After the Republican presidential debate Tuesday night in Las Vegas, I have yet to read or hear an astute analysis of the debate I watched. So here are my two cents on how the candidates fared:
Michelle Bachman: The Congresswoman from Minnesota had a good night overall, but at times looked like a school girl in the back of the class trying to get the teacher's attention. As other candidates slugged it out, Bachman could be heard shouting off camera, "Anderson! Anderson!" to signal CNN moderator Anderson Cooper that she wanted to add something to the debate. When asked directly about Herman Cain's "9-9-9" plan, Bachman expressed concern about opening up a new source of tax revenue for the federal government. She made an impassioned plea to moms who are in danger of losing their houses to foreclosure to "hang on," but offered no solutions.
Herman Cain: After a string of strong debate performances and a huge surge in the polls, the successful businessman didn't look as confident as his economic plan "9-9-9" was shredded by the other candidates. Cain answered his opponents' criticisms by telling them they didn't understand his plan. He also countered that his critics were comparing apples to oranges, although the fruit analogy did nothing to clarify his economic plan. Cain challenged the American people to read the plan on his website and "do the math yourself," which sounded ridiculous after chiding his opponents (two successful CEOs, a senator, two Congressmen, a governor and a former Speaker of the House) for not understanding the plan. Cain didn't project the same self-assuredness as in previous debates, although he remained statesmanlike.
Newt Gingrich: The former Speaker of the House assumed his usual debate role as the father-figure who tried to minimize squabbles between candidates while trying to focus the discussion on President Obama's failures. Gingrich, who still lags far behind in the polls, did get into one uncharacteristic tussle when he criticized Romney's Massachusetts health care plan and Romney responded that he got the idea of an individual mandate from Gingrich himself. The former Speaker lashed back saying that Romney was not telling the truth, but sheepishly backed down when Romney pointed out that Gingrich and the Heritage Foundation were supportive of individual mandates when Hillary Clinton was trying to pass national health care. Gingrich's solid performances in the debates should make him a top-tier contender, but his campaign is not gaining much steam.
Jon Huntsman: The former governor of Utah and former ambassador to China boycotted the debate in Las Vegas to protest Nevada moving their caucuses to an earlier date, something that has angered Republicans in New Hampshire. Huntsman, who said he wanted to show solidarity with the people in the Granite State, was not missed in last night's debate and his boycot was meaningless.
Gary Johnson: The former New Mexican governor was not invited to the debate due to poll numbers that don't register on the Richter Scale.
Ron Paul: The Congressman from Texas turned in his usual debate performance - making sense on some issues and sounding like "the crazy uncle at the family reunion" on most others. Paul's position on the issues has been consistant through the years,
Mitt Romney: The businessman and former governor from Massachusetts took blows from nearly every candidate during the debate, but was able to effectively counter punch and turned in a decent performance to retain his top-tier status in the polls. Romney was unusually aggressive in responding to attacks, and may have tarnished the image of being unflappable and presidential when he became exasperated with Perry and Santorum for interrupting him. During his acrimonious exchanges with Perry, the crowd clearly favored Romney, as they hissed and booed his opponent's anemic attacks.
Rick Perry: While some pundits have characterized the Texas governor's debate performance as "energetic" and "lively", Perry behaved more like a petulant child in a desperate attempt to regain his top-contender status. Perry came to the debate armed with rehearsed attacks on rival Mitt Romney, but when given the opportunity by the moderator to evaluate Romney's economic plan, he dodged the question and changed the subject to energy independance. This wasn't the only time that Perry wouldn't, or couldn't, answer the question directed at him. When asked about his position on the 14th amendment, which confers immediate citizenship on any child born on US soil, Perry ignored the question and instead added his opinion on a subject that had been previously discussed. Perry's personal attacks on Romney led to some fiery exchanges between the two rivals, but fell flat as Romney effectively countered each charge. Despite being more energetic, the Texas governor failed to provide his economic plan and did not show any depth on international issues.
Rick Santorum: The Senator from Pennsylvania challenged Romney, Cain and Perry, but may have undermined any progress he made during the debate when he began shouting, "Times up! Times up! Times up!" during one of Romney's responses. The image of Santorum trying to muzzle his opponent by getting the moderator to intervene was reminiscent of a playground tactic and not one befitting a presidential candidate.
