Thoughts on (maybe) (possibly) (perhaps) the last GOP debate
I haven’t written recaps of each GOP presidential debate this cycle, but I do have a few thoughts about last night’s, which may have been the last one with these four candidates.
Rick Santorum had a tough night. He appeared aware that he would be attacked, but his answers didn’t always impress. While he deemed his support of the No Child Left Behind law as a mistake he made under pressure from his party because “politics is a team sport” — a sentiment seemingly at odds with his earlier one-word description for himself, “courage” — he gave a lengthy defense of congressional earmarks. There is a case to be made for earmarks: It holds that they allow Congress to preserve more power of the purse rather than yielding more decisions to the executive branch. Even Ron Paul makes this defense. But defending earmarks is a bad spot for anyone in the tea party era, and it’s especially bad for Santroum because it also serves as a reminder that he was in Congress at a time when Republicans were falling off the small-government wagon. That said, I don’t think it was so bad as to have a large effect on his chances in the Arizona or Michigan primaries next week.
Mitt Romney fared better, and it helped his appearance to the TV audience that so many people in the live audience were his supporters. But Santorum landed a good blow on him by observing that even Michael Dukakis had balanced the Massachusetts budget because the state’s constitution requires it. And his attack on Santorum for endorsing Arlen Specter over conservative stalwart Pat Toomey in a 2004 U.S. senate race (as did most of the rest of the GOP establishment at the time) had the unfortunate effect of ensuring Specter’s name was being invoked when Barack Obama’s name could have been. That’s a loss for Republicans.
What about Newt Gingrich? He was back on his game, coming off as knowledgeable, focused and ready to defend conservatism. And he did so without attacking the moderator or, for the most part, the media. But at this point, do debate performances continue to move the needle for Gingrich? Like his divorces and some of his missteps as Speaker, good performances in debates are baked into the cake for him. At this point, that cake is valued at third place by the GOP primary electorate. He wasn’t good enough Wednesday night to surpass expectations, so I have a hard time seeing how the debate spurs him very far upward.
Ron Paul was Ron Paul, maybe a little more appealingly so than at other times. But while his foreign policy stance might help push the party away from military adventurism, it’s not going to be adopted wholesale by Republicans anytime soon. And that pretty much counts him put as a potential nominee.
How did y’all see things? Those of you who watched, that is…
– By Kyle Wingfield
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@@
February 23rd, 2012
6:10 pm
Marco Rubio at a Campaign for Life in D.C.:
“They say, ‘Well, they are not viable without the support of the mother.’ That also cannot be a good argument, because a newborn isn’t viable without the mother either. A 1-year-old child, a 2-year-old child — leave a 2-year-old child by himself, leave a 6-month-old child by himself, they are not viable either.”
The same argument Andy made several years ago.
WAY TO GO, ANDY!
@@
February 23rd, 2012
6:15 pm
LBB:
The pro-abortion crowd simply puts more value on their own comfort and happiness than the life of another human being.
You’ll get no argument from me on that one. I swear…they must enter the world with a persecution complex or something. Maybe they should take up thumb-sucking.
Linda
February 23rd, 2012
6:15 pm
Tiberius@5:48, There’s God’s will & our free will. We have the free will to make choices & decisions. When they are against God’s will, they are sins. When they are in God’s will, they come back to us in blessings.
md
February 23rd, 2012
6:26 pm
“You are right. So why is this country filled with people who act and live as though God is a proven fact?”
Don’t know, which is one of the reasons I’m in the middle……
But, I do not discount the possibility that some of them may be right…..and I wrong.
@@
February 23rd, 2012
6:26 pm
Free will was among God’s first gifts. We use it wisely or we don’t. The 10 Commandments serve as directives. Failure to obey them will result in consequences for the individual who violates them, not the individual who’s the consequence of someone else’s failure to accept His guidance.
