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NBC Florida GOP Debate Post-Mortem

By Aaron Goldstein on 1.23.12 @ 11:09PM

Here are my final thoughts on tonight's Florida GOP Debate in Tampa which aired on NBC.

Rick Santorum - Unlike last Thursday's debate in Charleston, South Carolina, Santorum had a snark free debate. He reserved his criticisms for Newt and Romney for their support on individual mandates, cap & trade and Wall Street bailouts towards the end of the debate. However, both Newt and Romney ignored Santorum's criticisms. I've said it before and I'll say it again. He had a solid, unspectacular debate.

Mitt Romney - There were no awkward answers about when he was going to release his tax returns since he has announced he'll release them tomorrow. All Brian Williams could do was ask him if there were any surprises in there.

Romney most notably had Newt Gingrich on the defensive over his activities with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But otherwise he mostly stuck to the script and yet seemed to be going through the motions. Yet I suspect most of the post-debate will focus on his exchange with Newt which will help his cause.

Newt Gingrich - There were no standing ovations tonight. Romney had him on the defensive over his activities with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Instead of fighting back all he could say was check out my website or that it wasn't true.

After that, Gingrich had a solid debate. Unfortunately for Newt, the exchange with Romney is probably all anyone will remember from tonight's debate.

Of course, even if Newt had his A game he probably wouldn't have got a standing O. The debate audiences at NBC, CBS and ABC behave like they're at a tennis match. The audiences at Fox News and CNN are far more expressive and that works to Newt's advantage. A sedate audience like the one tonight at NBC doesn't play to Newt's strengths. I suspect Newt will fare better at Thursday night's debate which airs on CNN. What will also help him is that the debate is co-sponsored by the Hispanic Leadership Network and Newt is perceived as more sympathetic to Hispanics than Romney.

Ron Paul - He was fine when talking about the federal reserve and the housing market. He's not so fine when he acts like a mouthpiece for Fidel Castro and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Once again, the next debate is scheduled to take place on Thursday night in Jacksonville and will air on CNN at 8 p.m.

View all comments (48) | Leave a comment

bill| 1.23.12 @ 11:11PM

Immigration & GOP:
Majority of Hispanics are uneducated and careless about politics. Regarding immigration, we have laws in the book, and we must enforce them, including deportation, incarceration, and sanction.
Newt needs to clarify his stance on immigration. He supports the military object of the DREAM Act, and it will anger many conservatives. He should stand up with the American people, and voice in enforcement rather amnesty.
GOP does not have to worry about the Hispanic votes. They hate GOP because of lack of proper knowledge and respect to our culture and nation. It's too late for GOP to support amnesty and try to win back the Hispanic votes. The Dems already have stolen them by playing race card and the welfare magnet.
GOP can live without Blacks and Hispanics.

Kingofthenet| 1.23.12 @ 11:14PM

keep telling yourself that...

bill| 1.23.12 @ 11:25PM

Those uneducated and unskilled immigrants, even though they become citizen, do not vote because they lack respect for American democracy, and frankly, do not care about the direction of this country, as long as they can make money.

Clint| 1.24.12 @ 8:23AM

The American Veteran Officer Vs. The 3 Chickenhawaks

Ronald Reagan,
"Ron Paul is one of the outstanding leaders fighting for a stronger national defense. As a former Air Force officer, he knows well the needs of our armed forces, and he always puts them first. We need to keep him fighting for our country."

" Dr. Ron Paul served in the United States Air Force as a flight surgeon for several years (1963-1965). While in the air force, Paul reached the rank of Captain. Directly after his service in the air force, Paul worked again as a flight surgeon for the United States Air National Guard (1965-1968).

" Paul served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s, spending time on the ground in countries like Ethiopia, Iran, Pakistan, South Korea, and Turkey. He also sits on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs."

The Tea Party Rebellion Steps On The Israel Firster Smear Bund Ass Clowns.

Bob Grant| 1.23.12 @ 11:24PM

No more pandering to blacks and hispanics. Pandering gets you ZERO votes. As a matter of fact, it may lose candidates a few.

Educate with open arms. That's as far as it goes.

Jack in Wi.| 1.23.12 @ 11:30PM

Ron Paul has already won. No prowar Republican can be elected President. 70% of the population wants out of our present wars and no war with Iran and 20 dollar a gal. gas.

Occam's Tool| 1.23.12 @ 11:53PM

Jack:

Your boy is gone. He will get clobbered in Florida. Your conversation grows tiresome, traitor.

