Some liveblogging here, although at this point the McCain-Romney-Huckabee-Paul contest is far less dramatic than the Clinton-Obama clash of the titans. A humble prediction: Ron Paul will get less than 25 percent of the questions.
The debate will run live on CNN from 8 until Romney buys the Reagan Library and kicks the other guys out.
I had to restart my PC to recover from a wireless meltdown, hence the brief delay...
8:02: Romney refuses to answer a straightforward question on whether people are better over than they were pre-Bush by bragging about what he did in Massachusetts.
8:04: Good, Cooper slices through Romney's bullshit. "Are you running for governor or are you running for president?"
8:06: Not that McCain sounds much better. He's a little lost on economics. "We have problems with the subprime mortgage housing... problem."
8:09: McCain lets his hatred for Romney flare, craning his neck over and bragging that he was endorsed by both Boston newspapers: "The people who knew you best." And "I bet that the Arizona Republic will endorse me." Extremely petty straight talk.
8:16: I think Romney's losing as long as he's defending his record in Massachusetts—he's trying to introduce himself to California, and he's doing it from a crouch—but he proves McCain is basically smearing him from a place of low information.
8:19: We're still talking about Romney in Massachusetts? This is reaching 1972 Olympics basketball finals levels of unfairness.
8:28: Cooper cuts Paul off for trying to answer a previous question: He'll get another chance! "I promise you. Coming up in, like, two minutes." Start your watches!
8:30: Huckabee's big ideas sound awfully stupid when they're pitched back to him. His super-awesome mega-highway 3000 will save America because people will use their tax rebates to shop more while getting 32 extra minutes to cuddle their kids. Then he dashes it all and admits it was a huge pander. "I said that when I was in Florida. Today, we might look at a Western highway!"
8:32: McCain on mortgages: "It's tough in California, it's tough in Arizona, it's tough [pause to think of more Feb. 5 states] all over." The solution: "There are some greedy people on Wall Street that perhaps need to be punished." Your conservative candidate, ladies and* gentlemen.
8:34: McCain talks as if the crisis is ongoing, but those punish-worthy companies have pretty much already taken their hits or collapsed or started facing investigations.
8:36: Maybe I'm being mind-controlled by Hugh Hewitt but I'm seeing signs of general election doom as McCain rambles about how he understands spending because "I was there with Jack Kemp." The response to Democrats who'll be calling either for 90s restoration or a 21st century New Frontier shouldn't be "remember the mid-1980s? Man, they were swell."
8:40: Huckabee's pander to NumbersUSA is complete: We'll build a fence within 18 months! While letting undocumented workers get their citizenship papers started and hold their heads up into the sunlight! Romney's looking at him like he's speaking in tongues.
8:43: Romney, back on one of his worst issues. "Illegal immigration? That's gotta end."
8:45: McCain says not to worry about his support for comprehensive immigration reform: "The American people have made it clear they want security first." They didn't "trust" the Senate, so it's okay to cave on the straight talk. Also: "I come from a border state where we know about building walls."
8:47: A weird moment as Anderson Cooper waves his hand over an original Reagan diary: "I'm a little worried about even touching it." If you open it, does a ray of light shoot out and imbue you with superpowers?
8:49: Do the candidates think Reagan was right to choose Sanda Day O'Connor? Huckabee whiffs: "I'm not that stupid!" Paul says "no," starts talking about the Constitution, is cut off with a sharp "Senator McCAIN?" McCain, looking exhausted, is sad that O'Connor's husband has Alzheimer's. Romney would have fired up the DeLorean and travelled to 2005 to bring Alito back to the past.
8:57: Future questions from Anderson Cooper: "Is Iraq better off than it was eight years ago? Is CNN's prime time lineup better off than it was eight years ago?"
8:59: Romney boldly defends Bush for battling "Washington" (which the president looks down at from a height of 3000 feet in a titanium-plated hover-fort) and "keeping us safe."
9:00: Has Ron Paul been asked that question about conservatism yet?
9:01: Romney bitches about McCain attacking his apocryphal statement about Iraqi timetables. This won't go well.
9:02: McCain picks up the ball and bashes Romney in the head with it. He wanted to surge, he blocked the timetable votes. "I was out there on the front lines." (Of Sunday show green rooms? Sometimes, they didn't even have peanut M&Ms!)
9:04: This is the most we've ever heard the word "weeds" in a presidential debate. I'm willing to be proven wrong, but I doubt I will be.
9:07: It's legitimate to ask why Romney's swerved around on his war positions, but Jesus, the last six minutes have been basically planted by the McCain campaign. This was a controversy they started. Watching the way this is being stacked you'd think Romney was ahead by 20 points, not about to get thumped by McCain in that many states.
9:09: More gratuitious Romney-bashing from McCain, making fun of Romney's attack ad budget. "It's your money, you can spend it all!"
