GOP Presidential Debate 11/9/11

Last night's debate will be going down in the history books.  Not for reasons I'd like, that much is certain.  However, I think this gaffe by Gov. Perry is being blown out of proportion.  Rather than do an order of who did the best-to-worst on this one, I'm just going to give you some thoughts on all the candidates' performances in order of current polls.  My order is going to be very similar to ones before this, so just enjoy my thoughts on each person.

Mitt Romney.  Everything I hear from the media says how wonderful Mitt Romney is, how polished, composed, and articulate he looks and sounds in every debate.  Yes, they're right.  However, Mitt is starting to look like a robot to me.  He "never" makes a mistake, something that is, eventually, going to happen, or even has happened, to every Presidential candidate.  Every one of them is human, and Mitt has so far avoided that fact.  His time for mistakes will come eventually, and I think it would be better if it happened on a stage with other GOP candidates, rather than on a stage with President Obama.  By making mistakes now, you become better informed of what you need to work on.  Last night, Mitt did nothing to hurt himself, but did nothing spectacular.  Most of what he said was general talking points.  I still can't shake the feeling that Mitt is in this for himself, not for the next generation of Americans.  Oh, and one of my all-time favorite lines in a Presidential debate:  Asked why Americans could trust him not to flip-flop on issues as President, Mitt answered:  "I've been married to the same woman for 25, oh, excuse me, I'll get in trouble, 43 years."  Somehow, I don't see that making the cut.

Herman Cain.  The Herman Cain we saw last night was certainly different from the one we've seen in previous debates.  Instead of the happy, jovial businessman, we saw an unhappy, almost miserable, Herman Cain who only gave true answers to some questions.  Many answers were simply brought back to the fact that America "needs" his 9-9-9 plan.  At one point, after the third or fourth time of mentioning it, the audience started laughing; which shows that, in order to keep his plan in credible standing with the American people, mention of it needs to be scaled back a bit.  Maria Bartiromo went out on a limb to ask Cain about the recent accusations against him (overall, was not a good night for Maria Bartiromo!).  Between the booing crowd and Cain's denial of doing anything wrong, the matter was closed very quickly.

Newt Gingrich.  It has been proved without a doubt that this man is brilliant.  He finally found his niche when it comes to debating and consistently gives strong, solid performances.  I always love to watch his banter with the moderators, sometimes even the way he scolds them for unnecessary or biased questions.  Maria Bartiromo certainly got her dose of Newt's medicine when she asked him how, specifically, the media has been wrong about the state of the economy.  I, honestly, do not believe that Newt can win the nomination.  The establishment would never let that happen; which is a shame in itself.  The establishment truly needs to get out of the nominating process and let the people choose their own nominee.  The same goes for the media.  Overall, strong performance by Newt, once again.

Rick Perry.  Here we go.  I'm going to get much disagreement over my opinion on this, but I'm going to say it anyway.  Gov. Perry's "gaffe" was not that bad!  Yes, it was a mistake.  It could even be classified as a bad mistake.  However, it was in no way "campaign-ending."  Every single person on that stage is human.  Most people already knew that about Gov. Perry before last night, but now it's been made official.  Why is that such a big deal?  With the numerous unnecessary federal agencies we currently have in place, it's no wonder it took the Governor a moment to bring to mind the specific one he was thinking of.  The fact that people are using this to question Gov. Perry's ability to debate President Obama is, frankly, a bit ridiculous.  President Obama has never worked to abolish any government agencies; rather, he's created many more.  On that point, any candidate on the stage could debate President Obama.  That is of almost no concern.  Even news anchors are saying, "Memory lapse, we've all been there, haven't we?"  Something that I have been waiting to hear from one of these Presidential candidates is the fact that they will fight for the next generation.  I heard it for the first time last night, and it came from Governor Perry.  He said, specifically, that he would fight for the next generation.  Overall, good debate performance before and after his slip.  During that slip, well...you make that decision.