Jack in Wi.| 1.24.12 @ 12:44AM

Occam: Newt, the Zionist shill, will never get near the Whitre House. Obama will eat him for breakfast. No warminger, chicken hawk, Republican is electable. Obama will be again the peace candidate. He can claim to have gotten Bin Laden, ended the Iraq war and to be bringing the troops home from Afganistan. On the econmy he will blame it all the Republcians. How can an old warmomger, and grifter grafter like Gingrich or an old bankster like Romney answer that? Ron Paul is planning a campaign to win delegates. There are few delegates to the convention at stake in Florida and the cost is prohibitive to compete. Let Gingrich and Romney drop millions destroying themeselves. Ronald Reagan lost 10 straight primaries in 1976 and still came close to unseating a sitting President at the convention. Even if he isn't the nominee, he has won. The party of Bush and the Neocons is history.

chuck| 1.24.12 @ 7:33AM

OT,

Jack is getting increasingly desperate. He used to write each post, but now seems to robo-post the same words. His spelling as gone to hell as well. I can just see the desperation as he's pounding at the keyboard, wondering why the "messiah" just can't get to the promised land.

Clint| 1.24.12 @ 8:26AM

The RINO-CINO Pillsbury DoughBoy Serves As Our Useful Dupe To Extend The Presidential Campaigns, Deny The Ruling Elites' RINO-CINO Frontman, Mittens Romney Enough Delegates And Head To A Brokered Convention.

Go Big Chubby, Go !

9thID| 1.24.12 @ 10:35AM

Lord Farquaad Clint has been doing that for months now...

Hobbes| 1.24.12 @ 10:24AM

Jack in Wi. says Obama will win because Americans will not vote for another NeoCon Chickenhawk. We are tried of going broke to fight meaningless wars in the name of World Policeman. Unfortunately, Obama seems just as eager to fight Iran as Santorum. Ron Paul's is the only voice of sanity in politics.

Mike 3/505| 1.23.12 @ 11:21PM

I am a staunch conservative...but I support the Military portion of the DREAM act...that is the ONLY portion I support. Most military folks do also. We are very solicitous towards anyone who wishes to stand with us and put his mortal body along side ours ours to defend freedom. On the other hand, we absolutely DESPISE the liberal mindset that equates staggering thru 4 years of college as "equivalent value" to the US as serving in the military. OK Rant OFF now.

Regards,

Mike

bill| 1.23.12 @ 11:26PM

Then 10 million Mexicans will invade our southern border and join the US military in exchange of DREAM Act. It's unconstitutional.

Mike 3/505| 1.23.12 @ 11:30PM

bill,

Show me where it's unconstitutional. Fact is, we have been rewarding military service with expedited citizenship for a long time now.

bill| 1.23.12 @ 11:49PM

The Dream Act was voted down by 40-60 margin in the Senate when there were 59 Dems senators. It ain't becoming law in the next 10 years. So, let's put this aside.

Occam's Tool| 1.23.12 @ 11:56PM

Bill: If we get 10 million Mexicans serving 4 years in our armed forces in exchange for citizenship, that would allow for a 100 division army for 4 years. I seem to recall we did quite a bit with a 90 division army between 1941-1945.

Again, the armed forces are a great patriotism educator. These 10 million Mexicans will NOT come out Democrat predominant.

My problem is with druggies and murderers and rapists, not patriots who put their lives on the line for me.

Clint| 1.24.12 @ 8:31AM

Tool Job's The Israel Firster Smear Bundist RINO-CINO , Who Said He'll Vote For The RINO-CINO GOP Frontman, Mittens Romney

The Tea Party Rebellion Is In Florida.

buckeyeman| 1.24.12 @ 10:56AM

I recall reading that letting large numbers of non-citizens into the army with the future promise of citizenship was a large contributing factor to the fall of the Roman Empire.

Bob Grant| 1.23.12 @ 11:33PM

What's the process of allowing illegal aliens entry into our military and providing them guns?

Unless illegal aliens can proves they are willing to put skin in their desired citizenship (willing to die for this country) they should piss off. Put 'em on the front lines of a hot war or let them disassemble live bombs for a year, then we'll talk.

Otherwise, adios muchacho!!

Occam's Tool| 1.23.12 @ 11:52PM

I agree with the military service as a path to citizenship. But four years of University of Miami (for example) is meaningless as a path to citizenship.

As an American citizen, I paid out of state tuition for four years at University of Texas Medical school. It chaps my ass to see illegal aliens getting instate tuition at UT.

bill| 1.23.12 @ 11:22PM

Newt was impassive and failed to hide from Romney-Bombardment. Newt should have explained explicitly and criticized Romney for making an issue something that happened 14 years ago. Newt also should have retaliated citing Romney's stance on TARP and auto bailout.
Romney was offensive and paid off mostly because Newt looked tired and disinterested in engagement. Romney scored some points on his cheap shots earlier on the debate.
Santorum was disciplined and did not look angry unlike prior debates.
Ron Paul needs to work on his foreign policy. He's done anyway for 2012.
Newt wanted a battle, but Romney gave him a war in tonight's debate. Newt must fight back and win it.
Neither Mitt or Newt can afford to lose FL.

