[indianrightwinger]

He nails it! The debate process has been a joke and is giving us a choice between Newt and Romney. The worst of the worst.

[PieterCasparzen]

Sorry, most conservatives have read dumpbachmann.com and that’s where we get all our information about her.

And Herman, he’s a womanizer.

We like Newt cuz he’s smart.

And Romney cuz he’s next in line.

/sarc just in case you missed it...

[Hugin]

Newt is the worst candidate, except for all the other ones.

[Gator113]

It is what it is..... I’ll be voting for Newt Gingrich.

[GeronL]

lol

[Abby4116]

We didn’t have all those debates in 2007 - so how come we got stuck with McCain?

[who_would_fardels_bear]

We already had a statist masking as a conservative as president.

With Newt this will be the true death knell of conservatism as a viable political alternative in the US.

Once again liberal policies will fail, but while being labeled as right wing.

At this point I almost wish ... almost ... that Obama wins so that when the dust clears after the apocalypse all of the blame will be laid at the feet of the liberals.

[Fledermaus]

If you want another good Steyn take down of Newt, try this:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/285097/re-has-gingrich-changed-et-al-mark-steyn

[SatinDoll]

Romney has not been attacked by the Democrats, period. He is their preferred opponent.

Newton Leroy Gingrich is despised, publicly, by both Democratic Party and Republican Party establishment types. He is being trashed AS he attacks Obama, the administration, and Progressive stances and politics.

Who do you think the corrupt politicians fear more?

If you can’t bring yourself to say, “Newt Gingrich”, then you better hope Sarah Palin is drafted during a brokered, free-for-all nominating convention (which will be highly unlikely).

[Lou Budvis]

I’m glad debates have replaced all that retail politicing in IA and NH b/c I’m tired of those two niche states shoving themselves to the front every four years. Most who live in medium to large states will never even get a chance to see the candidates up close, much less demand they eat in some greasy spoon diner with them.

[Cicero]

There aren’t any decent candidates. It’s just as bad as the last time around. I’m not commenting too much on these candidate threads recently, because there’s hardly any point.

Any way you slice it, unless something new happens, we’re likely to end up with a lousy candidate, and probably Ron Paul or The Donald running on a third party ticket to deliberately ensure that the GOP loses.

[PreciousLiberty]

“He nails it! The debate process has been a joke and is giving us a choice between Newt and Romney. The worst of the worst. “

It is by no means just “the debate process”. That, at least, has given us a little insight into the candidates, their personalities, and their capabilities. The main reason we’re where we are with the Republican candidates is the MSM, and the very effective smear campaigns launched at our best conservative candidates.

I mean, Cain “is a horrible womanizer”...never mind that Gingrich is at least as bad, but is somehow still in the race...and now the frontrunner?

I find it horribly ironic that in 2008 the Republicans nominated a squishy moderate, not-so-charismatic, too old WASP with temperament issues...and this time the Republicans are about to nominate a squishy moderate, not-so-charismatic, too old WASP with temperament issues - with really less to recommend him personally than McCain the war hero. Sadly this inanity/insanity comes at a time the country can least afford it, both figuratively and literally.

Sarah Palin so far outshines the current field it isn’t even funny. Too bad the attack dogs got to her. At this point I could learn to like Santorum.

[Pelham]

Newt was a big fan of “futurist” Alvin Toffler, for those old enough to remember “Future Shock” and “The Third Wave”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Shock

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Wave_(book)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Toffler

[Sudetenland]

He couldn't "nail it" if "it" was strapped down. For all I like Mark Steyn as a sub for Rush, he has demonstrated an amazingly superficial understanding of Newt's record beginning with his incorrect characterization of the CWA during his last stint on Rush.

As for the debate process, it has given us the best race for the nomination I have witnessed. The large number of debates that Steyn bemoans has given candidates with very little in the way of resources exposure well beyond their ability to purchase air-time.

There is a reason for Newt's rise and a reason for Cain's demise. Newt has repeatedly demonstrated an in depth knowledge of the issues confronting American and that he has spent more than a little time considering solutions to those problems.

On the other hand, Cain repeatedly demonstrated an astonishingly narrow and uninformed world view. It was clear that Cain had not even spent much time considering foreign policy issues until he began to rise in the polls--he even said as much in his interview with Neil Cavuto when he said he was "a work in process and I am learning as I go . . .and I am becoming more knowledgeable on a lot of these topics." Anyone who enters the arena of national politics should already know at least as much about it as we who discuss it on this forum--not the detailed information that one relies on to make policy, but just a general well rounded understanding of the various issues facing us.

[myrabach]

I am sick of the idea that we are “stuck” with Newt and Romney without 1 stinking vote being cast! Looks to me like there are still others on the ballot and here we are braying like donkeys about the front runners selected by some mysterious polls or msm hacks. What is wrong with us? We are supposedly the electorate. Are we that swayed by these bogus polls? If so, then we are simply no better than those with whom we are against. Get up and fight for the candidate you want, it’s the only way we are going to get the best of the best.

[shhrubbery!]

Steyn is absolutely right, Gingrich is a "a 'big government' compromiser branded as a right-wing extremist."

But I disagree with Steyn that the debates have been a bad thing.

The debates were invaluable in flushing out a couple of unworthy candidates (much as it pains me to say this): Perry and Cain.

Steyn seems to have forgotten that the GOP nominee, whoever he or she is, will have to debate the Dem nominee next fall. Ability to handle a debate is crucial, even if the Dems throw up Obama again.

If the only way we had to evaluate candidates was Steyn's preferred process (actually I'm not sure he's being serious here) -- i.e. the ol' pressin' the flesh in Iowa diners and dancin' with the ladies shtick -- we would probably have stayed bowled over with Herman Cain's charm .... and would not have discovered that he was a fraud ... until too late.

[Huck]

Steyn was GREAT on EIB last week. It was so refreshing to hear intelligent, honest analysis and commentary about the GOP race instead of the brain dead, pom-pom waving, lipstick-on-a-pig SPIN being ladled out by the big three of talk radio.