EarlG's Post-Debate Post-Mortem

[EarlG]

Since Skinner did a http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x765952">post-mortem of last week's Democratic debate, I thought I'd better put something together for the Republican debate (especially since there's no Top 10 this week). I can't promise it will be as thoughtful as Skinner's, but what the heck, let's give it a whirl.

The clear winner of the debate was: Ronald Reagan. Frankly I'm surprised they didn't just dig up his coffin and see who could masturbate into it the quickest. Maybe next time, eh? I'll say this: for a party that's held control of Congress for most of the past 14 years and currently has a two-term president in the White House, they spent an awful lot of time fawning over a dead guy who stopped being president 20 years ago.

The biggest loser was: Iran, apparently.

The smoothest operator was: Tommy Thompson. During the debate Thompson announced that employers should be free to discriminate against gays. Five minutes after the debate, his campaign http://americablog.blogspot.com/2007/05/tommy-thompson-retracts-anti-gay.html">retracted the remarks saying that he "misheard the question." See if you can figure out which part he misheard:

Q: If a private employer finds homosexuality immoral, should he be allowed to fire a gay worker?

THOMPSON: I think that is left up to the individual business owners. I really sincerely believe that that is an issue that business people have got to make their own determination as to whether or not they should be.

Q: Okay. So the answer is yes?

THOMPSON: Yes.

The most useless person in the room was: Chris Matthews. Could those questions have been any more pointless? Somebody should give this guy a nightly cable news talk show.

The most Reaganesque moment was when: Mitt Romney struggled to remember what he'd said last week.

The Mike Gravel Award goes to: Ron Paul, for being the guy who was apparently just looking for the bathroom, took a wrong turn, and accidentally ended up on the stage.

The biggest no-show was: George W. Bush. Don't expect to see George hitting the campaign trail much next year - that spot is clearly reserved for Saint Ronald of Reagan. As for the candidates themselves, the biggest no-show had to be whatsisname. That guy, you know, used to be governor of Virginia. Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue.

The surprise of the night was: the fact that Rudy Giuliani managed to say "September 11" fewer than 200 times.

The wackiest duffer was: John McCain. Quick tip, John - at the next debate you might want to brandish a cane and shout "Get off my lawn!" in between questions. The field of candidates is already packed with cranky old white men; this will help you to show the audience who can really dodder.

The best moment of the debate was when: three candidates - Brownback, Tancredo, and Huckabee - raised their hands to acknowledge that they don't believe in evolution. No doubt they're also baffled about how the debate was projected into people's homes via magic glowing boxes. They were later seen leaving the debate together in a horse-drawn carriage, presumably heading back to Brownback's for a candlelit discussion on the latest developments in the Crimea.

Well, that was an hour and a half of my life I'll never get back...

[eleny]

1. K&R For the digging up the coffin deal

Edit: Now, go say thank you to zidzi for the McCain inspiration. Tsk! :rofl:

[jakem]

98. Ok, im not up to speed on the repug fine print...

but how many of the R candidates would feel that masterbation is a sin?

[eleny]

99. I don't think theyve finished their research

:rofl:

[Arugula Latte]

102. It needs more study ...

again and again and again ...

:rofl:

[jakem]

113. Trust me, I have studied this issue exhaustively.

I dont believe Ronald Reagan was ever involved...

Thank God.

[saracat]

2. Thanks EarlG. For being more succinct and entertaining than the Debate itself!

Damn! Them Repugs were sceery! I'll have nightmares tonight!

[jodini]

78. entertaining recap of a weird debate...

I agree with you, saracat, they were SCARY, and weird, and funny-looking, and retro (but not in a cool way). There's NO WAY that any of these creeps can get elected, right? RIGHT?????????

[RapidCreek]

122. Yea, don't worry, Hillary can fill in for them.

RC

[Maddy McCall]

3. "Get off my lawn!"

:rofl:

Good summary of the night. :thumbsup:

[calimary]

42. LOL!

mccain reminded me of the character in "Dr. Strangelove" with the mechanical, spring-loaded arm. Some of the oddest, most mechanical gestures I've ever seen anybody make. mccain looked utterly robotic. Scary, actually. I kept thinking of Mike Gravel - "these people scare me!"

[bleever]

4. No way! I got to be the fifth rec?

Hilarious, and I say that with this principle in mind: it's funny because it's true.

