Posted on 05/05/2011 5:08:20 PM PDT by CounterCounterCulture
Broadcast on: Fox News
Broadcast time: 9pm EDT/6pm PDT
The Candidates...
Gary Johnson
Johnson served as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2002. He founded what would become one of the largest construction companies in New Mexico. He has competed in several triathlons and climbed Mount Everest.
Herman Cain
Cain is the former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He lost the Georgia Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in 2004. He was recently the host of Atlanta-based radio show.
Rick Santorum
Santorum served two terms in the U.S. House and two terms in the U.S. Senate. He became the Senate's third-ranking Republican in 2001. He was defeated for reelection in 2006.
Ron Paul
Paul is serving his 11th full term in the U.S. House. He’s an obstetrician-gynecologist and was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president in 2008
Tim Pawlenty
Pawlenty served two terms as governor of Minnesota, from 2002 to 2010. He served in the Minnesota House from 1992 until 2002. He is the son of a truck driver.
This is the most intelligent, cogent post I've seen on this thread so far.
How in the H do you have a presidential debate when there is only one declared candidate in attendance?
According to wikipedia... [I know...but they are the only ones that have actual information regarding this mess.]
Individuals who have Declared candidacy are individuals who have formally announced that they are running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 and/or have filed as candidates with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Individuals Exploring candidacy are potential candidates who have formed a Presidential exploratory committee (or other organization) to "test the waters" for a potential presidential bid, but have not officially declared their candidacy.
Currently those individuals are:
Gary Johnson, Former Governor of New Mexico --> Who?
Fred Karger, Political consultant and gay rights activist --> WHO???
Andy Martin, Perennial candidate and Birther movement activist
Jimmy McMillan, Perennial candidate --> Really...Who? Besides, we already had a Jimmy and he was a bomb!
Buddy Roemer, Former Governor of Louisiana
Ole Savior, Perennial candidate --> WHO? We already have a Savior!
Where are these actual candidates?
“Also if Ron Paul had been President we wouldn’t have gone after Osama.”
I’m listening to the debate a second time, missed some before - RP’s against “secret prisons”, “torture” and FOR giving these radical killers habeas corpus. Said enhanced interrogation doesn’t accomplish anything - glad to see Santorum argue with him on this one. Paul’s a nutcase when it comes to terrorism and Islam. His “policies” on this would kill us.
Allen West was preceded by Ron Klein.
“I’ve not paid him any attention. He is a pleasant surprise.”
Have you heard some of his speeches, like at Tea Parties or CPAC? Very impressive. Frank Luntz’s focus group was illustrative - about 35% became new Cain fans by the end of this debate. So many hadn’t heard him before, but once they did, many switched from their original candidate choice.
That was the brief moment there was any actual debate on an issue.
He has a likability issue and came off as defensive and a bit angry.
He spun that he has a history of defeating incumbent Democrats but ignored the huge loss in his most recent election. I didn't get the sense he's over that defeat.
I'm inclined to seek alternatives rather than trading one jerk from the Senate for another. Temperament matters.
MITT ROMNEY was the big winner tonight!
Which conservative is going to stop him in NH, FLA, super-Tuesday? Until MITT is stopped, all this debate is academic. The RINO monopoly will continue ...
‘88 Dole vs. Bush (RINO delight)
‘96 Dole vs. Lamar (Gramm, Forbes, and Buchanan got steamrolled)
‘00 Bush vs. McCain
‘08 McCain vs. Romney
Frankly, if you tell somebody the CAIN’12 campaign is a pipe dream, they won’t believe you. So let them dream.
Cain: never won an election. No government experience. Trying to start from ZERO to winning a Majority in 12 months ... he will succeed where KEMP, FORBES, FRED THOMPSON fell flat!
But, I know a pipe dream when I see it. Looks like the RINO monopoly will continue. (Do I hear Daniels vs. Romney, anyone? (The 2012 version of “RINO showdown”.)
mainly that America will see this stage tonight and think that this is the best that we have... and it is truly a disgusting lot.
I agree. But I am not that sure many Americans will see this. First of all, it was not marketed very well. American Idol is on and that will take a big chunk of the audience including conservatives. So I suspect 2 million out of 54 million we will need to win the election (and in order to receive the electoral college). Just saying.....I don’t think this will make much of an impact.
Am very late getting here...listening to replay isn’t exciting me about any of them... Losing my attention or I wouldn’t be writing this now...Ha!
I just don’t have a good feel about having this debate without those who have not yet claimed they’re running or not... What’s the point? So I agree, the ones that matter are not there.
Many people including Rush has said that any candidate on the sidelines at this point with the nation in the shape it's in either do not realize how badly things are looking for the USA or they do know how badly things are.
or... they do know how bad things are but still put politics above the situation
Paul bots are out - spamming the Cain page - back in true fashion. I don’t know if that is the only page they are spamming.
