The GOP debate at the Reagan Library; Update: Say hello to John McCain Edwards the Class Warrior
Scroll down for updates…most notable lowlights: John McCain Edwards playing Class Warrior–trashing the “greedy,” sneering about profits–in the House of Reagan…and here’s the video clip of McCain’s flip-floppery on shamnesty (take a Dramamine before watching)…and read this on McCain’s surge of dishonesty…and here’s the “greedy people” video…speaking of which…
I’ll be liveblogging the GOP debate at the Reagan Library on CNN tonight. The show starts at 8pm Eastern. The campaign season has exposed aggravating deficiencies with these debate forums. Once again, Anderson Cooper will be moderating.
Anderson Cooper: Totally out of touch with conservative voters. Totally out of touch with conservative ideology and Republican politics.
Haven’t we had enough liberal journalists moderating Republican debates, wasting time recycling the same old questions, and trying to play left-wing gotcha?
I made the point last night that minority journalists and regional journalists have secured seats at the table in past debates. Why not informed conservative journalists?
Here’s some food for thought before the debate: Results of the closed poll on McCain vs. Hillary. I kept it accessible only to MichelleMalkin.com registered users, with one vote allowed per day, for cleaner, more useful results (e.g., no Ron Paul trolls). Interesting, no?
***
Commenter AlwaysRight: “Mitt better have a new series of talking points because this is probably his last chance to dent McCain’s armor plating. I don[']t wanna hear any more “Washington is broken” and “shuffling the chairs” talk, coz that ain[;]t getting it done. [H]e needs to firmly but respectfully challenge McCain’s RINOism for all conservatives to see.”
***
Update 8:03pm Eastern. The candidates shake hands with Mrs. Reagan. Seating arrangement from left to right: Huckabee, Paul, McCain, Romney. Cooper’s co-panelists are an LA Times reporter and a Politico reporter.
1st question: Cooper to Romney. Cooper invokes Reagan’s “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” Are Americans better off now than they were eight years ago? Romney: “I’m pleased with what I did in Mass. I’m not running on Bush’s record. Washington is broken.” Well, there’s that talking point. “Middle income families are feeling squeezed, losing their homes, having a hard time paying for home heating oil.” First “change” reference. He represents change.
McCain: “Let’s have some straight talk. Things are tough right now. People are concerned about housing prices, stock market bouncing up and down. What we’re trying to do to fix this economy is important…stumbles while talking about subprime crisis…mentions his support of Bush tax cuts…”
Cooper: “Sounds like you’re saying we’re not better off.”
McCain: “Overall, we are. But right now, people are uncertain. We’ve got to stop squandering, spending spree, sending money to China.”
Huck: I don’t think we are [better off now.] Is Bush responsible for all this? No. But are we better off? No…Hard to pay the rent. Americans are looking for someone to be honest with them…economic populism stump speech…
Ron Paul: “We’re not better off, we’re worse off…it is partially Bush’s fault…Republicans were elected to change the direction of the country…blames foreign policy, empire, etc.
Would it have been so hard for someone to just say: The problem is that we’ve abandoned fiscal responsibility and personal responsibility. As a Republican, I reject the liberal media/Hillary presumption that all borrowers are victims in this. We need to change the borrow-and-spend culture. We need consequences for poor choices and bad behavior. And if if we subsidize it, we’ll get more of it. That has to end.
Would it have been so hard for someone to criticize the economic stimulus boondoggle? Maybe mention the illegal alien tax rebate lunacy? The lard-up?
Romney digs McCain for his NYT endorsement. McCain touts his other media newspaper endorsements.
This debate is very subdued so far. It appears that Romney doesn’t have the fire in the belly to vigorously challenge McCain on anything right now.
McCain disses Romney’s economic record. McCain namedrops Phil Gramm and Jack Kemp for the 1,000th time. McCain brags about Romney’s former lt gov supporting him.
McCain: “I will allow others to judge me by the company I keep.”
Oh, yes, indeed, Sen. McCain.
Romney wakes up. He counterattacks on McCain’s claims about his economic record, notes that his predecessor lost most of the jobs (predecessor is Jane Swift, who supports McCain). He’s on the defensive. He should be on the offensive.
Cooper asks Huck about Rush Limbaugh’s opposition to him. “I wish Rush loved me as much as I loved him.” Launches into his I’m-the-most-conservative-candidate-on-the-stage talking points. Otherwise known as his: “McCain, pick me for your VP!” speech.
