I will not rest until Obamacare is repealed…It’s a promise, take it to the bank, cash the check.
- Michele Bachmann in the New Hampshire Republican Presidential Debate 6/13/2011
On Monday, the 2012 Presidential election shifted gears when the first major debate for Republican Presidential candidates was held in New Hampshire and broadcast on CNN. This field of Republicans is smoother and more articulate than the group that ran in 2008. They expressed their extremism and pessimism in rational, friendly tones.
The person who had the best night was Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), who, more than any other candidate on stage, connected with the crowd. In her introduction, she announced her candidacy for Presidency, thus guaranteeing news coverage. This was the first time she was on a national stage and she did well. She made sure that everyone knew that she is a member of the House Intelligence Committee, a Tax Attorney and a former State Legislator. She come off as rational and telegenic - not the crazy person the press had described.
In short she made sure everyone understood she was everything Sarah Palin was not.
Former Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn) had the worst night. Gov. Pawlenty has been running for President ever since 2008, when John McCain passed him over for the Vice-Presidential slot in favor of Sarah Palin. He had a chance to build on a strong performance on Sunday where he called Health Care reform “Obamney Care”. That could have stuck to Governor Mitt Romney like glue. But when asked about the comment, Pawlenty didn’t back it up. Instead he repeatedly quoted the usual line about Obama using Romney as a model. Romney simply smiled and turned the Obamney care line to his advantage and wiggled away.
Pawlenty had his chance to be the Anti-Romney, by appealing to the centrist Republicans, while using his right to life credentials to reach out to the social conservatives. All he did was leave that slot open for former Gov. Jon Huntsman (R-UT).
Former Senator Rick Santoroum (R-Penn) failed to make the case of why he is more likely than Romney, Pawlenty or Bachmann to defeat Obama. By the end of the evening, Santoroum was the obvious alternative only to Ron Paul and Herman Cain. He never lost that eager-beaver air of “young man on the make” condescension that makes him so annoying on TV.
Newt Gingrich (R-GA) did well. After all the press he has as a motor-mouth idea hamster, he come off as intelligent informed and articulate. But, at times he seemed more interested in saving his reputation than becoming President.
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex) descended into gad-fly territory and will be the Republican’s Ralph Nader for several more cycles.
Unless you listened closely, the candidates' answers sounded quite logical.
Tim Pawlenty said we could have 5% a year growth like China if only the government would get out of the way of American businesses - ignoring the fact that China has one of the most government directed economies in the world.
The isolationists have a firm grip on the Party. All the candidates derided France’s leadership in the Libyan air war. Michele Bachmann went so far as to say the US can’t lead from behind. At same time they all said we should pull out of our foreign commitments in Iraq, Afghanistan - and Libya where according to Bachmann, we should be leading.
Now that the Republicans have figured out they may need Hispanics votes to win, this year the only overt race baiting was against Muslims. Herman Cain said he wouldn't appoint killer Muslims to his government. Newt Gingrich compared Muslims to Nazi’s.
The Republicans are all about letting market forces revive the slumping the housing market. But foreclosures are the Achilles heel of the recovery. If people are about to be evicted they won't buy anything. The candidates had no plans for saving people's homes, preferring to let the market's invisible hand throw them out on the street.
Michele Bachmann thinks there is “a lot of noise in the media” about health care exception cases which are an irrelevant, miniscule portion of women who seek abortions. If your wife needs an abortion to live, then she is not a miniscule portion and is highly relevant.
The gaffe no one picked up on, was Rick Santoroum’s comment that he had “taken the bullets” in the right to life fight. The last person who took the “bullet in the right to life battle” was an abortion doctor - executed by an operation rescue volunteer as the Doctor was leaving church.
Sometimes the Republican’s miss-statements were so glaring that you wondered why CNN’s moderator, John King didn’t challenge them. Tim Pawlenty said “birth right” citizenship was the result of a Supreme Court decision that went against the constitution. Interesting considering the 14th Amendment explicitly grants it.
The audience and questioners matched the Republican demographic. They were old and white. The only person of color I saw at the debate was candidate Herman Cain. There were hardly any young people there, and those that were, appeared to be members of the candidates’ family.
At the end of the debate, it was clear that Mitt Romney was the man to beat, and that regardless of who won the nomination; Michele Bachmann was going to be on the ticket. So when Anderson Cooper said “each candidate on the stage has a good chance to be President” you could only scratch your head and ask “Are you serious?”
