Posted on 11/28/2007 3:59:54 PM PST by 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:
Considering the reaction to Duncan Hunter everytime he speaks is enthusiastic and he knows what he’s talking about and says it well, it is obvious you don’t know what you’re talking about.
To me this is the true story of the night.
CNN Transcript:
Cooper: Governor Romney, you said in 1994 that you looked forward to the day when gays and lesbians could serve, and I quote, “openly and honestly in our nation’s military.” Do you stand by that?
Romney: This isn’t that time. This is not that time. We’re in the middle of a war. The people who have...
Cooper: Do you look forward to that time, though, one day?
Romney: I’m going to listen to the people who run the military to see what the circumstances are like. And my view is that, at this stage, this is not the time for us to make that kind of...
Cooper: Is that a change in your position...
Romney: Yes, I didn’t think it would work. I didn’t think “don’t ask/don’t tell” would work. That was my — I didn’t think that would work. I thought that was a policy, when I heard about it, I laughed. I said that doesn’t make any sense to me.
And you know what? It’s been there now for, what, 15 years? It seems to have worked.
Cooper: So, just so I’m clear, at this point, do you still look forward to a day when gays can serve openly in the military or no longer?
Romney: I look forward to hearing from the military exactly what they believe is the right way to have the right kind of cohesion and support in our troops and I listen to what they have to say.
BTTT with that.
(Sorry lesser_satan, I ‘m just piggy backing on your posts)
I guess to make it clear why post 2642 is important I have to show Romney’s position that Cooper is hammering him about.
Does this sound like a guy that laughed at Don’t ask, Don’t tell?
“One issue I want to clarify concerns [grammar in context] President Clintons dont ask, dont tell, dont pursue military policy. I believe that the Clinton compromise was a step in the right direction. I am also convinced that it is the first of a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nations military. That goal will only be reached when preventing discrimination against gays and lesbians is a mainstream concern, which is a goal we share.
It's too late though. It happened, and it's all over the web and the blogosphere. They are accountable for this.
Accurate on that.
Oh puleez....
All you’re doing here is pontificating.
Not once did I, or do I, espouse anything untoward for homosexuals.
Your post is a severe over-reaction. Your either fishing for attention, fishing for a fight, or you want to show you write better than me.
You really had to dig deep for this pile of crap which has absolutely nothing to do with any sentiment I expressed. And you know it.
“Balkanization”....go on.
And no, I won’t argue with you. I intend to ignore this most insipid of arguments.
The audience was much less composed during this debate than the one in Orlando.
Noticed anti-war protesters along the street before and after the debate. Couldn't tell whether they were Liberals or Ronulans while driving between heavy police presence and lots of traffic cones.
My takes:
Tanc and Fed came across as the most well spoken. Fred is the most thoughtful and deliberative of the bunch, and has a very good sense of humor.
Rudy and Romney tried to sell themselves; they are carefully polished simulacra of some abstract notion of class president. Rudy did a better job of pitching his own image. Romney seems to want to be president worse than anybody up there. His flip-floppy nature was exposed a few times.
Huckabee was a lightweight - he could barely win the congeniality runner up prize, but not much more. I would not even buy a car from him. He was not impressive.
Duncan did not get enough air time, but what he did get he generally filled with non-provactive though solid statements. He lacks stature, but he did show some fine humility and a human face a time or two. He is obviously a proud father and patriot.
McCain would be a contender but he looks ill and he still gives off a Queg-like vibe. He was and is right about the surge, about projecting the force to finish the job expediently.
Ron Paul is the best source of messages for fiscal restraint, but he too looked ill. He is, perhaps, not the best messenger of his own message, but he is the thorn of Republicans past promises of fiscal restraint and smaller government, and he needs to stay in the sandal of the party until they start shrinking government and spending less.
Thompson is the clear winner, to me. He is thoughtful, well spoken, smart, and does not seem over eager to fix every human problem with more government benevolence. He is like a basset hound.
For honesty’s sake, I will admit these things:
Fred Thompson is my first choice now. I also like Hunter a lot.
I would NEVER vote for Rudy, and Romney just seems to fake and polished.
I am not a major Huckabee or McCain fan, but I’d easily vote for either of them over Rudy.
Ron Paul is the laughing stock of the party. He almost looks like a Saturday Night Live spoof of a candidate.
With that, I will state my persective of the debate.
The questions were basically loaded to pull the debate to the left.
The media wants the debate off of the war, and on domestic issues, because that’s where the left has historically had the best traction.
I thought it was very telling that Rudy got booed over his views on the 2nd amendment. He should have simply stated that he did not take the whole bible literally, and most people could have been good with that. The fact is that some things are to be taken literal, and others are to be taken as a type of symbolic teaching. I can bet you that he lost many many votes by saying that he did not see the story of Jonah literally (as in Jonah truly being in the belly of the fish). He will not be the nominee. He will come south and get taken to the woodshed. He’ll possibly do okay in Florida, but that’s because there are so many Yankees down there.
As I admitted, I am not a Romney fan. However, I think he held himself strongly, and probably made in-roads with the pro-life crowd, to which I belong.
McCain came across as a very strong, experienced leader. I am fully aware that he is nowhere near the top on the list of favorites here, but I do think he carried himself well, even if we didn’t agree with him. For example, I am not against “torture” for terrorists, but McCain spoke against it. He gets my ear only because he is a surviving POW. I do not expect him to be the nominee, but would not be surprised to see him accept the VP slot.
I like Mike Huckabee, but am investigating him. I am for a closed border, and the roundup of all the illegals after that. If he wants to allow illegals in, just to get their votes, he has fooled himself. I would not be surprised to see him get the nomination, and would easily vote for him over any democrat.
Duncan Hunter was great. I really like him, but he just has not mounted a great campaign. I would easily vote for him if he won the nomination, but he won’t. Because of that, I will not vote for him the primary. I’d love to see a Thompson/Hunter ticket.
I did not see enough of Tancredo, but I basically like him. He has no chance to get on the ticket.
Ron Paul looked like he was waiting for the Hale Bopp comet. He sounds like an idiot every time his mouth opens. It’s not just “what” he says, but more so, it’s “how” he says it.
And in case you haven't noticed....Evangelicals are not only asked....they are expected to keep a 'low profile' or they will be shamed, sued, ridiculed!
Well, it didn't take long for the Paul supporters to spam it, did it now?
Guilty as charged.
:)
Thanks for both of those links. CNN ... still the Clinton News Network.
I went back an checked. I think you were the first one to have any evidence of this other than just the accusation that he was a plant. Congrats.
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