Live Thread: Iowa GOP Presidential Debate 9 P.M. EST, 6 P.M. PST 12/15/11 Fox News Channel

Thursday, December 15, 2011 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

The last debate before the January 3rd Iowa caucuses is being held tonight in Sioux City.

We get seven candidates at this debate: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman.

Fox's Bret Baier anchors the debate. Fox News panelists questioning the candidates: Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Neil Cavuto.

[matthew fuller]

Are you on anything?

[presently no screen name]

She threw out a dozen wild allegations and he tried to address as many as time allowed.

EXACTLY! Even if he addressed only one lie - wouldn't that be enough to show what she is? Her credibility doesn't mean much to her since she never presented that lady w/the daughter w/mental retardation because of an injection.

[TigersEye]

Are you over ten years old? Not one post on this thread would indicate it.

[JediJones]

Brit Hume’s eyes almost bug out and he starts talking in a fever pitch whenever he talks about Newt. He seems terrified at the prospect of Newt getting the nomination. O’Reilly has been coming back at him saying that Newt can handle these negative attacks and that America is really looking to elect a “problem solver” this time, whoever that might be, and they won’t be focusing on stuff like the marital issues or stuff that happened decades ago.

I’m trying to remember how all these people felt about Sarah Palin. I wonder if a lot of this comes back to an entrenched mindset that if you don’t have an Ivy League education under your belt and haven’t become a multi-millionaire in the private sector, then you’re not cut out to be a leader in the Republican party. The biggest divide between the Republican establishment and the grass-roots seems to be over class. They certainly seem blind to the fact that Mitt Romney’s status as a Wall Street type of big business tycoon isn’t the most marketable thing to be in this rather anti-Wall Street election cycle.

Hannity and O’Reilly both seem to remain fairly in touch with their working class roots. Hannity definitely is not backing Mitt Romney above other candidates. He’s been trying to be equally fair and defend all the candidates. The only one he’s been negative on is Ron Paul, particularly in regards to his foreign policy. He truly seems most approving of Newt, which could be just because they’ve worked together at FOX for a good, long time. I would say O’Reilly is slightly leaning towards Mitt, because he’s being swayed a little by the electability argument.

[presently no screen name]

Newt won't back off. He will drive BarryO over a cliff.

And then pull his lazy bony *** up to get the grand slam knock out - that's a given - then step over him and get busy forming his administration.

[cricket]

It is funny how the crazies keep insisting Newt is a big Washington insider yet Romney gets endorsements.

Have noted same. . .and all those insiders are paying for those Newt attack ads as well.

[MARKUSPRIME]

You = DU troll go away, Obama is the worst president ever.

[matthew fuller]

"Brit Hume’s eyes almost bug out and he starts talking in a fever pitch whenever he talks about Newt. He seems terrified at the prospect of Newt getting the nomination."

I think that I saw that, and I was really surprised. I have always been impressed with Brit's reserved manner, but he seemed definately shaken by Newt's ascendency to the top.

"Hannity definitely is not backing Mitt Romney above other candidates. He’s been trying to be equally fair and defend all the candidates"

I agree with that, as far as recently. I can't get a feeling about O'Reilley regarding Newt. He was never impressed with Cain or Paul.

[presently no screen name]

but because they fear his REVENGE.

BINGO!!

[JediJones]

O’Reilly definitely dismissed Cain early on and had to eat some crow when Cain rose to the top of the polls. But then he seemed to feel a little vindicated when Cain dropped back down, after he had insisted he could never get the nomination.

I just remembered about the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board crew (actually one of the best FOX News shows, even though it’s only a half hour once a week). I’m not sure how much they’ve been discussing Newt in the paper, but a lot of them seemed very positive on Newt as soon as he started rising in the polls. I think Dorothy Rabinowitz immediately gave him a resounding endorsement. Daniel Henninger seems equally accepting of either Newt or Mitt, and wrote this:

“If Mitt Romney still can’t handle needling attacks on the Massachusetts mandate, there’s not much chance he’ll stand up under the withering mockery of Barack Obama over Bain Capital.”

“Newt Gingrich will either get Mitt Romney into shape for 2012, or he will take Mitt down in next year’s primary contests before the former Massachusetts governor gets himself, and his party, in over his head.”