:thumbsup:

[Nite Owl]

5. Good rundown EarlG

I came away feeling very thankful for all of our candidates. The whole debate was like watching a train wreck in progress tonight. It's ours to lose in '08. (Of course they still got the voting machines!)

[Hippo_Tron]

6. EarlG, you owe me a keyboard

The bit about Brownback, Tancredo, and Huckabee was priceless...

:rofl:

[Eurobabe]

7. Thanks Earl, I hope you had a long nice shower afterwards.

And Mitt Romney should be selling cars. Used or otherwise.

[brg5001]

72. He can join John Boehner on the sales lot

Both Romney and Boehner sound like the old obnoxious, stereotypical car salespeople. No offense to DUers who sell cars...

Essentially, they sound like the guys on the old K-Tel records commercials, only they're spouting boilerplate about fighting "them" over there so we don't have to fight "them" here -- you know, the brown people. Yuck.

[Ikonoklast]

8. That was the debate?

I thought that I was watching some weird new kind of wacky game show, where the one that said the most ridiculous or outlandish thing can win something.

Like magic underwear, or an enquiring intellect, or a personality devoid of humor or compassion.

Something like that.




Seems like everyone there won a prize.

[FrenchieCat]

9. Well Done.....

and although funny, this line of yours "The biggest loser was: Iran, apparently", was some very scary shit when I heard those 9 "entitled" men ready to bomb a country into oblivion that quickly! :scared:

[AtomicKitten]

19. and to think people here expressed fear of some Dems

YIKES!!! :scared:

These GOP candidates made me damn thankful for our line-up.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Yes, but two wrongs don't make a right.........

Although it appears that the Dems, as a whole, have since (we lowered the boom) "soften" their rethoric on Iran quite a bit. And I am glad for that. But had the netroot community not been outraged by a lot of what was being said (and was not originally for our consumption), I'm afraid that on the issue of Iran, Democrats wouldn't have sounded much different had it not been for the pressure exerted by our base.

[AtomicKitten]

22. People need to also keep in mind

... that the Dems are looking forward to the general election where the parameters and dynamics change and You Tube will provide links to ghosts that will haunt them. Candidates don't have the luxury of running a two-stage campaign - primary and general - anymore. It would be helpful if Democrats understood that conundrum and cut our contenders a little slack.

[FrenchieCat]

24. I personally hope that the "Two-stage" campaign is also a thing of the past.....

as it in itself entails an awful lot of manipulation and calculations, instead of candidates just letting us know what they believe and what they will do. Guess that's one of the reasons that politicians aren't that trusted. Because what they say, ain't always what they mean. I understand that, but it is still very hard to "tolerate" it for the sake of winning...cause in the end, we are the ones who have to believe and then disbelieve. But then, learning from the 2000 election, winning is everything.

[AtomicKitten]

26. I thought the Dems did a pretty decent job

... and were credible on the subject of national security. They drew a nice distinction between themselves and the batshit crazy Republicans.

And FTR I like the ring of authenticity in candidates, but sometimes that's tough to portray 24/7 with the world watching. I'll gladly settle for an honest, decent man/woman who will work for peace and equality.

[Demeter]

33. Such Two-Faced Campaigning Is Dishonest and Self-Defeating

and I cannot condone, support, or ignore it.

[AtomicKitten]

46. No worries in that regard.

What you refer to as "two-faced and dishonest" which was once traditional campaigning for Democrats, i.e., swing left in the primary and back to the center in the general, has been rendered for the most part obsolete due to the 24/7 news cycles and YouTube. Keeping in mind you can't please all the people all the time, I think this new dynamic will produce a more authentic campaign.

[loudsue]

66. Gravel & Kucinich didn't bother with being two-faced...that's why they were called

"weirdos".

And THAT is a crying shame.

:kick::kick::kick:

[RapidCreek]

123. Uh huh, and bat-shit crazy too.

oh wait, she or he didn't call Kuchinic that she called me that for supporting his his efforts to impeach Cheney.

RC

[crispini]

67. Interesting -- do you really think the "two stage" dynamic is gone?

Bear in mind that primary VOTERS are still generally the party faithful, and that NOBODY but us chickens are paying attention to them now. I understand what you're saying about you tube and so on, but logically it seems that the campaigns still have to run left in the primary and then come back to the center for the general, at least with some aspects of the message.

