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The Spectacle Blog
Jon Huntsman betrayed South Carolina’s largest newspaper, The State, by getting out of the race, but did everyone else a big favor. Getting the field down to five candidates was an improvement.
Rick Perry came through with one of his best outings. He gave South Carolinians a strong performance which could spur voters to provide him the support to carry on. He was terrific on federalism, provocative on foreign aid (“take ‘em to zero and then have the conversation”), and said Congress (which polls miserably) should be a part-time body. All in all, Perry sounded like a nearly perfect conservative populist. It was a crime that he didn’t get a crack at the gun control question. That would have been his chance to play Newt. Whether or not Perry is able to compete, he did himself and his supporters a favor with this showing. This was not a guy who has lost interest or checked out.
Mitt Romney continues to look like someone ready to be president. He has worked out the answers he wants to give and doesn’t let others intimidate him. The rare missteps for him are when he is pressed on an issue he hasn’t thought about much (like whether felons can vote). Romney is a control guy and does not want to think about something in front of a few million people. We should probably credit him for that instinct. He benefits when his foes compete well. They all did and will continue to divide support.
Newt Gingrich showed the same killer instinct on stage that brought him into contention in the first place. Juan Williams tangled with him and just made Gingrich look better. You smack Gingrich in the mouth and he just smiles. His basic problem is Rick Santorum. Neither of them seem ready to blink and bail out. Romney will laugh all the way to the nomination.
Rick Santorum performed well and clearly belongs in the mix. Nevertheless, he didn’t help himself trying to make Romney look bad on whether or not to let felons vote. You don’t pick up any GOP primary voters by showing your opponent may be tougher on crime than you are. His best moment was when he talked about the simple habits of work, marriage, and child-bearing that reliably keep people out of poverty.
Ron Paul has the wrong instincts for expanding his base (at least in a primary). The things that seem to really get him passionate in these debates have to do with the left-wing parts of libertarianism such as pacifism, respect for international law, and drug policy. If he wants to push beyond his base of support, he has to emphasize his fiscal program more effectively.
View all comments (33) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Hunter Baker
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/01/17/thoughts-on-last-nights-debate
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Hobbes| 1.17.12 @ 10:00AM
You couldn't be more wrong about Ron Paul. He is no pacifist. He believes in defending America from its enemies, which we cannot do if we are bankrupt.
Haddit| 1.17.12 @ 1:25PM
So I guess the time is now for the Taliban to kick our a$$. "I'd pop a cap in your a$$, If I could afford it." Chris Rock.
Mike| 1.17.12 @ 2:21PM
You are right, he is not a pacifist. He believes in wars against Christians. He will not fight against Muslims, however, even of attacked.
Clint| 1.17.12 @ 4:13PM
" Ron Paul Receives More Military Donations Than All The Other Republican Candidates Combined and More Than President Barack Obama."
"On October 10, 2001, Congressman Ron Paul led the effort in Congress to give President Bush the tools he needed to capture, dead or alive, Osama bin Laden and the other terrorists responsible for September 11th. Dr. Paul introduced on that day H.R. 3076 - The September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001.
If passed, that legislation would have given President Bush an additional weapon against bin Laden. If Dr. Paul's legislation had passed in 2001, it is likely bin Laden would not have been around until May of 2011."
Dr.Ron Paul Voted For The Use Of Force In Afghanistan.
Dr.Ron Paul, " I'll ask Congress for a Declaration Of War against Iran, if necessary,"
The Tea Party Rebellion Is In South Carolina.
Dai Alanye | 1.17.12 @ 6:19PM
RonPaul also leads in number of ex-Obama backers supporting him. Understandable, because Paul and Obama both offer easy, simplistic, superficial and ultimately unworkable solutions to complex problems.
Next time I meet a member of the military I'll ask him or her why (and if) he or she supports Paul. I know the military in my day would have scoffed at such a wimpy candidate.
SC Mike| 1.17.12 @ 10:37AM
Jon Huntsman dropped out of the race on the very day that Columbia’s The State newspaper endorsed him.
I have emailed the editor requesting that the newspaper endorse President Obama as soon as possible.
Capt. Obvious| 1.17.12 @ 3:38PM
Or Romney. Same difference.
bill| 1.17.12 @ 10:42AM
Romney was robotic, as usual,but he was no longer unscratched, and his refusal to fix the SS and Medicare system, his stances on abortion, gay marriage, and gun control will ultimately hurt him in SC.
Gingrich was articulate and provided clear and specific plans on the SS and Medicare. He looked gloomy when he attacked Romney over Super-Pac. He should mention that It was Romney who started the Ad war against fellow Republicans in the GOP race. He was in full control while he answered of his food-stamp and welfare. Gingrich is the winner of the Fox News debate.