9:10: McCain keeps lecturing about how Romney should have talked about timetables and withdrawal. "That was the Iraq Study Group. That was what the Democrats wanted to do. You should have said no."
9:11: What had Ron Paul been doing during the eternal Romney-McCain smackdown? Apparently, injecting steroids. "They're arguing technicalities of a policy they already agree with!" He's collected, pissed off, and there's no Rudy Giuliani to tell him to shut up.
9:13: I was at the McCain town hall where he gave the "100 years" quote and he's actually right: He's talking about keeping troops there after the war is over.
9:16: Huckabee begs (rather pathetically) for a question and gets one: What does he see in Putin's eyes. "I'm not good at looking into people's souls!" He's not good at talking about foreign policy without running at light speed to boilerplate crap about a "strong army."
9:18: Romney's answer sounds more like a Foreign Policy essay, with a digression urn them towards modernity!"
9:20: What makes McCain more qualified than Romney to fix the economy? "I led the largest squadron in the United States Navy." Really. I had to check the question to see if I had heard it wrong.
9:22; Romney's basically right on the economic question. If this primary's narrative wasn't "heroic man of iron versus flip-flopping loser" he'd be winning this round.
9:23: Romney sounds... less good on the military question. "One of my great regrets is not serving in the military. I would have loved to." What was stopping him? "It's not like checkers. It's more like three-dimensional chess." He'll play against Spock?
9:25: This is probably Paul's best debate performance: He actually gets Romney nodding when he says "the president isn't supposed to manage the economy."
9:27: That's enough jokes from Huckabee about how he wants more questions. He sounds like a whipped, whining puppy.
9:29: Good, Huckabee finally gets called on his odious line about looking like the guy you work with, "not the guy who laid you off." What's he mean? "I mean you have to care about how your decisions affect the guy at the bottom." No, you don't. You mean "Mitt Romney looks like a polo-playing douchebag." Just admit it.
9:32: "Would Ronald Reagan endorse you?" Mitt Romney says yes. McCain says he wouldn't endorse Mitt Romney. Ron Paul says, well, he endorsed Reagan, but he's not going to speak for Reagan now, although Reagan endorsed the gold standard. (This is a fact.)
*fixed
Republican Debate Thread: The Suicide Watch in Simi Valley
Comments to "Republican Debate Thread: The Suicide Watch in Simi Valley":
Prediction 2: RP will get a higher % of questions than he did votes in FL.
Here we go. I predict that Mr. Reagan's name will be invoked a few times.
Watch for Mack and Huck to tag team Gov. Magic underpants while Mittens and Paul gang up on Hunerdyears McWar.
This would be more fun if they each had a slingshot and a bowl of jellybeans.
Oh Mitt, I love your scripted answer. Too bad it has nothing to do with the question.
Libertarian Librarian | January 30, 2008, 8:06pm | #
Yea! I get to follow the debate from work!javier | January 30, 2008, 8:06pm | #
mccain has no idea what his is taking about. "up and down" low unemployment, we're better off....WTF
jag | January 30, 2008, 8:06pm | #
Straight talk! drink!jag | January 30, 2008, 8:10pm | #
Please, Ron, avoid talking about the gold standard...This debate feels so empty without Rudy's obnoxious laugh whenever Ron Paul answers a question.
Prediction: Ron Paul will say something kind of embarrassing.
SIV | January 30, 2008, 8:12pm | #
Please, Ron, avoid talking about the gold standard...It would have been a better answer than the one he gave.
Adamness | January 30, 2008, 8:14pm | #
This debate feels so empty without Rudy's obnoxious laugh whenever Ron Paul answers a question.And don't forget the Halloween mask-like facial expressions.
The same Phill Gramm whom you were rebuked by the ethics committee back in the 80's...
Ali | January 30, 2008, 8:16pm | #
Prediction: Ron Paul will say something kind of embarrassing.Hasn't Bush said something(s) stupid? He still made it.
SIV | January 30, 2008, 8:16pm | #
Do they have to use their library voices?Colin | January 30, 2008, 8:17pm | #
This might be Paul's last debate. I hope he makes the best of it.Libertarian Librarian | January 30, 2008, 8:18pm | #
Where I work we don't. I work in a very odd library. It is a medical library.Charles | January 30, 2008, 8:18pm | #
I wish the desk front went all the way down. I don't need to see their weird legs.I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Rush Limbaugh.
Travis | January 30, 2008, 8:19pm | #
Mike Huckabee doesn't even know how to spell Conservatism.haha, huckabee- proud to have brought Ark out of the doldrums of bubble jet printed forms
John McCain would do well to put effort into sitting up straight and not look like his back is humping... or maybe he is...
Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:21pm | #
Health care is fundamentally broken. Lets talk about fixing it before we talk about universal health insurance.Travis | January 30, 2008, 8:22pm | #
I forgot Arnold was still a Republican.Colin | January 30, 2008, 8:23pm | #
What's the over/under on the number of questions Paul get asked?Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:23pm | #
Someone give Ron Paul a sudoku puzzle. He looks bored.javier | January 30, 2008, 8:24pm | #
What's the over/under on the number of questions Paul get asked?7
Charles | January 30, 2008, 8:25pm | #
Too bad Huckabee's a Baptist preacher; maybe he and Paul could play a little blackjack or something down there.I don't know why, but I have zero faith in these guys to make us energy independent. I doubt they'll even try.
seth | January 30, 2008, 8:26pm | #
javier, it needs to be either 6.5 or 7.5 to break ties.I don't have cable, and can't get the damned CNN liveplayer to play on any computer in my house through any browser. Any suggestions?
Charles | January 30, 2008, 8:28pm | #
Whoa! Tough titties, RP, if you want to talk.Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:29pm | #
And Paul speaks...Travis | January 30, 2008, 8:29pm | #
Wow. This is horrible. Let him speak for the love of god.Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:29pm | #
And Paul gets shut down.DUMBDERO4PREZ | January 30, 2008, 8:29pm | #
Fuck Anderson Cooper. What a bitch.Libertarian Librarian | January 30, 2008, 8:30pm | #
"Are you running for governor or are you running for president?"I did not hear the context of this coment (I am reading the liveblog sans TV) but serving as governor is better experience for being POTUS than, say, US Senator. I think there is a reason that most POTUS in modern history have either been a governor or a VP at some point before becoming POTUS.
adamness, we will be energy ind the day the last drop of oil is sucked out of the desert wasteland
Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:30pm | #
@Tom Walls: Don't know what to tell you. Works in Internet Explorer for me (and only IE).Balloon Maker | January 30, 2008, 8:30pm | #
Good thing they don't have any time limits for tonight's debate, except when Paul is talking.Adamness | January 30, 2008, 8:30pm | #
I don't have cable, and can't get the damned CNN liveplayer to play on any computer in my house through any browser. Any suggestions?Cspan has the audio. Just go to cspan.org and it's on the front page.
Nash | January 30, 2008, 8:30pm | #
Everyone is a federalist now.Tommy J | January 30, 2008, 8:31pm | #
What's with this obsession over energy independence? The federal government today could outlaw the purchase of foreign sources of energy and, viola, America would be energy independent! Of course, the market would adjust by dramatically increasing energy prices.If the federal government wants to lower energy prices it should eliminate the regulations and subsidies that limit supply. Moreover, perhaps a more sane foreign policy would reduce price volatility.
Colin | January 30, 2008, 8:31pm | #
I understand what Paul was trying to say there in regards to "property rights," but he didn't explain it enough -- people are going to get the wrong impression.Balloon Maker | January 30, 2008, 8:32pm | #
Romney just bragged about the Big Dig creating jobs. WowKB | January 30, 2008, 8:33pm | #
Last time I checked, the bridge in MN fell because it was ill designed.Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:33pm | #
And Paul speaks...enough with the monetary system. The average voter doesn't care.
KingHarvest | January 30, 2008, 8:34pm | #
applause for Ron!Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:34pm | #
I thought his answer was good, for Ron Paul.javier | January 30, 2008, 8:34pm | #
should i keep watching the debate or switch over to Lost in a half hour? I think Lost.Nash | January 30, 2008, 8:34pm | #
I'm not hearing anything new from Paul, but I guess he's not trying to convert me. I'm wondering if joe voter finds his talking points interesting.Dedalus | January 30, 2008, 8:34pm | #
CIA agent Anderson hates Ron Paul who wants to get rid of the CIA.Surprise surprise...
Well, at least the Ghoul isn't there to be heard giggling every time the Doc speaks.
Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:35pm | #
@javier: Isn't Lost a clip show?JL, And so do we, the msm apparatus is NOT going to be fair to RP. It's time to take the gloves off.
Nash | January 30, 2008, 8:36pm | #
LoL McCain just invoked Ron Paul's hatred of Spending.Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:36pm | #
So McCain gets to go off-topic but Ron gets shut down? That's bull, man.Randolph Carter | January 30, 2008, 8:36pm | #
woah woah woah McCain... part of the recession is psychological?Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 8:36pm | #
::enough with the monetary system. The average voter doesn't care.::I think he's just trying to lay the foundation for a future politician to make changes to it. He's trying to jam that message down the throats of anyone who is in earshot.
I didn't say I didn't think it was good. I just said I didn't think he needed to drive home the monetary system point for every issue. The average American just isn't informed enough to know that it makes any difference, nor would they care.
SIV | January 30, 2008, 8:37pm | #
Voters would care about the monetary system if they knew it was why some things cost more every year rather than getting cheaper.Charles | January 30, 2008, 8:38pm | #
JL, you're exactly right. Ron Paul needs to treat this like he's trying to cajole a particularly stupid high schooler.Reagan had spending restraints? http://zfacts.com/metaPage/lib/National-Debt-GDP.gif
Tsu Dho Nihm | January 30, 2008, 8:38pm | #
What's the over/under on the number of questions Paul get asked?7
I'll take the "under".
