I missed seeing the debate live because of a dinner engagement so I am writing my debate thoughts and impressions from watching it on the DVR.
Introductions: *yawn*l
First question: (from the audience) on illegal immigration. Goes to Santorum first. Santorum says that we need to enforce the laws. Strong answer on the multiple laws broken by illegals. He seems to be more comfortable with this debate for some reason...he looks confident this evening. Next goes to Gingrich. Newt says he wants to control the border. Says that visas should be easier and deportation should be easier. I don’t buy the Visa/MC enforcement idea...I’m also unhappy with the community panel idea...sounds stupid. I say send them all home. Romney reinforces his self deportation idea. Throws the responsibility on employers...as an employer I can tell you that I wouldn’t hire anyone who even looks like they might be an illegal if there was a chance I would be sanctioned. Paul’s answer to illegals is to do nothing, I guess. He says we need illegals when the economy picks up...yeah, that’s a winner. And then attacks the Iraq/Afghanistan war as a drain on resources that need to be spent on the border. Idiot. Back to Gingrich...complains (rightfully) about illegals in sanctuaries. Romney gets bitchy about Gingrich’s ad. Looks irritable and crabby. Looks petty. Gets big applause from his supporters, though. Gingrich responds...says that deporting old illegals is bad. Romney gets bitchy again. This is stupid. Gingrich responds again. Romney responds again. English as the official language comes up as a fight between Gingrich and Romney...Gingrich rightfully describes English as the language of success...of commerce.
Second question from audience in Miami: About engaging Latin America economically. Paul says that free trade is the answer...for Cuba, too. Otherwise says stay out of it...none of our business...typical Libertarian response as you might expect. Santorum comes right out of the gate against Paul and Obama. Gives a very forceful answer about standing against Venezuala...about Obongo not standing up for Honduras and Colombia. He is kicking butt when given a chance to speak. Sounds like he is thoroughly engaged. Got good applause. Paul responds with his typical stuff...says that we need to be disengaged and somehow that will influence these countries or something. Santorum responds that Paul is nuts...didn’t listen to his answer. Santorum stands against the commies and the terrorists...and against Obama. Again gets good applause.
Blitzer tells Romney that his attack ad is unfair.
Next, housing. Did the federal government contribute to the collapse? How to phase out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Romney immediately goes back to Newt working for Freddie Mac. This is tiresome. It doesn’t answer the question but instead is a direct attack on Gingrich. Gingrich is going to slam him...immediately appeals to the audience and asks for a show of hands as to who has been affected. Reveals that Romney is invested in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac....gets huge applause. Romney says it’s not his fault...the dog ate his homework. Throws the investment thing right back at Gingrich. Again, this is all tiresome. They aren’t answering the question but instead merely attack each other. Gingrich finally answers the question and says that he would break them up over time. Paul gets to try the question and says that he doesn’t care about Romney/Gingrich bitchiness. Paul goes to his strength and actually lays out how the mess happened and how he would fix it. He rightfully gets some applause with his answer. Santorum says he called for reform and wasn’t listened to. I think he wants to fix it. Then he slams Gingrich and Romney...huge applause and rightfully so for putting those two idiots in their place.
Commercial break.
Next question on transparency. On Romney’s tax returns Gingrich goes after the press and says that it’s a nonsense question. Blitzer doubles down and Gingrich refuses to play. The audience boos (they booed Blitzer). Romney wants to play, though, so Gingrich lets him go after it. Romney looks petty. Gingrich looks good in not wanting to play Blitzer’s game. Romney gets applause from his supporters. Blitzer gives it up. Gingrich slams Blitzer for his personal attack setup questions. Blitzer goes for it AGAIN. Gingrich, unfortunately, takes the bait and answers the question but immediately pivots to actual policy proposals thereby defeating Blitzer’s setup question. Santorum gets to answer about the progressive tax rates...and gives a very good conservative free market answer. Wants to reduce taxes to improve job creation. Wants a simplified tax system. Wants a small capital gains rate...not zero like Gingrich. Paul says to get rid of the 16th Amendment and stop going after the rich. This is Paul’s strong suit, of course. He weaves several of his themes into his answer...we all know them and I won’t repeat them here. Gets big applause, of course.
Blitzer wants Paul to release his medical records for some stupid ass reason. Makes Blitzer looks stupid...not hard.
Next question: What is your plan for space? Romney gets first crack at it...shoots down Gingrich’s plan to go back to the moon. Romney says we need to evaluate it. Have a commission or something to create a plan. Yawn. Can’t wait for Paul’s answer to that one. Gingrich gets a turn at it and says that NASA sucks. Gets some laughs from the audience about how sucky NASA is. Says we need private industry and common sense. Uses prizes to get things going. That’s actually a good answer. Santorum says that we need to inspire young people...brings in the defense angle. Santorum brings up the debt and says we need to be honest with ourselves about spending. He’s right, of course. Paul says no way we go to the moon. Says national defense spending only. Says private industry only for space outside of defense. Kind of a wet blanket and the audience was pretty silent. Gingrich gets a second shot at this topic and really smokes it with his answer...big applause. Romney is totally off base with his negative attitude toward space stuff. Paul slams Newt over fiscal policy. Santorum slams Obama for ignoring the economy and its problems. This resonates.