RJ| 1.23.12 @ 11:28PM

This debate didn't have the sizzle of the last two debates, but that's OK.

I thought Romney got out maneuvered by Newt when he tried to attack Newt on Medicare and Newt turned to the retired voters of Florida saying he fully supported Medicare, Part D. Same type of thing seemed to happen on Newt's support of a revised Dream Act to regarding military service when Romney said me too.

Salt Lake Ken| 1.23.12 @ 11:30PM

Romney became unhinged. He is starting to look like his front running father in 1967. Gingrich ought to use the term brainwash in an upcoming debate, the door will come off. Romney better leave the negatives up to his surrogates he looked so out of place so cool and in control in the past but tonight an out of control mean vengeful bitter man.

Terry| 1.23.12 @ 11:40PM

I loved the answers for Cuba. Who gives the US the right to tell them how they should run their country. They train most of the Carribean doctors. Yes they have problems but are we forgetting why Castro took over. THE US WAS DEVASTATING THEIR COUNTRY. I am a Canadian and travel there often. I pray that the US stays away from them and I would bet my bottom dollar the they would have NO support from Us or any other country making them a democratic country. Ron Paul was the only one with clear thinking!

Nick| 1.24.12 @ 12:00PM

Terry,

How, exactly, was the United States "DEVASTATING" Cuba, brainiac? Was it in the same way we devastated Canada?

Your pro-Castro, pro-commie message won't fool anyone, here, at AmSpec.

Terry| 1.24.12 @ 6:11PM

Nick, I have been to Cuba, as a matter of fact just got back from there. NOW it was one of the most safest countries to travel in. We do not want the Americans there. (meaning all that travel there) It has nothing to do with being communists. Do you know anything about what Castro did for his people or have you been brain washed by your government.
When Castro took over the country it was divided by the very rich and the extreme poor. He made a difference to the people.
The US shoving their ideas of how people should live it their biggest problem

Nick| 1.24.12 @ 7:04PM

Terry,

Castro is a murdering, freedom-crushing thug. So was his pal, Che.

" We do not want the Americans there."
Who is we, white man?

"He made a difference to the people."
Yeah, he made a big difference to all of those people that he murdered, and their families.

You still didn't answer my question about how the United States devastated Cuba. The only person responsible for Cuba's devastation is el dictator, Castro himself.

There are plenty of websites that like to praise murdering commies. Go pollute their comboxes and leave us alone.

Terry| 1.24.12 @ 8:03PM

Nick, I can see your well educated and have read a great deal. I encourgaed to read more.

From the earliest days of Cuba under Castro, the US imposed harsh conditions on the island state and waged an unending undeclared war against it. It wanted to destabilize the government, kill Fidel Castro or at the least make life so intolerable for the Cuban people, they'd willingly allow themselves to be ruled again by the interests of capital and the dictates of so-called "free market" forces. That many-decade campaign of state-directed terror never worked and likely never will convince the great majority of the Cuban people to favor giving up the essential social gains they now have for a return to what they surely know was a repressive past. They understand if it ever happened, it would be a throwback not just to the days and ways of the hated Batista regime but also to the time US President McKinley "liberated" the island from Spain in an earlier war based on a lie. From that time forward until the Castro-led revolution, the US effectively ruled Cuba as a de facto colony and used it to serve the interests of wealth and power at the expense of the welfare of the people. In his time, McKinley promised to let the Cubans govern themselves after the Spanish-American war, but the dominant Republicans in the Congress had other ideas and were only willing to go along with the island's self-rule if under it the US was allowed "to veto any decision (the Cuban government) made."

Nick| 1.24.12 @ 11:09PM

Terry,

Wow. Could you put any more commie talking-points and bromides into that statement?
You live in fantasyland, and/or, you are a commie propagandist. The two are not mutually exclusive.

On top of being a murderer, Castro has stolen the Cuban people's wealth for over 50 years. Your hero is a vile person. Do you also defend Stalin and Lenin?

Terry| 1.25.12 @ 12:31AM

And you my friend are still living by McCarthyism.
I am tired of all the hatred spued. You are entitled to your opinion Nick. By the way the article was written by an American. Maybe you would like to read the whole thing? Maybe if you had been to Cuba and actually talked to some of the people that live there it would be a much better suited conversation. But I guess we both know that isn't going to happen.
Cheers...

Terry| 1.25.12 @ 12:35AM

And 2000000 tourists a year can't be all wrong.

Nick| 1.25.12 @ 8:32PM

Terry,

Senator Joseph McCarthy was a great American, and, he was right about the commie infiltration of the U.S. government.