Ron Paul.  Rep. Paul was one of the two people on the stage last night who had virtually nothing to lose based on his performance (the other was Mitt Romney).  Ron Paul has a steady stream of supporters who aren't going anywhere, anytime soon.  Personally, I do not agree with many of Rep. Paul's opinions.  The one line from him last night, though, that I agree with, was this:  When asked, if the student loan program was abolished, how people were supposed to pay for their college education (again, asked by Maria Bartiromo!), Paul responded, "The same way they pay for their cell phones and computers!"

Michele Bachmann.  Rep. Bachmann has mostly faded into the rest of the pack after winning the Iowa Straw Poll in August.  Last night's debate performance was different from the previous ones, and I think she did better last night than she ever has before.  She gave deeper answers and offered solutions to some issues, rather than just repeating talking points.

Rick Santorum.  I think we are, sadly, nearing the end of Rick Santorum's campaign.  His poll numbers are just not rising enough to sustain his Presidential bid.  I am a huge fan of Sen. Santorum, and I wish his campaign had gotten more of a start earlier in the race.  Many people have issues with the fact that he is such an outspoken supporter of traditional marriage and the sanctity of life.  This is part of the reason I am a fan of his!

Jon Huntsman.  For the first time, Jon Huntsman actually earned a bit of admiration from me last night.  He was the first person to go after Mitt Romney-- however small the attack, after being prodded by the moderator to do it, and even after he almost apologized for it while saying it.  He was the first person I have seen in a debate, outside of the fight between Gov. Perry and Mitt in the last debate, to truly go after Romney on something of huge importance.  Other than that...I've got nothing on Huntsman.

Many are saying that last night's debate, especially Gov. Perry's memory lapse, will be shown on news reels for years to come.  It is being called one of the worst debate moments in modern Presidential debate history.  However, I think Mitt Romney's response in the last debate was a bit worse:  "I can't have illegals, I'm running for office, for pete's sake!"  I don't know about the rest of America, but I'd rather have a human who can make mistakes as my President, than someone who looks like a robot and will do whatever is needed to win the highest office in the land.  I truly believe this needs to turn into a four-man race:  Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry.  Those are the only four I believe still have a chance.  The rest...I like some of them.  I just don't think they have a chance at the nomination, and it would take away some distraction and give the other four more time in debates if these bottom four dropped out.  If we really want to defeat President Obama in 2012, conservatives need to get behind one candidate, not spread our support amongst four or five.  Having a smaller field will help us do that.

Debate Review 10/18/11

Let me start off by saying, I do not like when CNN sponsors these GOP debates.  They are too biased against every one of these candidates to properly moderate a debate.  Last night's debate was crucial for a couple reasons.  First, this was Herman Cain's first debate as an "official" frontrunner.  Second, this was looked upon by many as Rick Perry's last chance to gain his momentum back.  Third, Mitt Romney just needed to "keep his cool" and for him, nothing would change.  Here is my order, who did the best, to who did the poorest, based on what was said last night.  I will have facts to support all of my conclusions (since my order is almost always different from everyone else's).

#1: Rick Perry.  I know that there will be many people who disagree with me on this.  They will say that Governor Perry came across as rude, arrogant, and sometimes, just downright obnoxious.  However, for the most part, I have to disagree.  I think the governor came across as much more aggressive in this debate.  He proved that he would be able to debate President Obama.  He showed some energy and was prepared to take on both Romney and Cain.  I believe he truly did enough to bring this back to a two-man race.  He was the first person to really trip Mitt Romney up with true facts.  Here are facts to support why I put him in first place:  I believe that he is the first person to truly challenge Mitt Romney's "frontrunner" status.  There was a moment that was very intense between them, going back and forth over immigration.  Every word that Governor Perry said about Governor Romney's stance on this issue is true.  Secondly, I agree with Governor Perry that we need to drill for our own energy and create more jobs through that.  I agree with him that "the idea that we should not have our freedom of religion" is not right.  Lastly, we should defund the UN.  All of this is aside from the fact that I believe Governor Perry is the most qualified to be our president.

