Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #8 – Dearborn, MI 10/09/07 - Official Discussion Thread

[CounterCounterCulture]

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #8 – Dearborn, Michigan 10/09/07 - Official Discussion Thread

CNBC/MSNBC/The Wall Street Journal are jointly sponsoring the first Republican Presidential debate of the 2008 campaign focusing on economic issues. It will be held on October 9 in Dearborn, Michigan at the University of Michigan-Dearborn at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center. Broadcast is live on CNBC at 4 PM ET (1 PM PT) and re-broadcast on MSNBC at 9 PM ET (6 PM PT). CNBC's Maria Bartiromo and MSNBC's Chris Matthews will host the debate.

Live streaming on CNBC.com

Candidates participating:

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

[airborne]

You have a curious method for somone wanting to unite us all.

[Clara Lou]

Just the response I expected.
Show me which part of what I said is wrong. Both comments are factual. He's got a guy who owns a small string of Mexican restaurants as his communications director. How is he going to run a winning campaign like that?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Why do the Republicans agree to be moderated by a drooling Liberal like Matthews, who will spend the entire debate trying to make them all look bad on Liberal issues? Isn’t this supposed to be a REPUBLICAN primary? Arrrggh!!!

[traditional1]

That's correct. And, in observation of the reality of the political fight today, you WIN a battle at a time, and cannot expect to win the war in one skirmish. When the enemy has supperior or equal numbers, you organize your efforts and resources to attack with sufficient force to inflict damage, then re-group, and gain more strength for the next battle.

Sometimes, the all-out frontal assault is NOT the best battle plan. Patience and resolve can buy time to strike and inflict damage, but we cannot afford to suffer more losses anymore. We have to take the best we have, and use it to advantage strategically.

[calcowgirl]

Same old preferred treatment. Search the transcript.

Mr. Giuliani: "... "   43 occurences.
Mr. McCain:   "... "   21 occurences.
Mr. Tancredo: "... "   15 occurences.
Mr. Hunter:   "... "   11 occurences.

[TigersEye]

Duncan Hunter '08

[Kevmo]

That quote will be used to end Romney’s candidacy.
Whether in the next debate, the blogs, Rush...or campaign ads. It’s over for him. All over that single mistake.
***That’s probably why he showed up on Intrade as the loser.

[Mr. Jeeves]

There is no doubt that Ron Paul has struck a chord with disenfrachised voters who are sick of both parties.

True enough - whether you like all of his views or not (and I don't), he's just about the only alternative to the Federal Government Party candidates wearing Democrat and Republican costumes. Which (more than his views) is part of the reason he's getting so much vilification from all sides.

As a side note: the argumentative, insulting tone of the so-called Religious Right posters on FR has sunk very near to DU levels. Not a surprise to those of us who have always seen through them as just another flavor of totalitarianism, but the divisiveness they are sowing is going to lead a lot of Republicans to stay home next year. Reagan's Grand GOP Coalition is finished - because its common theme was the quest for a smaller, less intrusive government, and neocons and socons both abandonded that first principle as soon as they thought they could use the power of Big Government to their own advantage.

[Paperdoll]

>Why has Hunter never held a leadership position in Congress or elsewhere?<

To answer your rather snide question, Rep. Hunter is ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, formerly its chairman for four years. I’d call that important leadership. He commands great respect from both sides of the Congressional aisle.

Being a visionary, Rep. Hunter could see where the country was going wrong many years ago. He authored and introduced bills to get the country back on track, including rebuilding our military and its equipment which was so diminished by Bill Clinton.

He is still his congressional job, even while campaigning.

[STARWISE]

WOW — that IS striking ... very unprofessional and unfair, but typical MSM.

[traditional1]

Thanks....very juvenile personal attacks don't reflect well on the poster who is attached to a particular candidate. That's usually the hot-headed irrational exhuberence found at DU.

Beating a dead dark-horse is a waste of time, but some are not mature enough to recognize it.

Now, when you calm down, think about how an electable candidate will further the conservative cause much more than a non-starter.

Take your time....there's 12 month's to election day.

[plain talk]

Sick of the religious right who want to club you over the head with a bible at the first opportunity.

Another anti-Christian chimes in. Thanks for your "opinion".

[ejonesie22]

You and I are going to buttheads on Fair Tax, but I love that answer...

[Clara Lou]

He looked weak and inarticulate. And I am on the Fred ping list.
Interesting. Your almost alone in your opinion (except for the Chrissy clan at MSNBC). I'm watching Larry Kudlow. No one he's interviewed or had comment agrees with you. Only the usual badmouthers here agree with you.

Your name being on the FRed ping list hardly constitutes your bona fides as a FRed supporter.

[SnakeDoctor]

>> Nobody? Then what’s up with the vultures flocking around Hunter threads?

As I said - they flock, not to tear down Hunter, but to rally conservative support around a single, electable conservative candidate.

>> Hunter is a social conservative and this is a social conservative forum, so it’s a head scratcher to me why he doesn’t get support.

Hunter isn’t the only conservative in the race ... there are equally conservative candidates with a FAR better shot at winning this thing.

Is it not possible that a “conservative” would support someone other than Duncan Hunter? If not, there are ridiculously few actual “conservatives” in this country anymore ... Hunter’s support is negligible.

I am socially conservative ... and I don’t support Duncan Hunter. I refuse to dedicate my time and money to a candidate, no matter how perfect, whose chance of getting elected is slightly less than Terry Bradshaw’s.

>> Focus your efforts on the nonconservative candidates.

United conservatives can eliminate the non-conservative candidates more easily - but conservatives divided among several candidates can be more easily defeated in the primary. Plus, there aren’t many Rudy supporters here to argue with ... and I grow tired of arguing with the Paul supporters. So - I argue with well intentioned but tragically misguided Hunter supporters.

>> I am coming to the conclusion that the reason why there is so much invective aimed at Hunter is because people disagree with him.

I’ve seen little issue-disagreement with Hunter on this forum. Strategically, however, Hunter is a lousy choice. Conservatism is better served when conservatives unite behind a conservative candidate with a legitimate shot at victory.

However - in either case, I suggest the implementation of Reagan’s 11th commandment (Thou shall not speak ill of a fellow Republican). Lets not rip to shreds our eventual conservative standard-bearer - whether that be Thompson, Romney or Giuliani ... lest we be left with President Hillary Clinton - God help us.

H

[bray]

Interesting that you attack Thompson w/the DNC cliches. You got anything of substance. I would say anyone who was able to win a Senate seat and make a fortune in SoddomWood has enough energy to be President.

Try something of substance or at least leave your DNC talking points.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[SE Mom]

Yikes!

[ejonesie22]

One of my favorite JR posts...

[airborne]

You do more to alienate voters like me than you know.

But since we apparently mean so little to you, I wonder if you care.

And if Hunter is so insignificant, I wonder why you go oyut of your way to insult his supporters.