Tonight’s ABC Facebook Debate
Written by Sam on January 5th, 2008


The Republicans just finished their part of tonight’s debate and the Democrats will be starting their’s in a few minutes. I am going to stay up and watch that as well. As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
I can honestly say that I enjoyed this debate and this is the first time I can make that claim. The format was the best of any of them, more than likely because there were only six candidates now and they had ample time to make in depth, detailed answers as to their positions. There were no 30 second sound byte answers.
I think all of the candidates tonight performed well with the exception of Romney. He was on defense the entire debate and took a lot of hits from the other candidates. He was visibly flustered by it and I think it made him look bad. The others were very much on point with their message and did very well at relaying that message to the audience.
This is a hard one to choose a “winner” on, but if I had to rank it from best performance to worst I would give McCain the win, followed by Huckabee, then Giuliani, Thompson, Ron Paul, and Mitt Romney.
My prediction for who will win the New Hampshire primary is John McCain.
5
PM
I’d agree with the big winner and loser. McCain, I think, looked the most presidential. Romney looked like a girl caught on the wrong side of a high school girl fight.
I think Thompson gets the runner-up because he was hillarious as per usual.
I’d also have to say congratulations to ABC for these debates….they are actually engaging and interesting. No more of that stupid Des Moines Register stuff with handshows.
5
PM
Thompson’s refusal to attack McCain is going to be a very serious problem for the conservative movement. If only Mitt Romney attacks McCain for his crimes against conservatism, that’s simply not good enough. Everyone’s attacking Romney; no one but Romney is attacking McCain. If this keeps up, then McCain’s stature is only going to grow, with disastrous consequences for this country.
What I can’t understand is why Ron Paul isn’t attacking McCain. Is McCain Paul’s second choice for who should be elected (second to Paul himself, I mean)? That can’t be. Surely Paul would want to see McCain suffer damage. Why isn’t he going after McCain for the latter’s support for amnesty?
5
PM
I actually enjoyed this debate too. McCain won the debate and Giuliani came in second in my book by appearing to be in the fray but not dragged too much into the negativity that McCain and Romney were clearly aiming at each other.
Another thing I noticed is how Giuliani and McCain seemed to be working like a team in the debate. On a couple of occasions they gave each other a pad on the back. I think its clear that they are aiming for a Giuliani / McCain or a McCain / Giuliani ticket.
Huckabee was non-existent in the second half of the debate. It really showed how weak of a candidate he truly is.
I think it will be McCain first, Romney second, and Giuliani a close third coming out of New Hampshire. This will cause utter chaos going into South Carolina and Michigan.
5
PM
A McCain/Giuliani ticket, or vice versa, would be unstoppable in November.
5
PM
I think attacking McCain comes off poorly. His experience (years in Senate as well as military). It did not seem to work well for Romney in Iowa and I don’t think anyone else wants to engage in the activity.
6
AM
I would agree Sam, the Democrats would not be able to defeat McCain/Giuliani or Giuliani/McCain.
6
AM
It is funny how Dr. Ron Paul got a whole lot of money last quarter for giving real answers to real problems that this country faces. Why don’t we face it? This war is draining us of every penny we have. Seven million people may lose their homes this year and the market is tumbling. McCain/Huckabee/Romney do not have any definite answers. Also they talk about the war like they want troop increases and all that. I have a question for those guys. Where are these troops going to come from? I hope they don’t try a draft or drag out my buddies contracts or terms.
Also if you are pro-life you are anti-war no if and or buts about it.
6
AM
Ron Paul was in the military and has served in the congress.
6
AM
The GOP should check out blackboxvoting.org and see what the debates are in the Iowa caucuses. Like 65 precincts results still missing.
6
AM
Many Evangelicals, making up tens of millions of voters, would be leery about voting for a McCain/Giuliani ticket, so it would eventually implode and lead to a Democratic shoo-in. There are not enough moderate/agnostic/atheistic Republicans to vote them in. Unity is needed like in the past. Hollywood, liberal-postmodern professors, radical atheists, evolutionists, new-agers, etc. have all succeeded in thrashing Christians the last two decades to brainwash people that Christianity is bad, but as Jewish radio talk show host Michael Medved says, ‘Tolerance in America is because of Christianity, not in spite of it.’
6
PM
I would have shared your sentiments JP unless it was for the fact I have ran into to so many Republicans who are very pro-life but realize its not the only issue. I admit they are almost all Catholics or non-evangelical protestants, but if the evangelicals state out of the race, they will prove they are the real Rhinos in the Republican Party. Lots of moderates helped Bush win in 2000 and 2004 when many of them did not like his social politics. If the evangelicals do not return the favor, people like me will hold them in utter contempt and probably would never support any of their identity politics candidates again.
6
PM
Whatever happened to Reagans 11th Commandment – “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican”…I’m up in Concord, NH campaigning for Huckabee and found Walmart and a number of churches covered with these flyers http://www.box.net/shared/hg8oou1s0s
6
PM
It’s a ridiculous commandment. A lot of bad people are Republicans, and all good people should speak ill of all bad people.
6
PM
If Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee is reading:
What doesn’t kill you, make you stronger!!!
Now, give those old farts a cup’o fruit and send them to the old folks home!!
7
PM
Most Evangelicals I know, myself included, like Romney, McCain, & Giuliani…BUT.. Romney’s Mormonism is just too bizarre. It is as strange as Scientology. They believe we all come from a star/planet system called Kolob, that married Mormoms who wear magic underwear will become gods/goddesses & populate other planets, not to mention the doctrine that Satan & Jesus are brothers & the horrible Mountain Meadows Massacre (see the movie September Dawn). Evangelicals know about some of this primarily through the book & movie ‘The God Makers.’ McCain is pro Amnesty & pro-occult Masonic Lodge. Giuliana is pro-gay, pro-abortion, & pro-divorce/remarriage (more so than even fundamentalist Mormons). All this weirdness from these possible front runners will demotivate Evangelicals from going to the polls. They are not Rhinos. The fact is that these guys have too many bad policies and strange beliefs. Myself, I’ll probably still vote for one of these lesser-of-the-two-evils but will moderate non-Evangelical Republicans vote for Huckabee as a frontrunner?…probably not.
8
AM
Good one JP, keeping showing us the true side of the GOP, non-tolerant of anything.
So you think a man came back to life and went into the sky - isn’t that bizarre. I think you need medication. Yes, JP, you and your ilk are the only normal ones…
8
PM
JP, please read Luke 6:41-42 and John 8:2-11. They as in the Mormons, Scientologists, Gays, Abortionists, etc. have no sin that is greater than yours or mine. Guard your Witness as you are not doing a good job of spreading the Gospel. it is not us (Evangelicals) vs. them.
Roger, I say to you “Doctor heal thyself”. Your intolerance of Christians is very apparent in your post. I challenge you to look at the manuscript evidence of the authenticity of the Bible compared to Homer’s Iliad, Caesar’s Gallic War, and the chronicles of Tacitus’ history of Rome. A simple google search of Bible authenticity will suffice.
8
PM
Oh boy, here we go with the evil Masons conspiracy.
11
PM
Michael C…
You seem offended, did I mention Christ? Go educate yourself and see how many pre-Biblical stories resemble what some Christians refer to as Easter. Same goes for Christmas.
Stop assuming and get over thyself.