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Scoring the CNBC Debate: Romney and Gingrich Shine; Perry Doesn’t
National Review ^ | 11/11/2011 | Rich Lowry

Posted on 11/10/2011 7:09:06 AM PST by SeekAndFind

No one touched Romney. He was unflappable and knowledgeable. He again showed the right political instinct to want to address the struggles of the middle class, although his tax plan doesn’t do it. His China-bashing will probably play well in the Midwest, although it’s foolhardy on the merits. He consistently got applause. I remember one of the early debates when Romney was flying above the other candidates and Pawlenty–I think–attacked him and he declined to reply, saying “that’s fine.” He said the same thing tonight when Santorum went after him. After all the churning in the race, Romney is in the same basically comfortable place he was in several months ago.

Gingrich was on his game from the beginning when he let loose a ringing anti-Bernake, anti-food stamps, anti-Alinsky answer. This was the Newt everyone thought we’d see before he got in the race. I thought he was much too irritable with the moderators, but a GOP audience probably doesn’t mind and Maria Bartiromo matched him unpleasantness for unpleasantness. The narrative about his rise will continue.

Cain was fun as always. He got off a couple of great lines and was helped by the ill-advised decision of the moderators to press him about the sexual harassment accusations in his forum. His frequent resort to 999 still gets laughs, although eventually the charm of this trope will wear thin. On substance, he clearly lacks the fluidity of a Romney or the depth of a Gingrich.

I thought Perry would get better after his first debate. I was wrong. I thought he couldn’t do worse than his last few debate performances. I was wrong. His blank moment on the three cabinet agencies was very uncomfortable to watch. It could happen to any of us, but having it happen to him, on this stage, was devastating. Perry passed on a couple of chances to hit Romney, so clearly his hope was to just skate through this debate, and he couldn’t manage it. It’s shame for him, but will presumably help Gingrich and Cain.

To his credit, Santorum continued to be the only Republican willing to acknowledge and address the economic travails of people without a college degree. But he’s not as compelling as the other candidates, and there’s always one unfortunate moment in every debate where he feels he has to brag, in rapid-fire fashion, about all the wonderful things he’s done. Bachmann was basically a non-factor. Notably, she persists in arguing that people who aren’t paying federal income taxes aren’t participating fully in American life–it’s the reverse side of Elizabeth Warrenism. Huntsman was annoying. I find myself increasingly charmed by old Ron Paul.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: backstabberromney; bigdigromney; bishopromney; cnbc; debate; gop; iagromney; ineligibleromney; morefeesromney; rinoromney; romney4911mosque; romney4sharia; romneyandrove; romneyandsoros; romneymarriage
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To: JLAGRAYFOX

the only one that will work for Mitt Romney, Romney/Cain!!! Romney, IMHO will turn to Cain as his VP choice.
______________________________________

Romneys SLC handlers wont let him have Cain as VP...


21 posted on 11/10/2011 7:35:57 AM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: throwback
I won’t go to the polls for Romney. There isn’t enough of a difference to bother to show up.

Please, please, please reconsider! Especially if Romney is the GOP nominee, it is important for us to vote. If Obama wins, we need a conservative Congress to stop the rapid spread of socialism from a far left White House. If Romney wins, we need a conservative Congress to stop the moderately rapid spread of socialism from a moderately leftist White House. Either way, we need every conservative in the country out there voting in the primaries and again on election day, 2012. I don't care whether it's Obama or Romney either, but I care a whole lot about the Congress that we have to protect America from either of them.

22 posted on 11/10/2011 7:36:52 AM PST by Pollster1 (Natural born citizen of the USA, with the birth certificate to prove it)
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To: MiddleEarth

I doubt if Romney has any blacks working for him...


23 posted on 11/10/2011 7:38:17 AM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: throwback

Bull Shiite Muslim. There is a big difference between Hussein and Romney.


24 posted on 11/10/2011 7:44:19 AM PST by Recovering_Democrat
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To: Recovering_Democrat

There is a big difference between Hussein and Romney.
__________________________________________

Ones half black and half white ???

and the other is half white with a black heart against unborn babies...


25 posted on 11/10/2011 7:48:14 AM PST by Tennessee Nana
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To: JLAGRAYFOX

Cain is a lightweight.His 999 routine is getting old.Its time he went back to selling pizza.


26 posted on 11/10/2011 7:48:49 AM PST by 2007 Crusader (2007 Crusader)
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To: Pollster1

I strongly believe that Obummer is driving us into Fascism. Of course Fascism does come with a heavy dose of socialism.

I furthermore predict that the leftist President will start soon to condemn private businesses and will try to make the point that it is time for Government to take control in order to protect the public.

We are sliding fast and cannot allow another four years of domination by this administration.


27 posted on 11/10/2011 8:04:43 AM PST by americanbychoice3
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To: throwback
I won’t go to the polls for Romney. There isn’t enough of a difference to bother to show up.

Romney is my least favorite except for Huntsman. He is a slick, wishy-washy man. On the other hand, 0bama and his Administration are pure evil. They will destroy the country if given four more years in power. At least with Romney if we get a majority in the Senate and House, we have a chance of slowing or turning back the destruction because we can keep his timid feet to the fire on important things.

That alone is reason enough to vote for him even though he is one of the worst choices on our side. It's either that, or America is finished as a constitutional republic.

Those are sad choices, but they may be what we have to work with in 2012. I refuse to cut off my nose to spite my face by going either for a third party and a sure loser or staying home and getting four years with a wicked man in charge.

I would rather have Romney than certain violence and increasing breakdown at home and abroad. We may get it anyhow, but at least with him we have a chance to turn things away from the sure catastrophy we now face.

