COMMENTARY | Tonight was Newt Gingrich's night in the GOP presidential debate. He often glowered severely from the stage toward his questioners like a frustrated schoolmaster throughout the evening and at one point sarcastically retorted "Really?" when asked to explain how the media gets economic issues wrong.
He made quick, energetic points that addressed issues and questions in a clear and understandable manner. Gingrich also did so in such a way that gave the reddest of meat to the base. The strategy of questioning the questioners and their premises continues to work for him and tonight it pushed him close to, if not into, the top tier.
The rest of the field essentially maintained the status quo ... except for Rick Perry. When asked to name the three federal departments he would cut, he could only name two. The silence and his blank expression probably only lasted 4 seconds -- but it felt like four years. I think tonight was the beginning of the end of the Perry campaign. Regardless of competence, this is not the man Republicans want debating Barack Obama.
Mitt Romney was Mitt Romney -- poised, in control of the facts, firm and professional. He is still the front-runner and still almost certain to decisively win the GOP primary here in New Hampshire in January. At one point I had to chuckle when he spoke to the blustering Jim Cramer (whose shtick is better suited to pro wrestling) as if he were a parent dealing with an emotional teenager. "Well, Jim, we can have profits AND help people get jobs. Here's how profits work ..."
The much-anticipated moment where Herman Cain was confronted regarding the sexual harassment allegations was very brief and worked well for him this evening. The crowd was clearly behind him and even booed the questioners (as did I) for attempting to prolong the topic by trying to drag Romney through the sludge.
The rest of the candidates did not have any breakthrough moments either way -- although Rick Santorum is notably more appealing when he is not beating to death the morality angle. Apparently solid economic policy discussions don't lend themselves well to a whiny tone and it's too bad he didn't use this persona from the start of the campaign.
Line of the night goes to Cain: "Tax codes do not raise taxes -- politicians do."
This is still clearly Romney's race to lose.
mike wallace mike wallace koch brothers dash diet weather phoenix dippin dots lindsey vonn
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.