Politico guy asks a reader question directed at Romney about fee hikes in Mass. Which, as I recall, has been asked a gazillion and one times before in past debates.
LA Times woman asks if McCain sides with Schwarzenegger or the Bush administration on environmental standards fight. Jokes he’s in physical danger if he doesn’t agree. He agrees because he’s a federalist. Global warming talking points. Says there are no costs of global warming regulation. “It’s no secret that I disagree with Bush administration on acting on global climate change.” Suck up to Arnie time.
See: The enviro-nitwit-ization of the GOP.
Romney now has a chance to distinguish himself: “I think we all agree that America should become energy-independent…but if you put new caps unilaterally, you impose on the American people a huge new effective tax…I’ve lived in the business world, the real economy…you put a big burden on energy, energy-intensive industries move to China…”
Huck sucks up to Arnie. Sides with him.
Paul: “California should do what it wants…we should emphasize property rights…wants to talk about conservatism vs liberalism…Anderson Cooper cuts him off.” That was rude. He’s on stage. Let him finish.
LA Times lady asks Huck about tax rebates, stimulus. He wants infrastructure spending stimulus. “Who’s economy are we stimulating?”
Romney: No question that infrastructure stimulates economy. Romney makes references to “Big Dig.” Badly managed. Stimulus needs to put money in hands of consumers. Road project is not related to short-term economic stimulus.
Paul: “We have a foreign policy where we blow up bridges overseas, then send taxes to rebuild them. EMPIRE EMPIRE EMPIRE.”
Ok, go ahead and cut him off.
Yes, he actually said our troops are sent overases to blow up bridges.
Would have been a nice opportunity for someone to slap Paul upside the head on that.
McCain is asked about housing rescue.
“There are greedy people on Wall Street who need to be punished.”
Not a word about the greedy homeowners and their brokers who pitched in.
Is this the Democrat or GOP debate? I thought John Edwards dropped on. Turns out he’s on stage at the Reagan Library!
8:38pm Eastern. LA Times lady goes after McCain on his Bush tax cut opposition and shifting rationale. He said they weren’t offset, then argued lower-income people didn’t get enough. Which is it? He ignores the question. “Proud to be a Reagan foot soldier.”
Romney: McCain did not support tax cut. He said it was a tax cut for the rich. Federal spending is about 60 percent entitlements, growing like crazy. Military 20 percent. People talk about the remaining 20 percent. We need to go after the entitlement problem. Rein in excessive growth in those areas. Change the deal for younger Americans or we’ll bankrupt the country.
Changing topic to immigration…
8:41pm Eastern. Reader asks Huck about birthright citizenship. “I think the Supreme Court has already ruled on that…switches topic to a secure fence.” Huck preaches his new enforcement gospel.
See: Huckabee retreats on birthright citizenship
See my column on this topic: “What makes an American.”
Romney asked about deportation. “No amnesty” for those here today. Send recent illegal aliens back immediately. For those here five years, with kids, longer, let them stay long enough to organize their affairs, then send them home to get to back of the line.
Attacks McCain’s shamnesty “Z visa.” Stay here indefinitely. It’s a privilege to be here. “People who come here legally are a great source of strength and vitality, but illegal immigration — that’s gotta end.”
LA Times lady goes to McCain. You seem to be downplaying guest-worker program. “People want the border secured first….We’re all in agreement. We will secure the borders first. We know how to do that. I come from a border state.Walls, vehicle barriers, sensors…Then we’ll move on.”
McCain mentions his newfound support for tamper-proof documents.
Will Romney mention McCain’s opposition to the Real ID act or his lousy record on driver’s licenses for illegal aliens?
No.
That’s it for the immigration discussion.
Dittos to Mark Levin: “”I know how to secure the border first, I come from a border state.” “I have heard from the people.” This is the kind of junk that is hard for some of us to stomach.”
Cooper moves to Sandra Day O’Connor. Was she the right choice? Huck says he’s not stupid enough to diss Reagan at the Reagan Library. “History will tell.” Talks about sanctity of life, a topic on which he is more articulate than any of the other candidates. It is appreciated.
Paul: “I wouldn’t have appointed her. I would have looked at someone who was a stricter constitutionalist.”
