They debate. You decide.
And now: Waiting for dilly-dallying Fred to finally take the stage.
On Leno now at midnight: “I decided it was time for me to step up. So I did.”
Well, yeah. It’s about time.
CampaignSpot has the advance transcript.
Allah has vid of the Huckabee/Paul exchange and much more analysis. FNC’s Luntz-led focus group says McCain won the debate. The FNC text message poll is dominated by Ron Paul dialers. Dan Riehl watched the debate online with the “People Meter” thing running:
I watched the Republican debate via Fox News.com and took advantage of the ability to watch it with the so-called People Meter which gave a running response from two focus group’s reactions to the candidates as they spoke by graphically presenting a mean number. There were two lines, one for moderates, one for conservatives.
Putting the candidates aside for a moment, what I saw was that when the message was win in Iraq, it didn’t matter which candidate was saying it – the numbers for both conservatives and moderates went through the roof. And the stronger the talk, the higher the mean number. The only other issues that came close were immigration and taxes – the more talk there was of lower taxes, the higher the meter went. And moderates, as well as conservatives, wanted straight, tough talk on illegal immigration, as well.
10:27pm Eastern. Scenario time. Brit Hume lays out a scenario involving nuke-producing Iran, kicking out nuclear inspectors, meddling in Iraq, and threatening Israel while the U.N. twiddles its thumbs.
Ron Paul would…consult with Congress to see if it’s a national security threat.
Tom Tancredo: “Political correctness is what’s going to get us killed.”
Instapundit has a good round-up of others liveblogging the debate.
10:21pm Eastern. UNH poli sci major asks Giuliani about family values. Says it’s important to lead by example. Giuliani says he’s not a perfect person, talks about his record as NYC mayor instead. “Obviously, issues in my private life do not affect my public performance.” Mild applause.
10:15pm Eastern. Discussion of taxes and spending. Wallace recounts Romney’s record of raising fees in Mass. Notes he was nicknamed “Fee-Fee.” Romney says he’s never heard that before. David Freddoso pans Romney’s answer.
10:05pm Eastern. Discussion of Gitmo. Retread of the discussion we’ve had in past debates, but Duncan Hunter distinguishes himself by noting that numerous freed enemy combatants have gone back to the battlefield and that Gitmo detainees are treated better than prison inmates in any state/district represented by Dems who want to close the facility.
9:58pm Eastern. A citizen questioner expresses his contempt for Romney’s comment comparing his sons’ jobs on his campaign to military service. Romney says there is no comparison and then segues into a canned speech about war and Islamic jihad.
You know what he should have said to the questioner right off the bat?
“I’m sorry.”
Missed opportunity.
9:45pm. I take a bathroom break and come back to Ron Paul and Chris Wallace in a shouting match over al Qaeda, Saudi Arabia (Paul: “no need for American troops on the Arabian peninsula”), and the war. Brawl! Huckabee once again makes an eloquent statement, countering Paul, to leave with honor. We broke it (Iraq), we have to fix it. Paul says only a few people went to war.
Huckabee: We have to be one country. We made a decision as a country.
Paul: Hisses about neocons. When we make a mistake, politicians have to fix it.
Huckabee: Honor is more important than the Republican Party.
This is about as close to a real debate as there has been the entire campaign season. Kudos to Hume and his panel for allowing it to happen.
9:34pm Eastern. Carl Cameron asks an NH citizen about gay marriage. She opposes banning it. Interestingly, her comment prompts big applause. Brownback supports a gay marriage ban. Equal amount of applause.
9:28pm Eastern. Mike Huckabee’s statement on life was so eloquent I’m not even going to attempt to paraphrase. But I would recommend that every other top-tier candidate ask him for a copy and memorize it.
9:24pm Eastern. Wendell Goler asks Brownback (who?) about Larry Craig (yuck). “He’s taking responsibility in the sense of resigning from office.” Ummm, guess he missed the news. Cluebat in aisle one, please.