#2: Rick Santorum.  I believe Rick Santorum came in second in this debate, based on his statement that "the basic unit of society is the family."  I agree with him that, while creating jobs is important, every other candidate on that stage continues to overlook that fact.  Without the family, our society would be completely different.  They are the reason we are what we are today, and people need to remember that.  Another answer of Santorum's that I liked was his response to a question about a candidate's religion.  Asked about whether a candidate's religion should come into play when people choose who to support, his answer was that people need to not only look at religion, but at a person's values as well.  They should look at what their religion teaches and come to conclusions on what their values are.  Those are the reasons I believe Santorum placed this high.  Honestly, I do not think he has a chance at getting the nomination.  I do, though, believe that he is a strong voice for the traditional family that should not be ignored.

#3: Newt Gingrich.  Where to start with Newt?  I always say, he comes out strong in every debate.  One thing I do like about Newt is that he hardly ever attacks his opponents.  In fact, he sometimes even praises them.  He said that Herman Cain "deserves a lot of credit" for proposing a "very big idea" on tax reform.  I agree with him that it would be "very troubling" to have a president who would not take any faith into consideration when making decisions.  Where, he wants to know, would that person receive their guidance from?  It just doesn't work that way.  It would be very troubling to have a president who abandons religion.  (Just a quick fact, it was Mitt Romney that said he would abandon all religion as president.)

#4: Mitt Romney.  I really am not fond of Mitt Romney.  I don't know what it is, but something about him makes me believe he is in this solely for personal gain.  This debate was the first time, I think, we have seen him "lose his cool."  Many times through the duration of the debate, he was attacked hard, accurately, which made it harder for him to respond.  One thing I did agree with him on was that "we are an energy-rich nation that is acting like an energy-poor nation."  Other than that, I felt it was mostly downhill.  I felt he was very rude to Governor Perry on the issue of immigration.  He broke in during the governor's speaking time, then asked Governor Perry to stop talking.  He used a patronizing tone that I don't think will sit well with very many people.  Telling another candidate, "if you want to be President of the United States, you've got to learn to let other people speak" is not something you have a right to say.  The way that he put his hand on Governor Perry's shoulder and referenced his previous bad debate performances was disrespectful.  Mitt Romney has lied to the American people, evidenced by the fact that his book in paperback was not the same book that was in hardcover.  He edited words out when it suited his presidential run.  One thing I've noticed about Mitt; when he starts to lose composure, he laughs and his eyes get very red.  Watch videos from this debate and see if you notice the same thing.  Overall, this was Mitt's first, real, bad debate.

#5: Michele Bachmann.  Honestly, I feel like we hear most of the same things from her in every debate.  I do agree with repealing ObamaCare, as she does.  As she puts it, even the Obama Administration wants to repeal it, and they are arguing with themselves over it.  I agree with her that "we should not be cutting foreign aid to Israel", and that we should "look to Iraq and Libya to reimburse us for involvement in their wars."  We should also be looking to Egypt for reimbursement.  All of that foreign aid was wasted taxpayer money, as Congresswoman Bachmann makes clear.  As much as I do like her, I think her campaign has deflated beyond repair.

#6: Herman Cain.  We didn't hear much from Herman in this debate.  The first fifteen minutes were entirely devoted to his 9-9-9 plan, but after that he pretty much remained silent.  I do not think he did a sufficient job of defending his 9-9-9 plan, I think he could have done better.  His answer about negotiating with terrorists was not exactly clear to me.  One thing I do agree with is the fact that he will not apologize for wanting to "protect the American people, protect our border agents, and protecting our border."  Other than that, I am tempted to say this debate was a loss for Herman Cain.

