Is anyone actually watching the CNBC Republican debate? Considering there is nothing any of them could say that would get me to vote for them, I have little interest in the damned thing, but someone needs to watch them so we can make fun of Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo.
The Debate
by John Cole| 31 Comments
This post is in: Politics, Republican Stupidity
Steven Taylor
I have largely avoided all the joint press conferences debates to date. I have thought about looking in on this one just to see Thompson’s performance.
Steven Taylor
“joint press conferences” was supposed to have a line though it, btw. The preview lied to me!
Punchy
They’re debating in the middle of the afternoon of a workday in the middle of the week and we’re supposed to watch them….how?
Seriously, a national debate to be the next Preznit of the ‘Merikas/World Ruler and it’s being held on a Tuesday afternoon. Seriously, WTF?
Wow, the Republicans really don’t want us to see how bad they are live…
The Populist
I watch to see if Ron Paul will make them look dumber than they already come off.
Go Rep. Paul!!!
Billy K
Vote Paul!
It’ll piss them off almost as much as a voe for Hitlery.
Kermit
I’m watching at the moment and on issues of war and peace they are all doing their damndest to out-macho the other save for Ron Paul. They sound like they are campaigning for the position of Chancellor of the Klingon Empire.
Mr. Paul is crazy on other matters but he is the only adult in the room on this issue. He is also incapable of speaking but instead yells and waves his arms a lot. I would too if I were in the room on stage with these Huns.
Huckabee is trying to be crazier than he probably is. He does it nicely though. Would be probably the best bet in the general.
McCain just seems tired.
Fred Thomson is like the kid who just smoked a fatty and then forgot to cut the class that he has to give an oral report in. Quotes stats to help cover – Doesn’t work.
Rudy Giuliani – 911. Hillary bad. 911. 9i11ary. H911ary.
The rest are not going to win a damn thing.
Depressing. Not one of them is someone I could even consider voting for in a matchup against Admiral Stockdale.
dom
I am watching them, and as someone who will almost certainly support the Dem nominee, I am thanking my lucky stars that Huckabee hasn’t garnered more primary support. He is by far the most appealing candidate the GOP has.
dom
And the best moment so far has been Ron Paul screaming at everyone to read the Constitution.
Billy K
I LOL’d
Zifnab
By hearing the carefully cropped and pruned debate as presented by FOX News at 7pm. It’s the same reason they tape Stewart/Colbert at 3pm and air it at 10. You need a few hours for editing.
Vladi G
Tancredo’s a surrender monkey. He wants to cede land to Mexico just because the Mayors in border towns aren’t down with this whole fence thing:
Why do mayors in American cities hate America?
Tsulagi
Naw. My prediction: Unless Grandpa Fred falls asleep standing up drooling all over himself, he’ll be declared the winner.
What I’d really like to see later is during the debate 9/11 Rudy taking a call from his wife.
Zifnab
Reconquista! Tancredo is a double agent! Look at him. Tan skin, funny accent, short. If that man isn’t a Mexican, I don’t know who is!
KCinDC
Tsulagi, I don’t think so. After all the months of hemming and hawing and “testing the waters”, expectations for Thompson are sky-high, not low. He needs to blow the others out of the water or he’ll be a loser.
whippoorwill
I’d rather watch my toilet flush.
Ben
My prediction: Unless Grandpa Fred falls asleep standing up drooling all over himself, he’ll be declared the winner.
After all the months of hemming and hawing and “testing the waters”, expectations for Thompson are sky-high, not low. He needs to blow the others out of the water or he’ll be a loser.
Correction:
Hopes for Thompson are sky-high. And I’m sure we’ll be hearing all sorts of sober analysis from the Wingnut Voltron about how all those hopes have manifested into reality….regardless of how big his drool-puddle is at the end of the debate.
Tsulagi
Sure, I could be wrong, especially since I’m not watching the thing. But expectations for Fred! have been waning in the past few months. Righties who follow politics rabidly like Red Staters had a hard on for Fred, but went limp as he continued to tease for months but not commit. They felt jilted. If Grandpa can stay awake, it’ll be Viagra for the Staters.
For Pubs who don’t follow politics that much, but occasionally look at it on the teevee, if Fred can deliver his lines with a little acting finesse, he’ll look presidential. Especially compared to the current jackass they voted for.
JL
I watched the entire debate and actually think that maybe we should chip in to purchase econ 101 books for the candidates. The constitution can be forwarded to them online. It was sad. Rudy wants to solve our trade deficit by exporting health care and energy independence, at least Judy didn’t call him.
Incertus (Brian)
I watched it, largely because my alternative was grading papers for my Poetry class. It was numbing in a way.
Bubblegum Tate
Somebody poke around his house and see if there’s any guacamole or empty tortilla packages!
