GOP Presidential Debate - Discussion Thread

[YRABNNRM]

Is it me or do I sense more excitement buzzing around tonight's GOP debates than the Dem debates of last week?

Indeed but I would say that's because there is no incumbent president/VP in the race and we haven't seen a GOP debate in seven years so it will really be something different, unlike the Democratic debate which could've been shown with a date from 2004 and no one would know the difference.

Here is my prediction:  ratings for the GOP debate will be alot greater than for the Dem debates.   just another early warning sign that 2008 will not be a Democratic year

I'm not really seeing the correlation.

[StateBoiler]

Is it me or do I sense more excitement buzzing around tonight's GOP debates than the Dem debates of last week? 

Here is my prediction:  ratings for the GOP debate will be alot greater than for the Dem debates.   just another early warning sign that 2008 will not be a Democratic year

I'm thinking that part of it is that a lot of people are wondering what the Republican hopefuls' opinion on the current President is. With the Dems, we all knew ahead of time. You're going to get a lot more argument on this point with the Republicans. If Bush gets thrown under a bus tonight (very unlikely), one could make the argument that he's a lame duck with 20 months left in his term. If everyone champions him tonight, we'll know that the Republican Party, despite misgivings, are still steadfast in support of the President's policies in Iraq.

Plus, Republicans are not as tied together as the Democrats are, there are a lot more different opinions on stage tonight.

[TheresNoMoney]

If Bush gets thrown under a bus tonight (very unlikely), one could make the argument that he's a lame duck with 20 months left in his term.

Ummm, where have you been? He's been a lame duck since mid-2005.

[TheresNoMoney]

Is it me or do I sense more excitement buzzing around tonight's GOP debates than the Dem debates of last week? 

Only on this board, not among the American public.

[StateBoiler]

If Bush gets thrown under a bus tonight (very unlikely), one could make the argument that he's a lame duck with 20 months left in his term.

Ummm, where have you been? He's been a lame duck since mid-2005.

I meant among Republicans, as those are the people on view tonight.

[12th Doctor]

Paul sounds alot like a Baptist preacher.

[Know Your Rights!]

So does anybody think Giuliani's kind of awful right now?

[12th Doctor]

So does anybody think Giuliani's kind of awful right now?

No... his possition is complex and it is hard to explain in a soundbite... I wish we had more people on the right side who were that way.

[Bacon King]

McCain sounds incredibly prepared and fake.

[MODU]

So does anybody think Giuliani's kind of awful right now?

No, but McCain is doing terrible.

[Know Your Rights!]

So does anybody think Giuliani's kind of awful right now?

No... his possition is complex and it is hard to explain in a soundbite... I wish we had more people on the right side who were that way.

Yeah, it is complex, but the thing is, it's not going to be what a lot of the people in that crowd will want to hear. Whether you or I or anyone else likes it or not, that will hurt him.

[Eraserhead]

McCain sounds incredibly prepared and fake.

Yeah I just got home and I already noticed that. He sounds really old too. I feel kind of bad for him.

[StateBoiler]

Matthews going after Huckabee.

Brownback invoking the spirit of Joe Lieberman.

[Bacon King]

Tancredo is very jittery.

[StateBoiler]

Tancredo is very jittery.

Yeah I noticed that too.


Matthews hits out at the debaters picking their questions.

[Know Your Rights!]

Tancredo is very jittery.

Yeah I noticed that too.


Matthews hits out at the debaters picking their questions.

Haha when he said he was intimidated by Arnold he seemed serious. :-D

[Eraserhead]

Brownback is dumb.

[12th Doctor]

So does anybody think Giuliani's kind of awful right now?

No... his possition is complex and it is hard to explain in a soundbite... I wish we had more people on the right side who were that way.

Yeah, it is complex, but the thing is, it's not going to be what a lot of the people in that crowd will want to hear. Whether you or I or anyone else likes it or not, that will hurt him.

Well, I would rather him go down like that.  I think people will respect him for saying what he thinks, at least... Brownback, surprisingly, kinda came to Rudy's rescue.

And I agree... this debate is just bad for McCain.

[TheresNoMoney]

McCain sounds incredibly prepared and fake.

Agreed. He has been the worst one on the stage by far. Almost like a bad SNL parody of himself.

[Know Your Rights!]

So does anybody think Giuliani's kind of awful right now?

No... his possition is complex and it is hard to explain in a soundbite... I wish we had more people on the right side who were that way.

Yeah, it is complex, but the thing is, it's not going to be what a lot of the people in that crowd will want to hear. Whether you or I or anyone else likes it or not, that will hurt him.

Well, I would rather him go down like that.  I think people will respect him for saying what he thinks, at least... Brownback, surprisingly, kinda came to Rudy's rescue.

And I agree... this debate is just bad for McCain.

I respect that. I think it reflects why he can do well among independents. It's just the base that could hurt him.

[12th Doctor]

Dear God, line item veto.  Paul is gonna beat McCain to death with that if he gets a chance

[Bacon King]

Brownback, surprisingly, kinda came to Rudy's rescue.

I'm only somewhat paying attention, and I missed this. What happened?

[Eraserhead]

Headline Tomorrow: McCain is too old to be President.

[12th Doctor]

OH GOD... Romney is pushing his new found respect for life hard

[12th Doctor]

Brownback, surprisingly, kinda came to Rudy's rescue.

I'm only somewhat paying attention, and I missed this. What happened?

He basically said that abortion is not the only issue we shoudl consider in a candidate, esspecially if you have 80% of all other possitions in common.