McCain: Respected the decision, but favors justices like Roberts and Alito with proven record of strict interpretation of the law.
Romney: Same.
8:52pm Eastern. Commercial break.
This debate is illuminating not for any of the questions and answers so far, but for the opportunity to watch the demeanor of the candidates in a high-stakes setting. Romney is doing fine, but there’s no aggression, no fight in him. He seems resigned and subdued. I think he is too nice and too fundamentally decent to dethrone McCain. Accordingly, McCain has settled comfortably into The Anointed role. Huck hasn’t drooled at his feet yet, but there’s still 30 minutes left. Paul worked his EMPIRE and military-bashing talking points in. Mission accomplished.
8:59pm Eastern. Back from break. Romney asked about Peggy Noonan’s Bush-bashing column. Romney defends Bush for war on terrorism. I watch with horror as Dems assert that getting out of Iraq is more important than winning. Romney assails spending, entitlements. Praises NCLB…Cooper cuts off answer…
9:01pm Eastern. LA Times lady asks Romney about McCain timetable charge. “Absolutely, unequivocally not…I do not support that. Never have.” Romney is tentative and nervous.
He should be outraged. He should look directly at McCain and make him apologize, and make him admit it was a lie.
McCain is smirking, blinking, smirking. He smells weakness.
Romney ends stronger by saying the smear falls in the kind of dirty tricks that Reagan wouldn’t have stood for. (Large applause.)
McCain stands by his smear. He has one of Romney’s quote in front of him.
Romney wakes up! He challenges McCain. “How is it that you’re the expert on my position when my position is very clear?’ (Large applause).
McCain tries to weasel out of his smear.
Even Cooper jumps on McCain for misinterpreting him.
Here’s the quote they’re talking about:
Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate who sits atop the GOP pack in fundraising, appears to have grown comfortable with talk of “timetables,” in addition to talk of “milestones,” when discussing U.S. involvement in Iraq.
The former Massachusetts governor is quick to note, however, that these timetables should be private and not published.
Romney Supports Private Timetable in Iraq
When asked by ABC News’ Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America” if he believes there should be a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, Romney replied, “Well, there’s no question that the president and Prime Minister al Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about, but those shouldn’t be for public pronouncement.”
The former governor went on to explain, “You don’t want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you’re going to be gone. You want to have a series of things you want to see accomplished in terms of the strength of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police and the leadership of the Iraqi government.”
When asked a similar question on CBS’s “Early Show,” Romney responded, “Well, I wouldn’t publish [a timetable] for my adversaries to see,” advocating instead “a series of milestones, timetables as well, to measure how well they’re doing.”
“But,” Romney said, “that’s not something you publish for the enemy to understand, because of course they could just lay in the weeds until the time that you’re gone. So these are the kinds of things you do privately, not necessarily publicly.”
McCain challenges Romney’s capability of leading. (Audience boos)
Cooper turns on Romney for not taking position on surge while governor.
Repeats he does not support timetable withdrawal. McCain never raised this in any past debates before Florida. Romney is strong on challenging McCain. “The Washington Post gave you three Pinnochios on it.” (Laughter.)
McCain has the audacity to attack Romney as the negative influence in the campaign. Assails his money.
Paul gets in another anti-war rant. Gets some applause.
Huck complains about not getting questions that don’t involve McCain or Romney.
Waaaah.
9:15pm Eastern. McCain filibusters on surge. LA Times lady to Huck: “When you look at Vladimir Putin, what do you see?”
“Look at what they’re doing, not just what they’re saying….invokes Reagan – Peace Through Strength.”
Romney: “Putin is heading down authoritarian road and it’s very troubling.”
McCain is asked how he is more qualified to lead than Romney on the economy.
He served for “patriotism not for profit.”
More class warfare talking points.
Gag.
He repeats the timetable smear again. What does this have to do with the economy?
Gag.
Romney shakes his head.
He talks about his time in captivity.
What does this have to do with the economy?
Romney ignores the smears. Recites his executive leadership talking points.
At this point, he should have ditched his talking points and talked about integrity.
He should have said:
I won’t lie to you. I won’t smear my enemies. I won’t insult my friends. I won’t trumpet my “Straight Talk.” I’ll just live it.
Politico asks Romney how he is more qualified to run the military than McCain.
