging, took some lumps, countered, made the crowd laugh, spurred applause, and jabbed at the moderators. The crowd was fired up, and the moderators took an aggressive tack that shook any lingering lethargy out of the candidates. Feel confident, Republicans. One way or another, the GOP is going to have a good debater representing it next year.
Winner or winners? Tough to call, because I think we saw just about every candidate at their best tonight, even the no-hopers like Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo. So I’ll classify the participants a bit differently this evening:
Helped Themselves a Lot Tonight:
Fred Thompson: Frankly, he needed it. He really should have gotten a bigger chunk of the vote at the Family Research Council summit straw poll, and let’s face it, we had been waiting for any speech, any debate appearance, any event with Thompson to be a “wow, that was fantastic.” Well, tonight was that moment we’ve been waiting for, maybe none better than his answer to Wendell Goler’s question/accusation of laziness. His answer on the lobbying for the abortion group was strong, too – ‘look at my votes, and the pro-choice folks I worked for are pulling this out now because they fear me.’ Finally – finally! – we’re seeing what we wanted to see in Thompson – homespun, able to make his case simply, directly, and clearly, and with a bit of humor here and there.
Rudy Giuliani: The first time I thought Rudy Giuliani could be president was at his 2004 convention speech, where he hit all kinds of emotional notes just right. Similar performance tonight – maybe heavy on laughs - but it worked. Pugnacious, quick thinker on his feet, engaging. And, as usual, if you lead the polls, and nobody walks out of a debate talking about your gaffes or bad answers (and other than a slightly weird joke about not being sure that he didn’t accidentally perform a gay marriage, Rudy didn’t have many bad moments) you won. Rudy won’t lose ground; this is a candidate and a campaign hitting all cylanders at just the right time. He took some shots, but the attacks were probably old news to those following the race day in, day out.
Mike Huckabee: After the FRC summit, he’s the social conservative choice, and if he gets the nomination, Hillary won’t know what hit her. This guy can sell ice to Eskimos. Kept his momentum, and played against his "the funny one" typecasting with his argument, "there's nothing funny about Hillary Clinton as Commander in Chief."
Probably Helped Themselves a Little Tonight:
John McCain: Some great lines, and once again, a candidate felt the need to salute McCain’s service in the miltiary as well as in the Senate. We’ll see if this performance does him good in the polls – he did a great speech at the FRC, and it got him nowhere. I think the aspect I liked most was that he could jab at his rivals, but it never seemed too nasty or cranky. He’s got stature. He’s a well-established brand name, and I wonder if he’s turning into everyone’s second or third choice.
Mitt Romney: One of his strongest performances, but it seemed like somebody put a “kick me” sign on his back right before he went on. On the other hand, it’s a sign of where he is in the race that Thompson, Giuliani, and McCain see value in attacking him at this moment. Kathryn said he could have used the PowerPoint slides on one answer. But great jabs at Hillary, and seemed to feed off the crowd's energy.
Oh, and I vote for the mussed-up hair.
Thanks For Playing: Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, and Ron Paul. Come back when you’re at ten percent in one of the early primary states or a national poll.
UPDATE: In my e-mailbox, every campaign thinks their guy won. I know this will come as a great surprise to you. I pledge, any campaign that sends me an e-mail: "EXPERTS AGREE: OUR GUY LOST, BIG-TIME; PUNDITS CALL PERFORMANCE 'CATASTROPHIC' AND 'EMBARRASSING" I will print in this space in its entirety.
Say there is a great bumper sticker slogan
That’s the message that needs to get out there IMO. I hope it does. I’m doing the best I can to be vocal about it.
I like Fred too and Huckabee! They might make a great team!
Here’s some debate reaction:I think Fred Thompson did quite well. Once again, he ended strong. People tend to remember the first thing and the last thing about you, and if this is true, Fred Thompson had a very good night.
Kathryn Jean Lopez on Fred’s post-debate interview:
Best TV appearance I’ve seen of his.
Well, tonight was that moment we’ve been waiting for, maybe none better than his answer to Wendell Goler’s question/accusation of laziness…. Finally – finally! – we’re seeing what we wanted to see in Thompson – homespun, able to make his case simply, directly, and clearly, and with a bit of humor here and there.
Power Line’s Paul Mirengoff:
Right out of the box, Fred Thompson and Rudy Giuliani went at it, and soon thereafter John McCain attacked Mitt Romney (not that this requires much inducing). Thompson gave at least as good as he got in his clash with Rudy. On the question of “who is the real conservative,” Thompson presented the list of social issues as to which Guiliani has taken liberal positions, and also cited Rudy’s support of Mario Cuomo for governor. Giuliani responded by attacking Thompson for voting against tort reform as a Senator. But Thompson countered that he supported tort reform with respect to key federal statutes, while opposing, for reasons of federaism, attempts to interfere with state tort law. Giuliani ended the encounter with his usual refrain about his New York record, a sure sign that he’s having trouble defending himself on the merits as a conservative.
