Sunday, January 06, 2008
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Winners and Losers: Rank 'Em Up
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Posted by:
Mary Katharine Ham at
9:45 PM
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1. Mitt: He was a stronger, more real version of Mitt tonight. I truly enjoyed it, and I haven't thought he's won a debate since the very first Republican debate. I think he probably did himself a lot of good in New Hampshire tonight, and the Luntz focus group shows it. This is the first time I've thought, maybe ever, that there's a glimmer of hope for Romney in a general.
2. Fred: I actually thought Fred was strongest, but Mitt had more to gain, so I gave the first place to him. The focus group says I'm dead wrong, but I thought he was knowledgeable and made the others look less mature with the depth of his answers. I think he's got a more comfortable style that works for him in debates and ought to serve him well in South Carolina, where voters are more predisposed to the rambly country-boy style.
3. McCain: He softened tone tonight, probably helping himself with those who thought he was a tad nasty last night. I didn't love any moments for him, and the fact that nothing's standing out makes me think he's was just okay and didn't hurt himself. Ohhhh, Fred Barnes points out McCain's comment that the change he worked for has saved American lives in Iraq.
4. Huckabee: He's always slippery, but he looked slippery tonight. He stammered on his first answer, which didn't set a good precedent for him. After I wrote my first-half summary, I noticed he stumbled a few more times, not much, but enough to be noticeable. He did fine, but he's usually better.
5. Rudy: He was sort of a non-entity. He really needs to be speaking up more often to keep the spotlight on himself, and his answers are sounding canned these days. He's really going to have to buck up to make it work on Super Duper.
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Sometimes I think we learn more when these candidates start needling one another on policy. Last night's debate is a case in point.
Romney did better and I think he helped himself. Up until now I've not considered him viable but maybe he has recovered from Iowa.
McCain felt more at ease because he's always done well in NH. He was the darling there at one time but if he doesn't beat Romney by at least 4 points in NH he is finished and you can expect him to bow out before or shortly after Super Duper.
Thompson is doing better. If he wins SC, he could catch fire. He's already showing a descent, if glacially slow, pick up.
Giuliani was essentially not there and Huckabee truly hurt himself with his dismal performance.
More people are finally waking up to his strange neo-Democratic populism. Still, Huckabee could do well in SC.
At the risk of insulting Ron Paul supporters -- get real. Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich flew in on the same UFO.
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When Ron Paul comes in 3rd tomorrow even thought Faux excluded him. We will learn what real winners is, and what a loser Faux is.
The American people not the canidates are the winners.
Mitt can defend his 1/4 million dollar donating drug companies all he wants, America is waking up. |
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Hey the reason the focus group says you're wrong and why it was "undecided" and all for Mitt and hated Fred is because it was fixed. Fox News is now just like all the other media outlets check this out and you will see what i mean.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1949475/posts?page=1
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1.MITT CLEARLY WON!He has an optimistic goal for the future & I love that.We need a fiscal conservative to take over & he'd be excellent on the War.His so called "attack adds" are really "EXPOSURE ADDS", Hickabee & McComplain don't like to have to defend THEIR RECORDS!
2.I like Fred & understand his calm southern demeanor, he just needs to be more enthusiastic. He'd be a great Vice.
3.McCain tried hard not to be a jerk tonight. I respect him as a military hero. He's too bombastic to be Pres & has aligned himself with libs (Gang of 14,McCain/Feingold,defected with Ted Kennedy on education,disapproved of Bush's tax cuts, & weak on immigration).
4.Huckabee,where do I begin? Hickabee is a fraud, he LIED & took credit for the highway improvements in AR which he actually inherited. Sam Walton & the Walton Family funded the highway improvements before Wannabee was even governor!His Illegal Immigrant stance is contradictory & weak, these people are Breaking the Law! He couldn't answer a question directly,& jazzed around the issues. Romney knew his tax record better than Hickabee did. Thompson even had to explain Habeas Corpus to Hickabee. He seems prejudice against Mitt(is it because Romney's a Mormon,Romney's been successful,maybe because Romney's exposed his failures & makes him accountable,or a combo of all?).
