Posted on 10/18/2011 7:08:00 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Bryan Preston
October 18, 2011
There were two Ricks on debate stage tonight, and both came in loaded up and ready to hunt. Rick Santorum threw a blizzard of punches at Mitt Romney early over his claim that as president, Romney, the author of RomneyCare, would repeal ObamaCare. The punches landed and the damage showed on Romney’s face. Rick Perry came in loaded up to speak aggressively for his energy plan, and spoke with an energy and conviction that has not come through in previous debates. Romney came under the most intense fire he has faced in any of the 2011 debates and while he handled it well, the criticisms of his record are legitimate and will sting. Romney’s red face as he tried to to redirect the examination over to Newt Gingrich revealed that he knew the night wasn’t going well for him.
Herman Cain also faced the toughest questioning of any debate so far, regarding his 9-9-9 tax plan, and handled it mostly with his usual humor and wit. The former talk radio host can engage in an open debate with the best of them, but his lack of depth showed in spots. He didn’t seem to know the details of his 9-9-9 plan early on. Cain did do well when discussing his ideas for reforming health care: No mandates, but focus on market-based reforms like allowing purchase across state lines. Nothing new, but nothing wrong with any of it either.
Perry also hit Romney directly for “hypocrisy” for having hired illegal aliens. Romney laughed and denied, but the story has been out there since 2007 or thereabouts. Romney lost his cool, for the second time. Perry scored another direct hit, and Mitt turned red again. The ice man melted.
Perry also did well on the question of securing the border: It’s about a fence, plus other security measures including technology and boots on the ground. Bachmann got in a jab about the president’s illegal alien relatives who keep popping up in the news, before moving on to declare that she would build a fence along the entire border. There is actually less policy daylight between most of the candidates on the border than the stage arguments suggest, but the arguments drew out some personalities, and it’s hard to see Romney benefiting from the exchange.
Tonight’s was the most lively debate, and does have the potential to change the race a bit. Perry came to fight and from tax policy to spending to funding the UN, showed that his issue knowledge is broad. Romney wasn’t prepared to take hits from so many other candidates. Romney’s packed supporters in the audience and other blogs provided some soundtrack to back their man up but I doubt it did much good. Romney’s cool broke too many times for his own good. His whining about being talked over, when he isn’t shy about interrupting others, was entertaining but revealed a thin skin. Romney probably had his best moment during the religion debate, but that’s such tired ground now and Romney has so overreached on that issue that it’s unlikely to make any difference.
This was Perry’s best night. He took control when he needed to, threw the president’s and his competitors’ words against them at opportune moments, and showed a strong and knowledgeable presence going toe to toe with Romney. Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann also had good nights. Gingrich can speak brilliantly on any policy thrown at him. His brief closing statement showed that he is among the adults in the room. Santorum spoke very well on values. Cain and Romney took sustained fire and handled it unevenly. Cain was at his worst on the question of whether he would contemplate releasing terrorists held at Gitmo in exchange for an American hostage. There is simply no way to justify his answer to Wolf Blitzer, earlier today. Ron Paul was, infuriatingly, Ron Paul, capable of saying things at the edge of brilliance but coupling them with statements that make little sense or betray a hole in his moral thinking. While I admire his logical mind, I don’t admire some of the places it takes him.
The clear winner tonight was Rick Perry. He looked like a seasoned leader who has found his voice, at last. Newt Gingrich came in a strong second, Cain and Santorum follow him and Romney follows them. He was strong in spots but had trouble keeping his cool, an d had no good answers to explain his own policy history. Passion is one thing; all of the candidates brought that tonight. Edging close to revealing a Hulk moment is something else.
There was something else different about tonight’s debate. In past debates, Romney’s press team has easily outpaced all of the other campaigns combined in the number of press releases they sent out while the debate continued. Not so, tonight. The Perry press team must have rolled over the Romney team 8 to 1 or more. From the top on down, the Perry team is moving with a new energy.
