View Full Version : Anyone watch the GOP debates?
I don't have cable, so I didn't watch them. From the news, it sounds like it was mostly between Romney and Perry. IMHO, its pretty scary to think that either one could win........especially Perry. Having such an outwardly religious, not-interested-in-science person as president is really scary to me.
If you saw the debates, what did you think?
NO!! I would only have watched if I had been paid...a lot!
lol Florence, that's what my DH said.
I would have only watched it for entertainment purposes. :devil:
I don't have cable, either. But I had a pretty good idea what the content would be - more interesting to read fact checks afterwards. And I'll likely do the same with the President's speech tonight.
I thought the two best performers were Santorum (Full disclosure: he's a high school classmate) and Newt, neither of whom have the slightest glimmer of a chance.
Huntsman was so self-righteous and full of himself (We get it, you speak Chinese) I thought a democrat had infiltrated the debate.
Gov. Perry, the evening's primary target, needs to hire himself some better handlers. I did like the comment about Galileo being outside the scientific mainstream of his time, though.
I wish Tim Pawlenty hadn't pulled out so soon.
The whole Massachussetts vs. Texas thing struck me as sort of pointless. I hope they move past that sometime soon.
Michelle Bachmann didn't seem as crazy as they've been trying to paint her.
Mitt needs to learn to talk plain English rather than poli-babble if he wants to stay viable.
All in all, I think we should draft Paul Ryan.
Gov. Perry, the evening's primary target, needs to hire himself some better handlers. I did like the comment about Galileo being outside the scientific mainstream of his time, though.
Perry has foot-in-mouth disease (much like "W") -
Galileo was placed under house arrest for the entire last part of his life by the church, who had told him that he could neither “hold or defend” the idea that the Earth moves and the Sun stands still at the center, called heliocentrism in case you’re ever on Jeopardy.
The church, it seems, held on to the belief that the sun revolves around the earth because, darn it, that’s what the Bible says. Galileo was “vehemently suspect of heresy” and told to recant and deny his theory or else he couldn’t publish his ideas anymore.
Galileo agreed to recant in exchange for being allowed to continue to think and publish. Popular theory says that as he left the room after saying the earth is the center of the universe and stands still as the sun revolves around it, he muttered, “Eppur Si Muove,” which translated means, “Yet it moves.” That probably didn’t happen. He probably just thought of that after he got home and wished that was what he said.
So, with irony that could choke a water buffalo, Rick Perry forgot which side he was on in the Galileo fight. His people were part of the Inquisition. And they are tan, rested, pissed off, and ready to take control again.
Peace
loosechickens
9-8-11, 2:38pm
I watched it, so here's MY thoughts, for free, and that's probably about what they are worth, since I would vote for President Obama over any of them in the general election.
I felt that Newt Gingrich made some very salient points, although he hasn't got a rat's chance of getting the nomination. Despite all his obvious baggage, and loose cannon tendencies, he's an intelligent man, and a real thinker.
I thought Jon Huntsman was really intelligent and I consider him an able man, but his unwillingness to drink the likely primary voter's KoolAid that denies evolution and global climate change, which would be helpful in the general election, but will prevent him from getting those primary votes probably dooms him. And the primary voters in the Republican party are pretty anti-intellectual, so would see his urbanity, multi-lingual abilities and global experience to be "elitist", and would prefer good ole boy, Perry.
I'm sure that the Obama White House is hoping that Rick Perry will do well, as they are far more afraid of the competition from Huntsman or Romney, both of whom could be formidable competitors in the general election.
If you weren't aware of numerous things Michelle Bachmann has said and believes, you'd have almost thought her quite sane. She is a good debate performer. (Although with her kind of Cruella deVille kind of persona, those long, clawlike fingernails looked creepy.....I almost hate to say that as it sounds sexist, but face it, no men up there had inch long fingernails).
Rick Santorum did a good job of standing up for his religious beliefs.
Just from this debate, almost makes you wish that Newt Gingrich wasn't such a jerk in so many other ways, because he does make good points......although he'd probably be a disastrous President.
Mostly I found myself thinking that it was sad that in a nation of 300,000,000 people, this bunch was the best they could come up with. They've really got a problem, because the candidate that can run the gauntlet of the Tea Party and religious conservatives successfully to get the nomination is likely to be WAY out of the mainstream when the whole country is voting.
It was interesting, though....for sure.
Perry has foot-in-mouth disease (much like "W") -
Galileo was placed under house arrest for the entire last part of his life by the church, who had told him that he could neither “hold or defend” the idea that the Earth moves and the Sun stands still at the center, called heliocentrism in case you’re ever on Jeopardy.
The church, it seems, held on to the belief that the sun revolves around the earth because, darn it, that’s what the Bible says. Galileo was “vehemently suspect of heresy” and told to recant and deny his theory or else he couldn’t publish his ideas anymore.
Galileo agreed to recant in exchange for being allowed to continue to think and publish. Popular theory says that as he left the room after saying the earth is the center of the universe and stands still as the sun revolves around it, he muttered, “Eppur Si Muove,” which translated means, “Yet it moves.” That probably didn’t happen. He probably just thought of that after he got home and wished that was what he said.
So, with irony that could choke a water buffalo, Rick Perry forgot which side he was on in the Galileo fight. His people were part of the Inquisition. And they are tan, rested, pissed off, and ready to take control again.