Santorum was confusing and angry. His attacks on Romney about felon-voters drew no applause among the audience. He admitted that he would do nothing to fix the SS and Medicare problem, yet he wanted to fix the economy first. Pretty confusing.
Ron Paul was the "father of liberty," but he now became the "father of Black Liberation Theology." His views on social justice and blacks are very disturbing. He was "talking black." Ron Paul will never get the GOP nod and my vote.
Rick Perry was given least amount of time ans was interrupted over and over, yet he was articulate and bold, and showed his charisma and leadership last night. He stood up firmly on the states' rights and his passion for faith and values. He may not win the SC Primary and will remain a viable alternative. He may be in the 2nd place in SC ballot.
Haddit| 1.17.12 @ 1:29PM
I agree Bill. I was in disbelief the whole time Paul was saying Blacks are being persecuted. The bottom line? If ya don't do the crime you wont have to do the time. This division of whites and blacks have gone on long enough. Paul is an embarassment to any party that promotes class warfare.
bill| 1.17.12 @ 2:53PM
Haddit, good comment. Let me add this:
Majority of Blacks are uneducated and unskilled. They are lazy and don't want to work. they are abusing the welfare system and favor big government.
Not everybody borne on poverty, illiteracy and laziness creates poverty.
Poverty and lack of character prompts crime.
Majority of crimes have been committed by Blacks, and Blacks are imprisoned more than Whites, logically.
The American Justice System is fair and balanced. They do not favor any race but reward redemption and hard work. Blacks lack character and perseverance.
Blacks will remain in poverty and incarcerated unless they invest on education and moral character.
The problem with Blacks are themselves, it's not the Judicial System.
Clint| 1.17.12 @ 4:26PM
You're The Embarasssment, Asshat.
Do Your Homework.
" This paper examines 77,236 federal offenders sentenced under the Sentencing Reform
Act of 1984 and concludes the following. First, after controlling for extensive criminological,
demographic, and socioeconomic variables, I found that blacks, males, and offenders
with low levels of education and income receive substantially longer sentences.
Second, disparities are primarily generated by departures from the guidelines, rather than
differential sentencing within the guidelines. Departures produce about 55 percent of the
black-white difference and 70 percent of the male-female difference. Third, although
black-white disparities occur across offenses, the largest differences are for drug trafficking.
The Hispanic-white disparity is generated primarily by those convicted of drug
trafficking and firearm possession/trafficking. Last, blacks and males are also less likely
to get no prison term when that option is available; less likely to receive downward
departures; and more likely to receive upward adjustments and, conditioned on having a
downward departure, receive smaller reductions than whites and females."
http://www.terry.uga.edu/~mustard/sentencing.pdf
The Tea Party Rebellion Is In South Carolina.
Pete| 1.17.12 @ 4:30PM
Since when are libertarians making class distinctions? What happen in every case does depend on individual and situation.
Silvia Marquis| 1.17.12 @ 10:50AM
Spot ON, well put, right on the money (Please excuse the pun). Mitt Romney AKA Bain Capital was exacted a human cost and misery that is incalculable including lost homes, divorces, and suicides. Mitt Romney is just another Bernie Made-off. Mitt Romney made-off with their money :( . Mitt Romney uses a different scam with the same results. Mitt Romney's Bain Capital is immoral and Unethical.
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
buckeyeman| 1.17.12 @ 11:23AM
Bizarre. Do you understand anything at all about the basics of how economies work?
Ryan| 1.17.12 @ 12:33PM
Overstated like a true SuperPAC paid shill.
Al Adab| 1.17.12 @ 11:17AM
Romney v Obama: A distinction without a difference. Whatever became of "A Choice not an Echo"?
Pete| 1.17.12 @ 12:20PM
Oh, they have a different set of cronies to feed.
Purpel Lips| 1.17.12 @ 12:01PM
I will miss Huntsman's quick lesson in Manadrin. Other than that, not sure what purpose the debates have other than helping our Kenyan President to another term.
Haddit| 1.17.12 @ 1:32PM
It will have been old news when Obama's bunch of Commies wish to bring those issues up. Understand now?
Tina B| 1.17.12 @ 12:19PM
When the Lord God began His personal relationship with Abraham and his offspring, the original governmental set up as the Hebrew population grew in number did not include a King. Other cultures had a king, so the Israelites wanted one too.
God was not pleased with this, but gave in to their pleas to be like everyone else. In hundreds of years, Israel had only three good kings, in God's eyes. Only three did not get totally corrupted by power, and that is a very small percentage. And they were called God's chosen people.
It stands to reason, then, that we Americans, who IMHO seem also to have been chosen by God as a nation providing liberty to her people, have also had very few truly good Presidents. This current one may be the worst ever, although that remains to be seen.