@@
February 23rd, 2012
6:34 pm
I’ve always seen the unborn as innocent bystanders. Then there’s the other type of bystander:
The bystander effect or Genovese syndrome is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present. The probability of help has in the past been thought to be inversely related to the number of bystanders; in other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. The mere presence of other bystanders greatly decreases intervention. This happens because as the number of bystanders increases, any given bystander is less likely to interpret the incident as a problem, and less likely to assume responsibility for taking action.
Too many people suffer from Genovese syndrome.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
6:37 pm
“Would it be safe to say you have no faith in the human potential. No woman has ever given birth to anything that isn’t human.”
Keyword, @@ = BIRTH.
Thank you.
And md, SCIENCE gave us the term “fetus”. I suppose you don’t believe in science, either?
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
6:39 pm
“When they are against God’s will, they are sins.”
And if someone doesn’t believe in your God . . . .?
What then? Are you automatically chosen to own them and their lives, Linda?
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
6:42 pm
“What do you think I missed?”
As usual, carlos, a whole host of comments.
md
February 23rd, 2012
6:43 pm
“And md, SCIENCE gave us the term “fetus”. I suppose you don’t believe in science, either?”
And once upon a time, science gave us “flat earth” too……….science is merely what we think we know at any given point in time.
A world renowned geneticist (science right?) has stated that the human dna strand starts at fertilization…..not in the middle of a blob stage……..so is science saying humans start at fertilization?
Equal I guess doesn’t always mean equal……….
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
6:46 pm
Sorry, md, but another swing and a miss for you.
If you think that DNA strand can survive outside of the womb, prove it.
Linda
February 23rd, 2012
6:46 pm
I think PETA was predicted in the Bible. 1 Timothy 4 says, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits & doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, …and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer…”
Those who place the “rights” of animals over & above the rights of unborn children are greatly misguided. Those who place the “rights” of animals & the “rights” of mothers to go home with a dead baby over & above the rights of BORN, LIVE, VIABLE children as a result of botched abortions are evil.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
6:46 pm
And I’m not willing to convey all the rights I have to a “DNA strand”.
Let ‘em take a breath before they claim them.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
6:48 pm
“Those who place the “rights” of animals over & above the rights of unborn children are greatly misguided.’
This is known as a deflection. Something Linda (and others) need to do when they have no argument left but, ‘It’s God’s WILL!”
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
6:53 pm
I’d still like to know where you conservatives get off on deciding what another adult human being will do when it has no effect on your lives.
Uptight, straight-laced, panties-in-a-wad Peeping Toms who aren’t satisfied enough in their own bedrooms, so they have to insert themselves into someone else’s.
When did YOU become someone else’s master? Get raped? Carry that child! Yes, Massa, whatever you say, Massa!
Make a mistake? Carry that child! You got it, Boss!
Michael H. Smith
February 23rd, 2012
6:55 pm
I see Mr Uterus from the Death Squad is back to deliver another round of its’ hate for human life and the safe keeping thereof once it is conceived.
Want the real definition of a RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
How about: 1) hate of human life 2) Hatred for defenselessness human beings from their conception that might pose the hardship of adult consequences on some reckless version of a human ally cat in heat that seemingly can only behave insticntively like an animal with other animals void of using a conscience will.
Ooops I forgot, I can’t speak about ABOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRTION can I Neal Boortz?
Hey Mr Uterus of the Death Squad from Hate for the Human Race, I’m still talking loud and proud nothing you can do to stop me and I did have a say in possibly making it harder for the IRRESPONSIBLE and IMMATURE women and other female human ally cats in this State who don’t know how to use preventive contraception or who are to careless, or so sorry they just don’t give a good damn about anything or anyone other than their worthless sexual thrill to get an ABOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRTION, so you and they can enjoy your right to choose to kill a fetus and murder another baby in the name of people like me.
Enjoy your right to kill and murder human life Mr. Uterus for as long as you and your barbaric knuckledragging primeval kind can keep it.
For the rest of us who love the innocent human life and human race in spite of all of our and its’ failures intend to take that so-called right of choice and replace it with the right to life.
