Gop Presidential Debate

[Didymus]

South Carolina tonight.

To paraphrase Huckabee just a few minutes ago: The way we defend our freedom of speech [i]is[/i] by our right to bear arms...

thought that was pretty sweet...

[XIX]

Not sure I follow his logic; equally unsure of whether the issue of owning arms is going budge too far from its current standing of #8,391 in my ranking of most important issues.

Economy is #8,932, by the way.

[Didymus]

ha, lots of issues...

[XIX]

Yeah.

I definitely am conservative on the economy and on the arms issue, I just don't look very hard at those issued if I'm evaluating a candidate.

[Didymus]

me not so much the gun control, cuz most conservatives don't debate on that much, but the economy is key.

The national economy, education, and health care are all tied to abortion as far as conservatives are concerned.

[the_rev]

I really liked how Fred Thompson talked about personal liberties and a nationwide smoking ban. I'm not in favor of a nationwide smoking ban nor am I in favor of a statewide smoking ban here in Wisconsin. It undermines as Thompson said our personal liberties each citizen is granted.

[the_rev]

However, I also didn't like how Thompson attacked Huckabee.

The eleventh amendment: Do not attack another Republican
--Ronald Reagan

[XIX]

Economy is important, but the government can't really do a whole lot to affect the economy.

Consider that in the last eight years, we have had a 9/11 recession, then the economy had a huge rebound, and now it's receding again. All under the same President. The economy actually did well under Clinton (or maybe that's just what the media feeds us, but that's how I remember it.) Then at around year 6 or 7, the economy peaked, then recession began.

Correlation does not necessarily imply causation, but in this case there is hardly any correlation. A mouse could fall on Alan Greenspan's head and it would have a greater effect on the economy. It seems to have a life of its own, and I'm just not so sure that most economic policies are really going to affect the results much.

So the economy is important, I just don't think it's important as a political issue.

[the_rev]

I don't think it is an important as a political issue becasue essentially the economy will be what it is no matter who is president in my opinion.

[the_rev]

Huckabee does well with the moral issues: marriage especially. He even injected some humor, I appreciated that!

Paul did a good job defending his electability, but he isn't my candidate and I maintain that he won't get the nomination but will affect who will because of the numbers he can and does attract.

[Didymus]

true that with Huckabee and marriage!

but Paul sounded like an idiot when they were discussing the Iranian boat incident. Brit Hume pwned him there.

[XIX]

I heart Huckabee. I'm worried about his image as a "religious right caricature," but I think that's more image than anything else.

Paul still has a chance. It's a long shot at this point, but I'd give him maybe a 5% shot at the nomination still. Not a lot, but certainly not low enough to drop your support for him if you are trying to claim that he's unelectable.

[Didymus]

i think Paul dropped like a rock to anyone who listened today and were merely considering him. The only supporters he has left are the ones who have been die hard crazy for him from the start.

Edited January 11, 2008 by Didymus

[Aloysius]

I didnt get to see the debate. What did Paul have to say about the Iranian boat incident?

and anyone who refuses to even entertain the possibility that it could be a Gulf of Tonkin incident is a fool. not saying it is or it isn't, but from what I searched on the internet it sounds like he may have said something like that. but I'm not saying it is or it is not a Gulf of Tonkin incident, I don't see enough evidence one way or the other (the video is not necessarily absolutely indisputable). either way, it's not something which would justify a war with Iran, and I'm assuming based on what I know of Ron Paul that he would have said something like that... maybe throw something in about how we've been provoking them by having heavy forces all around them. that would all be absolutely true.

anyway, what specifically did Paul do that makes you think he should be dropped as a viable candidate (sounds like the_rev thinks he actually defended his electability well)?

[the_rev]

Whenever there are polls especially when you text your answer in like who won the debate tonight, the Ron Paul Revolution asnwers with a resounding Ron Paul, to bad that doesn't show on election day!