I get more infuriated every time I watch these debates. I have tended to disapprove of many of Ron Paul's supporters for their flamboyant behavior, but I am starting to feel more and more sympathy for them. THIS ID FRIGHTENING.
Travis | January 30, 2008, 8:39pm | #
The Bush revolution? Yikes.Adamness | January 30, 2008, 8:39pm | #
I disagree. I think part of Ron Paul's appeal is that he doesn't talk down to people and doesn't pander...usually.I'm sure there are a good number of people who had no idea what RP was talking about at some point or another, and went and did their own research on it. That's a good thing.
I'm horribly disappointed by Paul's responses so far. His voice is high, he talks too fast, and he jumps to Iraq (and the fuckin' monetary system) when he should be pointing out that he's the only guy on stage who is actually a fiscal conservative.
Huckabee wants to lower federal spending yet just endorsed a $60 billion fence. Nice.
Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:41pm | #
A secure border fence? There's no such thing. Ask Berlin.Whether you agree with a fence or not, does anyone actually think any of these 4 guys will get a 1800 mile border fence built? There's no way that's going to happen.
Travis | January 30, 2008, 8:42pm | #
But when Ron doesn't talk down he is immediately labeled as a loon by the uneducated voter that will vote for Mitt Romney because of his hair.Thanks, fellas. The CSPAN site is running something on waterboarding at the moment but it says they'll have it up at 10 PM ET.
Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:44pm | #
What would the effects on the economy be of deporting all the immigrants? Anyone?I tell ya, Mitt's plan for dealing with illegal immigrants is foolproof. He is going to tell illegal immigrants who are already here to go home and... problem solved!
Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 8:44pm | #
::I didn't say I didn't think it was good. I just said I didn't think he needed to drive home the monetary system point for every issue. The average American just isn't informed enough to know that it makes any difference, nor would they care.::They need to be informed, and they should care. They have to care. It dictates almost everything aspect of our country.
Paul isn't running to win. He's running to plant the seed of change in an entire generation.
Dedalus | January 30, 2008, 8:44pm | #
Ron Paul should stand up and walk out. This is a Soviet-style "debate."Fuck these assholes.
Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 8:46pm | #
::Whether you agree with a fence or not, does anyone actually think any of these 4 guys will get a 1800 mile border fence built? There's no way that's going to happen.::Yes, because government projects are good for the economy... according to 3/4 of the conservatives on stage, anyway.
Tom Walls | January 30, 2008, 8:46pm | #
I went to cnn radio and it started playin'.cnn.com/audio/radio/winmedia.html
Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 8:46pm | #
::I'm horribly disappointed by Paul's responses so far. His voice is high, he talks too fast, and he jumps to Iraq (and the fuckin' monetary system) when he should be pointing out that he's the only guy on stage who is actually a fiscal conservative.::I really wish he would rip every other candidate on stage. I don't understand why he isn't.
TAmper proof documents monitoring all businesses....the fiscally conservative choice!
Adamness | January 30, 2008, 8:47pm | #
What would the effects on the economy be of deporting all the immigrants? Anyone?What would the effects on the economy be of deporting all the immigrants? Anyone?
1) Tell illegals to go home.
2) ????
3) Profit!
Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 8:47pm | #
::I'm sure there are a good number of people who had no idea what RP was talking about at some point or another, and went and did their own research on it. That's a good thing.::
*raises hand*
RP need to do the Ron Paul Point more....where he points to the moderators letting them know he has something to say. i love it.
Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:48pm | #
Oooo, nice crane shot.javier | January 30, 2008, 8:48pm | #
i Hate huckabee. "i won't answer that question cuz in reality I have nothing to do with reagan."Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 8:48pm | #
Sure, we'll secure the borders. Thanks, Sarge. Heckuva job so far, bub.I don't know that Dr. Paul's stance on immigration would work better as policy, but it would be amusing if he was to have a Larry, Darryl and Darryl moment (anyone remember the last episode of Newhart?)... Just stand up as the others continue their pandering and yell
"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!"
Oh well... he's polite. To a fault, possibly.
yes, history will, and she retired a few yrs ago now, so answer the question dickhead
Charles | January 30, 2008, 8:49pm | #
I like that Ron Paul encourages people to look things up and think for themselves and whatnot, but this isn't an after school special. It's a debate, and he needs to win it.Charles | January 30, 2008, 8:49pm | #
Holy cow. Did that really just happen?Lost_In_Translation | January 30, 2008, 8:50pm | #
8:47: A weird moment as Anderson Cooper waves his hand over an original Reagan diary: "I'm a little worried about even touching it." If you open it, does a ray of light shoot out and imbue you with superpowers?think the climax of radiers of the lost ark.
