Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #10 – St. Petersburg 11/28/07 - Official Discussion Thread

[CounterCounterCulture]

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #10 – St. Petersburg, Florida 11/28/07 - Official Discussion Thread

CNN will hold this debate, hosted by Anderson Cooper, with submitted questions in video form via YouTube.
8pm ET/5pm PT

Hosted by Anderson Cooper

Candidates participating:

• Rudy Giuliani
• Mike Huckabee
• Duncan Hunter
• John McCain
• Ron Paul
• Mitt Romney
• Tom Tancredo
• Fred Thompson

[flaglady47]

You might want to check out the new thread that has popped up on FR re this issue:

“Romney, Thompson criticize Confederate flag
CNN ^ | 11-28-2007 | – CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby

Posted on 11/28/2007 10:28:48 PM CST by Eddie01

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) – Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee criticized the Confederate flag, which happens to be hoisted on the Statehouse grounds in the early primary state of South Carolina.”

[mojo114]

I believe you are correct that an ordained minister would be a problem as POTUS.

[ansel12]

“You are a Johnnie come lately, looking to jab a potential presidential candidate”

---

In 1967 a few hours after I took over a job tearing down a house, I ran off the crew because they were illegals, I was 17.

I am not a Johnie come lately to immigration concerns, I have continued to take a stand for 40 years, I know what I am talking about when it comes to integrity in hiring help and contractors.

I do not hire illegals for work at my home or for my customers.

You are Johnie hypocrite trying to defend a presidential candidate.

[SHEENA26]

“Romney is the one the media is worried about friend....that is why they have been feeding us Rudy forever, and articles about how people won’t vote for Mormons. They know they can beat Rudy. I’m amazed that people haven’t figured that out around here.”

DING, DING, we have a winner.

[Fudd Fan]

Nobody has a problem with his actions dealing with 9/11

Some don't have a problem with it, and others ridicule it. I take it you're one of the former, so that's great. His social views are definitely too liberal and I agree with the rest of your post, mostly.

[4integrity]

Hey, BA, I wasn’t there tonight....imagine, in my own backyard....lol. But, I was looking forward to hearing your comments. Seemed like a lot of Ron Paul supporters in the audience....true? imho, again, no clear winner came out.

I thought the crowd was much more ‘boisterous’ (sp?) than in Orlando.

[flaglady47]

“LOL, you just want to urinate all over everyone tonight who doesn’t share your worship of mitty”

A coarse reply from a coarse poster.

[Gondring]

It does not violate the Geneva conventions - which BTW AQ never signed.

But we did. And in accordance with that, we have to make a declaration that our opponent is not following the Geneva conventions, and that we recognize that the conflict is being operated outside the Geneva convention.

Do you want to do that to our troops, even if most of the time AQ doesn't follow them?

[Gondring]

So, it was a holy act!

[Big E]

Here’s my take. This is the first debate I have watched start to finish. I am undecided at this point, and wanted to hear the candidates first-hand. I thought it was a relatively fair debate, considering it was hosted by CNN. There was the ‘gays in the military’ commerical there, but I thought Hunter and McCain addressed it well. I have no problem with the GOP appearing on CNN, after all, if they can’t stand up to Anderson Cooper, how are they going to beat Hillary Clinton? I turned it off after the debate was over, as I don’t need to hear CNN’s leftist spin on what I just heard with my own ears.

I thought Thompson did well. He made good points, especially about addressing spending by attacking the entitlements. Killing Homeland Security won’t do a thing to get the budget under control, and he knows it.

I thought McCain had a good night. He was strong on Iraq, stuck it to Ron Paul, and even defended his anti-torture position well. He was consistent on his anti-spending position. I still don’t think he has a chance because of his pro-illegal stances, but hey, there’s gotta be something said for a guy who sticks with what he believes.

