May 15, 2007
Other Thoughts On Tonight's Debate
From a smart Democratic strategist: "McCain was Jeb Bartlett presidential and Giuliani was Clinton/Bush presidential.:"
From a smart Republican: "Marc, you're wrong. Rudy will win the debate because the press will play the exchange with Ron Paul over and over again.":
CBN's David Brody: "No offense to Stella, but if I was going to title this debate, I would call it, "How Giuliani got his groove back."
For me, the moral question of torture in many ways settles this race. Just hearing Brit Hume curl his lips around the phrase "enhanced interrogation techniques" was a brief moment of insight. I was glad that McCain called these hideous methods by their proper name, and that Paul described Hume's weasel words as "newspeak." I was surprised to see Romney so aggressively embrace torture and Gitmo. On reflection, however, I was being naive again. Romney aims to please. He knew where he was - South Carolina. You can largely determine his beliefs in advance by judging the audience he is attempting to win over. For me, then, the debate winnowed the field of candidates down to two: McCain and Paul. That was quick.
National Review's K. Lopez:
"I might have avoided sending out "GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY WINS SECOND DEBATE ADVOCATING A STRONGER AMERICA" as they just did. He had some moments, but he didn't win and saying so while par for the course feeds into the (unfair, IMHO) "he'll say anything" meme."
NBC News Political Director Chuck Toddhttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/:
"Giuliani and McCain looked and acted like the frontrunners tonight. They got opportunities to look presidential and seized the moments. Romney, after a great first debate, turned in a very mediocre performance. Part of his problem were the surprisingly tough questions he received from his inquisitors which seemed to throw him off. But there was something about him that just seemed less present on stage tonight. Maybe it was because he wasn't standing on the far left side of the stage, like McCain this time and Romney was in the first debate."
More pictures:
Posted at 11:27 PM
Comments
Did these guys watch the same debate? McCain was ok, so was Giuliani. If there was anyone who did very well then it was Ron Paul and Mike Huckabi.
Romney was horrible. Was he serious when he said he will double the size of Gitmo? hope he was joking. And don't blame the moderator for his performance. Due to his flipflops he deserved all the questions he got.
Mike | 05.15.07 11:51 PM
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Guess how many times Bush was mentioned? I think it was ZERO times. Everyone running away from Bush legacy.
Sam | 05.16.07 12:06 AM
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I agree. McCain comes off like a Statemen and not the old man telling the kids to get off his lawn, which made him all that more affected when he took out Romney at the Knees. Rudy had the momnent through that will get played over and over again.
Paul8148 | 05.16.07 01:24 AM
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For all the fuss over Giuliani's rebuke of Ron Paul, why no mention (on the day he died, no less) of Jerry Falwell's accusation that homosexuals and the ACLU, among others, "caused" 9/11.
Or would no candidate dare stand up to a bigot???
David | 05.16.07 08:24 AM
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