“If this improbable figure wins those primaries, Newt Gingrich will become the Rocky Balboa of American politics—a flawed, scarred figure who, against the odds, resurrects himself. If he self-destructs in the primaries, he’s gone. If not, he’s got a shot in the general. (As for Newt’s egregious Freddie Mac lucre, let the record show that Rocky was working as a loan shark’s collector.)”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203893404577098513184879948.html

[JediJones]

Can we nominate Newt and have Romney as the designated guy who pardons the Thanksgiving turkeys every year?

[presently no screen name]

You show a lot of ignorance in directing this kind of personal attack on Bachmann.

Get over it - the same tongue she used to try and destroy others, destroyed her.

No one wants Mitt nor the donkey he rode in on - MB.

[PieterCasparzen]

I like Bachmann but when has she called out Romney in a debate?

IMHO...

A lot of folks wonder about that (obviously). Romney has only an outside chance of winning. The polls do not show it. Here's my math:

a) local Republican party organizations exist in every town, country and State. They consist basically of every mayor, dog catcher and State legislature that is Republican and people that are politically very active, at all the meetings, etc. That is the "establishment". This group is only a small fraction of all conservative voters.

b) now there are also all the rest of the population who self-identifies as conservative. They are a far larger group than a).

c) the a) group controls the Republican message

d) the b) group no one ever hears from except at the water cooler and on the internet

e) the b) group overwhelmingly does not want a seasoned politician unless they have a record of being vehemently conservative. This is why Romney's campaign has polled like a hit-and-miss engine while others have gone through stretches where they gained a lot of support and surged. Romney's voters are still limited to the very active local Republican party types, the folks with Republican blinders on and an "R" chip implanted in their neck that every four years starts transmitting a voice into their brain saying "electable" 24 hours a day. These Republicans work too hard at getting Republicans elected to bet on a dark horse. A risky candidate for them is an even money guy; they want the sure thing.

Also, since Michele is far more conservative than Romney, if it came down to those two, like Newt, she would win. Compared side by side, she's the authentic conservative brand, he's the store brand conservative. Really, if it comes down to Romney and any other one candidate, Romney would have his work cut out for him. But if Michele got in the high teens in the polls and could get to the magic 20%, she'd sail past Romney. Since Santorum, Perry and Paul are way down like her, the only guy for her to beat is Newt. Santorum just does not have the support that Newt and Romney have, while Perry has stumbled and Paul will find it very difficult to ever get to frontrunner.

If Michele and Newt go head to head and she starts looking good in voter's eyes and any momentum builds up where some who have jumped on his bandwagon think twice and switch to supporting her, that would snowball quickly.

IMHO, it would be interesting if the Republicans fielded one of, if not the most conservative candidates, a woman, for the Presidential nominee. The excitement would start to swing as some women around the country started wanting to see her elected.

Oftentimes world leaders will start trends and influence society in various ways. IMHO, it would be a wonderful change for America if she were elected that might positively affect faith and family in America.

Say what we will, a Bachmann Presidency would be a wonderful development of the course that was started by Sarah Palin three years ago.

[presently no screen name]

Perry did good. Only Perry and Newt are saying something - the rest is the SOS!

[PieterCasparzen]

If I owned a national newspaper I’d put your post 1699 on the front page every other week.

You’re talkin’ “crazy talk” - a vast populist conspiracy.

Man, next you’ll be saying people can own their own business.

Seriously, that post is a keeper.

[antceecee]

Just watched it online... Newt at his finest.

[presently no screen name]

incredible to watch those eyes glint and move as he shifts about already several remarks ahead of the questioner.

Remember when Newt said he was already editing what he felt like saying? LOL! He had to tone it down lest the thin skinned jump on him. He may not edit anything if barry pulls any crapola. The debate may end up being a teaching lesson on how America takes down evil socialism by Professor Gingrich.

[presently no screen name]

Who is that donor?

[presently no screen name]

Your problem is you can’t understand more than a 10 year old.

[SF_Redux]

>> I agree. Michele has too much makeup on. :-)<<

HDTV has shined light where female news anchors around the country have yet figured out how to deal with ... lol