Posted on 12/10/2011 3:43:05 PM PST by kristinn
Where: Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.
When: 9 p.m. EST, 6 p.m. PST, Saturday, December 10, 2011. Debate scheduled to last two hours.
Broadcast on: ABC Televsion.
Moderators: Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos.
Candidates: Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum.
Another one?
And why are they ignoring Jimmy McMillian?
Thank you for starting the thread.
Why do they do this? Diane Sawyer and George Steponallofus? We need a Mark Levin/Rush Limbaugh/Free Republic moderated debate. A real debate. Enough of this liberal clap trap.
Could be some real fireworks between Gingrich and Romney.
The others are sensing desperation so look for some additional grenade tosses from the bleachers.
I’m watching this one.
Maybe even Donald Trump!
I’ve pretty much lost all interest in the GOP race since the blamestream media lynched Herman Cain, and all the republicans pretty much let it happen.
I don’t really care anymore.
Tonight’s Debate Predictions and Advice (Most Likely Outcomes)
Mitt Romney will get the first question out of the gate and it will be with the moderators trying to start a confrontation between him and Newt. The moderators absolutely won’t ask Newt the first question in an attempt to draw him in after Romney, because they know Newt won’t take the bait and will turn it around on the debate moderators. If Newt’s allowed to do this, then Romney will be foolish to attack because it will be looked at very negatively. So to give Romney the first strike advantage, the moderators will ask him the first question. We’ll then quickly find out if Team Romney has opted to sit back and be safe, or to go on the offensive. My bet is on the latter. That will put pressure on a more confrontational Gingrich response. Depending on Michele or Paul’s projected attacks on Gingrich, if Romney is not getting any traction, he might just leave it to them to do, and try to remain in that calm, boring state the MSM always praises him on.
However, if the debate moderators can’t get Romney and Gingrich fighting, they will most likely turn to Michele Bachmann. Her first question out of the gate will most likely be dealing with comments she made about calling Gingrich a “frugal socialist”. The debate moderator will target the question in regards to Newt and it will be up to Michele to add Romney or face criticism of not going after him. My guess is that Michele’s staffers finally realize they aren’t going to have those projected jobs in the Romney campaign and that it’s all or nothing now for Michele and that she has to strike back. Some of her attacks will definitely stick, but many people will still accuse her of violating Reagan’s 11th Commandment.
For giggles, the moderator will turn to Ron Paul for a pile-on of Gingrich, which Paul will most likely take the bait. Paul will probably get a question on his opinion in regards to what his son Rand said about Newt “not being a conservative”.
Rick Perry should just sit back, give coherent messages, don’t have a brain fart, and when the time is right, drop a Gingrich-line about staying above the fray. Perry doesn’t really need to attack Gingrich or Romney tonight, he should leave that to Bachmann, Paul, and Santorum.
Rick Santorum is going to hit Romney and Gingrich hard, probably on TARP, but look for him to go after Bachmann, Paul, and even possibly Perry as he tries to tout himself as the right conservative choice in the race.
Newt doesn’t need debate advice, though I will say this. In his anticipated confrontational dialogues with Mitt, he needs to look Mitt straight in the eye when speaking. If he’s exceptionally bold, he should find a way to tell Romney to wipe that smirk off his face when Romney pulls his now (in)famous strare-down. (Maybe not as brash as the Baez-Ashton incident from the Casey Anthony Trial), but you get the point.
In the end, this could be the defining night for Gingrich. He will be facing a barrage of attacks on his record from just about everyone on that stage in addition to the debate moderators. If, at the end of the night, he truly survives unscathed and doesn’t suffer a meltdown, then more debates probably aren’t going to make a difference.
If Newt flops under pressure though, then things get interesting. Despite the fact Romney might get some positive attacking points on Gingrich, the reality is it is unlikely to win him any votes. If Bachmann gets her argument across well, she could stand to gain, but if it’s too far out there like the HPV episode, it could negate whatever advantage it would have created. As a person that says we deserved what we got on 9/11, Ron Paul should not be taken seriously, end of story. If Santorum’s attacks stick, he might be in a position for a later surge because he has an upcoming Lincoln-Douglas debate with Gingrich, in addition to a possible one on one in the Trump debate if it’s still held. Santorum could really stand to gain, but like Bachmann, might get criticized if he attacks too negatively, although to his credit, he has gone after just about everyone on stage equally. Rick Perry doesn’t really seem to be going anywhere. He seems best to stay out of the attacks. If everyone else on stage does damage to Newt, but all Bachmann, Santorum, Paul, and Romney seen as negative, then Perry could benefit.
My guess is because we are just a little over 3 weeks away from the first contest, things are going to get heated tonight. Time is running out. It’s kind of like in 1998, when Florida State back-doored its way into the National Championship Game in Football. That season, UCLA, Kansas State, and Tennessee were all undefeated and ahead of one-loss Florida State on the last week of the season. According to Bowden “I said men, We need to keep winning just in case. What if those other guys lost?”. Then on the last week, Bowden said “here we are. This is it. If they don’t lose now, they’re not gonna lose”. UCLA and Kansas State suffered heartbreaking losses that allowed FSU to play for the National Championship.
My pleasure. For those missing Jon Huntsman, he passed on this debate and is campaigning in New Hampashire today.
1. Do you think that the question of Obama's birth has been resolved completely?
2. Do you agree with Newt that Palestinians are a "made-up" people?
3. Why won't (you) attend Trump's debate at the end of the month?
Who is the media going to prop up in Huntsman's absence?
Moderators: Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos,OMG,I’m gonna have to watch ABC.
Sadly, likely.
Is this streamed on the web? Anyone have the link?
The "gang of 5" will kowtow to ABC but they tremble before Trump.
I'll never vote for a coward.
Another song and dance on a MSM network.
I'll bet Steppy won't save Perry like he did Obama
What’s with George Will? Huntsman? We have a wealth of conservatives in this primary, they’re all being overlooked. That’s why they get a surge. But Newt? The only president I ever voted FOR was Reagan. All others were a vote against. Really, Dole? McCain? This is pathetic. We need the power of prayer. This election should be a slam dunk, now they’re giving us more establishment. This is pathetic.
Saw this on google news:
“HOW TO WATCH: Airs nationally on the ABC television network and in central Iowa on WOI-TV, Channel 5. Will be livestreamed by those sources and...DesMoinesRegister.”
That would be http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/12/10/about-tonights-gop-debate/
Yahoo seems to be a sponsor so they may have it somewhere too.
If your online video experience is anything like mine, you should collect half a dozen links and cross your fingers that one of them actually works!
Hours for Diane Sawyer and George Snuffleupagous, not one minute for the Donald.
He can still win the nomination. Bachmann and Santorum will drop out, or be effectively out, after the caucus. Cain's out. These three have between 20-30% of the vote, depending on which state..add to Perry's own + or - 10%, and if he is able to capture the majority of the CBS (Cain/Bachmann/Santorum) evangelical vote, then he can go into SC with a solid 35% of the vote...Mittens will be finished after NH and SC..and it will be a two man race in Florida, Perry and Newt...
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