Romney: You don’t have to have served to run the military. Regrets he didn’t serve. Talks about lifetime of experience. Abe Lincoln wasn’t military expert, but turned out to be one of the best of the country.
Paul talks about freedom. Government not about managing people’s affairs. All good, but of course he comes back to EMPIRE!
Cooper asks McCain about Romney’s qualifications. “He’s a fine man. He bought and sold and sometimes people lost their jobs.”
John McCain Edwards strikes again.
Disgusting.
Romney laughs. He has so much more class.
9:32pm Eastern. Cooper asks if Reagan would endorse Romney. “Absolutely.” Talks about positions on life, the war, outsider independent status. And Reagan would have said no to McCain Feingold. (Applause)
McCain: “Ronald Reagan would not have approved of someone who changed his positions based on what the year is.”
McCain is saying this? Chutzpah.
Paul: Reagan campaigned for me in 1978.
Huck: Would have been presumptuous for me to say he would have endorsed me. But I endorse him.
Much as I dislike Huck, that’s a good line.
9:36pm Eastern. Debate’s done. McCain shakes hands with Romney.
Hope Romney brought hand sanitizer.
See what others have said
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Trackbacks
- No Runny Eggs » Blog Archive » The 20th and probably last Republican debate
- Michelle Malkin » John McCain vs. the Right: No easy peace; Update:McCain at CPAC
- Webloggin - Blog Archive » Anderson Cooper: Moderator, Debater or Simply a Liberal Hack?
- Riehl World View
- Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » » Medved On McCain & Conservative Anger
- Keith Burgess-Jackson » The Debate
- LIAR « Last Train Out Of Hell
- Nate's Thoughts
- The Other McCain: The Mediocre Communicators
- Is Conservative the New “Dirty” Word? « kavips
- January 30th Republican presidential candidate ‘debate’ | Red Pills
- Kelblogg
- Electile Dysfunction « Obi’s Sister
- An Epiphany? John McCain Was For Benchmarks In Iraq Before He Was Against Them | Stuck On Stupid
- Michelle Malkin » Reagan vs. McCain on profits, business, and the free market
- When we cut off our nose to spite our face…
- When we cut off our nose to spite our face… : ConservaBlogs.com
- Republican Debate: McCain v. the Mitt « Axis of Right
- Michelle Malkin » McCain: “I’ll rely on people to judge me by the company that I keep.”
- The Company McCain Keeps : American Pundit
- On John McCain And The Reagan Legacy at No Man’s Blog
- In bed with lobbyists « Try 2 Focus
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good 1 286
good one 286 how true
Uh, of course I meant country not county. I told you I lost brain cells every time Ron Paul opened his mouth.
“I think Romney got a boost.”
Ah, yes. But is it too little, too late?
Great comment #286
Very few senators have been elected to served as president.
McCain’s closing remarks get a lower rating than Anderson Cooper.
Swartzzzzenggger: Huckabee, I just had a great idea for a slogan…. ‘I Like Mike’. (You have to say it in that Terminator voice)
I think a cage fight would have been more enlightening.
Get ahnold will endorse mccain.
Romney’s idea with not going after McCain is that it does no good to get in the mud with with a pig because the pig likes it.
I don’t have the temperment to be involved in a debate like this. If I had been Romney I would have been sorely tempted to feed McCain that damned tablet he kept writing on followed quickly by the pen he was using for continuing to lie about my record.
Jim C
302…lmao
Yikes. Everyone is endorsing Sheriff Openboarders. Romney has to find a way, McCain must be stopped.
Well, time to go….. its been fun ladies and gentlemen…… thanks Michelle!
Sigh …. Cavuto on FBN reporting that Romney will need all his chief executive skills to turn around the Super Tuesday states polls showing him lagging behind McShameful.
and 306…lmao…maybe i’ve had too much to drink, have to drink to watch anything on CNN
Huckabee needs to get out and stop sipohoning votes from Mitt. He’s our new Ross Perot. And CNN is making McCain looking fine, and making Romney looking on the defensive. Unfair.
Romney did okay I think, but he missed a big opportunity several times. McCain kept inviting someone to bring up Juan Hernandez and noone took the bait.
I also have to say I’m surprised that Anderson Cooper did a pretty good job, and there were a lot of good substantive questions.
Too bad I can’t say the same about the answers.
Anderson Cooper says they “are going to be breaking it down.”