28 posted on 11/10/2011 8:18:48 AM PST by Gritty (Romney is like watching your parents do the Macarena: ItÂ’s embarrassing and itÂ’s dated-Mark Steyn)
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29 posted on 11/10/2011 8:22:41 AM PST by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list)
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To: Pollster1

If Romney is the candidate,
NONE OF US WILL VOTE FOR ROMNEY.

You understand that. He understands that.
The GOP understands that. The DNC wants that.

Instead the name of the best alternative or 3rd party
will be put in TO PUT IN THE MOST CONSERVATIVE.


30 posted on 11/10/2011 8:25:15 AM PST by Diogenesis ("Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. " Pres. Ronald Reagan)
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To: SeekAndFind

The Elite in Washington like Romney because they know he will keep things pretty much the same as they are in Washington. Plus they can control him.

Cain is the people’s choice and has great integerity compared to the rest. Why else do you think the establishment (both parties) are trashing Cain’s character. They KNOW the people trust Cain, but DO NOT TRUST the rest.


31 posted on 11/10/2011 8:34:38 AM PST by Sprite518
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To: Diogenesis

YOU WILL NOT VOTE FOR ROMNEY .....WHY?


32 posted on 11/10/2011 8:35:32 AM PST by 47samurai (The last real conservative)
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To: demkicker

Rick Perry has to be the stupidest son of a bitch that ever ran for president.He makes GW Bush look like Stephen Hawking.
He has to be the worst candidate I ever saw in my 56 years.He is beyond laughable.


33 posted on 11/10/2011 8:42:42 AM PST by TShaunK
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To: Diogenesis
If Romney is the candidate, NONE OF US WILL VOTE FOR ROMNEY

I will not vote for Romney, and certainly not for the drug-addled communist occupying our White House, but I will vote. I'll vote for the House, for the Senate, and for state and local candidates. I'll write in Palin/Cain, or Cain/Bachmann, or Bachmann/DeMint, or some other acceptable combination for the White House, but I will not under any circumstances vote for Mitt. And, no, I don't see that as a vote for Obama. I see it as a vote against either a rapid (Obama) or a slow (Mitt) transition to socialism.

34 posted on 11/10/2011 8:45:08 AM PST by Pollster1 (Natural born citizen of the USA, with the birth certificate to prove it)
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To: Diogenesis

You see, even though the great majority of you will not publicly admit it, private conversations with many conservatives around the nation leads me to believe that it is almost solely because of his (Romney’s) religion that you will refuse to support him. I am hoping to get that out into the open so we can argue it out and get over it.

Romney has made some mistakes in the past that makes him seem like a flip-flopper. We know many of the same people, Romney and I, and I am convinced that he has ALWAYS been anti-abortion. He has ALWAYS been anti gay marriage. He has ALWAYS been a genuine fiscal conservative. In fact, I believe most of you would agree with 90% of his positions 90% of the time. His mistake was pretending to be a moderate in order to get elected in ultra liberal Mass. I think he is trying to correct that now, but that is HIS poor judgement so he’s going to have to live with it.

Besides he ranks HIGHER in all national polls vis a vis he ability to beat Obama in 2012.

I’m just sayin’, if you refuse to vote for Romney because he’s a Mormon, just say so. Lets hash it out and get past it so we can unseat the greatest threat to the American republic since King George.


35 posted on 11/10/2011 8:47:36 AM PST by 47samurai (The last real conservative)
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To: TShaunK
Rick Perry has to be the stupidest son of a bitch that ever ran for president.He makes GW Bush look like Stephen Hawking. He has to be the worst candidate I ever saw in my 56 years.He is beyond laughable.

And Perry is still a whole lot better than Mitt Romney.

36 posted on 11/10/2011 8:47:57 AM PST by Pollster1 (Natural born citizen of the USA, with the birth certificate to prove it)
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To: 47samurai

“He has ALWAYS been anti gay marriage. He has ALWAYS been a genuine fiscal conservative. In fact, I believe most of you would agree with 90% of his positions 90% of the time. His mistake was pretending to be a moderate in order to get elected in ultra liberal Mass. I think he is trying to correct that now, but that is HIS poor judgement so he’s going to have to live with it.”

I’m glad someone else is trying to get through to some of these thick heads.
It was pointed out last nite that that while he was Gov. of Ma. he had to go against/work with an 85% Liz Warren/Nancy Pelosi type democrats in the legislature.He always worked against illeagal aliens and was for the death penalty and for tax cuts.
If Mitt has at least one republican branch of congress to work with he will be a suitable conservative without a doubt.


37 posted on 11/10/2011 9:04:59 AM PST by TShaunK
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To: Diogenesis
The GOP believes that you represent 1% of the vote. They may be right, perhaps a minor underestimation. If Obama were not such a disaster, more republicans might opt out of a Romney vote, but given the alternative most will hold their nose.

Cain is going to need a huge amount of support to overcome the establishment. If it happens, I will be pleasantly surprised, keyword: surprised. I'm starting to believe Gingrich is the most conservative that the establishment will allow to win. Whether he can beat Obama is questionable. Ginrgich absolutely needs a minority on the VP ticket.

38 posted on 11/10/2011 9:07:11 AM PST by douginthearmy
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To: SeekAndFind

fluidity = slipperyness


39 posted on 11/10/2011 9:10:37 AM PST by Fresh Wind ('People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook.' Richard M. Nixon)
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To: Pollster1

Perry’s campaign is over. Now.... I wonder if he will throw his support/supporters behind Newt Gingrich? At the debates, Perry consistently nods his head in approval of everything Newt has to say.


40 posted on 11/10/2011 10:31:29 AM PST by jageorge72
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