Redstate

By Psycheout Posted in 2008 — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Like many, I watched Wednesday night's CNN/YouTube debate featuring the Republican candidates. I took about five pages of notes on a legal pad and was going to try to distill it into a post. But that's way too much information.

Instead, I'll cut to the chase and add my post-debate commentary to the chorus that's already out there. What I've already seen, I don't entirely agree with, but Erick seems to have come to similar conclusions. We were apparently watching the same debate at least!

DaveG over at Race 4 2008 concluded that McCain and Romney were the “big winners.” I can’t say I completely agree with that assessment, yet he makes some very good points. But Mitt Romney a "big winner?" Really?

Meanwhile, Rett Hatcher argues rather convincingly with plenty of links to relevant commentary and polling data that, no, Huckabee ran away with it. Will this help his chances in Iowa?

With that in mind, here’s my own quick assessment:

• John McCain and Mike Huckabee came out looking pretty good. So they won by default. Actually John McCain was more substantive than folksy jokey Huck, so surprisingly McCain edges him out. McCain clearly appeared more Presidential and calm that his main rivals.
• Fred Thompson’s performance was actually pretty good, better than I’d seen him so far. But it wasn't compelling. Too little too late. Sorry, but don’t quit your day job, Fred.
• Rudy Giuliani had an off night, and most people seem to agree. There's really no doubt about it in my mind (other than the "sanctuary mansion" barb he threw early on at Romney). Perhaps he was worried about and preoccupated with his latest potential scandal. His dismissal of the issue was weak, but what else could he really have said?
• Mitt Romney, as usual, was completely phony all the way. Frankly, I don’t get what some people see in the guy: he’s a plastic robot. Phony as a three dollar bill and thoroughly Clintonesque. He didn’t recognize himself when shown a video of him speaking in favor of abortion. And no wonder. The guy’s a slippery chameleon. Slick Willard.
• Duncan Hunter did okay but didn’t get much facetime. Only The Tanc got less. But I think he clearly mishandled the gays in the military question, delivered coincidentally by the head of Hillary Clinton’s Gay Steering Committee. Dirty pool! I wonder who that Clinton plant was really supposed to have taken out. Still Duncan's a great candidate for Secretary of Defense.
• Tom Tancredo did okay, but other than influencing the debate on illegal immigration, he’s done. Given the time he was allowed to speak, he might as well have stayed home.
• Ron Paul continues to cloak his irrelevance with outrageous outbursts about conspiracy theories. Tell us more about the Trilateral Commission and the Illuminati, Ron. Also be sure to bring up the reptilian shapeshifters who make up the elites. We love it. But please go away soon.

Stupidest moment of the night by far: The final question about baseball (Yankees v. Red Sox) and Rudy and Romney’s pathetic and pandery answers were easily the stupidest most irrelevant garbage of the night. Fitting, since that describes these two awful (IMHO) candidates. Two big thumbs down.

In the future, please forgo making the final question cutesy and funny. It doesn’t work.

Conclusion: Score one for McCain, one for Huck, and knock off points for the headliners, Rudy and Romney.

Your turn.

Update: Michelle Malkin sniffs out some more Democrat party plants in the CNN/YouTube Debate. Nuance!

Update 2: Jason Coleman thinks he's found another and another. And it hasn't even been 12 hours yet. Were there any questioners who weren't Dems?

– Psycheout @ B4C