That’s what it seemed like tonight watching CNN – a rerun of Broke Back Mountain. *sigh*
Don’t Republicans watch these debates? How can McCain get any Republican votes?
errah, If McCain “would secure the border first”, why didn’t anderson cooper ask him what he would do second. that would be the tipping point on his canidancy. errah
He’s jockeying for a possible VP slot. You know, the man has to look to the future.
For what it’s worth I give Mitt the win tonight. McCain made himself look pretty bad. I would love to see the Huckster drop out. As usually Ron Paul was out there. I would have liked to see Mitt go for the throat, but he was interrupted just when things were going in that direction.
Thanks again Michelle for covering the highlights and giving us all a place to vent.
Huckabee’s ego is going to put McCain in the White House.
Get out Huck!
unclemonkey, i agree, time for Mitt to get in the mud with the PIG!
Mitt lost the Florida election by what about 92,000…breakdwn:
Rudy and Huckofpoo totaled 542,000, McShame is getting 33% of the republican votes. that would give Mitt the victory by approx. 363,000. phony a$$ primaries with their cross over and party changing votes.
So, don’t give up yet.
what I can’t understand is why did AC ask McCain about Juan Hernandez being on his staff when he knows the guy is for open borders
Michelle, I’m holding you personally responsible for my falling over laughing as McCain and Romney BLINK BLINK BLINKed at Paul’s penultimate EMPIRE speech.
errah why does Mccain remind me of Citizen Kane and Boss Jim Gettys? errah
wow could they downplay mccains poor showing anymore?
Wonderful.
Ahhnold just endorsed McCan’t and the CNN goons are hyperventilating about how McCan’t is picking up momentum.
Do you think John McCain will be as willing to lie about and slime Hillary or Obama in the general election as he was eager to lie about and slime Mitt in the primaries?
Or is McCain going to go all softie-poo and nicey-nice with his two fellow Senatorial buddies?
Seems to me McCain is far nastier, meaner, and pettier with CONSERVATIVES than he ever would be with out and out Liberals.
At least Bill Bennett noted in the discussion that McCain is dodging the questions and not giving “straight talk”, eventhough some of the panel wanted to disagree with him.
JFK being the last one. None since.
The most hysterical part was when McCain had the audacity to call himself a FEDERALIST ROTFLMAO!
AR, I saw the quote here on MM’s blog somewhere the other day, where McCain was joking with Clinton that, if HRC and he got the nominations it would be one of the “most civil” campaigns ever, because they are close and “respect” one another.
Anderson: Senator McCain what are your qualifications to [insert whatever]?
McCain: Because I’m a leader who can lead because I’ve led. I’ve been leading with leadership as my record leads those to see.
A man with a perverse agenda or an empty suit; either one is dangerous.
Mitt needed to deliver a slap-down and fell short. I give Mitt the overall win for this debate but it won’t deliver enough votes.
Well, they are talking about how arrogant McCain seemed always saying how everyone knows who he is and what he has done.
The problem is, I do know who he is and what he has done. That is why I dislike him so. Ugh!
errah, did gloria borger have a facelift? Me likee errah
errah, did john mccain have a facedrop? Me not likee so much errah
Hannity & Colmes had John Cleese in the Republican focus group. He should have been in the debate.
errah my tv has a big red streak across each canidates face errah
He may be a leader. I felt led to go mix myself a stiff drink and, I don’t drink that much.
A great quote about McCain and the Republicans from Ann Coulter:
Okay, if anyone missed it, John McCain masterminded the surge in Iraq. Apparently, Petraeus was just his pawn to hear McCain reinvent how things went down.
Michelle, McCain looked so arrogant with that sickening, leering smile. LOL I’m sounding bitter aren’t I. He took so many ridiculous, cheap shots at Romney. And as Bennett pointed out, when asked tough questions McCain always had the same answer — “Trust me, I’m John McCain”. I believe if most Republicans took a really good look at the two of them, they’d go with Romney. But it’s not going to happen. It’s over, ain’t it. The cult of personality will win. Trust him.
Barry F LOL! I had to get myself a good scotch just to watch.
Oh, and by the way, McCain is gonna be TOAST in the general election debates on the economy if he doesnt go to school real soon.
Turning every economics question into a speech about the surge in Iraq just isnt going to work next October when the real debates take place.