Duncan Hunter: “Yeah, he should resign and he should stick with the commitment that he made.” Hunter underscores the difference between Republicans and Dems. Paraphrasing: “When GOP gets in trouble, they resign. When Dem leaders get in hot water, the party makes them committee chairmen.” Big applause.
9:20pm Eastern. Carl Cameron asks a NH citizen–a local cop–about immigration enforcement. “You call INS. They won’t even come down and talk to you. What are you going to do about that?” Giuliani gives a laundry list of things that need to be done: real fence, technological fence, secure ID. McCain asked by Hume: “How do you not call amnesty amnesty?” McCain answers: “Because amnesty means forgiveness.” Blah, blah. Romney points out that the shamnesty bill gave Z visas that would allow illegal aliens to stay here indefinitely. “That’s amnesty.” Yup.
9:09pm Eastern. Chris Wallace asks Romney about illegal immigration, sanctuary cities. Wallace laughs at his own question, pointing out that Romney didn’t police illegal alien lawn-mowers. Romney says people don’t check with contractors (weak, weak answer) and then attacks Giuliani on sanctuary policies and amnesty.
Wallace follows up with Giuliani on his defense of illegal alien sanctuary in NYC. He denies it was sanctuary. Here’s the background.
Wallace goes to McCain for his attack on Romney and asks if McCain himself is playing politics by now backing border security after the shamnesty failure. “We need a temporary worker program,” but now he’ll finally enforce the borders.
Wallace questions Huckabee about his quote last year that immigration enforcement proponents were driven by “sheer racism.” Huckabee deflects. Disappointing. This is Huckabee’s biggest weakness.
Wallace gives Tancredo the floor: “How many months did my colleagues stay silent or were on the other side?..I’d like to see more than rhetoric…It has nothing to do with disliking people who come to this country illegally…It has to do with the rule of law. Does anyone understand that?” Big applause. Excellent, eloquent, succinct. I like that Tancredo took the race card head on. Bravo.
Duncan Hunter, the other stalwart on immigration enforcement, gets to talk about border fencing.
9pm Eastern. Here we go. “The first in the fall” debate opens. Don’t you love Brit Hume?
Interesting. The NHGOP chairman gets a brief opening statement. The candidates are introduced. Romney and McCain get the biggest applause, then Rudy, then the others.
Brit Hume kicks off with a question about Fred Thompson. Who’s made the smart moves here? You or Sen. Thompson?
Huckabee takes the soft-ball pitch. Notes that he gave up a spot on Leno because he’d rather be in New Hampshire.
Ron Paul welcomes him to the race. He’ll help dilute the vote for my benefit because he’ll be pro-war, and I’m anti-war. Paul-ites applaud.
McCain plays the age card: “Maybe we’re up past his bedtime.”
Romney’s jibe falls flat: “Why the hurry? Why not take some more time off?..I agree with all those who have spoken…I’ve done 462 events, town hall meetings. That’s how you get to know people.”
Giuliani jokes: “He’s done a pretty good job of playing my role in Law and Order…this is a nomination you have to earn…not a time to elect someone who needs on-the-job training.” Lots of applause. “America’s at war, not the time for on-the-job training.”
***
“The stage is set. The GOP hopefuls are ready.”
Are you going to watch the Fox News GOP debate? The show begins at 9pm. Will anyone breathe a word about the Fredster and his launch day troubles? Here’s the Leno coverage at WSJ.
IBD reports: “Thompson Buzz Seems To Fade Before His Campaign Even Starts.”
USA Today notes from the debate scene in New Hampshire that there’s a duck walking around:
Getting a fair amount of attention: A man (or perhaps a woman) dressed in a bright yellow duck suit. He (or she) would not answer which candidate he or she supports, but the target was clear: The missing Fred Thompson.
“Fred, Why Are You Ducking the Debate?” said one side of the placard being carried by the mysterious mallard. The other side: “Quacks Should Stay In Hollywood.”
Ouch.
***
Here’s the NYTimes coverage of Thompson’s announcement.
Here’s an FNC piece covering the debate so far.