Oh and by the way, Homosexuals have exactly the same Equal Rights to obtain a marriage license from this State as Heterosexuals. Neither the U.S. Constitution or the State of Georgia Constitution protects Equal Results!
md
February 23rd, 2012
6:58 pm
Amazing how the definition of equal changes depending on the issue………..
Linda
February 23rd, 2012
7:01 pm
Tiberius@6:39, He’s not just my God. He’s our God. He’s your God. He’s the Creator that gave you your rights. It you deny Him, you have no source of rights. The Declaration of Independence does not state that our rights come from falling off the turnip truck.
Thank you for the dialogue. I’ve learned much from you. You have led me to believe that social liberals/fiscal conservatives might not exist. Your views are not compatible. That’s why you spend so much time trying to defend them. You are one unhappy soul. May God rest it & bless it.
Michael H. Smith
February 23rd, 2012
7:02 pm
Equal means equal. Equal Rights doesn’t mean Equal Results. Never have, never will.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:03 pm
Michael H. Smith, the definition of “racist” is the belief in the superiority of one group of people over another based on skin color.
It has nothing to do with abortion, nor the hatred of human beings.
I believe that term is “misanthrope”.
“Oh and by the way, Homosexuals have exactly the same Equal Rights to obtain a marriage license from this State as Heterosexuals.”
Oh, a deflection! We haven’t seen that in about a half hour . . . .
md
February 23rd, 2012
7:07 pm
“To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion … it is plain experimental evidence.” The “Father of Modern Genetics” Dr. Jerome Lejeune, Univ. of Descarte, Paris”
“By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception.” Dr. Hymie Gordon, Chairman, Department of Genetics at the Mayo Clinic”
“There is no more pivotal moment in the subsequent growth and development of a human being than when 23 chromosomes of the father join with 23 chromosomes of the mother to form a unique, 46-chromosomed individual, with a gender, who had previously simply not existed.”
“I am no more prepared to say that these early stages [of development in the womb] represent an incomplete human being than I would be to say that the child prior to the dramatic effects of puberty…is not a human being. This is human life at every stage.”"
Science??
I guess only if it fits ones preconceived notions…..
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:07 pm
“You have led me to believe that social liberals/fiscal conservatives might not exist.”
Then you would be wrong again, Linda. I am the epitome of a social liberal and fiscal conservative. Please try, if you can, to explain why I am not.
“It you deny Him, you have no source of rights.”
Really? My own working brain immediately shuts down and I no longer have the ability to articulate a “right” if I deny the existence of God? Is there an Atheist on this blog that can comment on this phenomena?
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:09 pm
And again, md, as soon as that DNA strand can suck in a breath of air, I’m more than willing to agree that it has the same rights as I do.
But once again, nice try.
Michael H. Smith
February 23rd, 2012
7:10 pm
You have confirmed your ignorance by asserting a color is a RACE.
Race is Human. It is not an ethnicity, a skin color or a culture.
Goodnight Hate-master I’v e got better things to do than read through anymore of your regurgitation.
md
February 23rd, 2012
7:10 pm
“If you think that DNA strand can survive outside of the womb, prove it.”
Does it matter? Even when we use the 22 weeks you go and move your goalposts……..
md
February 23rd, 2012
7:13 pm
“When did YOU become someone else’s master? Get raped? Carry that child! Yes, Massa, whatever you say, Massa!
Make a mistake? Carry that child! You got it, Boss!”
Too funny…….some of us are merely trying to strive for actual equality……based on science……but since it isn’t science you want to recognize, it becomes trivial.
md
February 23rd, 2012
7:16 pm
“And again, md, as soon as that DNA strand can suck in a breath of air, I’m more than willing to agree that it has the same rights as I do.”
Considering we are now growing body parts in labs, if/when we can grow the whole enchilada in the lab you then willing to make them equal? If so, why not 22 weeks now?