Add to that: swallow my bile.
“Integrity” is not being too stubborn and thickheaded to admit one was wrong, Mr. McCain. Illegal alien invasion, case in point.
# 342 so true It’s almost like he’s “Denny Crane”
It reminds me of the quote that Reagan liked to use when he jested about the federal government – “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
Yeah. “Trust me. I’m John McCain.” *gag*
errah what all the talking heads failed to report on florida’s primary was that the florida republicans are primarily ex new yorker octagenarians and voted for mccain because they liked him and not on his positions errah. this won’t be the case in all the other state primaries. errah
Well, it’s official. Tonight’s debate winner: Fred.
How come Romney was the only one of the candidates to mention that they would appoint justices like Thomas and Scalia, as well as Roberts and Alito? The rest only mentioned the last two.
Word.
John McCain is a very small man. I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.
Mitt said Drill in Anwar! Have waited to hear that from someone gutsy enough to say it.
The Terminator didn’t want to affect the debate, so he’s waiting until tomorrow to announce he supports McCain?
Good job on Glenn Beck this a.m., M.M.
Thanks!
OK, I was softening toward McCain. I really, really do not want a Shrillery presidency. I think her Supreme Court appointments will be a disaster for decades. But the class warfare BS he’s throwing around — and the anti-business crap — man I HATE that stuff. It’s red meat for ignorant, spiteful, envious voters (the Jerry Springer/Oprah crowd), which means the candidate who uses it doesn’t actually believe he has a damn thing to offer except, “Hey, I really want to be President of the United States.” I don’t know if I can pull the lever for him. And I agree with others here tonight: that nasty little smirk. It was positively…Hillaryesque. I’m back to thinking McCain or Hillary — What’s the difference? I don’t really see it, and for the first time in my nearly 50-year life, I may not vote at all. Why bother?
McCain seemed to display the attitude that the debate was really beneath him. He is THE guy, people should believe what he says and ignore the drivel from his competition.
He does not like to be called out on his flip flops, nor will he provide a straight answer on immigration – he’ll build the damn wall all right, to keep illegals in not out.
Juan came across as a real smart ass, and my read is that he is seething underneath; just dying to tell someone to F off.
The more I see of McCain, the more I wonder whether he is all there. And the more I learn of his past, the more I firmly believe he is an opportunist of the first degree who ascribes to the “my way or the highway” mentality. He is not man enough to ever admit a mistake, offering indefensible explanations as to the “truth” that contradict reality, or changing the subject to something within his “safe zone”.
He’s ready to blow his top. And then we’ll see and hear the real McCain.
Anderson Cooper thinks tomorrow night’s CNN Democratic debate will finally be only a two-person tangle. I thought they had been most of the time anyhow. Was Edwards ever really a factor, other than trying to team up with Obama against Hillary as “the other agent of change against the establishment”?
It was good to hear one of the candidates have the fortitude to finally utter those words of wisdom to end our dependance on Middle Eastern oil.
One thing I’ve learned from tonight’s debate: under no circumstances will I cast a vote for John McCain.
Four years as the minority party will strengthen the GOP.
errah why is anderson cooper talking to Jabba the Hut??!! Oh excuse me, its carl bernstein errah
Okay, apart from the fact that Romney should have just reached over and smacked McCain for continuing to lie, even when McCain should have realized he wasn’t pursuasive, I think it was Romney’s debate. Too bad only about 30 people saw it, that being the sum total of CNN’s audience. I think if Romney is going to beat this RINO McCain he’s going to have to convince Republicans that he can beat Clinton or Obama in the general election. I think too many Republicans are voting for McCain because they’re afraid Romney would get his clock cleaned, no matter how right he is on the issues. McCain says HE has never flip-flopped (aside from amnesty, building the wall along the border and voting for tax cuts), and Ronald Reagan certainly wouldn’t have (except he was a die-hard, liberal Democrat before he became a conservative Republican.) At least Romney’s honest about his conversion. This whole thing is making me very depressed, because I think our voters have gone tharn on us. (Editor’s Note: “tharn”, from “Watership Down,” where rabbits get “caught in the headlights” and become stupidly immobilized in critical moments.)
Romnus is the Goldwater here, even though he used to be less compelling. Romney is running on conservative principles even though it is losing. So, why? Why pay homage to the unifying conservative ideology if it isn’t for political gain?