#7: Ron Paul.  "Those people at Guantanamo aren't terrorists, they haven't been convicted of anything!"  Enough said.

Overall, I believe this debate was damaging for both Cain and Romney.  It was Romney's first bad debate.  Whether it was beneficial to Perry is yet to be seen.  It was very interesting to watch the exchange between Governor Perry and Governor Romney.  You can watch video of it and read the transcript here.  So interesting that Governor Romney says, "I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals."  From this, it sounds like he only cared about employing illegals because he was running for office and didn't want it to hurt his chances.  This debate, though, like all of them, was fun to watch.  Debates are definitely good ways to get to know a candidate.  Not the only way, but a good way.

GOP Debate Review 10/11/11

Tonight's debate in New Hampshire was very important for some of the candidates, for different reasons.  It was important for Governor Rick Perry, as this was probably his last chance to bring himself back up to frontrunner status.  It was important for Mitt Romney to keep his frontrunner status.  It was important for Herman Cain to prove that he has the intellect and knowledge to be able to govern a nation with no prior experience in governing anything.  For the rest of the candidates, well...I think this was truly their last chance at getting anywhere.  Some succeeded in that, and others did not.  Here is how I viewed each candidate's performance, going from who I believe did the best, and ending with who I believe did the poorest.

#1: Newt Gingrich.  Newt always comes out strong in these debates, and it is a shame he was never able to connect to the American people.  As a former Speaker of the House, he truly does have experience in dealing with people on both sides of the aisle.  As for tonight's performance, I definitely agreed with him that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has too much secret power, bailing out "one company but not another."  As always, the former Speaker took a jab at one of the moderators.  Instead of this becoming commonplace, I think it proves that Mr. Gingrich is not afraid to stand up to those who oppose him.  I love nearly all of his answers and I believe that, if given the chance to completely start his campaign over, he could have had a real chance.

#2: Rick Santorum.  His last answer in the debate put him in second place for me.  His answer about the reason for a struggling economy being a result of the family structure being destroyed was spot on, and I believe he deserves more credit for it than he will actually receive.  The truth, when you look at the numbers, is that families with two parents do better than families with one (in some cases, this is unpreventable.  What he meant was, marriage needs to once again become the definition of family).  Mr. Santorum did not receive much talking time prior to this answer in the debate.  As has been proven, though, one solid answer can be the difference between a mediocre debate performance and a stellar one.

#3: Rick Perry.  The Texas governor was in comfortable territory tonight:  Talking about economy and job creation.  Since Texas is number one in job creation, I believe Perry had a good chance of doing very well, and he did not disappoint.  He is not a "Mitt Romney debater", meaning that he does not come across right away as poised, polished, and sometimes, arrogant, but rather, he states what he means in a way that is easy to understand.  I do believe that the governor helped himself tonight; whether it was enough to bring him back into the lead is yet to be seen.  I do think, though, that he did do enough to at least regain co-frontrunner status with Mitt Romney.  Overall, I thought Gov. Perry improved immensely since the last debate and that he did a great job of reassuring the American people that he is very well qualified to be our next President.  My tip for the governor:  Go on every talk show you can.  Get yourself straight to the American people without seven other people, plus a couple moderators, just itching to make your words seem meaningless.  Talk straight to the people about what is of concern to them, and show them that you have a proven record of leading with successful results.

#4: Michele Bachmann.  I think the Congresswoman did very well tonight.  She answered her questions thoroughly and gave detailed answers, something that is not always easy to do.  There was nothing that really stood out about her performance, however.  I believe that, sadly, her campaign has gone downhill and cannot recover.  I did like how she went after Herman Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan, since there are flaws with it that no one had seemed to address until then.  Overall, nothing very spectacular about Congresswoman Bachmann's performance tonight.

