Debate Time!

I watched the debate today and thought Fred Thompson handled himself well. The press agrees. Sort of.

Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) emerged from Tuesday afternoon’s Republican debate, his first, having delivered a solid performance free of major gaffes and largely unscathed by rivals. It probably answered skepticism among pundits and analysts who questioned whether the former senator could go toe to toe with trail-hardened candidates and come out looking competent on the economic issues upon which the debate focused.

The general consensus seems to agree with that. But in my opinion, Giuliani came off the most relaxed, self assured and in control. Romney just seems too slick. And he said he would consult lawyers before attacking Iran if they did something. Next!

The others all held their own, but I think it will be either Rudy of Fred who win the nomination. I would lay odds on Rudy winning, and I said so last year I expected him to get it. Thompson has to win over the fence sitters. Between his hound dog face and his laid back persona, that may be a task. However, a New Yorker probably won’t win the south, so I think Fred has a home court advantage there. He is very Southern, just as Giuliani is very New York. And like Rudy, he has a face people recognize from TV.

If the two of them teamed up they could easily squash Hillary. And I suspect Hillary will win the nomination for her party. The press is already trying to ram her down the Dem’s throats with puff pieces like this. Expect to see more of these.

She is way too careful to pull a Dean scream and implode. Unless some unpredictable event happens, she will be their nominee. Which is funny because this will be the third time in a row the Dems run someone they don’t really like. But their other choices ain’t too hot. Only Bill Richardson is a credible alternative and he’s just not exciting enough.

The Republicans, on the other hand, are starting to look pretty strong. They all came off well, except maybe Ron Paul who is too out of line with the average Republican on issues.

It’s very odd that we have been having these debates all year when the nomination process shouldn’t happen till next year. But now we’re finally getting around to brass tacks. 

I like Ron Paul.  I think he would be great for our contry.  but as you said in yourpost, his views just dont jive with the republicans. (actually, I they probably dont jive with many people.)

I think he would make a fantastic VP.  I think he could really clean up some problems on Capital Hill.  Unfortunately, I think he would kill any hopes of the running mate becoming President.

Posted by  on  10/10  at  05:02 AM

I’m a big fan of Ron Paul. I don’t think he’s really out of step with a conservative viewpoint. I think conservatives have been getting dragged to the left in recent years. The media seem to be defining the “top tier” or “mainstream” candidates based on how much they agree with the liberals. It seems odd to me that we should select a conservative candidate based on how liberal they are and how many times we’ve seen them on TV. We should be evaluating their ideas and their integrity.

I like Huckabee, Hunter, and Tancredo. But I think Ron Paul is the toughest candidate with the best ideas. He’ll get my vote. And Romney, Giuliani, McCain, and Thompson will never get a vote from me. Primary or General.

Posted by  on  10/10  at  06:46 AM

Paul has a lot of fans. The question is, are they as ephemeral as the Deaniacs were. A lot of his positions are classically conservative. But as you say, Steve, the media has shifted the arguments away from core conservative values. And politicians have let them get away with it because they’re afraid of how the media might portray them.

The way they ignore Paul and try to marginalize him shows why they play the game.

Posted by  on  10/10  at  08:21 AM

Paul’s biggest problem is if he got elected he’d have ZERO support in Washington, which would be fatal.  If he managed to get even one or two of his pet projects through I’d be astonished.
Politics is about more than getting elected.

Posted by  on  10/11  at  04:46 PM

Absolutely. The same would happen with any independent candidate, such as a Ralph Nader or Ross Perot.

Posted by  on  10/11  at  06:08 PM

A New Yorker vs. a New Yorker?

SOMEONE has to win the South, and I think a Southerner would rather drink a quart of motor oil than vote for Hillary Clinton.

Posted by  on  10/12  at  06:53 AM
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