Thompson’s ability to slug it out with Giuliani, coupled with overall improvement in the quality of his answers, makes him one of tonight’s winners.
…
But if this debate is remembered at all, it will probably be because Fred Thompson, arguably a sleeping giant, seemed to wake up.
Jay at Stop the ACLU declared Fred the most conservative candidate.
Fred started out, as my buddy, EM Zanotti would say, “Hawt!” He just steamrolled Rudy and Mitt. Awesome, awesome, awesome start.
…
I am glad Fred got the lazy question. People are asking it, so he should have to deal with it up front — and Fred has a hell of a good answer — and it’s the last one! Nice…
David Brody: “It’s the most aggressive he’s been to date.”
Huckabee is a sacrificial anode being pumped up by the MSM to keep the airtime off Thompson.
ronpaul’s shelf life expired and the MSM needs a new way to power protect Giuliani. ronpaul was a complete and utter moron.
Even the focus group man in the begining called ronpaul INSANE.
Hillary Clinton was a BIG loser in this debate.
Barack Obama was a winner, or he would have been had the fix not have been in.
other losers, Hanity with his fondling of Giuliani.
It was also BLATENT that they did NOT ask Thompson on marriage.
BOTH WALLACE AND HANITY were PREGNANT in their avoidance of offering the question to Thompson. Why did the EACH GIVE THE IDENTICAL SOFTBALL to Giulani to CYA with a faux Federal Marriage Support. Giuliani SUPPORTS homosexual marriage as “civil unions”.
Thompsons post debate interview made it clear, from his body language, that he had Hanity and Colmes’ numbers. He knows they are whores for Giuliani and he does not care.
I appreciate your comments. I had been unaware of that until recently. Don’t ask me why because this is an important issue for me. I’m sorry to find out Huckabee seems to see this issue diametrically opposed to the way I do. I have met him. I sincerely like him. I do have to say that I find people who support illegal immigration to be sortof like fifth columnists. And that really saddens me about Mike.
In the crowd behind those asking the questions..does anyone know who the familiar looking man with the white hair was? Just curious...It seems I know his face and cannot put him..
“I want Duncan Hunter as the next president. I am frustrated with the debates because he is given so little time.”
I share your frustration.
It seems the media is either liberal or moderate.
It’s up to We the People to take back our country.
I’m calling talk shows, and doing other things, as well, and of course, praying everyday that God sends us good leaders.
Bill Cunningham really likes Hunter, and gets one million listeners, so I hope a bunch of us call him to expand on his praise of Hunter.
I like Duncan, but FRed was pounding the Chuna imbalance and cheating in his ABC/Paul Harvey broadcasts, as well as on the trail.
Better tell your guy to step it up, he’s on the “bookends”
No bias in those comments. They were not watching the same program I was watching. Fred did much better tonight than the last time, but then he couldn’t get any worse. He still comes across as old, slow on his feet and 10-20 years past his prime. It is very hard to believe that he is generally in the same age group as Rudy and Mitt who are both more energetic and quicker on their feet. I give him kudos for having a young wife and two little kids, but that does not make him a winner in 2008. Fred don’t give up your day job, “L&O” and Paul Harvey need you.
Charlie ‘RINO’ Crist, governor of Florida.
NOTE:
THOMPSON 100% NAILED GIULIANI WHEN THOMPSON DIRECTED A PERSONAL DIRECT STATEMENT THAT GIULIANI IS HILLARY!
When Thompson said Giuliani has the identical views as Hillary, GIULIANI IS HILLARY, Rudy had NO COMEBACK.
That was a right between the eyes hit.
THE FOCUS GROUP GOES WILD when hillary is attacked.
WHY DIDN’T FNC show the focus group second by second data when Giulainn is compared to Hillary.
ONLY ONE candidate keeps being accused of BEING hillary but there is never any data on that issue?
HA!
we have the Hanity blockade.
He fell off the shelf tonight. Worst performance I’ve seen from him yet.
Good point. I thought Rudy looked like a deer in the headlights with that question.
And what was up with Mitt? He looked like a drunk that had just rolled out of bed and into the debate. Messed up hair, crooked tie, looking a little nervous, standing strangely, scratchy throat.
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought he was a human being.
Fox needs to give us numbers and geographical distribution of the RP text votes.
I like Fred better than RudyMcRomney, but Fred voted FOR Permanent Trade Status with China. Hunter voted AGAINST it.
Fred co-sponsored McCain/Feingold; Hunter voted AGAINST it.
Big biz won’t help Hunter out financially, because they want slave labor from Red China, so it’s up to us.
www.gohunter08.com
I’d like to see some source data on the Huckabee votes as well. Both of these guys got some rather surprising votes considering.
I really do hate to see a great man like Duncan in such a humiliating position. I hurt for him. It’s almost like watching your big Brother gettin’ whooped.
I really hope he comes to grip with reality soon. Tanc, too.
**Thanks For Playing: Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, and Ron Paul. Come back when you’re at ten percent in one of the early primary states or a national poll. **
I think Ron Paul needs to get permanently lost somewhere.
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