Bruno
February 23rd, 2012
7:17 pm
Hey, md–Moonlighting over at Kyle’s, eh?? Pretty tame with only one Lib to banter with, though.
I support keeping abortion legal, but it amazes me the gyrations that the Libs go through to pretend that aborting a baby /= ending a life.
Linda
February 23rd, 2012
7:18 pm
Tiberious@6:53, Christians care about others, whether we know them or not. Have you ever heard of charity? Do only Christians donate to victims of hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc.? Must we personally know the homeless in the lines to eat?
Isn’t it funny how liberals accuse Christians/conservatives of policing the bedroom &, at the same time, demand that taxpayer dollars go to Planned Parenthood for abortions, that Medicaid pay for abortions, that funds to save lives for breast cancer research be diverted to Planned Parenthood for abortions, that gays should have social justice laws over & above the rights of every other American, that religious institutions should pay for every form of birth control for both men & women over their constitutional rights, etc.? Who is that in the bedroom?
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:18 pm
“You have confirmed your ignorance by asserting a color is a RACE. ”
Michael H. Smith, I do not assert that race is a color of skin. I am merely stating the normal definition of a racist, which is far, far, closer to your lame attempt.
In fact, when the Census comes around and they ask me to fill in race, I always write-in “human”, just to tick them off. And in pen, so they can’t erase it.
It is clear that your emotions are getting the best of you, and showing off the worst of you.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:19 pm
What part of “sucking in a breath of air” do you NOT get, md?
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:22 pm
“Isn’t it funny how liberals accuse Christians/conservatives of policing the bedroom &, at the same time, demand that taxpayer dollars go to Planned Parenthood for abortions, that Medicaid pay for abortions, that funds to save lives for breast cancer research be diverted to Planned Parenthood for abortions, that gays should have social justice laws over & above the rights of every other American, that religious institutions should pay for every form of birth control for both men & women over their constitutional rights, etc.?’
And yet, I don’t call for ANY of these things, Linda, which is why you are so very wrong about me in so many ways.
“Christians care about others, whether we know them or not.”
So by “caring”, you mean forcing my wife or daughter to bend to YOUR will? To own their bodies until YOU are through with them? Funny, that doesn’t fit any definition of caring I have ever read.
Bruno
February 23rd, 2012
7:24 pm
What part of “sucking in a breath of air” do you NOT get, md?
Tiberius the rod–You can invent any arbitrary point you like at which a fetus begins to have legal rights, but it doesn’t change the fact that abortion ends a life.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:27 pm
Here’s what you conservatives have the right to do:
You may poo-poo the decision to abort all you want.
You may pray for the salvation of the mother and the “child”.
You may look down upon them with disdain.
You may forgive them if you so choose.
But you MAY NOT order them about as if they are your property, because they are just as free as you are.
md
February 23rd, 2012
7:27 pm
“Hey, md–Moonlighting over at Kyle’s, eh?? Pretty tame with only one Lib to banter with, though.”
Thinking about making it my new home…….Jay dove into the intellectually dishonest pool with that Santorum blog and it didn’t sit too well with me. The agenda is getting to be a bit much……..
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:28 pm
“You can invent any arbitrary point you like at which a fetus begins to have legal rights, but it doesn’t change the fact that abortion ends a life.”
Never said it did, Bruno.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:30 pm
Or rather, that it didn’t.
Linda
February 23rd, 2012
7:31 pm
Tiberius@7:07, You are still a work in progress that I will monitor. Look in the mirror. I don’t think one side of you is compatible with the other side.
Answer to 2nd question: Yep! Brain is shut down. No rights. If you do not respect the infinite wisdom of the founders, you can’t possibly respect their work: the constitution of the US.
It is you that is a piece of work!
md
February 23rd, 2012
7:32 pm
“What part of “sucking in a breath of air” do you NOT get, md?”