#5: Mitt Romney.  This man is definitely a very well-poised and polished debater.  He knows what he is talking about and he knows how to say it.  However, in tonight's debate, he avoided quite a few of the questions directed his way.  When asked by Herman Cain, for example, if he could name all 59 points in his proposed jobs plan?  He did not answer, meaning no, but instead took the opportunity to talk about how great his plan is.  The problem is, by publishing a 59 point plan, a majority of people will not actually read the whole thing.  Mitt Romney is a very smart man, who I am sure has brilliant ideas for this country, but I believe he has too many flaws to actually be the president we need in 2012.  He is very moderate on many of his opinions, and his RomneyCare/ObamaCare issue continues to elevate.  Many times in the debate tonight, the former governor appeared very weak and afraid during his answers. 

#6: Herman Cain.  Honestly, some of the businessman's facts tonight were not straight.  How can he just, outright, say that the Washington Post Government findings are false?  He never looked at them.  Since they were negative toward the chances of his 9-9-9 plan succeeding, they were immediately false.  Also, he did say the federal reserve did not need to be audited, and tonight he claimed to have never said that.  His 9-9-9 tax plan does have flaws that need to be considered.  Every plan will, but when a plan is proposed by someone with a position such as Mr. Cain has right now, it should be looked into more thoroughly.  I believe that now that his 9-9-9 plan is receiving criticism, and people see that it may not work, he will begin to drop in the polls again.  He will remain a leader, but he will not be a frontrunner.  That is my personal opinion of what will happen.

#7: Ron Paul.  I think this is a first for me; not putting the Congressman in last place.  His debate performance can be summed up for me in one sentence:  get government out of everything.  Which really means:  everything would be even more chaotic than it is right now.

#8: Jon Huntsman.  Nothing I can even say about him.  I understood absolutely none of his answers, period.  I will not be a bit surprised when, in the coming weeks, he drops out and most likely endorses his cousin, Mitt Romney.

Florida Straw Poll Results

Today was the Florida Straw Poll, following the GOP Presidential debate on Thursday night and CPAC FL conference yesterday.  The results of today's poll will come as a shock to many.  They definitely shocked me.

#1:  Herman Cain -- 37%
#2:  Rick Perry -- 15.4%
#3:  Mitt Romney -- 14%
#4:  Rick Santorum -- 11%
#5:  Ron Paul -- 10%
#6:  Newt Gingrich -- 9%
#7:  Jon Huntsman -- 2%
#8:  Michele Bachmann -- 1.5%

When I first saw the results, I could not believe that businessman Herman Cain won the straw poll!  He beat out both of the frontrunners to win it.  He really had a very strong showing at the debate on Thursday night, which I'm sure accounts for a huge amount of the votes he received.  This could really be the push that Mr. Cain needed.  After this, his campaign could take off.  While I do not think he is actually qualified to be president himself, I think he is more than able to lead in some way-- whether in a cabinet position or elsewhere.  This man is a true leader and deserves to be recognized.  America needs his experience and knowledge in business to fix this economy.  He would know what to do.  Not saying the other candidates do not, but it is certain that Mr. Cain would and does.

\The second thing that surprised me, and really, disappointed me, was Gov. Perry's "poor" performance in the straw poll.  He did come in second place, so not a disappointing outcome, so to speak.  The fact that second place was so far behind first just confirms that Thursday night was not Gov. Perry's strongest showing.  Nothing is over.  He has plenty of time to come back and prove to those who are doubting that he is the man for the job.  As someone said, if people want a smooth, eloquent speaker, they will re-elect President Obama.  We need someone with a true record.  The fact that Gov. Perry still came out ahead of Gov. Romney after all the attacks launched at him on Thursday night, assures Gov. Perry's supporters that he is still the "frontrunner." 

The last thing I was surprised by was Michele Bachmann.  Last place?!  After coming in first place in the Iowa Straw Poll, I was definitely expecting a strong finish from Rep. Bachmann.  Not so.  She finished last among the contenders, including behind Rep. Paul and former Gov. Huntsman, who I believe to be unable to win the nomination by any means.