[AtomicKitten]

70. I think most are trying to follow the traditional dynamic

... except for Hillary, Kucinich and Gravel - and they are getting slammed big time for it here on DU and for different reasons. I certainly agree the base is much, much different than the general electorate and that's why an authentic strategy without the shift between the two cycles is dicey and tough to maintain. YouTube proved pandering can seriously backfire. It's funny because people often accuse Hillary of pandering but I see her bucking the traditional kowtowing to the base and running a general campaign all the way through - which is loathed here by some at DU. It's definitely a crapshoot either way.

[Demeter]

93. Hillary Is Loathed For Her Policies, Not Her Campaigning

although her campaigning could use some work, too.

[AtomicKitten]

96. I was talking purely campaign strategy here.

People have their opinions on that and other issues; you have expanded on my point and expressed yours.

I on the other hand don't loathe any of our nominees and am glad we have such a strong field to go up against the GOP in 2008.

[RapidCreek]

124. We have a weak field going up against a weaker field

RC

[caligirl]

10. Hoover Institiute guy was harsh: Republican voters are like shoppers

in a supermarket looking at a display thats got nothing but a row of dented cans.

bill walen at the Hoover Institute said that here in the bay area tonight on KGOtv ch 7.

the anchorman and reporter tried to minimize their smiling faces.

[calimary]

44. That's a good one. From the Hoover Institute???

Not only dented cans, but cans with puffed up tops. They all had a good case of political botulism.

[caligirl]

82. My husband and I rolled with laughter, surprised us as well.

[ConsAreLiars]

11. Thanks, I missed (well, avoided) it. Did any promise to even exceed Reagan in pardons for

the criminals they would hire to run their administration? Or was that just something they all took for granted and needing no special comment?

[Lasher]

20. Hey, maybe they'll cut and run from Iraq like Saint Ronnie did from Beirut

On April 28, 1983, a suicide bomber drove a van loaded with 2,000 pounds of explosives into the U.S. embassy in Beirut. Sixty-three people died, including seventeen Americans.

Four months later (September 6, 1983), two U.S. Marines were killed by rocket and mortar fire. At an October 19 press conference, Reagan was asked about the safety of the Marines in Beirut to which he replied, "We're looking at everything that can be done to try and make their position safer. We're not sitting idly by."

A few days later (October 23), another suicide bomber drove a truck loaded with explosives into the headquarters building of the First Battalion, 8th Marines, located at the Beirut airport. The resulting explosion killed 241 American servicemen.

Three months later, the Reagan administration removed American troops from Beirut and put them aboard offshore ships. Reagan described the retreat as taking "decisive new steps." Explained spokesman Larry Speakes, "We don't consider this a withdrawal but more of a redeployment."

http://www.geocities.com/thereaganyears/foreignpolicy.htm

[hatrack]

47. Hmm, but remember how those Lebanese terrorists followed us here?

And how we fought them on American soil for years and years?

Oh, they didn't?

Never mind.

[Suich]

12. Excellent , EarlG!

Thank you for the laugh! Sounds like I didn't miss a thing!

:hi:

[lapfog_1]

13. I'm sure Thompson did mis-hear the question...

He thought is was "set fire to a gay worker".

[Kurovski]

14. K&R.

:rofl:

[question everything]

15. Thanks. Glad I missed the actual event (nt)

[LibDemAlways]

16. Thanks for a succinct report. The imbeciles on that

stage were the living embodiment of the Repuke party - clueless white males who are apparently scared shitless of phantom terrorists, women, gay people, paying taxes, science, and Bill Clinton.

Lame and pathetic.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

118. LMAO, thank for that laugh out loud!

:rofl: MKJ

[papau]

17. Chris Matthews' after debate feared that video excerpts would be used to hurt these folks

KO opened a segment after the debate with excerpts - and the concern on Chris's face knowing the inability he would have to spin this positive was obvious.

I think I am going to enjoy the YOU-Tube election - even more now that NBC has announced it is not going to sue everyone that uses video snippets, and indeed video can be posted on YOU-Tube (BUT only if it is taken down after 30 days - how the heck do they enforce that?).

Great, witty, summary, Earl. You nailed it.

