Here are some of my thoughts on the debate and the state of the race.

Mitt: I think Mitt was very strong. His foreign policy answers were great. I know the line about Barack Obama has gotten the headlines, but the substance of his answers shows a real grasp of what works in accomplishing foreign policy goals. He also showed a better understanding of healthcare than anyone else. He shot down Rudy’s idea of tax breaks by pointing out that the people who need it aren’t paying taxes anyway and showed himself more serious than Tommy Thompson by looking at the root of the problem and not just at the money saved from going paperless (although I’m sure that’s a good way to save some cash). Overall a solid debate for the Iowa frontrunner.

Rudy: Rudy also was good, although a notch below Mitt. Rudy is always quick and witty. His deflection of the abortion debate is starting to get old to me. Also, Mitt exposed him on the healthcare issue. Overall he commands a presence above the second tier

Huckabee: Huckabee is always entertaining. His folksy stories and one-liners are always good and he shows a genuineness about his approach to government that the other 2nd tier candidates generally lack. If you pay close enough attention, though, you get a hint of compassionate conservatism in him. I think he does not share the consistent view of small government, which is a problem for me.

Paul: The thing about Ron Paul is that he is so good about directly answering the question. I really appreciate a politician that can do that. However, in my experience, there is a positive relationship between use of the word “neocon” and some kind of insanity. I generally agree a lot with what John Derbyshire said over at NRO.

Tancredo: It was unfair for him to not have a question at all for the first 20 minutes of the debate. Tancredo is hit or miss when he gets the chance to answer. His answer about the role of government in healthcare had some merit, but his answer about bombing Islamic holy sites is just looney.

McCain: McCain seemed subdued and tired this time around. Not sure if that had to do with the time of day of the debate or a larger fatigue from the campaign. McCain’s answer tying abortion to national security was weak. I don't know if I remember any other answers from him. Makes you long for the old "gates of hell" days.

Hunter: Hunter was great on military matters, but showed little beyond that. I’m not sure why he mentioned that he didn’t do anything special, but wore the uniform. Makes it sound like he did it reluctantly or that he wasn’t a good soldier.

Brownback: Brownback has exchanged his bland flavor for a bitter one. No longer is he the nameless Senator running for office, but is the mudslinging Senator who tried his best to make the campaign as hateful as he could. Brownback’s attacks just embarrass him. I can’t imagine that anyone turning into the debate came away saying anything positive about Brownback’s performance. Between his attacks on Romney, his copy of Biden’s Iraq plan, and his over the top religiosity there is little to find positive about Brownback’s debate performance.

Thompson: Tommy Thompson seems like a nice guy, but in a time where the largest of problems face us, he seems to have small answers. Plus, people don’t find his jokes funny. Sorry Tommy, time to move on.

Labels: debate