In any case, I call Romney by a Latin name. Romney is already a strong American name, but Romnus is very strong.
What about a Ford/Reagan 1976 comparison?
I did like Huckabee’s turn of phrase there too, Michelle. That was a good approach to take, considering how the others approached it.
Romney 2012!!!
I guess McCain and his “leadership” can go down in history as the candidacy that “leads” to Billary in the Whitehouse again.
What a legacy for the “leader” and his “leadership” to have “led” to such a horrendous event. There’s some “straight talk” John. *sigh*
Geez! I hope Mitt Romney made some headway tonight and some more of the Republican voters came out of their John McCain induced coma.
And, Huckabee, get out of the race. You won Iowa and nothing since. You’re toast. You’re just bleeding votes off the two main candidates. But, then again, he is likely jockeying for a VP slot.
Romney won the debate tonight but he also won the debate in Flordia and it did not seem to matter.What is there to say about McCain except he’s petty mean spitited arrogant and when he’s cornered on a issue such as immigration he won’t really answer the question and gets defensive then starts talking about his military service.
I believe like most he will win the nomination but if he does he will have to do without our vote in the primary and in November.
One last thing for the life of me I just do not understand whyRomney has not caught on.He looks presidential,knows the issues,has better positions on most issues than McCain, is calm cool and collected, isn’t a Washington insider,comes off much better on Tv which is important to the casual voter that doesn’t research issues like most of us here and is a hell of a lot more likeable than McCain in my opinion.
I just don’t understand?
ptn39:
Ditto.
Drudge had the perfect photo up; McCain -fists balled- having a little tantrum; Romney sitting there -hands folded- looking Presidential.
McNasty and Hunkofpoo have struck a deal…maybe VP if he stays in the race and drains more votes from Mitt.
If McCain is the GOP nominee, Conservatives should NOT stay home, but go and vote. Write in Fred Thompson or Duncan Hunter. Do not not vote and just hand over the White House to the liberals. If ever there was a time for Conservatives to send a message, this is it. Let’s push for a write-in of Thompson/Hunter and slap that percentage in the face of the GOP.
R.J.
I agree with the above comment. Don’t give up. The fight has just begun. Personally, as a person who supported Fred Thompson before he dropped out, I’m going to support Alan Keyes. I’m thoroughly convinced he is the man at this time to assume the Oval Office. Go Alan!
Roy
Alan Keyes is the only conservative left in the republican party running for president. And look how the MSM is ignoring him.
Even though the Primary in California moved to Feb. 5th, it still was not early enough, and Thompson left, not to be involved in today’s debate.
Even though they stood on Holy Conservative Ground, in the Shrine to Ronaldvs Magnvs, they still just do not get it. Romney could not bring himself to deal the crushing blow he needed to prove to this country that he was the person that we need to take us forward, to continue the fight agsainst Ialam and to crush the Neo-Nazis inside that religion. McCain did nothing but prove to everyone just what a pathetic little sad person he has become. Judge him by the company he keeps? Oh yes, we have. The man who is buddies with Kerry, Clinton, Obama, Kennedy, Soros, and the who’s who in the world of Liberal freals and tweaks who have sold out this country and themselves. He is going out of his way to show everyone that a vote for him would mean a vote for either party…that it would not matter as he would be doing the bidding of the Liberals in Congress no matter what party he claims to be from. The title “Conservative” coming from his mouth just does not work, and frankly, him saying it at the Reagan Library and not choking on it or being struck by lightining was a shock unto itself.
My whole weight is being tossed behind Mitt Romney. He is the person I wanted should thompson not have joined the race, and now that Thompson has left, I throw my support firmly behind him. I find the fact the this Presidential campaign has become a race between what seems to be 5 complete nut-jobs…completely certifiable whack-a-doo coo-coo-for-cocoa-puffs fruit cakes and two fairly decent humans. The two decent ones being Romney and Obama.
Obama, though, is an empty suit. He has done nothing, has no claim to fame, and the only reason he is famous, is running at all is that he was the Democrats pretty boy in 2004 when he spoke at the Convention and all the women swooned over the fact that the Dems had someone that didn’t look like a burned-out hippy or a reject from Jesse Jackson’s Hate Camps. He has done nothing in the Senate, and if you ask any of his supporters anything he has done or why they want him…it is his looks and youth…period.
