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| GOP Debate, Photo Source: ABC News |
In the
third GOP Debate in three weeks, the same candidates stuck
out among the rest. Lately, it seems that I have only been focusing on two
candidates, Former Governors Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. This is with just
cause, due to the fact that they have successfully gained the most attention
during the race thus far. Both candidates stole the show with constant
bickering and arguing as each tried to denounce the views and achievements of
the other. Unlike the past debates, however, many political analysts believe
that Romney came out on top. Another result of the debate is the declining
popularity of Perry. His poor performance on Thursday has called for criticism
from both the left and right. Also not surprising was the other candidates’
inability to gain any attention alongside the top two contenders. I wouldn’t be
surprised if the American people forgot about candidates like Rick Santorum or
Herman Cain. The only other candidate to get some attention has consistently
been Michelle Bachmann mostly due to the media coverage she gains because of
her Tea Party connections and her many unsupported statements. It seems the
closer we get to the primaries this spring, the tighter the race becomes and
the more it takes shape for the nomination.
The supposed winner of the debate,
Mitt Romney was semi -successful in avoiding harsh criticism from the other
candidates. Many political analysts have stated that Romney proved himself as a
good debater. One stand-out moment was when Perry attempted to imply that
Romney supported President Obama’s educational program “Race to the Top”,
Romney’s immediate answer was a sharp “Nice try”. Following was his explanation
on how he only stated that parts of the plan “make sense”. Romney also had his
number of attacks on Governor Perry. Quoting from Perry’s book, “Fed Up!”,
Romney tried to make the case again that Perry’s views on government programs
like Social Security are too extreme. The use of books as ammunition is not new
to the debate stage or the campaign trail. Perry also used the book “No
Apologies” written by Romney to claim the candidate was a flip-flopper on many
of his views like the health care plan passed in Massachusetts. Romney also thwarted this
notion, denying Perry’s allegation.
Although Romney has been dubbed the
winner of the debate, he owes much of the achievement to his main competitor
for a poor performance. Perry’s time on stage was not convincing, as he rambled
on and struggled to successfully take down Romney. Much of his attempts failed
due to Romney’s sharp comebacks and responses. Perry also struggled with
answers to questions having to do with foreign policy. When asked what action
he would take as president if he received a 3 a.m. telephone call informing him
that nuclear weapons from Pakistan
fell into terrorist hands, Perry did not give a sturdy answer. After the debate
one of Romney’s strategists called the response “completely unintelligible”.
His response began with the claim that he would have had to build a
relationship with that region prior to such an event then went on and some how
fit in references to Taiwan and India. Perry will also struggle with his stance
on immigration, something all the other candidates use against the former Texas
Governor. Perry tried to defend himself, stating that the decision to allow
children of illegal aliens to pay in-state tuition for public universities was made
by the state legislation. He also stated that the other candidates “don’t have
a heart” when it comes to the issue. Perry’s stance on immigration will be a
huge factor as the primaries get closer.
With the debates moving along,
Democrats are now beginning to weaken the stances of Republican candidates.
Obama advisors are trying to lay the groundwork for a campaign as they
highlight contrasts between President Obama and the leading Republican
candidates. The candidates that are being focused on are not surprisingly Perry
and Romney. Democrats are challenging Perry’s economic record in Texas, claiming that
many of the new jobs created by Perry were low paying. They also intend to
paint Romney as out of touch with the American people and a “corporate titan”.
The democrats are starting this negative campaign by using the Democratic
National Committee and outside groups like American Bridge
and Priorities USA. The use of these groups will allow Obama and his campaign
to be viewed separate from negative attacks.
Another debate is over and the
feeling of déjà vu follows. The same candidates are getting attention while
others struggle to even make the summary articles the following day. Even
finding a picture from the debate with all nine candidates was hard. The same
issues are being brought up and it seems that no candidate has given a solution
for problems like the economy, immigration, or foreign policy. Hopefully these
debates will start to narrow down the race so that the focus turns to more
serious contest.
And in case you didn’t notice, there were nine candidates on
stage last Thursday. It was the first appearance for former Governor of New
Mexico Gary E. Johnson. None of the articles used for this post mentioned the
new addition but he is in the picture, so we do know he was in the building at
some point.
Sources:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/23/perry-faces-scathing-reviews-day-after-debate/?hpt=po_bn1
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/mitt-romney-goes-to-the-head-of-the-debate-class-the-note/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/mitt-romney-rick-perry-wage-a-war-of-authenticity-at-republican-debate/
Sources:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/23/perry-faces-scathing-reviews-day-after-debate/?hpt=po_bn1
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/mitt-romney-goes-to-the-head-of-the-debate-class-the-note/
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/09/mitt-romney-rick-perry-wage-a-war-of-authenticity-at-republican-debate/
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