An interesting statement came out from Gov. Perry's national press secretary, Mark Miner, who said, "Debates are part of the process but we are taking our message directly to the people. Mitt Romney has been doing debates and running for president for five and a half years and he comes in third. Must be a devastating loss for him and a morale buster for his campaign in a state like Florida after five and a half years."

Florida is set to be a huge battleground state and is on its way to being the clincher for the general election.  Since 1979, the person who has won the Florida Straw Poll has gone on to win the GOP nomination.  If that record holds true, we could have a real showdown come 2012.  People cannot tout the fact that Mr. Cain has no experience; then-Senator Obama had less than one year of Senate experience before he began his campaign for president.  He had no experience, business or political.  However, I do believe that Gov. Perry has the best chance against President Obama out of the current GOP field.  I think he has the best proven record of job creation.  He has more experience than almost all the other candidates combined.

You'll hear more from me about this showing in Florida.  My internet connection is not very good, but once I get it I will be voicing more of my opinions!

My thoughts-- GOP debate 9/22/11

This debate thought-sheet is going to be much shorter than my previous ones have been.  There were a few statements I thought were very, very good, or very, very bad.

"I will always err on the side of life."  This quote came from Gov. Rick Perry.  We have heard this before, but I believe it is something people need to pay a little more attention to.  Comparing this with former Gov. Romney's ever-changing stance on abortion, this is a strong statement to make.  It is very important for this country to "always err on the side of life."


"When countries vote against you consistently in the UN, you have to look at why are you really giving them money.  this world is in danger of becoming dramatically more dangerous in the near future."  Former Speaker Gingrich was talking about the possibility of a Palestinian state.  President Obama is actually supporting this.  It would make our world a much more dangerous place if this happened, and we need to stand with Israel and support them in their decisions regarding this.  Israel is, basically, our only true ally in the Middle East.


"92% of our people were insured before the healthcare mandate."  This comes from Gov. Romney.  I don't understand this.  If nearly all of your people were insured without a mandate, it required a state mandate in order to insure the other 8%?  Surely there must have been a different way.  It just really doesn't make sense to me.


"This economy is on life-support."  Another "I've heard it before", but this is a good one.  Herman Cain, though a businessman with no political experience, has been holding his own very well among the seasoned politicians. 

The quote of the night goes to former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson:  "My neighbor's two dogs have created more shovel ready jobs than Barack Obama."

The majority of the night went to Perry-Romney attacks, mostly on each other.  Obviously, since they are the two frontrunners at this point, they will be trying to out the other one and show that they are the better candidate.  I really do not think that they need to spend so much time on it.  They should be more focused on defeating President Obama than on attacking each other. 


The order I think the candidates placed in tonight: 
#1:  Newt Gingrich
#2:  Michele Bachmann
#3:  Rick Perry
#4:  Herman Cain
#5:  Mitt Romney
#6:  Rick Santorum
#7:  Jon Huntsman
#8:  Ron Paul
#9:  Gary Johnson

Honestly, Gov. Perry did not do as well as I would have hoped.  He stumbled on some of his answers, and he passed up some possible attacks on Gov. Romney.  On the flip side of that, this was Gov. Romney's worst debate performance so far, by avoiding many questions and not answering a question on whether he believed President Obama has very, very socialist views.  That makes Gov. Perry's performance even more disappointing.  He'll have to have a very strong showing at CPAC FL today in order to ensure he wins Florida.


Here are the answers on the last question, in case you missed it.


Who, out of the people on the stage with you, would you choose as your running mate?

Gary Johnson:  Ron Paul
Rick Santorum:  Newt Gingrich
Newt Gingrich:  "I have no idea"
Ron Paul:  "I have no idea" (copycat!)
Rick Perry:  Somewhere between Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich!
Mitt Romney:  Newt Gingrich
Michele Bachmann:  She avoided this question completely.
Herman Cain:  If Romney threw out his jobs plan and replaced it with his 9-9-9 program, he'd have a shot.  If not, Newt Gingrich.
Jon Huntsman:  Herman Cain.


