Live Thread (CNN Presidential Debate from Mesa, AZ, Feb 22, 8 PM EST)

CNN.com ^ | 02-22-2012 | parksstp

[parksstp]

LIVE DEBATE THREAD (Is it too early to start?)

[Lady Lucky]

Santorum was right that it was a favorable Romney crowd.

Maybe so, but he sounded like he was whining, and spinning excuses. Face it, Ricky got beat up on the playground tonight.

[writer33]

Newt give Obamacare away by supporting the individual mandate for twenty years. It’s really that simple. All Obama has to say is, “You supported it Newt. Why is it wrong now?”

[Repub4bush]

BUMP FOR A BRILLIANT MAN!

[Proudcongal]

We need her. Come on, Gov Brewer, endorse Newt, stand with Newt!

[eyedigress]

Yep. They never mentioned him. When you need to describe a liberal just remember one word.....Deceptive.

[Fledermaus]

If “reproductive health” is the best they can come up with, and so early in the year, then they might as well start packing.

But then again, the Dems helped take out GHWBush in 1992 on something as stupid as cable bills.

[GlockThe Vote]

Newt. Paul Romney Santorum tonight.

[CAluvdubya]

Loved that Brewer mentioned only Newt by name.

BTW, did any one else notice the intense look on Rick Perry's face tonigh as Newt was answering the border question? He definitely turned me around in how I thought about him.

Also, Newt was just down here in San Diego and you know he had to have visited the border crossing at San Ysidro (which is about 40 mles from me). I completely agree with Newt on his border ideas!

[Red Steel]

Just about all CNN talking heads except Gergen and he may have thought too Gingrich was the best.

And Gingrich stood out in Gov Brewer’s mind above all others candidates on the border/immigration question.

All around an excellent debate by Newt.

[maine-iac7]

WEll, post debate - they’ve interviewed SAnctimonious, mittens and paul - then Gov. Brewer - and and - now there’re going to ‘highlights’ -

ummmm what’s mssing?

Oh, yes. I guess they forgot NEWT -

I’m sure that’s not deliberate -

[katiedidit1]

Thanks RitaOK:) Santorum was nailed on title 10..he may have met his demise among many pro lifers IF they listen. He was nailed on his endorsement of Romney by Romney!

I was excited when Gov Brewer said she liked Newt on the borders. Pray she endorses him. I have been going all over facebook on several tea party sites and there is a slew of very staunch Newt supporters. They are anti Romney and Santorum. It amazes me but I have been battling all over the internet for Newt ..twitter, FB, news blogs...lol and sometimes I am not quite the lady I should be but I am fighting until the end! YOU have done a great job in your posts and in your support for Newt. Let's roll Rita!

[Repub4bush]

YOU ARE SUCH A DELUDED PERSON! newt said long ago, that the mandate he supported was not the same thing..

Go on with your Rick love... it is going to get us all killed!

[Utmost Certainty]

Rankings:

1) Newt
2) Paul
3) Romney
4) Santorum

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

——I realize it is politics and “ain’t beanball”, fine, but they can be so petty and shallow (I wonder if even some of them are of age), I still believe it is bound up in the safety of being able to project in cyberspace and hide behind one’s keyboard anonymity, and talk as big as General Douglas MacArthur.-——

Yeah. Anyway, Newt did the best, although it’s probably too late for him. Conservatives have already aligned behind Santorum. Rick held up well under duress, but didn’t land any punches. I thought his defense of his support of Spector was pretty good, and may sway some voters.

The bad news is that Romney did very well. He was well rehearsed, and at times had me forgetting that he’s a phoney. I don’t know if the stacked audience worked for him, or backfired.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Don’t you worry, the audience clearly noticed, and Santorum stepped in some serious cow patty! All the highlights are running the Santorum gaffs and stumbles, complete with temper tantrums and BOOOOOOooooooo’s! Oh, and they ARE showing Newt being the Master Zen of political Academia!

[Son House]

But Newt seems to be the enlightened one who knows it will also take congressional majorities to repeal it,
the others barely acknowledge that.

[writer33]

You’re right. I’m diluted. I believe in conservatism - not the which way is the wind blowing mentality.

[mylife]

Brazille just asked about infanticide and she laments that she wasn’t asked about Satan because it would be her best night.

WTF?

[GOPJ]

Why does CNN have a bunch of OLD hard line liberals talking about the debate? Do we really care what these people think? Not one of them would vote for anyone other than Obama. Let’s hear from conservatives... then again maybe CNN doesn’t have enough to fill a desk...

[Pinkbell]

Amen! My dad, who is not a big Santorum supporter, said that he thought Santorum did well tonight. He wouldn’t say that if he thought Santorum did badly.