:-)

[Bucky]

18. "I'm surprised they didn't just dig up his coffin and see who could masturbate into it the quickest"

:wow: That would be one vile circle jerk. We can only be grateful to Tancredo for having the decency to finish first.

[Tekla West]

23. we were watching it as a group,

and a few had missed the evolution question, when one of them asked "What are they raising their hands for?" And someone shot back, "Mathews just asked who had an IQ under 25."

[tavalon]

25. EarlG

You have such a gift and thank you for losing an hour and a half of your life to save me the same fate. Good onya.

[AtomicKitten]

27. Thanks for this.

Funny, succinct, dead-on.

:yourock:

[AtomicKitten]

28. self-delete

but still ...

:yourock:

[Anarcho-Socialist]

29. Thanks for the post

You gave me a few belly-laughs.

[Alamom]

30. Excellent, EarlG. They're not going to do it again..are they? Anyone know?

:silly:

[Demeter]

31. You Poor Baby!

Thanks so much for watching that---I simply couldn't be a witness to the madness.

I'd much rather have seen the version in your head, though. It would have rivaled Jon Stewart!

[xultar]

32. DAYUM...that was funny as fuck. The Mike Gravel award was funny.

[annabanana]

34. Did anyone else think that the "Procession of the Patriarchs" looked more

like lab rats in a maze? I remember they came around one corner and Rudy waved at the camera before they circled around again in their attempt to find the hall.

[Roland99]

35. AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Excellent commentary!

[primative1]

36. And I liked Ron Paul ...

Maybe it was because he was the closest thing to the genuine article that was on the stage.
But, to me, what he sounded like was a REPUBLICAN and actual republicans makes valid points ... like the inflation tax thing, that is very real.
The rest of the players on the stage sounded just plain scary.
As a Massachusetts resident, I found sleek, suave Romney particularly disturbing, in how you just cant recognize him by what he is spieling today versus what he had been spieling all along .... totally different fella today, who will he be tomorrow .... but oh so slick .... hmm

[CGowen]

73. What about the internet and trust for MSM?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hfa7vT02lA

[lefador]

105. Ron Paul is a libertarian for most intents and purposes...

... it was the only guy making sense in the GOP debate, and he is not a true republican... so that should tell you something.

It was the only person in that debate that I had a shred of respect for, I may not agree in a lot of his positions but at least he tried to discuss/bring issues rather than come with the whole values, morality, etc bullshit. A a president's job is to govern not to regulate morality. Values alone for sure won't feed my family...

I sort of agreed with Ron Paul's take on the inflation tax on the middle and lower classes.

[primative1]

128. "True Republican"

I suppose the defininition of that term is now forever altered but it wasnt so long ago that Ron Paul would have had an actual seat at the Rebublican table ... his ideals WERE republican ideals .... remembering that when listing the 3 most significant presidents in the past century one would have to include BOTH of the Roosevelts.

[hippiechick]

37. LMAO! Thanks Earl!

Glad you suffered through it so that most of us didn't have to!


:applause: :patriot:

[GeorgeGist]

38. Thanks for watching Earl...

so I didn't need to.

[Lil Missy]

39. LOL! Nicely put.

[E-Z-B]

40. LMAO!

[Seabiscuit]

41. Watching the "debate" I got this overwhelming desire to play "Wack-A-Mole"

Each time one of those doddering, disingenuous clowns popped their head up and started to speak I just wanted to bop them over the head.

[Sparkly]

43. Perfect!!

I always love your wit and writing style, EarlG. Your review of the debate is perfect. :applause:

Chris Matthews reminds me of Fred Willard in "Best in Show."

[PATRICK]

45. The Pyrrhic Success of Mitt Romney

The only one who seems by default to have reversed his progress over the cliff was unfortunately the Jeb Bush pick. After all the sorry performances we are left in the early season with this: the top three candidates are still undistinguished. Guiliani and McCain have gained nothing from not melting down further and failure to even rise to a Romney poise still pretty much spells out their doom. A real sad dynamic compared to the top three Dem hopefuls, all very much alive.