I would have thrown something at cooper and walked out by now if I was Ron
momo | January 30, 2008, 8:50pm | #
LIAR he executed more ppl than any other ark gov.FUCK YU ANDERSON!
It's kind of hard to win when you can't get more than a "Yes" or "No" in.
LIbertarian Libraryian | January 30, 2008, 8:50pm | #
"What would the effects on the economy be of deporting all the immigrants? Anyone?"It would cost money to deport them and cost even more money to pay people to do the jobs they once did. Bad all around. The xenophobes don't care about that though. They would rather live in a third world country than have to take the time to press 1 for English.
Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 8:51pm | #
So Ron gets a total of 9 seconds on that question.Anderson promised Ron Paul that he'd get to talk about conservatism vs. liberalism, and he has to give Ron his moment. Bastard.
KB | January 30, 2008, 8:51pm | #
I think it's time for RP to stand up, give everyone a few choice words (something the FCC might have to worry about tomorrow morning), and leave.KingHarvest | January 30, 2008, 8:51pm | #
"Hi. We're McCain and Romney, and we're here to repeat what Ron Paul just said."I hope he's giving them a firm talking to during the break. threaten to sick his revolutionaries on them.
Colin | January 30, 2008, 8:51pm | #
I predict Anderson will be getting some emails tonight . . .Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 8:52pm | #
So Mitt approved of the Justice appointment, but would have appointed someone else.Yeah, makes sense.
Reinmoose | January 30, 2008, 8:52pm | #
Anderson promised Ron Paul that he'd get to talk about conservatism vs. liberalism, and he has to give Ron his moment. Bastard.But brother Anony, it was coming up in "like, 2 minutes"
Joe | January 30, 2008, 8:52pm | #
Did you see the look on RP's face when cooper jumped to McCain? First time i've seen him obviously annoyed about something like that.It was only a brief half-second
Franklin Harris | January 30, 2008, 8:52pm | #
8:32: McCain on mortgages: "It's tough in California, it's tough in Arizona, it's tough [pause to think of more Feb. 5 states] all over." The solution: "There are some greedy people on Wall Street that perhaps need to be punished." Your conservative candidate, ladies in gentlemen.Well, conservative or not, I'm sure McCain will be the "mainstream libertarian" in the race as soon as Romney drops out.
Wow, CNN will be having "40 straight hours" of coverage (Read- repetitive speculation) for Super Tuesday. Sounds like a party!
Chris | January 30, 2008, 8:53pm | #
Think Raiders of the Lost Ark
8:47: A weird moment as Anderson Cooper waves his hand over an original Reagan diary: "I'm a little worried about even touching it." If you open it, does a ray of light shoot out and imbue you with superpowers?
Franklin Harris | January 30, 2008, 8:54pm | #
But brother Anony, it was coming up in "like, 2 minutes"Yeah, it's just that Anderson Cooper travels at the speed of light, so 2 minutes to him is like 2 days for the rest of us.*
*Time comparison approximate because I suck at physics.
SIV | January 30, 2008, 8:54pm | #
"There are some greedy people on Wall Street that perhaps need to be punished."Uh.... there are, and they do.
"Go to bed with no rate cut".
some dude | January 30, 2008, 8:55pm | #
I'd tell RP to throw his chair at that goddam æroplane if I thought he could hit it.Did you guys see the Ron Paul ad? I am in his district right now visiting for some business and this ad just came up. Very well done I think.
Dedalus | January 30, 2008, 8:56pm | #
CNN is a CIA front.if ronald reagan were as great as people in that room think he is i'd still be annoying with the sainthood he's been annointed.
solly | January 30, 2008, 8:57pm | #
any of you watching the real time responder while this is going on?AWESOME!
KingHarvest | January 30, 2008, 8:58pm | #
On the online stream, they featured one user comment during the break:to paraphrase, "Why the hell aren't you letting RP speak?"
ChrisO | January 30, 2008, 8:58pm | #
From Weigel's liveblogging:Your conservative candidate, ladies in gentlemen.
So now they're aiming for the strap-on vote?
LevStrauss | January 30, 2008, 8:59pm | #
I still don't understand how some of the more unruly Paul supporters, as they are accused of being, haven't done anything to Anderson Cooper yet. They took over his one show but that wasn't anything bad, I was expecting a Hannity like greeting. He keeps being an asshole in the debates to Ron and I wish he would just tell him off or have a "I paid for this microphone" moment.Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 8:59pm | #
Watching online... during the break, a viewer asked why Ron Paul wasn't given more time to answer questions, and the lady at the desk, in response, showed some viewer pulse line that was going down when Huckabee mentioned Limbaugh.Quite relevant, I suppose...in Bizarro-World.
Wow. You can't make this shit up.
ok, they can't say anything critical about dubya or oviously reagan. what republican can they be critical? nixon? yeah screw nixon.