To choose a good man to run for President against BHO, or to choose a man who could beat BHO, may be two different matters. I can't say for sure. I think if we want to serve God first, that may involve one decision, and to serve America the country first might just involve a different decision. It is a frightening thought.
I pray, and join with all true Christians who read this and are praying, that God's perfect will be done on that November day so important to America's future. His will be done, through me and through you, in Christ's name I pray.
Haddit| 1.17.12 @ 1:38PM
At the last election, while standing in line to vote, I overheard a woman telling her friend that God will not let this country go to hell in a handbasket. I thought to myself she is right and then later it occured to me that FREE WILL is ours. It is up to us to elect the right person. If you think God is going to intervien and make sure the right person will be elected, I suggest you vote because it aint going to happen. It sure didn't the last one.
Pete| 1.17.12 @ 12:19PM
Romney continues to lie about his inability to control his PAC. It makes him look like a phoney. Romney only wins because 4 guys are splitting the votes. Did this author ignore Ron Paul? How assinine. He screwed up by defending the Taliban.
Haddit| 1.17.12 @ 1:40PM
Lord knows what Paul would have done to those Marines that took a leak on those sorry Taliban donkey holes.
Pete| 1.17.12 @ 4:31PM
He would have defended the Taliban and allowed them to piss on the marines.
TycheSD| 1.17.12 @ 2:59PM
"Ron Paul has the wrong instincts for expanding his base (at least in a primary). The things that seem to really get him passionate in these debates have to do with the left-wing parts of libertarianism such as pacifism, respect for international law, and drug policy. If he wants to push beyond his base of support, he has to emphasize his fiscal program more effectively."
This is a very fair assessment and suggestion.
Clint| 1.17.12 @ 4:15PM
" Ron Paul Receives More Military Donations Than All The Other Republican Candidates Combined and More Than President Barack Obama."
"On October 10, 2001, Congressman Ron Paul led the effort in Congress to give President Bush the tools he needed to capture, dead or alive, Osama bin Laden and the other terrorists responsible for September 11th. Dr. Paul introduced on that day H.R. 3076 - The September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001.
If passed, that legislation would have given President Bush an additional weapon against bin Laden. If Dr. Paul's legislation had passed in 2001, it is likely bin Laden would not have been around until May of 2011."
Dr.Ron Paul Voted For The Use Of Force In Afghanistan.
Dr.Ron Paul, " I'll ask Congress for a Declaration Of War against Iran, if necessary,"
The Tea Party Rebellion Is In South Carolina.
Pete| 1.17.12 @ 4:27PM
Paul foolishly defended the Taliban. Not too smart.
PCP Smoker| 1.17.12 @ 9:37PM
Paul has nothing to do with the Tea Party. Stop mentally masturbating. Other than anti-war and pro-marijuana kooks like you, no one supports Pee-hD Paul.
Clint| 1.17.12 @ 4:56PM
" The New Hampshire Gazette.
The Chickenhawk Hall of Shame
name:
Willard Mitt Romney
rank:
Chickenhawk First Class with Distinguished Fleeing Cross
date-of-birth:
March 12, 1947
home state:
Michigan
missed opportunity:
Vietnam War
excuse:
None to speak of
preferred activity:
Trying to talk people into becoming Mormons
occupation:
Climbing ambition's greased pole
When your daddy's a Governor and a Cabinet Secretary, it's amazing how your odds of being drafted diminish."
The Tea Party Rebellion Is In South Carolina.
Clint| 1.17.12 @ 4:58PM
" The New Hampshire Gazette
The Chickenhawk Hall Of Shame.
name:
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich
rank:
Chickenhawk First Class with Distinguished Fleeing Cross
date-of-birth:
June 17, 1943
home state:
Georgia
missed opportunity:
Vietnam War
preferred activity:
Attending grad school
occupation:
Congressman
A virtuoso in the art of hypocrisy, the former Speaker of the House now claims the Vietnam War was a splendid idea, but at the time he opposed going himself. Newtie also speaks highly of morality, but as a serial adulterer he doesn't want to get too close."
The Tea Party Rebellion Is In South Carolina.
Dai Alanye | 1.17.12 @ 6:24PM
Clint plans to throw his combat awards over the White house fence if draftee Ron Paul fails to be nominated. He can do it because he "Has the hat!"
Mrs. Vito| 1.17.12 @ 6:46PM
Along with his awards, he should also lose the brown acid he takes every day before posting...
PCP Smoker| 1.17.12 @ 9:35PM
Put Romney in a difficult position and he starts stuttering. Get him out of comfort zone like Santorum and Newt did last night, and he becomes incoherent. We would not want to say anything bad about his performance though. The GOP machine, including Senator Grhammensty, just told us he was our nominee.