The long term significance is the the Bushes must see this as the opportunity to grimly build up "their guy" stooge and crony extraordinaire who will give corporate donors all they want with the safest dullest cover. From Elmer Fudd to Ronald Reagan will be their push which of course will fall absurdly short but is simply intended to rally the strength to get him in. And of course the entire Bush donor cheat machine is at the ready. Yet they like sure things and the cheat machine plus a weak fluff stooge are all alarmingly vulnerable. If the Bushes don't pick someone better soon, and now they probably won't, someone else might be sorely tempted to go for it- like Gingrich or Fred Thompson- who are not in their pocket. Gingrich looking at least to restore the reagan pattern could gain by simply losing the primaries, but if he sinks the Bush machine the disaster to the GOP might be irrecoverable for a person of his horrid favorability ratings. And it depends if the Democrats have ANY vulnerability anyway. Becoming a sacrificial lamb is not nobly appealing to any wistful ancient of days. No Bob Dole to put his head into the noose for the Bush machine to leave twisting in the wind.

IF they build up Mitt and he doesn't blow it via speaking then image wise there could be a formidable contest built on the Bush factor(much more so than Clinton in 2000) and the best demographics the two parties can offer. That would be Edwards versus Romney. If Romney keeps succeeding a feeling of hope against Hillary can rekindle the hope for victory absolutely necessary to rally the GOP and independents. Of course, the entire Bush connection to Romney must be buried as a subtext, as it currently is for the entire primary field.

Most of our fears(based on horrible experience) are based on the continued ability and revealed will of the GOP to simply cheat, their corporate backing, and the inability of our superior candidates to get the fair presentation that would clinch the broad electorate way out of reach of Rove tabulator adjustments. We are making progress on all fronts, much more than the GOP, but not enough to simply allay all fears.

[LongTomH]

104. PATRICK, You're the first to mention Jeb Bush.

Anybody else think Jebbie is the stealth candidate in this campaign?

Anybody else think the most likely '08 ticket for the GOP would be Jeb Bush in the VP slot, and a non-entity in the #1 slot? The Prez will, of course, have the life expectancy of the guy in the red shirt in the original Star Trek series.

[PATRICK]

119. Jeb to be Cheney

If not Jeb who? Moost of Cheney's crew are smaller, more failed fools than the "successful" President Veep. Some removable schlemiel perhaps if Jeb has to slip in via the staff. Jeb's support is an open secret and unmentioned. The same MSM that plays by the GOP book in leaving Bush out of this entire campaign is totally deceiving the entire nation by this omission, the single most interesting power play of the campaign season.

Who the Bushes anoint will be the nominee and no one else unless their protege and other lickspittles totally melt down. But all the current butt kissers are at least begging piteously for Bush support even as they burn candles to Reagan the Great. The MSM ignores the fact that there are no independents or insurgents in GOP strategy just the same awkward sorting through ham sandwiches and the sickest cronies to continue the aims of the dynasty. The GOP has fallen and there is no one whose stature can again surpass that of the Bushes. Clinton was a big issue- negatively- in 2000. Bush II will practically be MSM invisible except for the insane presence of unpopular policies and the minimalist loony base extremism he owned. They want to get him off and the GOP game- not the GOP traditional party, not Reagan's befuddled conservatism- to go on.

[Tom Rinaldo]

48. One main disagreement with ya Earl

Chris Mathews earned a pass from me becaues of one question that he DID ask. He asked about war with Iran. He asked McCain and others to tell the public where the trip wire was for armed conflict, when they would attack, he even raised a question about how they would respond if Israel's PM called up asking for help to attak Iran,and he smoked all those bastards out by asking those questions so directly. It was chilling to me to see how gung ho that entire crew was to take on Iran to "protect America", hardly anyone bothered to even be evasive about it.

Too many of us think it can't happen, but I've been talking about this issue on boards less dependably leftist than DU, and a whole lot of people are backing the position that Iran can't be allowed to have nukes, and that they are led by an irrational leader who can not be trusted not to attack us. This can not remain an issue that is not talked about openly, and I was glad Chris Mathews raised it so directly.

[file83]

62. That's why this 2008 election is so important - it seems that Obama and Hillary might attack Iran...

because they both want to "leave all options on the table".

Kucinich and Gravel are the only ones I'd trust not to needlessly attack another nation over some mispreceived threat.

[Tom Rinaldo]

71. I hope you are supporting the efforts of StopIranWar.com

Here is something that I wrote for that purpose which I welcome you to use if you feel so inclined:


An Iranian Peace Tree.

We are growing an Iranian Peace Tree. Please become one of the branches.