Tom Walls | January 30, 2008, 9:01pm | #
At least we don't have to watch Giuliani bugging his eyes and sticking his teeth out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzt6ZJYss-0
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AImDKbkjhuA
KB | January 30, 2008, 9:01pm | #
this is not a debate... it's a McCain-Romney lovefest.Charles | January 30, 2008, 9:01pm | #
Romney won't pull out! Cue Kathyrn Jean Lopez joke.Ron Paul Donor | January 30, 2008, 9:02pm | #
Anderson Cooper - Would you hit that?(I would, right in his Anderson POOPER!)
Libertarian Librarian | January 30, 2008, 9:02pm | #
"nixon? yeah screw nixon."To a lot of conservatives the worst thing he did was betray Taiwan (R.O.C.). I agree that was a horrible act.
Lost, yes, but how many relatives of the dead are now sworn enemies now?
Yeah, the CNN wavy red line is fascinating! But it's in the positive zone while Romney talks, so I'm very confused.
Travis | January 30, 2008, 9:03pm | #
Under the McCain presidency, April will now be a year.Charles | January 30, 2008, 9:04pm | #
Romney finally acts like he has a pair -- will it be too late for his candidacy?Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 9:04pm | #
Oh goodie...now the puppets are going to fight!Colin | January 30, 2008, 9:04pm | #
Fight . . . fight!Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 9:05pm | #
I think Ron Paul needs a comic strip-like thought bubble above his head that displays his internal monologue.Tsu Dho Nihm | January 30, 2008, 9:05pm | #
Wow...McCain just mentioned FactCheck.org. Without the dot org. I wonder if he likes them calling out his lies, misleading statements, etc...Please let the conservative crowd have an epiphany regarding this god-awful war.
LevStrauss | January 30, 2008, 9:06pm | #
"what republican can they be critical?"I believe that Chester Arthur was said to be a late riser and quite flamboyant.
Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 9:06pm | #
Anonymoose... they couldn't show that on broadcast TV. Not that it wouldn't be more enlightening for 1 minute than what we've seen so far. :)Charles | January 30, 2008, 9:06pm | #
This entire debate is ridiculous, insulting, and worst of all, boring.Lost_In_Translation | January 30, 2008, 9:06pm | #
i can't wait until we all give up on this election and just start focusing on snark.ohh...getting ugly. maybe ron should sit between them to keep the peace.
Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 9:07pm | #
wow.I can't believe one of these jackasses will hold at least 49 percent of the presidential vote.
boy, huckabee isn't getting much speaking time either but ron might as well not be there by now.
Adamness | January 30, 2008, 9:08pm | #
ohh...getting ugly. maybe ron should sit between them to keep the peace.Ron doesn't believe in intervention.
Ron should just bring a big dry erase board and write his answers o nit to show everyone.
Lost_In_Translation | January 30, 2008, 9:08pm | #
im just gonna go over to wonkette and see if they're making this shitfest entertainingTravis | January 30, 2008, 9:08pm | #
Are Huckabee and Paul still there?LevStrauss | January 30, 2008, 9:09pm | #
Three Pinocchios, that's got to be a first for a debate.Tsu Dho Nihm | January 30, 2008, 9:10pm | #
Holy !#$%! A question to RP?Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 9:10pm | #
And Paul gets a question.why would they ask paul a question anyone the least bit informed already knows?
Libertarian LIbrarian | January 30, 2008, 9:11pm | #
"new york times endorsement=you're mom's a whore-esque insult."Unless you are a conservative talk show host who got his book on the New York Times bestseller list. Then its OK.
zig zag man | January 30, 2008, 9:11pm | #
"Whether you agree with a fence or not, does anyone actually think any of these 4 guys will get a 1800 mile border fence built? There's no way that's going to happen."Anyone who thinks that there isn't a barrier on the Mexican border have never lived in South Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or So Cal. There is a 12 mile area north of the border similar to the 1 k zone in the old FRG without nukes and the military flavor. It is patrolled by ICE and has border control checkpoints on the roads.
I'm not saying that it is excessively hard to go north from the border, but there is a significant presence there. Additionally, distance often serves as a barrier.
Ali | January 30, 2008, 9:11pm | #
Paul is behaving bad... he just called the others silly!! Excellent.I love you Ron Paul. I love you man. Loooove!
Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 9:12pm | #
Dear God...they're letting him speak. The crowd cheers...anyone know what that red line is doing?KingHarvest | January 30, 2008, 9:12pm | #
Iraq is definitely RP's strong point.NP | January 30, 2008, 9:12pm | #
Kudos to RP for pointing out the sheer fatuity of this "debate" so far.Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 9:12pm | #
holy lord. Ron Paul owned. maybe thats why they don't let him speak.LevStrauss | January 30, 2008, 9:12pm | #
He had a little Morton Downey Jr Show in him in that one.Charles | January 30, 2008, 9:12pm | #
Anderson Cooper is a monster.you tell em huck!!! wait i don't want to listen to you either....