Check back this weekend for another article on something that made me think tonight :)

My Thoughts on the GOP Debate 9/12/11

I am going to try a different format for my debate review.  I will be going through each topic that was discussed and giving you what I thought were the best answers.

#1:  Social Security.

We all knew this would be one of the first things discussed after Governor Perry's comments on Social Security being a "Ponzi scheme" in the last debate.  What I noticed the most about this part of the debate was that, no one would back Governor Perry up on his "Ponzi scheme" comment.  Most of them did say that the Social Security/Medicare system needs to be reformed and fixed. 
Representative Bachmann made a point to say that we need to keep the promise to those already in the Social Security system who are receiving benefits, as did Gov. Perry and Speaker Gingrich.  This is an obvious statement.  What I really wanted to hear was how we should reform it, and I believe that answer came from Businessman Herman Cain.  He said that the government should "start with optional personal retirement accounts" to fund seniors. 
I do agree with Gov. Perry that Social Security, as it is right now, could be compared to a Ponzi scheme.  That is why we need to reform the system, not for those already in it and paying for it, but for those who are just getting in.

#2:  Government Spending.

"If you had an all-out effort to balance the budget, you would have hundreds of billions of dollars in savings."

Those words came from Speaker Newt Gingrich.  I believe he is completely right.  If the citizens, and our government as well, really took a deep look at our national spending right now, I can assure you there are many areas that could be cut completely.  Or if not, most of them could be cut down a bit to get rid of some unnecessary additional spending.  As Governor Perry said, in Texas, they cut their Health and Human Services Department from 10 agencies down to 5, and in the process got rid of things that were unnecessary. 
Representative Bachmann believes that we need to become an "ownership society" where everyone pays for theirself instead of waiting for the government, and therefore the taxpayers, to do it for them.  Former governor Mitt Romney believes that we are "not going to balance the budget by pretending all we have to do is cut the waste-- we have to reign in spending."  Yes, this is true.  However, at this point, we need a first step.  We need to cut the waste now, and reign in spending once that is finished.
This issue, thumbs-up goes to Rick Perry.

#3:  The Economy.

Representative Michele Bachmann was the first to answer this question.  She answered by saying that raising the debt ceiling was the worst thing we could have done in that situation was to "give President Obama what he wanted" and raise it.  I find it ironic that two different things Rep. Bachmann has claimed to be at the helm of opposing-- raising the debt ceiling and ObamaCare-- have both been passed in some form.  Her arguments do not seem to be reasonating too well in Washington.  They have not been effective as of yet, and this is all she ever really states as her record, although I do think that on this question she gave the most clear answers.
Mr. Cain believes that "this economy is on life support" and we need to "throw out the entire tax code and implement my 9-9-9 tax program." 
My favorite line from this topic came from former Senator Rick Santorum:  "Obama's economy would have to make a drastic improvement to be a disaster."

#4:  Jobs.

On jobs and job-creation, most Republicans will say the same thing.  Gov. Romney said that "we've gone from a pay-phone world to a smart-phone world and President Obama keeps jamming quarters into the pay-phone."  Newt suggested that "the American people create jobs, not the government."
Aside from that, my clear winner on this topic was, once again, Governor Perry.  His answers were spot on.
President Obama's first stimulus package, which cost $800 billion, he said, created zero jobs.  A plan with half that amount, $400 billion, would create half the jobs-- that would equal half of zero.
Former governor Jon Huntsman said that his plan would be to "reform this tax code" in his first 100 days of office.  How this would create jobs, I do not know.  We'll have to ask Governor Huntsman a couple more questions on this one.
Governor Perry also said, "People are tired of spending money we don't have on programs we don't want."  He said that President Obama has overseen the loss of 2.5 million jobs during his term, while during his tenure as governor of Texas he has overseen the creation of one million jobs.  He says he has cut taxes by $14 trillion since becoming governor.  He also said, "five years in a row people are coming to Texas for business and to live, and they aren't coming for high taxes."