I only pray that Romney not raking McCain over the coals tonight does not translate to him being weak on other things. I truly hope that he does have a pair, and they are huge, titanium with a carbon fiber wrapped outer shell, and that eventually…sooner rather than later, SOMEONE on our side, preferrably Romney actually has a squirt of testosterone and starts acting like they actually really want to be President, and takes these freaking Democrats on and starts beating them around like a couple of rented mules.
Enough is enough already.
Yes, “timetable” is a loaded word. However, what is a plan but a series of objectives (milestones) within a series of timeframes (timetables)? A goal without a targeted timeframe is a goal that will never be accomplished, except by accident.
The President has been criticized by people in both political parties for not having a plan to win the peace in Iraq. Doesn’t that mean that he should have private targets or goals by which to measure whether the Iraqis have stepped up so we can then step down? Otherwise, You are just resigning yourself to never withdraw any troops from Iraq.
Is it McCain’s plan to never withdraw any troops from Iraq? Or does he have a plan to withdraw troops when certain goals are met? If he does have such goals, then he, too, has a series of milestones and timetables in mind.
Yeah, he really was sitting in the catbird seat tonight.
McCain was disgusting, there is nothing about him that I could vote for. Romney handled himself well and showed he was first class.
I just finished watching the debate on west coast time. The solution as I see it tonight, and I don’t know if it was suggested before or not, is for Huckabee to drop out of the race tomorrow and allow Romney to announce a Romney-Huckabee ticket going forward from here. With McCain being a third-place finisher tonight, it has to happen now.
CNN sucks.
The Independent voter panel they tested agreed and responded to Mitt’s performance and words.
These results weren’t shown until the last couple minutes of the broadcast after most everybody had switched channels.
They were hiding the panel results and it was b.s.
It’s becoming more obvious, that no matter who we vote for, we’re the losers, come November.
America, are you listening yet?
I have a question for Senator McCan’t.
He asks: Who will tell the soldier in Iraq his mother is being deported?
I ask: Who will tell the mother of a 10 year old girl that her daughter has just been raped and murdered by an illegal alien that should have been deported?
Let’s see McCan’t stew over that one for a while.
Disappointed with Romney…..
I was as disgusted by McCain as everyone else, and for so many things. But take for instance that vile line he keeps repeating “I did it for patriotism not profit…”
Time and again, in every debate, McCain has shown an UTTER CONTEMPT for free enterprise, for “greedy” corporations, for the financial system, for Wall Street, for everything that he seems to think is epitomized by fat-cat Mitt Romney. He is, as Michelle says, a clone of John Edwards and the corporation-hating far left.
And unfortunately Mitt has been too polite and too reverential of McCain’s POW status to call him on this directly.
“You seem to think corporations are the problem and government is the answer” is what Mitt OUGHT to have said to him. “In what way does that make YOU an heir to the Reagan legacy?”
But he couldnt bring himself to it.
when the question to mitt was: What makes YOU qualified to be CIC, he should have said: Reagan didnt graduate from Annapolis yet he made a great commander in chief and there was no greater supporter of the military…”
But he didnt, he waffled around.
Mitt had NUMEROUS chances to Press the issue against McCain but he pulled his punches every time. THAT is what gave slimeball McCain the impetus to attack and smear Mitt,,, because he knew that mano a mano, Mitt would just smile and shake his head.
Reagan would have done MUCH BETTER in any personal attack on him. In fact, Reagan would have eaten McCain’s lunch and spit it out for all to see.
Alas….
I would love to see a Democratic debate with members of the “vast right wing conspiracy” asking the questions rather than the soft ball questions they’re going to get from their cheerleading squad.
Hope Romney isn’t turning into a Thompson-like campaigner.
380 – Great question for McCain!
Reagan used to calmly say, “There they go again!” IMHO Mitt is letting McCain destroy himself.
They still won’t ask McCain the million dollar question…”do you still support citizenship for illegal aliens”? He said he wouldn’t sign his bill, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t sign a bill that contained citizenship. I don’t understand why they keep letting him off that hook.
McCain is showing he has no leadership ability.
What’s McCain’s strategy for victory against terror?
Let’s stay in Iraq for 100 years! How the heck is that a strategy?
What is McCain’s strategy for the economy?
I don’t know much about the economy! Another non-strategy.
Not a leader.