I frankly thought that Perry and Romney both proved that neither of them is up to the challenge of the presidency. Both acted like snarky middle schoolers, arguing, going for the gotcha moments. Having seen them both going at it like that before, it cinched the deal against both of them for me. Their behavior was horribly juvenile, not the least bit presidential.
I did think that Gingrich came off well, but he does have a lot of baggage. Cain continues to impress me, but he needs to offer a quicker version of his 9 9 9 plan such that it can be more rapidly understood. Bachman was blatantly pandering to the female voter—and I’m female— which turned me off. Santorum did not need to tell us again that he has 7 children and his attacks on Newt was out of line.
In short, enough with the snarky behavior, the childish arguing. When that happens on the news channels or panel segments, I turn it off because that sort of behavior turns me off.
Your Pavlovian dog, knee-jerk response of immediately resorting to childish name-calling is not worth a serious response.
Hiring a yard service that hires illegals is one thing...he kept the service after finding out they hired illegals, and surprise surprise it was later found they still employed illegals and had them again working on his property. His statement that he told the service he could not have illegals working on his property because he was running for President was also very telling. That sounds like he wouldn’t care or would condone it if he wasn’t under scrutiny.
Huh, Even Stephen Moore has said it has to be revised and to drop the Sales tax.
Even his advisers are running for the hills. Just like Trump said it’s catchy 999, when asked if he supported it. Trump said NO. And HE would benefit from it.
The only way that is true is if the line of producers EAT the 9% tax.
Do you REALLY think producers all along the chain of production are going to eat taxes? NO ofcourse not.
That is the definition of a vat tax.
The naive nature of the arguement is astounding. Everyone ASSUMES that Repub nd Dum is Congress will actually pass this nightmare. Well Dums will love it. another tax stream. WWhat happened to the Taxed Enough Already.
Apparently that is dead for Tax Me More.
I frankly thought that Perry and Romney both proved that neither of them is up to the challenge of the presidency.
One day the GOP might get smart enough to cut the DNC from controlling the outcomes of their debates.
Too bad we don’t know which Romney will actually govern.
It always bothered me that people vote for ‘their guy’ rather than the guy that did the best in the debate. When we still had the polls, I always voted for the guy whom I thought helped themselves the most, even if I hated the guy.
I really do miss those polls though, because they cleared up a lot about where people stand and stopped a lot of the astroturf stuff that goes on around here these days.
The problem is that Romney and Perry both rose to the bait, both attacked and counter attacked. Both came off looking like middle school kids. That is not presidential, and tedious at best.
I am not going to blame CNN for both men acting like idiots, and I do not like CNN. Perry and Romney took the bait and then went after each other in the most annoying way possible.
Newt was the clear winner. Perry sounded dum and Bachman and Santorum were irritating.
You're not much smarter than your candidate. No wonder you support La Raza Rick. You just don't know enough to know better.
The only people running for the hills are Perry’s donors. Maybe he can entice them to stay by lining their pockets with more taxpayer dollars. We’ll see.
Your Post 53 is the perfect assessment. Spot on!
Results:
1) Newt (Sarah is right - he will destroy Obummer)
2) Perry (we need a hard-ass like him in the White House)
3) Cain (wheels are coming off 9-9-9)
4) Mitt (very slick at saying whatever you want to hear)
Time to exit the stage: Santorum, Paul, Bachmann
The so called ‘contractor’ was a friend of Romney's from his church. Romney knew there was illegals working at his house and did nothing about it. They worked there for several years.
Romney flat out lied in the debate. Any defenses of Romney on this is just spin to cover his lies.
I would rather have Cain than Romney. I would rather have Perry than Cain or Romney. Perry knows the energy industry and the border problem. Cain and Romney lack his expertise on both. I'd rather have anyone except Paul than Romney.
You said at this point Cain is more viable than Perry. I think that's a subjective opinion, because financially and structurally, its the other way around. Depends how you want to look at that.
Bump!!
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