Also, I didn't have to visit the countries behind the Iron Curtain to know how oppressed they were. Your logic is as flawed as your commie propaganda.

Terry| 1.28.12 @ 12:11AM

Nick,
I think you might find a few americans that don't agree with you about Senator Joseph McCarthy.
My partner is from a communist country. He left not because of the communist but because of racism.
I am sorry to disagree with you but not all things were bad. No regime is perfect but that is not up to the US to decide I feel. Why not try to make China democratic, we know that is not going to happen either.
Many other countries feel the US is oppressed, maybe not all but many. Your country is in trouble and I think helping the American people is far more important. I am sorry I do not live in fear and I am not using any propaganda. I still dont lock my doors..do you?
I sure don't like the patriot act or the NDAA and not to mention the TSA. If you are comfortable with them..so be it.
So as much as you want to call me a commie or someone spuing propogana, my family is 4 generation Canadians. It is good to be able to look at all sides and not just one..no?

Terry| 1.24.12 @ 8:05PM

And the white man is a vast majority of people that like Cuba the way it is. Without US invention.
It might be hard to digest but it very true!

Nick| 1.24.12 @ 11:14PM

Terry,

"Without US invention [sic]."

Do you mean intervention? Without U.S. invention, the Cubans wouldn't have electricity or cars!

And, if the Cubans don't want U.S. intervention, why do they keep clamoring for us to end the trade embargo?

Terry| 1.24.12 @ 11:44PM

Yes I meant intervention. Maybe you don't know what the sactutions do to the people, but hey your all about Castro and not concerned about the people who live there..right?

Nick, just out of curiosity have you read anything on Cuba. It is quite clear you don't know any and therefore would like to answer for them.

Thank you for your opinions. Although it is quite clear many people in the US are fed the same propoganda that you are trying to feed me. Sorry been there..you have not.

Nick| 1.25.12 @ 8:36PM

Terry,

Now, I think you mean sanctions, correct?
Hey, we're just not intervening in the Cuban economy. Isn't that what you commie sympathizers want anyway? Non-intervention?

Yes, I have read about Cuba. And, I have listened to many Cuban exiles. I trust them more than I do you.

Terry| 1.26.12 @ 12:57AM

Peace

somnolence| 1.24.12 @ 12:04AM

Bill, you are so wrong. Susana Martinez proves that, and I only wish she was running for the nomination.

Don| 1.24.12 @ 12:06AM

A disgusting and facile analysis of Paul's foreign policy. How about America the Brave instead of America the trigger-happy psychopath. Trade sanctions are an act of war. Stop sending the troops to die in needless wars, being financed with created money. Bring the troops home to protect the US border, and stop inciting hatred and wars!

John Wayne's Clone| 1.24.12 @ 1:34AM

This review seems extremely biased against Ron Paul. Is that all anyone can ever get from his debates? The reviews of the other candidates seem like a soap opera, with Romney attacking Gingrich and vice-versa rather than presenting legitimate solutions to America's problems like Paul ALWAYS does.

Hobbes| 1.24.12 @ 10:27AM

That's because Goldstein is a tool for Israel.

Anonymous Person| 1.24.12 @ 2:26AM

LMFAO at how much the article writer wrote about the other presidents vs how much he wrote for paul. Also extremely funny how the biased writer says paul was acting as a "mouthpiece" for these people. My goodness, look what the world has come to. Why can't people just be fair in this world?

Anonymous PErson| 1.24.12 @ 2:27AM

**Presidential nominees**

Susan| 1.24.12 @ 2:50AM

It is simply unthinkable that such a fine new organization could be so biase with their debate of the canidates. There were 4 canidates on that stage but NBC only wanted two of the canidates to speak about their views. Is it not the purpose of the debate to let each and every canidate the chance to answer all questions asked. If there is not enough time to get answers from all the canidates; then don't ask the questions. I am disappointed that the debate was ran at 9pm on the west coast. I like my news live.

martin j smith| 1.24.12 @ 9:36AM

Realistically Newt and Mitt are both insiders and have many common faults that indicate compromise with the status quo. I do not like Romney and because of that only I chose Newt or Santorum as my preferred candidates. My main concern is we have a candidate who really wants to defeat Obama not the candidate who wants to defeat only his Republican fellow contenders and and then give the shop away to Obama. I fear Mitt more than any other on this issue thus I am not happy with him. The RNC ( if they are interested getting voters to vote the R line ) make their policies a big if. And Romney who I believe represents them is not very inspiring and has not sold me on him. He is more interested in Attacking Newt than telling me why he is better than Obama and that he wants to defeat Obama. I am waiting.

Thomas Kissell| 1.24.12 @ 12:59PM

I just wanted to confirm that Brian Williams and the rest of the NBC staff were still on the Democrat Plantation. It's no wonder why your ratings remain at an all time low.