Far too many Americans think of Iran as a dangerous enemy of America, with little or no understanding of how the world looks to those sitting inside Iran. More dangerous than that though is this; the public is constantly being told that Iran is run by fanatics who can’t be trusted, or even talked to. The subliminal message is powerful and alarming: since you can’t reason with crazy violent people who are out to get you; you can only protect yourself against them, and to do that takes force.

Iran today is described in the same terms used against Iraq in 2002; a gathering threat that must be decisively dealt with. That road led to war, and this one appears no different. We can’t afford to stay this course. We need to speak up now before public opinions harden further, and military conflict becomes more certain.

There still is time for a diplomatic alternative to war that averts further violence and lays the groundwork for peace between Iran and the United States, while simultaneously advancing solutions to the interlocking problems that bedevil the Middle East today. Truly, all we are asking is give peace a chance, but tens of thousands of voices must be joined in the asking before Washington will hear us. And so we grow this Iranian Peace Tree. It will flourish with your help.

A national petition campaign is currently underway at www.stopiranwar.com and it needs our support. Tens of thousands of signatures have been gathered already, but many more are needed, and they are needed soon. StopIranWar.com is hosted by some of America’s most distinguished recent war veterans, who care about America’s security in the world but know that war is not the answer with Iran. Their message cuts across political lines and speaks in the language of common sense, one too seldom heard in Washington.

I am asking you to please sign the petitions found at StopIranWar.com and then pass on this message to three others who you know, urging them each to do the same. By doing so you become a branch on the Iranian Peace Tree, a branch from which more branches will grow. The math is powerful; consider how your own effort can flourish. If you sign today, and pass on the Iranian Peace Tree to three others who you personally know, and if every three days each of them did the same, here is what would happen:

In three days your total leaves (yourself included) will be four, in six days that grows to 13 (nine new leaves plus four prior signers), in 9 days the total hits 40, in 12 days 121, and in 15 days 364. From there the Peace Tree grows rapidly as compounding continues. By the 21st it reaches 3,380, and by the 27th 29,524. If all who receive it sign and send this Iranian Peace Tree on to three others within 3 days, in thirty days (a mere month) your branch will have spawned 88,573 signers!

Will everyone who receives your Iranian Peace Tree email follow through completely? Perhaps not, but with your encouragement quite likely yes. Three is a very modest goal, and you and those who you send this on to are welcome to set 5 as a higher goal. Anyone succeeding in reaching that number helps offset others who fall short of three. Please sign the petition at www.stopiranwar.com now, while you are thinking about it, and then send this message on to three others who you know. Feel free to attach your own personal message along with this Peace Tree text, and then watch our numbers grow as the tallies get updated. Together we can advance peace, and quite possibly save tens of thousands of lives, including perhaps that of someone near to your own heart. War is not the answer.

[file83]

77. Thanks! I'm gonna go check that out.

:hi:

[LaurenG]

49. Thanks for the synopsis

:rofl:

[Cameron27]

50. K&R

Beautiful!

[Czolgosz]

51. Please stop this unfair mocking of Tommy Thompson. Half of the "Gay Jews for Tommy" quit after they

read your post-debate analysis. The other member of "Gay Jews for Tommy" has accepted Tommy's retraction of his homophobic comments during the debate as well as his explanation of the antisemitic comments to at his campaign kick-off event

[Spiffarino]

61. Mike Gravel?

I've looked at every vitamin in the bottle and there was a Barney Rubble, a Wilma Flintstone, a Pebbles...

[tomg]

52. Absolutely hilarious post. For some

reason, I have this image of John McCain and Mick Jagger doing a duet: "Hey you, Get off of my lawn."

[Johnny Noshoes]

111. oh no

now that'll be in my head all night :rofl:

[SaveOurDemocracy]

53. LOL ... great synopsis.

:toast:

[NoSheep]

54. Hilarious! Thanks for the giggle

[tandot]

55. That sums it up pretty nicely. Thanks for the chuckle :)

I especially liked the "Clear winner of the debate" ... that was exactly how I perceived it

[snappyturtle]

56. While you were writing this, I was listening to a repeat of

the debate. Painful. I forced myself to endure the event a second time because I couldn't believe what I heard the first time. Consequently, I didn't read your OP early this morning. It was with anticipation I clicked, moments ago, your post to read your analysis. Nice to have a few sincerely felt chuckles this morning! You did not disappoint. Thank You! K&R

Think of this debate, in light of your hour and a half loss, as the debate that keeps on giving. I will re-visit your post....I'm printing it!