Michelle Bachman: The Congresswoman from Minnesota had a good night overall, but at times looked like a school girl in the back of the class trying to get the teacher's attention. As other candidates slugged it out, Bachman could be heard shouting off camera, "Anderson! Anderson!" to signal CNN moderator Anderson Cooper that she wanted to add something to the debate. When asked directly about Herman Cain's "9-9-9" plan, Bachman expressed concern about opening up a new source of tax revenue for the federal government. She made an impassioned plea to moms who are in danger of losing their houses to foreclosure to "hang on," but offered no solutions.
Herman Cain: After a string of strong debate performances and a huge surge in the polls, the successful businessman didn't look as confident as his economic plan "9-9-9" was shredded by the other candidates. Cain answered his opponents' criticisms by telling them they didn't understand his plan. He also countered that his critics were comparing apples to oranges, although the fruit analogy did nothing to clarify his economic plan. Cain challenged the American people to read the plan on his website and "do the math yourself," which sounded ridiculous after chiding his opponents (two successful CEOs, a senator, two Congressmen, a governor and a former Speaker of the House) for not understanding the plan. Cain didn't project the same self-assuredness as in previous debates, although he remained statesmanlike.
Newt Gingrich: The former Speaker of the House assumed his usual debate role as the father-figure who tried to minimize squabbles between candidates while trying to focus the discussion on President Obama's failures. Gingrich, who still lags far behind in the polls, did get into one uncharacteristic tussle when he criticized Romney's Massachusetts health care plan and Romney responded that he got the idea of an individual mandate from Gingrich himself. The former Speaker lashed back saying that Romney was not telling the truth, but sheepishly backed down when Romney pointed out that Gingrich and the Heritage Foundation were supportive of individual mandates when Hillary Clinton was trying to pass national health care. Gingrich's solid performances in the debates should make him a top-tier contender, but his campaign is not gaining much steam.
Jon Huntsman: The former governor of Utah and former ambassador to China boycotted the debate in Las Vegas to protest Nevada moving their caucuses to an earlier date, something that has angered Republicans in New Hampshire. Huntsman, who said he wanted to show solidarity with the people in the Granite State, was not missed in last night's debate and his boycot was meaningless.
Gary Johnson: The former New Mexican governor was not invited to the debate due to poll numbers that don't register on the Richter Scale.
Ron Paul: The Congressman from Texas turned in his usual debate performance - making sense on some issues and sounding like "the crazy uncle at the family reunion" on most others. Paul's position on the issues has been consistant through the years,
Mitt Romney: The businessman and former governor from Massachusetts took blows from nearly every candidate during the debate, but was able to effectively counter punch and turned in a decent performance to retain his top-tier status in the polls. Romney was unusually aggressive in responding to attacks, and may have tarnished the image of being unflappable and presidential when he became exasperated with Perry and Santorum for interrupting him. During his acrimonious exchanges with Perry, the crowd clearly favored Romney, as they hissed and booed his opponent's anemic attacks.
Rick Perry: While some pundits have characterized the Texas governor's debate performance as "energetic" and "lively", Perry behaved more like a petulant child in a desperate attempt to regain his top-contender status. Perry came to the debate armed with rehearsed attacks on rival Mitt Romney, but when given the opportunity by the moderator to evaluate Romney's economic plan, he dodged the question and changed the subject to energy independance. This wasn't the only time that Perry wouldn't, or couldn't, answer the question directed at him. When asked about his position on the 14th amendment, which confers immediate citizenship on any child born on US soil, Perry ignored the question and instead added his opinion on a subject that had been previously discussed. Perry's personal attacks on Romney led to some fiery exchanges between the two rivals, but fell flat as Romney effectively countered each charge. Despite being more energetic, the Texas governor failed to provide his economic plan and did not show any depth on international issues.
Rick Santorum: The Senator from Pennsylvania challenged Romney, Cain and Perry, but may have undermined any progress he made during the debate when he began shouting, "Times up! Times up! Times up!" during one of Romney's responses. The image of Santorum trying to muzzle his opponent by getting the moderator to intervene was reminiscent of a playground tactic and not one befitting a presidential candidate.
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