Only a few candidates could say “Yes.”
- Michele Bachmann in the New Hampshire Republican Presidential Debate 6/13/2011
On Monday, the 2012 Presidential election shifted gears when the first major debate for Republican Presidential candidates was held in New Hampshire and broadcast on CNN. This field of Republicans is smoother and more articulate than the group that ran in 2008. They expressed their extremism and pessimism in rational, friendly tones.
The person who had the best night was Michele Bachmann (R-Minn), who, more than any other candidate on stage, connected with the crowd. In her introduction, she announced her candidacy for Presidency, thus guaranteeing news coverage. This was the first time she was on a national stage and she did well. She made sure that everyone knew that she is a member of the House Intelligence Committee, a Tax Attorney and a former State Legislator. She come off as rational and telegenic - not the crazy person the press had described.
In short she made sure everyone understood she was everything Sarah Palin was not.
Former Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn) had the worst night. Gov. Pawlenty has been running for President ever since 2008, when John McCain passed him over for the Vice-Presidential slot in favor of Sarah Palin. He had a chance to build on a strong performance on Sunday where he called Health Care reform “Obamney Care”. That could have stuck to Governor Mitt Romney like glue. But when asked about the comment, Pawlenty didn’t back it up. Instead he repeatedly quoted the usual line about Obama using Romney as a model. Romney simply smiled and turned the Obamney care line to his advantage and wiggled away.
Pawlenty had his chance to be the Anti-Romney, by appealing to the centrist Republicans, while using his right to life credentials to reach out to the social conservatives. All he did was leave that slot open for former Gov. Jon Huntsman (R-UT).
Former Senator Rick Santoroum (R-Penn) failed to make the case of why he is more likely than Romney, Pawlenty or Bachmann to defeat Obama. By the end of the evening, Santoroum was the obvious alternative only to Ron Paul and Herman Cain. He never lost that eager-beaver air of “young man on the make” condescension that makes him so annoying on TV.
Newt Gingrich (R-GA) did well. After all the press he has as a motor-mouth idea hamster, he come off as intelligent informed and articulate. But, at times he seemed more interested in saving his reputation than becoming President.
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex) descended into gad-fly territory and will be the Republican’s Ralph Nader for several more cycles.
Unless you listened closely, the candidates' answers sounded quite logical.
Tim Pawlenty said we could have 5% a year growth like China if only the government would get out of the way of American businesses - ignoring the fact that China has one of the most government directed economies in the world.
The isolationists have a firm grip on the Party. All the candidates derided France’s leadership in the Libyan air war. Michele Bachmann went so far as to say the US can’t lead from behind. At same time they all said we should pull out of our foreign commitments in Iraq, Afghanistan - and Libya where according to Bachmann, we should be leading.
Now that the Republicans have figured out they may need Hispanics votes to win, this year the only overt race baiting was against Muslims. Herman Cain said he wouldn't appoint killer Muslims to his government. Newt Gingrich compared Muslims to Nazi’s.
The Republicans are all about letting market forces revive the slumping the housing market. But foreclosures are the Achilles heel of the recovery. If people are about to be evicted they won't buy anything. The candidates had no plans for saving people's homes, preferring to let the market's invisible hand throw them out on the street.
Michele Bachmann thinks there is “a lot of noise in the media” about health care exception cases which are an irrelevant, miniscule portion of women who seek abortions. If your wife needs an abortion to live, then she is not a miniscule portion and is highly relevant.
The gaffe no one picked up on, was Rick Santoroum’s comment that he had “taken the bullets” in the right to life fight. The last person who took the “bullet in the right to life battle” was an abortion doctor - executed by an operation rescue volunteer as the Doctor was leaving church.
Sometimes the Republican’s miss-statements were so glaring that you wondered why CNN’s moderator, John King didn’t challenge them. Tim Pawlenty said “birth right” citizenship was the result of a Supreme Court decision that went against the constitution. Interesting considering the 14th Amendment explicitly grants it.
The audience and questioners matched the Republican demographic. They were old and white. The only person of color I saw at the debate was candidate Herman Cain. There were hardly any young people there, and those that were, appeared to be members of the candidates’ family.
At the end of the debate, it was clear that Mitt Romney was the man to beat, and that regardless of who won the nomination; Michele Bachmann was going to be on the ticket. So when Anderson Cooper said “each candidate on the stage has a good chance to be President” you could only scratch your head and ask “Are you serious?”
Only a few candidates could say “Yes.”
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