[sellitman]

57. You wasted an hour of your life so fellow DUers didn't have to.

For that and your astute observation I tip my hat to you.

[ChiciB1]

58. Having Watched C-Span This AM,,, Callers Went For The Jugular

on Tweety!!! Almost EVERYONE thought he was completely horrible/awful!!! And that came from "both sides!"

Sorry Tweety.... YOU BOMBED!!!

[ChiciB1]

59. OH & I Forgot... Ron Paul Got The Most Favorable Comments...

some Democrats even liked him enough to say they were "considering" him!!!

WHOOPS!

[file83]

60. Rudy Giuliani is reserving his "9/11" references for a debate with Democrats.

That's all he's got.

[Norquist Nemesis]

63. LOL! Did anyone see Tancredo check the line on the evolution question

before popping his hand up? :rofl:

Great post-mortem, Elad. Gave me a well-needed laugh this morning after watching the replays late last night.
:applause:

[slackmaster]

64. If Ron Paul wasn't so scary looking, he'd be a serious contender

If I had to pick a President from among that group, Paul would be a no-brainer for me. I thought he was the only one who showed any real principle. The others are all panderers and liars. Paul has some integrity.

[UNCLE_Rico]

75. There's no questioning the correlation...Paul is their Kucinich...

Although he doesn't have the grassroots right like DK has the grassroots left (that'd be me!) firmly in his pocket, he definitely could (if he hasn't already) win over the Libertarian/True Conservative wing of his party if they knew who he was and what he stood for.

Paul was vehemently against the Iraq War going all the way back to the Clinton days, calling Clinton's bombing of Iraq as being all about the Oil. Which would've annoyed me back in the day, but, like a person with actual integrity WOULD, he actually kept up the same spiel when the neo-cons and * wanted to do the same thing.

Paul actually does seem to have integrity and principles - even if he's not on the same 'side' as me on every issue, he at least has my respect.

[ProudDad]

101. I'd appoint Ron Paul

as "drug czar" or "Iraq war czar" but that's about IT!



He would take care of that phony "war on drugs" or that phony "war on terror" in no time!


Other than that his hidebound libertarianism is a complete turn-off!!!

[ChiciB1]

88. Well, That's What I Picked Up On Washington Journal This AM At

C-Span! Sometimes IMO, I think we are not looking too closely at C-Span. Call-Ins are actually political and I would have to say, for the most part a good depiction on what "many politicos" are thinking about. Mike Gravel & Ron Paul attracted a lot of ATTENTION for whatever reason.

I don't seriously dare to HOPE, but both of them are certainly "out of the mainstream" to a great extent and yet seem to be getting some surprising attention. Does it mean people are really conflicted??

I'm still in for Edwards, but I find this attention "very interesting."

[primative1]

90. Interesting Indeed ...

They will probably gag Paul before the next debate so as to present a more typicaly "unified" message but the guy has a lot of views that need hearing. If nothing else they (gravle/paul) would be a flashback to the days of "honestly debating actual issues".
I might disagree with half of what Paul says but in raising his viewpoints he touches issues that are just plain avoided by the rest of the lot. Gravel does the same ....
Remember Jim Trafficant .... I miss him ....
These are the guys that make you actualy stop and think.
Thinking is so healthy ...
I hope we hear more.

and yeah ,,, I am also leaning Edwards....

[ChiciB1]

91. Goody. Goody For You... I Agree "Thinking" Is So Very Essential...

but somewhere the word got played on as a means of "bringing attention to it" but sort of slid into today's reality of a joke and began to be spelled "THIMK!"

Spelling the word in this way has morphed into the stupidity of a predominant view. Now it seems the spelling has become what MOST people have done as a replacement what has reigned for at least SIX years!

Time to get Back To Basics and actually THINK!!!

[LeahD]

121. Wait a minute....he looks like Pat Paulsen who ran for

President in 1968. It was kind of comforting to see a similar face running for President in 2008.

[donkeyotay]

65. Thanks for wasting your time so that I didn't have to

I've never thought a Republican debate could be so entertaining.