#5:  Federal Reserve.

This answer did not have a clear winner.  There were really no clear and concise answers in it.  Senator Santorum said he believed we should make the reserve a single-charter instead of a dual-charter, making it easier for citizens.  Governor Perry was again questioned on his comments about Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's acts of printing money being treasonous. 

#6:  Executive Orders.

The main issue discussed within this topic was the mandate that Governor Perry put out in Texas requiring girls going into the sixth grade to get an HPV vaccine.  Rep. Bachmann was his loudest critic during these questions.  She said that "these little girls won't get a mulligan and their parents won't get a do-over," if they get these vaccines.  Since Gov. Perry's Chief of Staff was a lobbyist for Merck, the drug company used, Rep. Bachmann suggested that Gov. Perry was using them simply for the support he received from them during his campaign. 
Governor Perry returned by saying that this was not a mandate.  There were clear parental opt-outs within this law.  He also said that he "received a $5,000 contribution from Merck.  I raised about $30 million.  If you think I can be bought for $5,000, I'm offended."
I have to give the upper hand to Rep. Bachmann here.  While no girls did receive the vaccine before it was repealed, this law should never have been passed in the first place.

#7:  Healthcare.

I believe they may as well have not even discussed healthcare last night.  Every candidate on the stage said the exact same thing they have said before, with the exception of one quote from Rep. Bachmann (below).  Gov. Perry said that "states will get to decide what they want to do" if he's president.  Gov. Romney was questioned on his healthcare plan in Massachusetts, and everyone on the stage cited their intentions to "repeal ObamaCare immediately."
"To tell someone they have to buy something against their will to be a citizen is simply unconstitutional."

#8:  Illegal Immigration.

This question goes to Governor Perry.  He is the only candidate with real experience dealing with the border, as Texas has 1,200 miles of border with Mexico.  His most memorable quote from the topic's discussion:  "Fence is not the answer...you've got to have the aviation assets in the air giving real time information to the agents on the ground and boots on the ground as well.  Texas has asked for federal government support with more national guard agents and has not been answered."
Senator Santorum said that we need more fence.  Gov. Romney said that we need to get rid of the "magnet" drawing illegals here by getting rid of the companies that are hiring them.  Gov. Huntsman said the only way to fix illegal immigration is to fix the Department of Homeland Security-- yet another answer from him that confuses me.  I must have heard a different question than he did.
Gov. Perry then went on to be attacked about his plan for in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.  His biggest critics were Rep. Bachmann, Gov. Huntsman, and Gov. Romney.  This was his response:  "If you've been in TX for three years and are working hard toward your college degree and are actively pursuing legal American citizenship, you pay in-state tuition.  No matter what your last name sounds like.  Plan was passed with only four no's in the Texas House and Senate."

#9:  Defense Spending.

This was one of the issues I was most anxious to hear about.  Our national security threats have never been higher and we need to keep all the aid we can going to defense and to our military.  Speaker Gingrich pointed out that "we are far underestimating the threat to this country." 
The loudest voice on this question was Rep. Ron Paul, who has as of late loudly denounced military spending.  He opposes wars of any kind and says the area we can cut the most spending from is the military.  Last night, he said that "there's a difference between military spending and defense spending" and that "there's a lot of room to cut on the military, but not on defense."

Those were the main talking points in last night's debate.  While there are more little things I could comment on, I won't.  I'll leave it to what I've already said.  I do believe, though, that everyone ought to read Rep. Ron Paul's post on his blog and leave him a comment.  In it, he states that 9/11 was the United States' fault.  We are the reason that it happened, he says.  There are not even words to describe how untrue that is.

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!