Tuning in on the re-air beginning Social Issues. I tend to agree with Paul’s position. Herman Cain deriding Obama/Holder for negligence in not defending DOMA.
Johnson gets booed on the position it’s okay to abort up until viability.
Pawlenty articulating the predictable Conservative line. Remind me why we don’t like this guy?
Santorum, getting a big applause on the concepts of inalienable rights. He’s into it advocating family, and life. Rick’s damn good on this issue. Rather have him as a Senator.
Union issues up...
azishot warned me about very early in the evening. I’ve been very busy on Syncro’s FReepathon thread. I hope you were able to see *THE KISS*. I am certain you were pinged.
Cain is probably the Duncan Hunter of this election cycle. Hunter was the most reaganeque of the 2008 candidates, and stood head over shoulders above any other candidate (including McCain's pal, "true conservative" Fred Thompson), but Hunter had absolutely no traction nationwide and was stuck in single digits throughout the primary season. I think Cain is a good honest guy and a fantastic speaker for conservative values, but I don't think he has any chance in this election cycle. If I'm proven wrong and he manages to get more than 3% of the vote in the early primaries, I'd seriously consider voting for him by the time the race gets to Illinois. Until that happens, he's off my radar screen. When your only political experience is coming in third place in a U.S. Senate primary, it's not a springboard to the White House.
I watched the first primary debate of the 2008 election presidential campaign in 45th floor of a skyscraper in downtown Chicago, with a room packed full of conservative activists, hosted by the 42nd Ward Republican Party Organization. It was a lively event, with 12 candidates doing a give-and-take and made even livelier with other conservatives around to react to the proceedings as they unfolded live.
I have to be honest, I didn't watch tonight's debate and the current crop of candidates who showed up are much less inspiring than the 2008 bunch. This campaign season is off to a very slow start compared to its counterpart in 2008. (If procrastinating 2008 Fred Thompson had been put in a time machine and arrived in the 2012 campaign, he'd have a shot, because nobody else is announcing, either).
I'm guessing Cain had conservatives going wild ala Adam Andrejewski on the stump (local Illinois reference, Andrejewski was an unknown businessman who decided to run for Governor and got a bunch of tea parties excited, but despite his supporters constantly claiming everyone was flocking to him, he finished 5th of 6 candidates in the GOP primary), Santorum did his best to sound like a "serious" conservative contender, Paul was Paul (declared everything on the planet to be "unconstiutional"), Gary Johnson was Paul-lite (he's going after the same voter base as Paul, so by staying in the race he makes Paul even weaker than '08), and Pawlenty was drab and scripted but credible.
If I was forced to pick a candidate from those five (and I would really prefer not to vote for one of the people who was on stage tonight), it would be Pawlenty, without enthusiasm. He'd get my vote by default for not being a RINO or quack and having a viable election record. But I liked the pre-2008 Pawlenty much better. (Ditto with the pre-2004 Santorum)
Odd to see a GOP Presidential debate without Romney or Huck, given that they were there on Day 1 of the 2008 campaign. I'm guessing neither will run, although skipping the first debate wouldn't hurt 'em. If Trump had shown up, he'd liven up this debate for sure, unfortunately a bunch of freepers would fall for the B.S. that came out of his mouth. Given that Trump has been yapping about running for President more than anyone else, his absence tonight tells me just how serious his "campaign" is.
Cain responding to Juan Williams question regarding the GOP being union busters... Cain responds the govt should not be picking which businesses should be winners and losers.
Williams to Paul, “is the GOP risking loss of Rep union members?” Paul says no. Paul recognizes the loss of industry implying GOP union members recognize that as well.
Williams to Pawlenty, “Does ID deserve the same attention as EVO”, Pawlenty says do it on balance. Pawlenty comments on unions with family ties and blames the govt for meddling in business. He says it’s now about bashing unions. Pawlenty returns to ID/EVO and says it should be up to the community.
Hannity has been harping on the photo and the “burial” ceremony business for several days in several venues using the exact same verbiage, including tonites interviews with the debate candidates.
While I may agree with him, it’s getting old. He’s not convincing anybody. He needs to get a new life (ie a new subject).
From tonight's debates I see Romney is not the worst candidate in the field. I don't think he'll be the nominee, maybe not even the establishment choice.
His second-place spot in 2008 and his bankroll make him a serious candidate but he needs to win people over who went for McCain back then and that won't be so easy. He many issues weighing him down in the primary from Fill-Flops to RomneyCare to Mormonism.
I'm not finding much credibility in the "RINO" attacks on Daniels. Most of that's from alarmists and agitators. I want to see and hear more from him. A lot more. I'd take a fiscally responsible version of W if that's what he is.
I'm looking at everybody and not waiting for some anointed one to come off the sidelines to save us all.
Chris grilling Pawlenty on his favorable position on Cap-N-Trade. Pawlenty admits he was wrong without any ambiguity.
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