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The Spectacle Blog
Quin, if Perry got creamed, it was only because all the pies were being thrown at him. He did fine, and if you don’t believe me just ask CNN sage David Gergen. However better Michele Bachmann performed, it was in part because she finally had a chance to weigh in, but also because no one bothered to go after her. All the participants did well, except maybe for that fifth column Jon Huntsman. But just as last week in Simi, California, it came down to Romney vs. Perry. Romney clearly was smoother, but maybe too smooth when he brought up poker only to be nailed by Perry whose eyes lit up at the opening that allowed to say with authentic Texas swagger, “You were doing pretty good until you got to talking poker.” It’s not clear if Romney can take that kind of punch.
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Keith| 9.12.11 @ 11:14PM
Um, no, Perry did not "do fine." The man was barely coherent, couldn't articulate a single idea, from jobs to foreign policy, to save his life, and basically spent the debate claiming that he deserves to be the nominee because Texas is awesome. The thing is, this is the big leagues, and Perry is barely one step above an empty suit as far as national politics is concerned.
The conservative print media desperately wants to anoint Perry the next Reagan, probably because you're so starved for a leader that the rural Republican base and the suits in Washington can both endorse. Guess what: Rick Perry ain't it. He now joins the pantheon of failed future Reagans, such as Fred Thompson and Sarah Palin. Instead of trying to placate the base with a faux-leader who gives off the right "swagger," why not actually rally around the candidate who would actually make the best president, like Paul Ryan or Chris Christie?
redpatch| 9.13.11 @ 12:04AM
Well last I checked Christie wasn't in the race. So if you some know how to get him in why don't you quite posting on message boards online and convince him yourself to run. He said he wasn't going to run and as far as I have seen he does what he says.
The most important thing is a good leader who will bring about a much needed change in direction for this country. Any one of them would do a better job than what is currently being done and that is the most important thing to realize.
Another thing is that all Gop candidates even Perry have gotten more scrutiny by the main stream media already that Obama got in his entire campaign. Can any one remember him being asked a difficult question or having a moderator who phrased questions that put him at a competitive disadvantage?
In fact the few times he has been asked a question by a reporter that were slightly difficult he handled them very poorly.
While it may be true that some of our candidates did not perform as well as some might have hoped it is also encouraging to consider that they handled themselves far better that Obama would under the same circumstances.
Keith| 9.12.11 @ 11:16PM
Oh, and of COURSE David Gergen liked Perry. Gergen is a liberal who wants Obama to win, and he knows Perry can't beat Obama. Please. Now you want us to nominate David Gergen's choice for the presidency? What has the conservative media come to? Try some intellectual honesty for a change.
Pecos Pete| 9.13.11 @ 4:54AM
Keith: You say Gergen "knows Perry can't beat Obama." OOPS, sounds like you don't want to find out if Perry can beat King O.
Who told you that Perry can't beat Obama?
ER| 9.12.11 @ 11:20PM
I agree. I saw Governor Perry admit he made a mistake as a decisionmaker. I saw Romney get guffawed when he whined Obamalike about not getting dealt four aces; I saw Bachman pander Gorelike in scaring "poor little girls" into NOT getting a LIFE SAVING, CANCER-PREVENTING vaccine; and I saw Santorum justify Tetanus vaccine compulsion because it protects the people, but rant against Gardisil because it .....protects , uh, women? I saw audience disdain for Huntsman. But other than Huntsman, all the participants were thoughtful, and definitely paying attention to the real winner tonight, i.e. the Tea Party. Perry is a leader, and like Reagan, has some errors we can point to. Remember, Santorum campaigned for Arlen Spector; and Newt slammed Paul Ryan immediately after the Wisconsin Congressman's thoughtful proposal. Get Huntsman out of there, and let the rest compete on ideas. Go Tea Party!
SarahMcP| 9.12.11 @ 11:35PM
I agree, ER. Perry was the pinata again and he held his own. Romney, to my knowledge, has never admitted a mistake w/Romneycare; everyone has a skeleton or two in his closet. I admire M.Bachmann a lot, but I suspect that she & Pawlenty piled on Perry just a tad too much. Perry, whatever his faults, has the most likable face; looks the most alive, most enthusiastic, most "human", of any of them. When Reagan was running for his first term, WFB commented on his unfailing optimism and good humor: said something to the effect that "I believe that people will follow anywhere anyone who looks like he feels good".
Clint| 9.13.11 @ 6:38AM
Mark Meckler, a co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, singled out Romney's Massachusetts health care plan as a primary reason why the national front-runner for the Republican nomination "clearly has difficulties" with members of the movement.