Peace
I don’t agree, and I think that human activity (among other things) affects climate. Right or wrong, the fervor with which climate change advocates have attacked dissenters from the established orthodoxy has often struck me as positively inquisitorial. Just as the push for cap and trade or the sale of “carbon offsets” strikes me as much like the sale of indulgences to sinners.
Pacem
I guess when I hear anyone deny climate change, it seems that they are more apt to destroy the earth.....or at least make excuses for the earth-destroying choices they make.
I didn't get to see the debates, but I heard Huntsman talk a few weeks ago and was impressed. And I agree, Newt is an intelligent man, but I don't think people would vote for him, and I have concerns with him. I would never vote for any of them. It is a pretty sad selection.
Compared to that field, I'm sure Newt seems intelligent. ;)
I did not watch the debates. I would have, at least in part, but forgot.
Perry has gained the lead not because of his merits, but because 'the base' did not like the field of other hopefuls. Rick 'none-of-the-above' Perry.
Huntsman might make a good nominee in a general election, but doesnt stand a chance of getting enough votes from the base who is looking for an anti-science, Christian, 'no taxes' uber-conservative.
In all seriousness, I would hope that for every election each party would choose the best candidate possible so that no matter who wins, the country won't suffer too badly. Unfortunately that doesnt always happen.
Mangano's Gold
9-8-11, 10:12pm
....I did like the comment about Galileo being outside the scientific mainstream of his time, though.
In the Galileo case, HE was the scientist, though.
That is interesting that you went to High School with Rick Santorum. He is a plausible VP candidate at some point. It probably wouldn't make sense for Ronmney for regional reasons, but he's young enough for another run.
Newt kicked butt in both debates, he was both entertaining and pithy. And he wouldn't let the media get away with chit. Go Newt go!
Michelle Bachmann wasn't nearly as bad as I thought she'd be. She had reasonable things to say.
I don't like Rick Perry and I'm sure you all here will applaud me for that. Like I care about that. :D
Perry got all of the air time and Romney took a back seat. Romney was better in the first debate because he got more on screen time. I found Mitt's new Pauly Walnuts look distracting. Pauly really is not someone you want to emulate in the hair fashion department.
Ron Paul, as much as I would like to like him, and I DO like his message, is just an odd duck.
Of course you all like Huntsman, he is liberal. He said some ok things, mainly I liked his stance about not saying whether or not he'd raise taxes because it was stupid to make that commitment outside of an actual governing situation. But that may be his undoing.
Herman Cain had some good things to say, he likes the flat tax and would like everyone to have skin in the Tax Me game and I really really like that even though the flat tax is scary to contemplate. Would it really work? What are unintended consequences? I think that there would be some.
I also had to laugh about Perry's insistence on calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme. That seems to drive a certain element of the population crazy. I think it's funny. Ok LITERALLY SS is not a Ponzi scheme but they share attributes.
They did seem to zero in on Perry to the almost exclusion of the others. Maybe it's because he was new, or probably more because he is polling the highest. That good 'ol boy shtick won't play on the big stage. I do kind of like Huntsman because he was the only one who actually answered honestly about stuff, like the tax issue. The others were just saying what they thought the base wanted to hear. Or they really believe pledging to not do this and only do that is the way to go. I think Huntsman was the only candidate on the stage who doesn't work for Grover Norquist. :doh: (a base of one) If that were the case, then why bother electing them. They could just mail it in.
loosechickens
9-9-11, 3:31pm
I couldn't help it......Stephen Colbert nailed it.....as usual:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2011/09/late-night-colbert-praises-bad-ass-rick-perrys-execution-record-.html
to see the video.
"For many viewers, the most memorable moment of Wednesday's Republican presidential debate was the roaring applause that followed Brian Williams' question regarding the record-breaking 234 executions carried out during Rick Perry's tenure as Texas' governor.
But on Thursday night's episode of "The Colbert Report," Stephen Colbert didn't express dismay at the jubilant reaction; in fact, he joined in the revelry, gleefully wielding two syringes as if they were pistols. "Mentioning executions is a sure-fire applause line for conservatives. It's like saying 'pot' to the audience of 'The Daily Show,''" he said. Colbert cited the audience response as proof that Perry, who also happens to be the preferred candidate of Colbert's Super PAC, is "bad ass."
Colbert also heaped (ironic) praise on Perry for his views on other issues. When asked why he is skeptical of global warming, despite overwhelming scientific consensus on the issue, Perry argued, "Just because you have a group of scientists who've stood up and said 'Here is the fact'... Galileo got out-voted for a spell."
Colbert pointed out the logic flaws in Perry's analogy. "Galileo believed the Earth revolved around the sun, but respected scientists, like the pope and his inquisitors, challenged that with their theory that hot irons would burn out his eyes."
There was also the subject of Social Security, which Perry repeatedly denounced as a "Ponzi scheme."
"He pulled no punches when it came to this universally beloved, highly effective cancer on our society," said Colbert. As stock photos of senior citizens flashed on the screen, he continued: "Millions of unsuspecting young rubes are paying in, while the fat cats at the top sit back and rake in an average of $1,177 a month, all to fund their lavish lifestyles of motorized chairs and special teeth they can take out at night."
Colbert proposed a private solution to Social Security: Send the old people to Vegas.
"We just plunk them down at the slots, and let them feed their life savings in one nickel at a time. All they need to do is get two plums and a cherry and they've got themselves another week of blood pressure meds." "
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