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Suitably Flip
- No Runny Eggs » Blog Archive » Last Pre-Fred! Debate (I promise) live-blog
- Church and State
- Liveblogging the Republican Debate « Wolf Pangloss
- Sister Toldjah » Fred Thompson officially declares candidacy (UPDATE: REP. DEBATE LIVEBLOGGING LINKS POSTED)
- Neocon News » Debate? Why bother with analysis or reason, it's Ron Paul!
- Liberty Pundit
- Webloggin - Blog Archive » GOP Debate - A Little More Lively
- Back Home Again
- Balloon Juice
- Eric
- race car games.com
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: 2008 campaign, Fred Thompson
Pundit & Pundette
» Our new overlords are just getting started
Daily Caller
» Bart Stupak is either not very smart of he’s not very honest. There really is no other optionNewsBusters.org
» New Republic: Hated Senate ObamaCare Bill Suddenly Becomes 'Masterfully Crafted Piece of Legislation' Upon PassageDoug Ross @ Journal
» Barney Frank on the Rule of LawSister Toldjah
» Time to shame some House Dems, Senator Tom CoburnBetsys Page
» Cruising the Web
Yeah, any interest I may have had in Fred as a candidate has worn off. I appreciate the point he was trying to make about not getting in too early, but his lack of commitment is tedious at best.
Stuttgart Arkansas is known as the duck capitol of the USA.
So don’t be surprised if Huck is a few miniutes late, gotta get out of that costume you know.
PB,
My feeling on Fred too.
After tonight he may be known as the oldman who couldn’t.
I will stay home before I vote for Rudy, a gun grabbin abortionist.
Mitt, I wish he had a real religion.
I think him to be too phony.
Will anyone breathe a word about the Fredster and his launch day troubles?
Sounds like a drinking game.
I’ll sit and watch it. I may even comment just to vent. I hope one of the candidates makes a statement loud and clear that the Republicans will debate on any network and the democrats who want to be President of the mostpowerful nation on earth are afraid to do so. Nothing more or less than the truth.
As I’ve said, I’m done with Thompson. Too slow, too cute, too late. Nothing personal, but this isn’t the right stage for you anymore.
Is that Hsu in the duck Hsu’it?
A big baby duck? Maybe we should call him “Baby Hsuey”.
Brit Hume is already going after Thompson! Way to go, Brit, and great response by Huckabee.
Wow, they’re lighting Fred up right off the bat.
This is already better than a Dem debate ever could be. I like to see candidates being grilled fairly.
The immigration dig at Romney may have seemed harsh, but it is true. These guys need to be able to explain themselves, not take softballs for 2 hours.
Fred really looks pretty out of the loop right now in a way that may just define him for the rest of the election cycle. He’s becoming a joke. Not good for Fred.
I dont think fred is dead yet but McCain just went head first into an empty pool.
PBoiler,
Agreed. Tough, real questions. Any Dems watching are probably terrified that the time will come that they have to do the same. Expect more superior-minded posturing from the Dems to cover their cowardice.
Huckabee compares tracking Fed Ex packages to tracking illegal immigrants. Big applause from the audience for a very smart analogy.
God bless Tancredo. He will never be POTUS, but he speaks the truth.
Go Tanc Go! Took him long enough to get there but the end was good.
Great segment on illegal immigration. terrific!
maybe VP, PB
Problem is, ignorant Liberals eat up their excuses and they are allowed to go through this process without facing tough questions regarding their blatant duplicity.
Hey. Very tough questioning of the candidates from a network that the libs attack as being “right wing”. Doesn’t sound like a debate with right wing bias to me.
Stick another fork in McCain.
PB,
Yep, that is a problem. One reason I’m always shouting angrily about the Dems snubbing Fox news and getting away with it. A night like tonight for the dems could be the start of a sea change.
But no pundits want to make it a big issue.
Yup.
PB,
Yeah, McCain is done alright.
Hunter on Senator Craig; When our party has (a scandle) )the people) leave office. When the democrats have these kinds of problems, they make them the chairman of a committee.
Big applause, well-deserved.