Giuliani had a little tougher night. It seemed like he was on the defensive all night: sanctuary cities, gun control. He did a pretty good job of defending his overall record, although I wanted him to nail that question on ‘restoring America’s standing with the Muslim world’, and for the most part he popped it up. Duncan Hunter, on the other hand, nailed it. He had the line of the night, I thought: “I will never apologize for America” or something like that. I thought Hunter was very, very good tonight. He’s got the right positions, for some reason he’s just not catching on. I guess because most people don’t know who he is.

Romney just seemed there to me, he didn’t do much to impress me. Ron Paul, fiscally correct, foreign policy WRONG. At least he’s not running third party. Huckabee, I really wanted to see him, as he’s getting big time traction. Wasn’t impressed. And then Tancredo, I love him. Where would we be on illegal immigration without him? Probably wouldn’t even be an issue. He nailed Huckabee on that Mars question. Some kid in a basement wants to know how much we’re going to spend to go to Mars, Huckabee says, more, more, more, Tancredo says, ‘see, that’s why we’re in debt.’ Beautiful. For me, I’m definitely leaning towards Thompson, although I thought the whole field for the most part acquitted themselves pretty well. I don’t buy this bit about having poor candidates. I think there are a number of people on that stage that would make good Presidents.

[txhurl]

So what is your best recap of the debate? Got home real late and have to crash like right now.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Did anyone c ount the number of time Rudy said “New York City” tonight? Must have been a hundred or more...”

He has his con down cold!

[dawn53]

That’s interesting. I assumed a couple times when McCain was booed it was Paul’s minions. Signs on the Skyway...wow, they were daring. When they’re downtown they practically block the street.

Did you see the paddy wagon picking up the homeless after the debate? My husband had to walk back to Central to get his car and he said a lot of the homeless protestors were being picked up by the police. Imagine that’ll make the Times tomorrow.

[ClarenceThomasfan]

“If anyone will remember how you felt on 9/12 you would at
least begrudgingly give Rudy his due. Him and President Bush rallied this Country like Churchill and FDR during WWII.

I would rather tear down Dems and tell why I should vote for my candidate than the opposite.

Pray for W and Our Troops”

I agree with everything you said. Even your signature line too.

[wardaddy]

you’re mighty hateful sounding to be accusing others of the same

it’s always sad to see how little many freepers know about evangelism

[TheLion]

The average person isn’t going to run out of his house and cast aspersions on the work crew and demand ID. Maybe you are an exception. BTW, when Romney had these people working, this issue was not huge. It is, however becoming so.

[Eric Blair 2084]

That’s your interpretation. The Holy Spirit took over when I was baptized a Catholic. That’s when I was ‘born’. The voters for Mike Huckabee are one-issue voters. I’m pro-life, however, I don’t want or need a former Baptist preacher shoving religion down my throat in the name of politics and presidential ambition. The whole idea is frightening.

You know Sheena, I have to give FReepers credit. TitansAFC said it very well. When FReepers ran Rudy and his supporters off because he was entirely unacceptable to social conservatives I was expecting a double standard when a liberal social conservative like Huck rose in the polls. I thought those same people would be gleeful at the idea of shoving a pro life liberal Democrat like Huck down the throats of libertarian members of the party like myself.

But that hasn't been the case. Just as Rudy is unacceptable to socons, Huck is unacceptable to libertarians. Maybe there is hope for the Frank Meyer fusionist marriage to work after all. News of the death of the Reagan coalition of fiscal and social conservatives may have been greatly exaggerated.

[flaglady47]

“I believe that Gov. Romney’s Mormonism is very relevant, as I believe that it provides insight into his thought process, priorities, etc.”

Yes, it is relevant in that amongst the frontrunners, Guiliani, Thompson, McCain, Mitt Romney is the only one who has been married once, has a close-knit family with 5 sons plus grandchildren, has a wife with multiple sclerosis whom he hasn’t dumped because she has a disease (like Gingrich did), and has lived a conservative life, more so than any of the others listed here. So, if that is a reflection of his religious beliefs, than bravo to him.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Me too!

[Agent Smith]

"I believe you are correct that an ordained minister would be a problem as POTUS."

I think another lawyer would be more of a problem.