Colin | January 30, 2008, 9:12pm | #
One of Paul's best moments of the campaign.Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 9:13pm | #
CNN's real-time do-whacky doesn't like "guns and butter".Went down when he mention, "How many people will you let die?"
Jane | January 30, 2008, 9:13pm | #
Well stated Ron Paul. These idiots need to stop fighting, they are making themselves look bad.But at least that makes Mccain look bad
momo@hotmail.com | January 30, 2008, 9:13pm | #
GO RON!!!LevStrauss | January 30, 2008, 9:14pm | #
Sure go ahead Senator. Cooper's a prick.Travis | January 30, 2008, 9:14pm | #
No McCain, its both presence and casualties you idiot. What do you think policing the world means? And Ron Paul said Rumsfeld was wrong too so quit saying that.LIbertarian LIbrarian | January 30, 2008, 9:14pm | #
Zig-zag man, I have been told that there are places in US where, if you live there, you have to cross a border checkpoint, to go anywhere north. Is that true?crimethink | January 30, 2008, 9:14pm | #
CNN's real-time do-whacky doesn't like "guns and butter".I'm partial to machetes and margarine myself.
NP | January 30, 2008, 9:15pm | #
Well, to be fair I missed the first hour of this groundbreaking event. But I'm sure it wasn't half as bad as what I've been observing so far.t. j. | January 30, 2008, 9:16pm | #
"we're gonna shower you with questions now gov. huckabee""paul-we're gonna give you the shaft the rest of the evening but you know that already.."
Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 9:18pm | #
A better question would be "What do you see when you look in the eyes of Mitt Romney?"I dare not answer out of fear.
Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 9:18pm | #
Did i just see the mom from The Wonder Years?Colin | January 30, 2008, 9:19pm | #
Here we go again with the Cold War rhetoric. We don't have enough enemies, let's make some more.I love Romney's incredibly naive understanding of geopolitics.
Smolly | January 30, 2008, 9:19pm | #
Did Romney just list Al Qaeda as a major power in the league of Russia and China? Perspective, please!Reinmoose | January 30, 2008, 9:19pm | #
"I wanna start with Senator McCain"WOW! That's a total turn of events!
Chris Potter | January 30, 2008, 9:19pm | #
What does he see in Putin's eyes. "I'm not good at looking into people's souls!"He must have been a shitty pastor then. Not that I didn't believe that already.
Charles | January 30, 2008, 9:20pm | #
I wish, when McCain talks about radical Islam as the transcendent issue for the 21st century, or whatever that means, that someone would ask him what it is about rock-throwing barbarians that scares him so much.Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 9:20pm | #
CNN's real-time do-whacky just does not like McCain."was romney a pow? nooooo...!!! gimmeee the nomination, now NOW. grrrrrr..."
A proven leader....at blowing shit up. Then crash landing and being tortured
Ron Paul Donor | January 30, 2008, 9:21pm | #
I'm a footsoldier in the "I want to make sweet sexy in Anderson Cooper's hot tight man-hole" Revolution.Was McCain ever diagnosed/evaluated after his 8 years in prison camps?
Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 9:21pm | #
McCain mentioned Reagan, which means it's time to drink.Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 9:21pm | #
I think the CNN real time do-whacky is connected to Romney's butt-cheeks, from reports so far.Milly | January 30, 2008, 9:22pm | #
What's all this talk about litres? Are these bastards taking us metric?Ron should say he was one of the first SDI proponents and that they named one of the particle-beam satellites after him.
Colin | January 30, 2008, 9:23pm | #
He was just about to ask Paul a question. Thanks, Mitt.random viewer | January 30, 2008, 9:23pm | #
mccain looks like he has gascan they please give mitt some face time? please? he has so much to say.
Tsu Dho Nihm | January 30, 2008, 9:23pm | #
I think Paul and Huckabee just shared a short WTF conversation...Hooter_McBoob | January 30, 2008, 9:24pm | #
JESUS MITT, SHUT THE HECK UPLibertarian LIbrarian | January 30, 2008, 9:24pm | #
"What's all this talk about litres? Are these bastards taking us metric?"One of the few good ideas Carter had. I wish he had suceeded at that.
Kolohe | January 30, 2008, 9:24pm | #
ok now i'm curious - what the hell was the other regret?Molly | January 30, 2008, 9:24pm | #
Oh no! He mentioned Lincoln in front of Ron Paul!i just saw paul and huckabee smile at each other and say something. must be something about what a douche anderson is being to them.
I feel really bad for Mike Huckabee actually. Huckabee is arguably a more competitive candidate than Mitt, yet I've hardly heard his voice.