Tsulagi
Right on cue after the debate, Erick leading the Red Staters…
LOL, Grandpa must have stayed awake. Once again, they loves them their Fred and are not afraid to show it. Awww, just adorable to see wingnutters kissing and making up.
mclaren
No, because I prefer the statements of the Republican presidential candidates in the original German.
The Other Steve
Most Republicans live off welfare.
you didn’t know that?
Chris Johnson
No no, you mean like Shakespeare- in the original Klingon :D
Dan Broughton
The best part is wingnuttia’s ecstasy over Thompson getting Matthews (my bold).
Apparently Thompson is lighting up the field because… he can name the President of one of our two neighbors. Good Lord, if he can identify China on a map, they might just crown him king.
And didn’t the last longwinded candidate with a penchant for scolding come out on the losing end?
Psycheout
Psycheout’s Objective and Impartial Debate Review
Brownback was soft spoken but right on target as always. It’s hard to disagree with the guy, but people seem to have a hard time getting excited about him. He’s not a celebrity and he doesn’t do magic tricks. Oh well, Presidenting isn’t show business, but campaigning is.
Brownback and Biden are the only politicians actually trying to find a political solution for Iraq before Jan 2009. They’re holding a bipartisan summit on the three state solution on Friday and were supported by the Senate 75-23 as well as by the Iraqi President. I salute them for that. You should too.
Hunter sounded good, he’s a shoe-in for Sec Def. He’s a great social conservative, but his strength lies in military and defense issues.
Huckabee sounded all right, when he’s not trying to act macho, but he is a tax and spend liberal on fiscal policy. No good.
Tancredo sounded like he’s about to bow out. Illegals, illegals, illegals. If he were half as interested in other issues he might be a decent candidate. But he isn’t so he’s not.
Thompson was completely boring and disappointing. The moderators kept going to him first after a break to keep him from falling asleep. They really kissed his backside at the end, too. Sickening. Aw shucks, Fred, go back to lobbying and acting, please. Mittens had a good prepared barb for Fred!, but it was so phoney. Yuck.
Romney was slick and slippery and really creeped me out. A Republican version of Bill Clinton aka Slick Willie. I wouldn’t trust Willard as far as I could throw him. It’s really sad that Republicans fall for his act. He’s stood on every side of every issue. I could never vote for Mittens.
Giuliani, what a conceited ass. I can’t stand the guy. He’s a pro-abort, gun grabbing authoritarian who can’t be trusted with Supreme Court nominations. But he’s somehow “electable” according to CW. Bzzzzt. No way, Rudy.
McCain didn’t seem angry and sounded pretty reasonable for a washed up politician. CNBC seemed to declare him the winner. Bully for him. Next.
Ron Paul (Doctor No) sounded like a crazy person again. Hey, that’s because he is! I’m always waiting for him to say “Who am I? Why am I here?” He’s good on domestic policy, but his naive isolationist foreign policy positions are completely nuts and would endanger our country if implemented. And his truther and white power fanbase is omega annoying. Naturally his online fanboys spammed the poll. Ron Paul with 75%? For that performance? Don’t make me laugh.
John Cox…glad he wasn’t there.Chris Matthews was surprisingly restrained. They should keep him on that medication for his Softball show on MSDNC.
Actually one of the more interesting questions posed to the candidates was if they would support the GOP nominee whoever it was.
Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo basically said no, if their values weren’t represented (implication: nay on Giuliani and Romney). They said what a lot of social conservatives are thinking and believe me, they will sit it out if the nominee is not pro-life.
Romney and Giuliani basically answered “Yes (because it’s going to be me, heh heh).” Jerks.
Psycheout
Oh yeah, and Romney’s answer about whether he needs to go to Congress to get authorization to attack Iran should scare you guys. It even concerned me!
His answer was basically that he didn’t think so but the lawyers would have to make that call.
It’s clear that if there’s an imminent threat, the President should respond as quickly as possible. But a pre-emptive attack that doesn’t require immediate action should probably go through Congress. It’s better to get consent first. It neutralizes critics in the future and it, well, looks better.
Romney’s answer was not comforting. I don’t trust the guy anyway. Lawyerly answers are obvious attempts at obfuscation. The Democrat nominee should use his answer in an ad, if they’re smart (and if Mittens is the Republican nominee of course).
Even Race42008, a conservative website following the 2008 campaign that I frequent, wasn’t impressed.
Heh, indeed.
Evinfuilt
If they did it any latter, it would have been after Grandpa Freds bedtime.
The guy really makes McCain look young and Virile.
Psycheout
Here’s Romney’s jab at Thompson in case anyone is interested:
Haw, haw, haw. C-.
canuckistani
That would put him at least one fact ahead of your last president.
ATS
Ron Paul sounded downright bizarre, having made perfect sense throughout.