My thoughts on the GOP debate 9/7/11

Last night's debate at the Reagan National Library in California was the first in which Texas Governor Rick Perry participated.  Overall, this was not the best debate I've seen.  The moderators seemed stuck on pitting the candidates against each other, which does nothing to help voters determine who best fits their standards for a presidential candidate.  No one really "stood out" in last night's debate.  Here is who I think did the best, going to who I think did the worst.

#1: Rick Perry.  I think Perry came out of the gate very well.  He showed himself to be quick on his feet, and not afraid to say what he thinks.  Examples of this are when he compared Social Security to a Ponzi scheme and voiced his support for capital punishment.  People may say he stumbled, but to me, he just speaks slower than the rest of the candidates.  He thinks about what he is going to say before he actually says it.  Something I did find interesting:  Perry was the only candidate I saw taking notes throughout the debate.  Every time they put the camera back on him, he was writing something down.
None of the other candidates really took the opportunity to attack Perry in his first debate.  I found this surprising, since Perry has been surging ahead of all of them in the polls since his entry into the race. 

#2:  Newt Gingrich.  One of my favorite things to watch last night was how Newt goes after the moderators.  His comment about not pitting the candidates against each other took everyone by surprise.  As for his answers, I think he did good.  Not great.  He seems to do the same thing in most of the debates; he does well, but it never seems to be enough to be declared the "winner."  Last night, I was definitely more impressed by him than I have been in previous debates.

#3:  Michele Bachmann.  I think she did all she could do last night, but honestly, this has become a two-man race.  She comes across as very confident, but to me she seems to be saying the same things over and over.  I don't know how many times I've heard "I won't rest until we repeal ObamaCare."  While it does need to be repealed immediately, saying it so many times may get old with some people.
Aside from what is going on now, I just do not think a member of Congress can get the nomination.  Your Congressman is very similar to your city council; they represent a small area.  You wouldn't nominate your city councilman for president, would you? :)

#4:  Mitt Romney.  Last night, Romney did nothing special.  He certainly did not do enough to take the lead in the polls again.  His answers were okay.  To me, Romney just seems like a politician.  He says all the time that he opposes ObamaCare, but his own state-mandated healthcare was the foundation for it!  No matter how much he says he opposes it, his own product was the inspiration for it.  When he now comes out and says all of this, it just sounds like something he has to say.  He did not do enough to question Perry if he truly wants to get back into frontrunner position. 

#5:  Rick Santorum.  We really didn't hear too much from Santorum last night.  He was asked four or five questions at the most.  I really like Santorum and I wish he had gotten more of a jump-start, because I think if he had he would really have a chance.  I love how he stands strong on his morals and on the important issues.  Even though he does not get too many opportunities to speak, he comes across as, I think, very sharp when he does.

#6:  Ron Paul.  Honestly, this man confuses me.  I do not see how he can have such Libertarian views yet still garner so much support!  Every time he speaks he receives applause.  Some of his ideas are realistic, but most are not.  I do not think he has any chance of getting the nomination in 2012. 

#7:  Herman Cain.  I think Herman Cain would have a chance in 2012 if he had prior political experience.  A lot of his ideas are very good regarding the economy and small businesses.  I just think he needs political experience.  Once he gets some experience in other important things, like foreign affairs, I think he could really take Washington by storm!

#8:  Jon Huntsman.  Oh my, where do I begin?  Huntsman just always, to me, seems to be in a world of his own.  I think that he is so focused on appealing to voters that he fails to do so.  By focusing so much on it, you lose track of what you really need to do.  I won't go into so much detail on what I thought of last night, other than I did not think it was good.  I disagree with him on many social issues, such as same-sex marriage and evolution (he agrees with both), that the ball stops right there for me.  His speaking skills just are really not that good.  He seems to stumble over his words a lot.

Now, some of my favorite quotes of the night!

Moderator Brian Williams directed a question at Speaker Gingrich, explaining that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's term expires in 2014.  He asked if Speaker Gingrich would appoint him to another term.  The Speaker's response:  "I would fire him tomorrow."

When questioned on immigration, Jon Huntsman included in his answer, "We need to do something to attract brainpower to this country."

When asked about taxes and his plan on reforming the system, Businessman Herman Cain included, "If ten percent is good enough for God, nine percent ought to be good enough for the Federal government."

When he was asked about climate change, Governor Perry responded, "Galileo was even out-voted for a spell.  Just because some scientists say global warming is an issue does not mean it is true."


I cannot wait for the next debate on Monday!