Last night, during the great Republican debate, I was doing something more important. I was asleep. Nevertheless, I have gotten a pretty good idea of how it came down. I would say that the debate was a tossup between Bachmann, appealing to the Theocon and InsaniTEA wings of the party, and Romney, appealing to the Neocon, Corporocon and Plutocon wings. Pawlenty found himself backed into a corner when he refused to back up an earlier insult to Romney. Nobody else mattered. Here are a variety of other views.
E. J. Dionne, Jr. had an interesting take on it.
I didn’t expect to think that Michele Bachmann would be the big winner of tonight’s Republican debate in New Hampshire, but that seemed the obvious conclusion. She was at ease and forceful without looking at all crazy or out-of-control. It’s a sign of how far to the right the Republican Party has moved that she didn’t stand out for her extreme views. On this stage, suggesting we should just rid ourselves of the Environmental Protection Agency seemed par for the course.
Mitt Romney did not lose anything tonight, which means that, since he leads in the polls in New Hampshire, he is a kind of winner. And on substance, his forceful defense of religious liberty was actually a high point. I agree with a view that is becoming widespread on the web – Chris Cillizza and Jennifer Rubin made this point in their winner-and-losers wrap-ups – that it was strange or timid for Tim Pawlenty not to be willing to back up his Sunday attack on “Obamneycare” with any force tonight. Either you want to take that fight on or you don’t.
On the other hand, I thought Pawlenty did one important thing: He identified himself clearly as the working class Republican of the bunch (even if his economic ideas would not exactly be ideal for working class voters). He made a very un-Republican comment on trade – “I’m for fair and open trade, but I’m not for being stupid and I’m not for being a chump” – that probably endeared him to the Mike Huckabee populists in the GOP… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Washington Post>
Here is the Democratic response from DNC Chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Tonight’s Republican debate was a reminder that we’ve been down this road of failed economic policies and proposals before. The economic recession in America wasn’t caused by bad luck; it was caused by bad Republican policies. But the Republican candidates are doubling down on the same flawed policies that led to the loss of 3.6 million jobs in the final months of 2008 and gravely affected middle class families across America.
And if those policies weren’t bad enough, we heard support tonight for policies as extreme as ending Medicare and privatizing Social Security – policies the American people have rejected over and over again.
The debate tonight put into stark relief the contrast between the Republican presidential candidates and President Obama. Republicans want to roll back the protections President Obama put in place to make sure another financial crisis of the magnitude we saw in 2008 could not happen again. President Obama is making the tough decisions to get our country going in the right direction, has taken our economy from job losses to 15 straight months of job gains, cut taxes 26 times, and focused like a laser on getting the middle class back on its feet while those campaigning to replace him have failed to show they can lead on these issues.
Under Mitt Romney’s leadership Massachusetts was 47th out of 50 states in job creation. And thanks to Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota was left with a $6.2 billion projected deficit. The fact is, when it comes to economic leadership, the Republicans have nothing to brag about. This isn’t what the American people want. They want to see progress that works for them. Tonight we were reminded that Republican candidates have nothing to offer but the failed policies the American people have already rejected… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <DNC>
Debbie was not the only Schultz with something to day. Ed Schultz calls the debate "all hat, no cattle" and discusses it with a panel of pundits.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
All the Republicans agreed on the need to take “Obamacare” off business’ back. I actually agree that saddling businesses with health care costs puts US companies at a competitive disadvantage. However Republicans propose RepubliCare. You pay for insurance, you get sick, they drop you, nobody else will insure you, you die. That’s the RepubliCare death benefit. The solution to this problem is single-payer health care, such as Medicare for all.
The Republicans are still the party of NO: NO solutions, NO concern, NO integrity.
20 Responses to “Last Night at the Looney Bin”
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I will watch when one of the intellectual mites debates the president. Then they will have to present something of substance to the general voting population. Until then they are all whores pandering to certain parts of a party that refuses to recognize their vast and many failures including the one thing they actually had a honest claim to which was Defense. But even that they have thrown themselves over the cliff on. None of the are worthy enough to even walk in a workers steel toed safety shoes.
Mark, I think that will be like watching a cockroach when the Raid hits.
Awww! I missed it.
Poor Patty! 😉
It wasn’t just their views on the economy that rattled my cage. Their statements re abortion and the separation of church and state were very revealing and scary as hell.
Leslie I’m surprised if you weren’t anticipating that.
How many of these “debates” are going to be televised? It was like an unending infomercial promoting lunacy – letting them spew uncontested propaganda and gibberish.
Too
I can’t say that any one of them won. Bachmann didn’t look as crazy as usual, but Mittens seemed to be the most normal one of all. But all they did was attack Obama’s policies – not say what they would do. Pawlenty looked like he’s the boring of all the candidates and Herman Cain (who’s black and has no chance of being the Republican nom) spouted off crazy shit. The only one who sounded half way normal was Paul, which is scary enough. Not one proposed any solutions except for the standard tax cuts. They all lost in my opinion. 🙄
They are all losers.
What is the solution? There is Public Option – which I’m fighting to get Cuomo here in NY to adopt – I think it may be the best alternative. As for the job situation – there has been nothing but sabotaging republican obstructionism – at the cost of American jobs!!!! WTF!!
Lee, medicare for all is a better solution, but a public option is an improvement over the ACA.
It is appalling that any of these “candidates’ are being taken seriously.
Media can sell no soap if they do otherwise.
Keep an eye on Michele Bachmann, she might be “crazy like a fox”. She could go after Sarah Palin’s “dirty ol’ geezer”, vote! If she plays her cards right and winks a certain way. She might be a “playa! 😈
Good point, Johnny. I fixed your emoticon. To insert one just click the one you want when composing a comment.
“Sheesh…. hard to call that a debate…. more like a watered down version of Family Feud….. or a softball game for Jr High….. 🙄
Aren’t both of those more competitive? 😉
It was not a debate. It was a GOP lovefest/Obama bashing. Anyone who calls that a debate is either an idiot or a liar.
Which one of these “leaders” is going to lead the people to the responsible idea, that we have to pay our bills and stop running up multi-trillion dollar debts?
None. All gave the Republican line since RR. They pander to voters with the “No New Tax” line, and Americans vote (fall for it) them again, and again.