Who Lost The Debate?

[Dr. Shane]

I don't think there are any winners at this point in the campaign. It is mostly about who is going to drop out and who is going to stay in.

Go ahead and make three choices. Which three were hurt the most?

[phkrause]

Its not even over yet??? From the little I watched I thought Newt, Rommey and Cain did very well. But than I only watched the very end.

[Dr. Shane]

I posted the poll as they were making their closing remarks.

[John317]

Hey Shane, I was busy talking on the phone with my sister and also with my daughter about her new baby boy just born. (She says he looks just like me. haha)

So anyhow I didn't get a chance to watch the debate. I will watch it later tonight.

But how did it go? What did you think? Who did best and who did worst?

[John317]

Its not even over yet??? From the little I watched I thought Newt, Rommey and Cain did very well. But than I only watched the very end.

Both Newt and Cain are good speakers, I think, and of course Newt is a history and political science professsor,

I like Newt a lot but I think he has a lot of baggage to overcome.

I want Romney to do well so he can come out of the debates as a strong contender.

[Dr. Shane]

The talking heads on FOX are saying the Pawlenty was hurt the most. He and Bachmann got into a spitting match a few times and both were probably hurt by it. But Bachmann has more to lose as she is higher in the polls.

None really impressed me with a "Wow!" statement. I think Romney got hit hard on his universal healthcare as governor.

Ron Paul had a lot of good points. I don't think he or any of his supporters expect him to win but rather he is running to have a forum to get his message out. If that is his goal, he was a clear winner tonight as he got a lot of his issues out there into the national discussion.

[John317]

OK, thanks a lot for that info. I definitely agree about Ron Paul. I have a cousin who's big supporter of his. I like some of his ideas, but I wouldn't expect him to win anything except a straw poll. But he always does well in the debates because he speaks his mind, not like a politician who holds things back.

[abelisle]

I liked Ron Paul's iconoclastic thinking and his feistiness for an old guy. He demonstrates some independent thinking that sadly won't be appreciated by the Republican establishment I fear.

I thought the questioners did an excellent job. They sounded like they could have been Democrats (lol) Their incisive questions demonstrated that they did their homework well

Alex

[Dr. Shane]

I agree with Ron Paul mostly on his position regarding the US military being overseas in as many areas as they are in. It costs way too much money. Of course, it is consistent with Adventist understanding of prophecy and the US role in the last days.

[John317]

[lazarus]

Joe Scarborough....... “Michele Bachmann’s first answer was, I wish the federal government had defaulted,” Scarborough recalled Bachmann saying during Thursday night’s Republican debate. “Had defaulted! A week after Americans lost — some of them perhaps lost half of their pensions. Lost half of their 401ks. When trillions of dollars went down the drain with Americans suffering, she said that and got applause.”

“If anybody thinks that guys like my dad are going to be voting that way… they are out of their mind and they are too stupid not only to prognosticate, they are too stupid to run Slurpee machines in Des Moines… Michele Bachmann is a joke. She is a joke. Her answer is a joke. Her candidacy is a joke… Iowa, if you let her win, you prove your irrelevance once again.”

It's fun stuff if you like politics (i do). In a few months things will look very different. Bachmann will be an "also ran". If she's not the GOP.

Romney looked good. Perry will shake things up of course. It's the seasoned campaigner that will probably have the best shot. Mc Cain looked dead in the water last time but he came back!

I'm enjoying this.

[Dr. Shane]

The conservative talking heads today are all saying how bad Pawlenty did in his exchange with Bachmann. I am not a Pawlenty fan at all but to say that Bachmann came out of that exchange looking good is to reveal a deep pre-existing bias for her. Pawlenty accused her of never authoring any legislation. She did not come back and name any that she has. Pawlenty pointed out that every cause she has fought against has succeeded despite her attempts to stop it. Pawlenty referenced the time she was in the state legislature that he was governor, thus contrasting himself as an experienced executive and her as a no-results legislator. Pawlenty accused her have having rhetoric to offer and nothing more. And she was not able to come back with anything other than rhetoric - thus proving his point. How can anyone claim that she came out of the debate stronger than she went into it?