McCain doesn’t get it, I love the Romney response. Right now it is Hunter and Tancredo leading the illegal alien discussion. Huckabee needs to understand that when people cross the borders of the United States, they are breaking the Law. People don’t have the Right to Invade our country it isn’t a little moral discrepancy. There is Legal Immigration and this should be Fair and from more then peoples, coming from South of our Border.
Ron Paul is the Presidential Candidate version of Plan 9 From Outer Space; entertaining in a weird way, but the novelty wears off in a heartbeat.
I couldn’t think of an articulate way to describe my reaction to him, but you pretty much nailed it.
Is our host with us on this tonight? What’s the score on this for everyone so far?
New Hampshire, maybe they should change their motto.
“Live free or die’ of aids”
PB,
I like Tancredo, but I know he isn’t a horse I can bet on.
Rudy seems to be doing the best in terms of defending himself and the crowd seems to like his overall performance.
Ron Paul beats McCain.
1)Romney
2)Tancredo
3)Guillani
Romney just seems like a used car salesman. I don’t believe he believes everything he is saying.
we need tanya
I can’t get my head around the fact that Ron Paul is a GOP candidate.
Wallace just pwned RP.
are they going to kiss?
I was just about to ask if i’m the only one who is beginning to actually seriously wonder if Ron paul is a liberal shill to scramble up the debates and get the liberal message out in conservative venues.
Re Romney as a used car salesman, I liked him alot at first, but i agree. he’s sounding too slick for comfort’s sake.
My take so far:
1. Guliani
2. Huckabee
3. Hunter
Is Ron Paul in the right room?
I’m a Rudy guy, but I’m starting to like Hunter alot.
Michelle said,
Copy that!
Romney’s squirming
My, that was a nice deflection, Romney.
Romney just went dont my list a tad.
Bigtime.
I will be interested in seeing the time counts later. It seems as if the candidates are not quite getting even amounts of time.
Torture? Tough question! Go Fox News!
Is there another board or chat site where this is being discussed as it happens?
michelle is giving live updates at top of page hit you’re home button and refresh
Giuliani is scoring points big time right now. Go Rudy.
I watched Dennis Miller tonight on the Factor he was responding to the Hollywood anti war rhetoric, he said something I agree with “We restablished our Brand” Ron Paul doesn’t get the big picture. Bin Laden said, after 9 11 finally America, has come out of it’s caves. These people have been at War with us for along time. Why doesn’t Ron Paul or some of Hollywood get this?
I am not suprized the Socialist, in our Country don’t like the Iraq War, we took down a Socialist Dictator. Socialist don’t like Democracy or the spread of Democracy.
Thanks. Boy that Lady types FAST!
Captain Ed is also one of those live blogging it at Heading Right http://www.headingright.com/
But Michelle ROCKS!
shes the firecracker! lol
I’ll stay here.
McCain really has no credibility on the stage tonight, I think. It all just seems to ring hollow. Right now it’s about tax cuts, but i just can’t believe him anymore.
This the first debate I’ve watched. Not bad.
Coincidentally, this is the first real debate that has been broadcast.
Great timimg.
Zorro, this one is a big step up from all the others, Republican and Democrat. This is how it’s supposed to be.
I like Tancredo, Hunter and Huckabee, I know Tancredo won’t survive but I do admire him so much. I have been waiting like everyone else for Thompson.
Tancredo
Hunter
Huckabee
Rudy (paraphrased): “You take one pledge, to uphold the Constitution of the United States.” Heh. If only he meant that, the gun-grabber!
Raven: I was in NYC during Rudy’s rien. the transformation was astonishing. Don’t hit him too hard.
i’m willing to look past the dress up stuff.
fred thompson lost another bunch of staffers today. that raises some questions.
I think Rudy just took my top spot. I need to wait for the final 3 top, romney sank mc cain made a small comeback. ron paul is out of his mind.
Ron Paul has used his whiny delivery to pretty much hit every Liberal talking point thus far.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
Rudy’s weaknesses are not about his Enforcement History. Rudy’s weaknesses come from his position on Immigration, Abortion, ect…I don’t think the Base will come out for a Liberal Republican.