"He's attached to RomneyCare and has done a poor job of distancing himself from that," Meckler told reporters at a breakfast in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. "I think he probably squandered an incredible opportunity and was probably the best guy to say, ‘I tried this and it failed,' and he has not done a good job of that. So he has taken positions that are contrary to what the average Tea Partier would take -- positions on man-made global warming, positions on energy efficiency. So I think he's in real trouble with the Tea Party base."
Jake| 9.12.11 @ 11:29PM
Did I see a different debate ?
Perry took the incoming from all sides , including Blitzer and remained calm and collected.
He did not pander and did not flinch.
His dry wit and self confidence
were constantly on display.
Romney just tries to hard to be liked and continues to pander.
Huntsman was on his soapbox lecturing .
And the treason remark was a bomb.
Michelle looked so tiny on stage compared to the men.
She spouted memorized stats that blended together.
Santorum has become tiresome with his me, me ,me act.
Newt has become the jovial elder statesman trying to maintain order and reminding everyone of the ultimate goal.
Winning the White House in 2012.
Simon Templar| 9.12.11 @ 11:52PM
That's real nice..everybody saw something different.
How about asking yourself what did the independents and the conservative democrats, and the general swath of Americans out there see. Put down your bias and think honestly about that if you can. That will determine if we suffer another four years and see the nation collaspe.
Fionnagh| 9.13.11 @ 1:53AM
Lifelong Dem here, at least until 11/2008 when I voted McCain-Palin. My preferred 2012 candidate is McCotter, but since he's not polling even the requisite one percent to participate in these debates, I'll stick with the eight who did qualify. Huntsman comes off as insincere, ditto Romney, who just seems to be marking time until he's nominated. Bachmann's love of the Constitution is admirable, but after three debates I've yet to understand her practical platform - unlike Cain, who always provides practical solutions. Santorum appears righteous (Indies don't like zealots) and Paul is a zealot of a different stripe. Perry seems sincere, is unflappable, and gets mega-kudos for opening up the subject of social security, forcing all the other candidates to address it and take a stand. He lost me, however, on providing the children of illegal aliens with free education - not a selling point to a widow helping her two kids through college... That leaves Newt, whose knowledge on both domestic and foreign policy is unsurpassed. Ultimately, my vote will go to the GOP nominee, but I surely would like the latter to be Gingrich.
galloglass| 9.13.11 @ 12:05AM
When did we become the anti-vaccine party??
Sean| 9.13.11 @ 12:16AM
When did we become the "for the children", nanny state, anti parental rights party?
galloglass| 9.13.11 @ 12:30AM
Sean, in public health there is a certain level of coercion, nanny state-ism, that as a conservative gives me pause. However, for most communicable diseases, there is something called "herd immunity" or 80% coverage of a vaccination, which protects those who are unvaccinated. If 50% of a locality decided that they didn't want to be immunized against polio and measles, what would you do?
Sean| 9.13.11 @ 12:54AM
First the 50% vaccinated would generally be safe from those diseases. Those that don't vaccinate assume the risk. Second we are talking about Gardasil which protects against some forms of HPV. As a conservative I think that decision should be in the hands of the parents. Some parents may make the choice not to vaccinate because the adverse risks from the vaccine is actually greater than the risk of their child getting HPV.
We now have government policy that mandates chicken pox vaccines and flue vaccines in some cases.
galloglass| 9.13.11 @ 1:13AM
What if I'm a 6 year old boy and my parents decided that they didn't want to vaccinate me from polio? It appears that Gardasil is effective against the 4 types of HPV that cause cancer. As far as the risks, I think that they are overstated. Many point to CDC statistics of adverse effects, but fail to read the fine print. "VAERS Limitations
VAERS data cannot be used to prove a causal association between the vaccine and the adverse event. The only association between the adverse event and vaccination is temporal, meaning that the adverse event occurred sometime after vaccination. Therefore, the adverse event may be coincidental or it may have been caused by vaccination, however we cannot make any conclusions that the events reported to VAERS were caused by the vaccine."
Sean| 9.13.11 @ 1:45AM
If your parents decide that you don't need the polio vaccine then that is their right. Right now there is no law mandating you have to have it in many states.
Gardasil is suppose to prevent 70% of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer can also be prevented by having pap smears and treatment of abnormal cells.
galloglass| 9.13.11 @ 1:55AM
I'll remember to thank my parents for my shriveled leg and time in the iron lung.
Clint| 9.13.11 @ 6:34AM
Let's see if you can sell Your HPV Vacine Mandate Crap Sandwich t o Real Conservatives galloglass .
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.