5.Rudy cleaned up NY & was fantastic after 9/11. But,I don't want him as president & disagree with him on many issues (illegal immigrant stance for 1).He seemed uninterested tonight & should've seized the free opportunity to impress the NH electorate |
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In the aftermath of the Iowa Caucas, there are lessons to be learned; and Republican voters must heed them, and soon coalesce around their most formidable candidate. What are these lessons, and who is this candidate? See the complete answer at:
http://sheetanchor.wordpress.com/2008/01/05/a-house-divided -will-not-stand/ |
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Romney, Thompson, Gulliani
Romney hit it out of the park tonight. This will really help him. Hope he continues to show this side of himself throughout the rest of the campaign. He's the only one that can even begin to compete and WIN! against the Obama wave... |
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Big Winners are Charley Gibson and ABC News
Big Losers. FAUX or Neocon News. Fair and Balanced. Excluding the GOPs leading fundraiser and 3rd in the polls Ron Paul shows that FAUX is nothing more than establishment hacks. |
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Don't like the ugly bias against this Fine Man.
Romney is top notch, and is growing in fine shape.
Really find Huckabee very concerning, nothing to do with his fine Religion, but his liberal populism is very regretful.
I think Fred is a good Man, but is simply not up to the challenge.
His sitting next to McCain the other night, reminded me of the aged, cranky, jaded image of the Senate Club.
Fred's good nature seemed to be sucked up by the angry McCain.
In Sunday's debate, John McCain, like Huckabee, was ducking, diving, spinning in ways that revealed him as poorly prepared and rather confused.
Romney has always done very well, and handled the snipes the other night very admirably.
Tonight, Romney was in serious command, strong, insightful, and appeared very Presidential.
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Don't miss Ron Paul's hugely successful counter-FOX NH Town Hall meeting at
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/018348.html
(Two half-hour YouTube segments.)
Don't let the Mainstream Media choose our next president yet again! Vote different!
Ron Paul for president ... because regime change begins at home! |
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... but Fox forgot Ron Paul.
Way to ignore the elephant (the only TRUE elephant!) in the room, FauxSnooze!
Ghandi was right! |
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Romney, Clinton similarities already. Now the Romney ites are crying like Hillary. "They are ganging up on us". At lease Hillary is woman, even if Mitt spends more time on his hair.... |
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Mitt Romney did ver well tonight. It is becoming more and more clear that he is the best choice for president. He understands the issues and has the ability to solve complicated problems. |
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It was three on one tonight and Mitt Romney still came out on top. It was an even heavier gang up on him last night to, and he still held his own.
If we want to talk about who can beat Obama in the fall debates, it seems to me like all the other Republican candidates are doing their best to provide Mitt Romney with some great training and practice so that dealing with Obama will seem easy. If they can't handle Mitt together as a group they will never be able to handle Obama alone. |
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with your shallow comment. |
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was the best yet. Getting down to the issues, making all of the candiates acountable for their records and allowing them all to defend themselves.
Snide remarks, failed attempts at humor, crowd pleasing, evading the issues were kept in check.
Great forum. Chris Wallace did great. The rest of the networks could learn from this experience.
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Except for where Giuliani is on that rank (I'd put him 3rd), that pretty much sums things up.
I'll definitely have to revisit this tomorrow morning when I'm more-awake and healthier (the post-caucus warmup that hit Iowa also hit Wisconsin, with predictable results). |
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I'm with you on almost all of it. Romney gives me the itch, but aside from him, your takes on the rest of the candidates were spot on. |
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... should he win the nomination. I doubt this Republican will vote for the Democratic candidate either, but I despise Romney at the core. And the more I hear him speak, the more I loathe his petty desperation to win this thing. He's offensive, an affront to conservatives everywhere, and a fraud of many shades, and I can't fathom why people like Hugh and bigwig Fox contributors gush over him.
I'd vote for any other potential nominees over Romney, even Ron Paul. |
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ace it, Mitt is the Republican Bubba.
He'll say whatever the focus groups tell him to say.
Not saying you shouldn't have some of it. GB II would have had a
better presidency with it. But from personal experience in MA I can
tell you not to believe anything he says.
Also from what I've heard from pols in MA he is the worst Gov to work
with. Remember that is compared to 4 (?) other Repubs.
