I really don’t know. Since I had to work when the debate was on live, I only managed to catch some of the “replay” last night. To be honest with you I wasn’t impressed too much with anyone (although granted, as I said, I didn’t see the whole debate). Maybe it’s some general malaise....or maybe it’s just too early to make a decision on one candidate or the other. This was Thompson’s first debate, so maybe he needs some practice. And the others? Who knows? Maybe it was an off night or something. I didn’t like the questions and I didn’t necessarily like the answers either.
It did occur to me that, in addition to finding the candidate that is most suitable and most in line with the Republican agenda (or at least what that agenda used to be), we need someone to withstand and effectively respond to the propaganda and general b-s from the left. I didn’t see any of yesterday’s participants doing that. That worries me. If we can’t make people understand that failure in Iraq is not an option, or that the “free” health care is not going to be free, we are going to have some real problems come next fall.
No one in the fields of Democrat and Republican candidates inspire. For his first time out I felt Thompson did fine. My concern lay in whether he can inspire the necessary optimism.