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.
What? The author must be smoking crack. Perry was painful and I was rooting for him. Newt by a mile.
Like THAT really matters.
If mark levin belives this plan is actually the answer, he just developed a serious credibility problem.
Must be one of Cain’s Crack advisers.
All though I noticed tonight he caught himself when he started to say “my Advisers” And changed it to my plan.
Somehow a guy that has spent his business experience in the fast food industry is hardly an expert on TAX policy.
Ok lol...just wanted to make sure.
Don’t have TV here and it was not on the radio so all I have to go by are the comments. Just wanted to clarify yours. Thanks for clearing that up.
Were the people on this thread watching the same one I did?
You’re all mad, Perry was embarrassed, and unfortunately so.
I wanted him to do well, I really did, but he was sad and got beat by the worst person ever- Mitt R. If you can’t come out looking better than that chump, you need to leave the game.
Good point. But Perry made Mitt look better than he was.
Newt and bachmann were the best
“Perry did well tonight”
Compared to really really sucking, he did “well”.
But that doesn’t mean he did good.
He came off as angry and like he didn’t understand when he was supposed to talk. And Romney called him on that, and the audience supported Romney. Perry is good at fundraising. Maybe he could start fundraising for Cain.
That would be a great service to his country . . .
Go Rick! Go Rangers! :)
RE: i hope the moderator flags this message.
Go ahead and flag the moderator. Heck, I’ll do it for you and Jim as well.
There is no mistake in stating NO MORE Rudy McRomney RINOs!!! Nor tolerating those who tolerate them.
All this thread will prove is that it is too early and that Perry is still in the race. He would still be in the race no matter what because he has MONEY and is still collecting it.
Mitt won
Perry lost.
Enough said/
I agree about Newt winning. Perry has imploded. Romney is DOA with conservatives. Cain and Bachmann have peaked and are on their way down. Gingrich is steadily rising and won’t implode.
Piss on Mitt Romney and his statist-loving sycophants.
9-9-9
Fox News reporting on the The Tax Policy Center analysis of the Cain Plan.
Snips....
Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan would raise taxes on 84 percent of U.S. households, according to an independent analysis released Tuesday, .......
....
households making between $10,000 and $20,000 seeing their taxes increase by nearly 950 percent.
......
Those making more than $1 million a year would see their taxes cut nearly in half, on average, ....
....
Among those in the middle, households making between $40,000 and $50,000 would see their taxes increase by an average of $4,400, the report said. Those making between $50,000 and $75,000 would see their annual tax bill go up by an average of $4,326.....
end snips....
Cain got some ‘splaing to do......
I’ll tack a trained Federal Tax Attorney over a fast food businessman on the subject of taxes any day. sorry.
“Somehow a guy that has spent his business experience in the fast food industry is hardly an expert on TAX policy.”
Actually that’s probably a GREAT place to learn about taxation, its effect on American business, its effect on incentives to grow and expand business, and a GREAT place to learn about what it takes to run a business in the face of overweening government regulation and nanny state involvement in private property rights and business owners’s rights.
So your characterization of “fast food” business really says more about your own ignorance than anything.
I met Rick Santorum last week at a non-political event at a Pregnancy center here in Arlington. I didn't like him until I met him. But his story is incredible. Twice his wife was told to abort because of the baby's health or hers, he has two beautiful children that attest to the doctor's being wrong and their unwavering belief that abortion is never an answer.But, you are right, he doesn't have the support.
I’ll say it. In terms of debating, Romney did just about as well as any of the folks on stage. But the point is, this was no “debate” and nobody really won. This entire exercise is just staged nonsense, devised by liberal media to make all Republican candidates look like nuts or hotheads. Of all of them, Cain and Newt did about the best job to avoid that trap. If I were a candidate, I would announce that I would no longer play the game. Instead, I’d challenge one or more of the front runners to a serious debate, more in the Lincoln-Douglas style.
Yeah, but they use the 14th to justify anchor babies. whodat!
Salesman’s Creed: “Blind them with brilliance, and baffle them with bullsh!t” !
Cain is a pro.
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