On the positive side, he won't have a Monica Gate pretty sure of that,
maybe he'd baptize dead Holocaust victims (obligatory anti-Mormon comment so you do not have to pay attention to rest of my spot-on post)
listen to the blog - a little over two years ago - this guy will say anything.
and yeah he won the debate. |
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Will you get over your angst toward Hugh already? This thread has nothing to do with him. Take your trash elsewhere. |
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People who like Romney because they've come to admire him, his ideas, his advantage as a superb businessman....
OR
the people who assume Romney is hollow based solely on his good looks, family, money pouch? |
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The others bob and weave and try to avoid their actions in previous occupations. So it's still do we believe what they DID before or what they SAY now.
Agreed, however, Fred must get his hands down from in front of his face, smile for cryin out loud, look more involved. We appreciate his serious positions and approach to governing, but one still needs to look pleasant to attract those who don't really listen to the issues. |
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Well Rudy NEEDS to ditch the George Will thing. George Will must cringe everytime Rudy brings that up. It's not that it's not a legitimate endorsement (was it an enorsement?), it's just that Rudy needs to spend more time expanding his message, and show people he isn't all 9/11 (as the Biden quote Pasadena Phil suggests).
My advice to Rudy, forget George Will, and come up with another collective endorsement: congressman King et al "because he's a leader etc..."
And this was a bad night for Rudy...Romney (only serious challenge to him) got stronger and Huckabee/McCain didn't bring him down any. |
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romney will never win. he's a fraud and a sleek ceo type with matching hair to boot. he is bad for this country and his winning will send the wrong message, that you can lie and buy your way to the presidency. Soo much for democracy if this grifter wins. |
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Became my second choice tonight...BUT I am still in Fred's corner...he has SOLID IDEAS & ANSWERS, I may not like what he is telling me, but I feel I can believe him AND belive in him.
W/O= |
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Duntz groups...whats the difference.
To hear one woman say Thompson "talked only about foreign policy" then the guy seated next to her (husband?) quote the Boston Globe saying he (Thompson)"was rambling and I wanted to shake him and wake him up" !!!!
Seems to me he should have reached over and shook his wife(?) to WAKE HER UP 'cause she obviously wasn't paying attention!!
W/O= |
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I think Romney did very well. He had strong answers and very good answers and he was comfortable, almost happy. He knew he was doing well. Luntz recorded some great numbers for Romney.
McCain did well. He was less prickly and steered everything to his strengths. He is a talented but old politician. The team work among Huck, McCain and Rudy was obvious.
Rudy did okay as usual but he seemed a little out of place as the spotlight was on Romney, McCain and Huck.
I thought Fred did pretty well but Luntz disagrees. I think Fred is done except as a possible VP.
Huckabee was very evasive in the early going. He also looked very distressed when Romney was doing well. He did not look very Presidential when he was not speaking. He had good and bad moments when he was speaking. Huck will be very vulnerable as the campaign progresses.
Romney may have pulled enough votes from Huck, McCain and Fred to win. It really depends on how the Independent voters break.
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Noun + verb + 9/11. That is all Giuliani ever says. |
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...trying to stop Romney! |
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Rudy the RINO had one as well...
W/O= |
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Am I the only one who can't stand these stupid Luntz focus groups? They've been wrong a few times now, especially in this election cycle. I mean seriously, a "completely" undecided group goes unanimously for Romney after tonight's debate? Yeah, right.
I'm probably the only one on the planet who noticed Romney's horrid stuttering, fruitless attacking of others, and repeat of the boring and annoying "hair" response to Ed Rollins.
Wallace did a good job getting answers tonight, but we'll see what happens on Tuesday. |
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1. Mitt - looked calm and cool throughout. Put Huck and McCain on the defensive.
2. Fred - gave solid answers when he spoke, but still has that sleepy demeanor that will hurt him in the long run.
3. Huck - not his best debate by far. But NH isn't his to win anyway. And I don't think those most drawn to him lost any interest in him. All he has to do is better than expected Tuesday.
4. McCain - didn't do anything notable, other than be nicer and not bitter like last night. Had to defend himself on voting NO on tax cuts. Plus Mitt hammered him on the immigration issue again.
5. Rudy - yeah, non-entity is right. Florida may be too far off to use it as your launching pad. |
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FRED THOMPSON was the ONLY Republican Candidate wearing an American Flag lapel pin?
The ONLY Conservative...the ONLY lapel pin...hmmmmmmmmm
W/O= |
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