The Wine Commonsewer | January 30, 2008, 9:25pm | #
I watched until I was ready to jump out a window. During that time it appeared to be a debate between McCain & Romney. Well, actually, it appeared to be an odd sort of conversation between those two. I don't think the camera ever left the two of them.Charles | January 30, 2008, 9:25pm | #
I really don't like the taste of McCain's "businessmen are inherently not as good citizens as gook-killers like me" rhetoric.Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 9:25pm | #
Once again, McCain speaks, and the real-time do-whacky drops 10 to 20 points.Chris Potter | January 30, 2008, 9:27pm | #
Librarian,If you were a REAL libertarian, you would support letting the market decide whether or not we go metric. Which, as I check to make sure I've had enough grams of protein before I fill my 2 liter bottle of water for tomorrow's 5 K race, I must say it has.
Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 9:27pm | #
Wow... McCain and Romney smiling in unison. The Doc is telling the gospel, and he's managed to bring two douches together in the harmony of silently mocking him.Colin | January 30, 2008, 9:28pm | #
Another good answer.LevStrauss | January 30, 2008, 9:28pm | #
Ron's good when he's pissed.Anonymoose. | January 30, 2008, 9:28pm | #
Ron Paul's response started out good. The real-time do-whacky likes him a little.When he starts talking about the Fed, though, and the war, and foreign policy, it goes down. (Yes, I'm addicted to the do-whacky.)
Wow, Paul could have really hit a home run there. Unfortunately, he barely made it to first base with that answer.
McBoob | January 30, 2008, 9:29pm | #
::Wow... McCain and Romney smiling in unison. The Doc is telling the gospel, and he's managed to bring two douches together in the harmony of silently mocking him.::They're mocking him for preaching the same gospel the Reagan espoused. Does anyone else see the irony there?
CTD | January 30, 2008, 9:29pm | #
The red line actually bumps up a bit for Ron while he talks about deregulation.Mostly it's a whore for Mitt, though (audience demographics, I've decided)
McCain is making a big mistake - he should be acting like a frontrunner, but he can't resist attacking ROM gratuitously.
Colin | January 30, 2008, 9:29pm | #
How many questions so far?Charles | January 30, 2008, 9:29pm | #
I don't like him, but Huckabee's done a lot better with his 10% of camera time than Ron Paul has with his 10%.Ron makes his points again and I think the audience is absorbing the possibilities he has presented.
Wharf Rat | January 30, 2008, 9:29pm | #
Romney's butt cheeks don't know what to make of Ron Paul..hence the confusion of the do-whacky. That, or it foibles when he internally laughs in his blissful ignorance of economics.This proves it. The whole red line is connected to Mitt's backside.
Charles | January 30, 2008, 9:30pm | #
Oh, God.Libertarian Librarian | January 30, 2008, 9:30pm | #
Chris Potter, I am a real libertarian but I also recognize that (either way) the government sets the standards of weights and measures. Either way it does. If you want to talk about some future Rothbardian utopia sure. But in that case I think metric would win out anyway. It just makes sense.Franklin Harris | January 30, 2008, 9:30pm | #
I don't like him, but Huckabee's done a lot better with his 10% of camera time than Ron Paul has with his 10%.Huckabee loves the camera, even though it adds 10 pounds.
The Wine Commonsewer | January 30, 2008, 9:31pm | #
Weigel, I hope they're giving you a fat bonus for having to blog though this.My buddy Ben Boychuk is blogging through it over at redblueamerica.com. Course he may have slit his wrists by now.
Kolohe | January 30, 2008, 9:31pm | #
Romney's used the 3 dimensional chess reference in at least previous two debates already.Randolph Carter | January 30, 2008, 9:31pm | #
I believe the camera acutally made Huckabee lose approx. 100 lbs.DUMBDERO4PREZ | January 30, 2008, 9:31pm | #
REAGAN TIME!!! TIME TO GET KRUNKED!!!1!!!joe | January 30, 2008, 9:31pm | #
Mitt Romney is so fucking arrogant!Would Ronald Reagan endorse you?
Absolutely. Absolutely.
What an asshole!
KingHarvest | January 30, 2008, 9:32pm | #
RP needs to stop bringing up Bush.Yeah, in the context of not policing the world?!?!
Yes, and Ronald Raegan probably also said that dogs can fly and birds can bark. I heard him say it. I was there with him.
LevStrauss | January 30, 2008, 9:32pm | #
McCain's turning red, he's gonna go into asshole mode now.Tommy J | January 30, 2008, 9:32pm | #
My favorite question, what would Ronald Reagan do/say/bless/eat?I find it ironic that Ronald Reagan actually endorsed amnesty in the 1980's while these clowns are fighting for who will kick out the most illegal immigrants fastest.
Kolohe | January 30, 2008, 9:33pm | #
good think i still at work or i'd need to go to the er after that last round of 'ronald reagan' mantrajoe | January 30, 2008, 9:33pm |