Next question: What type of hope can you promise for those without health care? Paul starts out with an answer about costs. Says that insurance should be to individuals rather than through institutions. Notes that government involvement increases costs. Gingrich starts out by saying that problem one is not enough jobs. Then goes after real health care reform instead of ObamaCare. Romney agrees with Paul and Gingrich and adds that insurance should be portable and have individual tax breaks for it. Slams Obama.
(this is a lot better debate now that the personal attacks have stopped)
Santorum talks about health savings accounts...and then promptly attacks Romney over RomneyCare. And then attacks Gingrich over individual mandates. Hate to say it but he is right to do so. These guys need to be called out on what they have supported in the past. Gingrich responds by saying that Santorum isn’t quite accurate but it doesn’t sound too convincing. Romney says the dog ate his homework...not his fault. Santorum rebuts that Romney isn’t condemning what he did in Mass. Santorum is ON FIRE on this subject...he came prepared for this debate. Romney tries to respond in a condescending manner and looks a bit unconvincing...stutters in his response. Santorum has done his homework on this and kicks Romney’s ass. Romney looks suddenly weak. Oops. Santorum wins this round big time. Paul finishes this topic out by looking kind of confused.
Next question from the Latino constituency: Wants to know which Hispanic would serve in their admins. Santorum sez Rubio. Gingrich sez Suzzane Martinez. Romney sez Sandoval, Martinez, a few others...trying to win the prize for naming the most names. Paul has no names and limps it back to Libertarian boilerplate themes.
Blitzer preps before commercial break by saying he is going to ask why candidates’ wives would make the best first lady. Give me a break. What a stupid ass question.
So here goes: Paul touts the 54 year marriage, mother, grandmother, cookbook author...Romney sez his wife is a champion and fighter, survived breast cancer and MS and on and on and on...Mormons...what can you say? Gingrich says they would all be good and then goes on about Calista...artistic...yadda, yadda, yadda...patriotic, author...(this is boring, back to real policy please) Santorum’s wife isn’t here but she is his hero, nurse, ethics champ, law degree...mother and wife. *yawn*
Next question: Romney gets questioned on his not running for senate as a Reagan/Bush person. Gives weasel answer. What else could he do? He sucked and everyone knows it.
Next question: Gingrich on how he hated Reagan. Brings up how Michael and Nancy Reagan support him. Pretty much puts down the last 24 hours of attacks.
Next question from the audience: Cuban American wants to know what their positions are on Cuba. Santorum says that we should stand with free Cubans and not with Communist Cuba. This will be a popular stand in Florida with its Cuban population. Attacks Obama in his answer. Paul gets next crack at it and says that he would talk to the Castro boys without hesitation. Romney sez that Obama sucks by ignoring Latin America...hard to argue with that. Then says that Obama has reached out to our enemies. This, too, is also a good point. Gingrich says that Obama sucks because he is focused on arab springs but not Latin American springs. Recalls Reagan/Thatcher and the USSR.
Next question: How is peace brought to the middle east? Romney says that Hamas is the problem. True. Says the Palestinians are the problem. True. Slams Obama. Rightfully so. This is how the debates should have gone with more Obama bashing. Gingrich defends his assertion that the Palestinians were an invented people and then talks about Hamas shooting rockets into Israel. Can’t wait for Paul’s answer on this. Gingrich strongly defends Israel. Paul and Santorum don’t get to weigh in on this one. Too bad. Asshole CNN.
Next question: What to do about Puerto Rico? Santorum admits being friends with PR’s gov. and talks knowledgeably about PR. Says that he believes in PR self determination. Rightly so. They can be a state whenever they want to...they choose not to.
Next question: How would your religious beliefs impact your presidency? Obvious set up question for Romney. Paul gets first crack at it: Paul sez that it wouldn’t do sh*t to how he operates as president. Romney sez that he concurs. Kind of weasely in his answer. He goes on and on and on...babbling. Gingrich says that there are three things. First, agrees with Romney about praying to God. Second, it’s part of who you are. Third, sez there is a war on religion and sez that he will stand up against oppression. Santorum, talks about the Declaration of Independence. Describes the Constitution’s enforcement of God given rights. Faith has everything to do with it. Big applause. Holy cow, Santorum is having a BIG night. This debate might vault him past someone...from third to second. Who knows? He might score really big.
Next commercial break...
Next and last question: Tell voters why you are the one person most likely to beat Obongo. Paul sez he is just darned good and that’s all there is to it. Pure Libertarian boilerplate. Romney sez that he is the only guy to dramatically change DC. Sure. Yeah. Real convincing. Babbling. Gingrich sez his experience is tops. Sez we need a big choice election. Sez he is running for his grandkids. Wants to offer a big choice between freedom and socialism. Santorum sez he agrees with Romney and Gingrich but sez he is better than they are. And then spells out the differences between him and them. Sez they are big government types and he won’t be. He is really benefitting from going last on this question. The clean up batter. He is kicking ass. He is claiming the Reagan mantle.
And that’s it.
Big night for Santorum in my opinion. Gingrich repaired some of the damage inflicted in the last 24 to 48 hours by smacking Blitzer around. Romney looked kind of petty...kind of small. Paul looked like he always does.