[John317]

I'm not for either one of those candidates, but I also have nothing against either of them, either, so I think I can talk about them fairly objectively. I didn't see all of the debate, but from what I saw of the exchange that you're talking about, I can agree with you that Bachmann did not look good in it. I thought Pawlenty appeared to have the best argument there. Perhaps some observers didn't think Pawlenty should have come out so strongly against Bachmann.

[John317]

People like Scarborough are trying to do the same thing against Bachmann that they tried to do against Palin, which is to demonize them by making them look stupid. Neither woman is stupid. (I'm not for either of them to be president. I'm merely saying it is obvious what the liberal media are trying to do. For instance, the picture by Newsweek, and comments like the ones you quoted.)

Newt looked pretty good in the debate from what I saw of it.

I agree with you that Romney and Perry will be the most likely ones to win the nomination. I won't be suprised if Perry takes it. I'd like to see a Perry-Romney ticket myself.

I well remember Romney's dad, George. How proud he'd be of his son if he wins the nomination and then the presidency or vice-presidency.

If the economy doesn't pick up in a major way, and especially if it gets worse, I don't believe Obama has a chance to be re-elected.

[Dr. Shane]

Ron Paul had a good line about Iran not even being able to refine enough gasoline for themselves. Although I disagree with him in that I do think Iran getting a nuclear weapon is a national security issue in light of the sponsorism of terrorism.

[lazarus]

Ron Paul is probabaly the smartest politician in the GOP line-up but the GOP is so tied to it's dogma they would never go with him. Obviously, his persona is not smooth enough to get elected.

Like I said in another thread Iran getting a nuke will probably be a net positive in the long run and the world will adjust like it did with China, Pakistan etc. It's no biggie.

[Dr. Shane]

Like I said in another thread Iran getting a nuke will probably be a net positive in the long run and the world will adjust like it did with China, Pakistan etc.

Of course there is one major difference. Iran has openly stated that it wants to totally annihilate the nation of Israel. So in order to pretend that it is no big deal, we have to assume they don't mean what they say. I think that is a risky proposition.

[John317]

...I do think Iran getting a nuclear weapon is a national security issue in light of the sponsorism of terrorism.

Definitely. It's no secret that Iran is helping terrorists.

The leader of the country has said that he would like to see Israel driven into sea.

Imagine if the American president announced that he wanted to see China or some other country driven into the sea.

[Dr. Shane]

I guess Pawlenty was a loser since he has now dropped out. Despite Bachmann winning the straw poll, I think Pawlenty hurt her a lot in that debate. After all, she hasn't accomplished anything. All she has to offer is rhetoric. Sarah Palin would be a better candidate for President.

[lazarus]

All she has to offer is rhetoric. Sarah Palin would be a better candidate for President.

The challenge I have will Palin is that, IMHO, she has real trouble in articulating her thoughts clearly. She seems to fall back on a lot colloquialisms. I really feel she generally has a limited knowledge of history, art, politics, geography etc.

I don't like Bachmann's politics but at least she consistently articulate her positions. I'm beginning to believe her crazy talk a couple of years ago was designed to get attention. I think over the course of this campaign we'll see her move to the center on some issues. I think we say her signal that with her comment about gays yesterday.

[John317]

... Palin... I really feel she generally has a limited knowledge of history, art, politics, geography etc.

I've been surprised to see how true this is of a number of the candidates.

[John317]

I AM sure that others will drop out soon

Which ones do you expect will drop out next?

[olger]

Honky's for Herman bumper sticker in Cincinnati :)

[lazarus]

Honky's for Herman bumper sticker in Cincinnati

Why does that not surprise me?

[Dr. Shane]

Palin's big problem has been that from the day she spoke at the Republican convention in 2008 she has attacked the media. Dan Quayle made the same mistake. The media's response to both of them was to make a joke out of them. Both are incredibly smart people that have demonstrated leadership skills.

Bachmann has never done anything. How does she get away from that? I see her as a talking head. She comes off as hot air. Is there anything more there then rhetoric.

I doubt Palin will run. I think she will raise a lot of money for GOP politics and she may try to get a cabinet position in a future administration. I saw an interview of her parents saying that death threats have been made against her and her family members. The interview made it sound like she wouldn't put her family through the process and dangers.