Oh I get it…….just makes no scientific sense or logical sense……with you, we can have 2 identical babies lieing side by side on a bed…..one in the womb and one out of the womb and only one is an actual human being……..
yep, that makes sense………
Bruno
February 23rd, 2012
7:35 pm
Jay dove into the intellectually dishonest pool with that Santorum blog and it didn’t sit too well with me. The agenda is getting to be a bit much……..
Don’t know if you remember me challenging him a while back on the fact that playing the race card is a staple of the Left. He claimed I couldn’t prove that, so I brought up clip after clip of liberal commentators, Obama campaign workers and even Jimmy Carter saying point blank that conservative criticism is motivated by racism. He brushed it off in the same way he wouldn’t give you any respect last night.
In return, when I challenged him to back up his assertion that most racists are conservatives, he came up empty. Pretty lame IMO.
td
February 23rd, 2012
7:38 pm
jconservative
February 23rd, 2012
5:37 pm
“The 9th circuit ruling will get overturned by the SCOTUS. Also, you have that little DOMA law at the federal level that overrules the “full faith and credit clause” in regards to Gay marriage that if I am not mistaken been upheld by the SCOTUS.”
td,
Maybe SCOTUS will overrue, maybe they will uphold. Olsen has never lost a SCOTUS case.
No law of Congress overrules the US Constitution, DOMA included.
Right now DOMA is the law of the land until it either gets changed by the legislature or the courts overrule it.
Bruno
February 23rd, 2012
7:39 pm
Never said it did, Bruno.
Then you somehow have to reconcile that assertion with the fact that taking a human life is generally considered to be a crime. Arbitrarily conferring legal rights only after birth is pretty much a cop-out. By what reasoning do you claim that life inside the womb is less valuable than life outside the womb??
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:40 pm
“with you, we can have 2 identical babies lieing side by side on a bed…..one in the womb and one out of the womb and only one is an actual human being”
OK, overlooking the fact that you cannot have two identical babies side by side on a bed, does our Constitution protect the rights of everybody on the planet, md? Of course not.
Why shouldn’t you have to first be born in this country (or to a citizen of this country to disarm the birthers out there) before you may enjoy the rights of this society?
GodHatesTrash, Superstar
February 23rd, 2012
7:40 pm
Arguing with the likes of the mentally and emotionally handicapped like Bruno, you are well to remember Proverbs 26 4:
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
GodHatesTrash, Superstar
February 23rd, 2012
7:42 pm
In this country, most racists are conservatives. Only an idiot would argue otherwise.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:43 pm
“Then you somehow have to reconcile that assertion with the fact that taking a human life is generally considered to be a crime.”
Which is why abortion is considered differently, Bruno. Taking a “life” is not killing a human being. I admit it is splitting hairs, but (while I do not personally condone abortion – I’m a guy and have no right or say in that matter) I will not deny a woman the right to do so.
Linda
February 23rd, 2012
7:44 pm
Tiberius@7:27, There you go again. Conservatives are not trying to order women not to have abortions, as if they were our property & not fee. Abortion has already been decided.
I AM a woman & I have the same rights as all other women. You’ve been harping about this all day & a couple of days last week & you still don’t know what the discussion is about?
Let me tell you what this is about. It’s pure & simple, too simple for you to understand. (That’s a compliment.)
Rights don’t make it right.
That’s it.
Bruno
February 23rd, 2012
7:45 pm
Arguing with the likes of the mentally and emotionally handicapped like Bruno, you are well to remember Proverbs 26 4:
If you can debate the substance of what I have to say, bring it on. But, your lame insults indicate to me that you can’t. Just one more Lib Lamer.
Tiberius - Your lightning rod of hate!
February 23rd, 2012
7:45 pm
“In this country, most racists are conservatives. Only an idiot would argue otherwise.”
And in this country, most Democrats are stupid. Isn’t it fun to just write things . . . .
@@
February 23rd, 2012
7:45 pm
Well, if anyone gets a spinal cord injury at C4 or above, Tiberius may declare you inhuman. Can’t breathe on your own with one of those babies.