No matter how strong Rudy is on Defense, he doesn’t have a monopoly on the Defense position he has taken.
LOL. So it’s beginning to seem!
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?
lol, I havnt heard that in a while.
Rudy goes to Yankees games after 911 and that somehow makes him good on defense? I don’t get it.
Ron Paul is responding on the Iran issue. Where is Ron Paul getting his talking points? Daily Kos?
Huh?
Nobody up there has the manifest, tangible, in-your-face accompishments that Rudy has. That’s a big one. But Ron Paul is up right now – and he makes all the rest look like Plato.
God bless Israel.
1. Giuliani
2. Hunter
3. Huckabee
4. Tancredo
5. Romney
CC, Plato! rofl
“Political correctness is the thing that’s going to get us killed”
Amen to that.
Well, let’s meld them all together and make a Frankenstein’s monster type Republican candidate for 08 – The best parts of each, because not one of them has it 100% right.
Yes, Mr.CC is on a roll tonight.
I like that Huckabee keeps bringing it back to the “American People” he is so different then Kerry in the last election, I thought he was running for President by Campaigning in France.
I think Huckabee is focused and on point.
PB,
I think you have tht list exactly right.
Romney wants a consensus? a committee like the UN?
1. Giuliani
2. Huckabee
3. Tancredo
4. Hunter
5. Romney
this is fun….
LOL. I hate to tell you, this, but already exists, but he already lives and his name is Ron paul. Stupid Fritz! The jar reads “abnormal brain!”
Hunter, If only! I think that I’d give up on Thompson completely if Hunter had a chance. One can only hope.
Do you think he got that idea from Newt?
abby normal
It’s over?!`Already? Shucks.
Rudy points out that Iran would hand nukes off to terrorists. Smack on. Ron Paul is deluded on this.
Problem with his “Reagan talked but he had a thousand missiles pointed at their cities” point is that the nuts in charge of Iran would LOVE to have their people die for Allah. God help the poor Iranian people!
I liked Tancredo, Hunter and Huckabee, and you know what, I didn’t miss Thompson.
I said that earlier today, he moved up my list.
Funny thing is, in Dem “debates” thus far there are more Liberal pats on the back and digs at Bush than actual commentary about real issues. This is the fluff that the Dem base makes their decisions on.
As much as I love to hear Liberals getting taken to task, it is refreshing to hear our candidates actually making real-world points vice simply bashing the other party and making it seem as if our biggest enemy right now is “the other party”.
Whatever candidate gets the GOP nod (excepting Ron Paul), he has my support.
cool! That was a goodie.
Goodnight all now it on to the cubbies and the dodgers.
Are you watching the stuff about the pollster?! Half the room says they think McCain won. Of course, that’s New hampshire, where Teddy Kennedy is regarded as a statesman even when he’s running around drunk in his underpants.
switchback and paul need to get on a bus to france or something.
Yeah, there is something fishy about this polling sample.
Everytime a question is fielded to Ron Paul, in the pause between the question and his answer is a loud clear guffawing dismissive laugh off screen. At first I thought it was from another candidate as it was so close to a microphone rather than from out in the audience, but I am not sure. It even sounded like it could have been from one of the moderators mics. Anyone know who was doing it?
It was particuarily funny when he got called to task if he would attack Iran to stop them from getting a nuke to threaten the world..
I think Ron Paul is just there for a little comic relief.
I have to wait for the re-run, but it sounds good.
I don’t suppose we could get Paul and Kucinich to debate on MSNBC so no one would ever have to watch them.
Paul had to be on acid.
McCain Won? New Hampshire were we watching the same debate? I thought McCain caught his tail in the door more times then not. He just can’t stop beating that dead Amenesty Bill.
When asked about the Iran Issue, there shouldn’t have been talks of consensus and getting the whole world together to take a position on Iran, with us, alot of them like Romney fell down. This is a LEADERSHIP question and McCain did get it right at the end of the day it is up to America.