:rofl:

[John Q. Citizen]

68. Thanks, I missed watching the debate, but now I don't regret it!

[ChiciB1]

69. I Didn't Watch Either... Just Figured C-Span Would Do Something!

Repukes over all sounded pretty down AND unhappy.

[scarface2004]

74. uuu! uuu! me! me!

i don t believe in evolution!!!

(you ve go to fucking kidding me?!?!?)

[coconut_oil]

76. Made up for missing Top 10

Glad to use my second post to reply EarlG. My monday mornings at work always start with the Top10. Thanks for giving a good friday afternoon laugh.

[Beaverhausen]

79. You crack me up! thanks!

:rofl:

[DinahMoeHum]

80. Well, EarlG, as I've said: the worst Democrat among the current

crop of POTUS candidates is a THOUSAND TIMES BETTER than the "best" Republican.

:kick:

[marylanddem]

81. Great summary! Laughing my ass off at your "best moment"

[hisownpetard]

83. EARLG'S POST-DEBATE POST MORTEM

Hilarious!
Your post is the only good thing to come out of that sorry presentation from Madame Tussaud's.
(It's amazing how they can make those wax dummies appear to be actually talking, ya know?)

[Cleita]

84. Oh now you made me laugh about this.

I was just pissed off with them before I read your post. Now I'm laughing hilariously. Good one!

:rofl:

[Robbien]

85. The best summary I have read so far

and so funny to boot.

Thanks Elad

:thumbsup:

[rocktivity]

86. All I have to add is that if Ronald rises from the dead in three days

don't be surprised--he's the most qualified frontrunner at the moment!

The Dem debate was merely boring--what happened last night was flat out EMBARASSING.

:rofl:
rocknation

[rhiannon55]

87. And what about that creepy smile that McCain flashed

after saying he'd "follow bin Laden to the gates of hell"? Made him look like a monster in a B movie.:scared:

[hisownpetard]

92. Mc Cain's got gas?

Yeah!! That smile, coming after what he'd just said about following bin Laden
"to the gates of hell" was totally demented - and so was the abrupt and aborted
laugh that Tweety emitted and then immediately erased from his face.

Glad that someone else noticed that weird little moment.

[SharonRB]

89. Hysterical recap, Earl!

Thanks. I taped it and may or may not bother watching it.

[Grandrose]

94. Thank You Very Much!

Since my sense of self preservation would not allow me to watch that train wreck, your analysis is priceless!:applause: :kick:

[The Count]

95. Great summary! But my man Giuliani had some heart wrenching moments

that shouldn't be skipped: Raygun looking Iran "in the eyes" for a few minutes causing the release of the hostages deserves some mention.
Also, this transcript:
http://pointfiveblog.com/?104,158

[marylanddem]

97. very funny - thanx

[RapidCreek]

125. Yea No kidding, right?

looking them in the eyes.....did he look them in the eyes while he sold them arms and ammunition too?

RC

[ProudDad]

100. Thank you EarlG

for watching this drivel so I don't have to.

I don't have cable anyway (and am on the road in Denver --- they DO have Air America here though), so I guess I would have missed it even if I accidentally channel-surfed over that way.

I tried to find a link to a multi-panel cartoon I recently came across (somewhere) that detailed ray-gun's hideous reign. I don't think it was Tom Tomorrow but it might have been. Anyone out there remember and can post a link?

[LongTomH]

103. Dig up Reagan's coffin! Never!

Someone might pull the stake out of his heart!

Just like the Friday night late, late horrorshow when I was growing up: "Coo, Reggie! 'Ere's a poor bloke wit' a stake through his heart. Let's pull it out!" :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

"Goot evening, my friends." And you're into still another sequel.:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[Johnny Noshoes]

112. The other day while walking in downtown Manhattan ..

I saw a movie poster for a horror flick - it was an undead Raygun with a bloody knife in his hand. I believe the movie is real. I should've taken a picture of it.

[David Zephyr]

106. "Get off my lawn!" K&R

That made my day! :)

[deutsey]

107. Everything I always wanted to know about the GOP debate but was afraid to ask

:evilgrin:

Thanks...

[femrap]

108. Thanks for many laughs! nt

[Dems Will Win]

109. You must send this to Current TV as a concept segment

It's HILARIOUS!

[speedoo]

110. Is it OK if I say...

that was fucking hilarious!!?? :rofl:

In any case, thanks for the laughs, EarlG.

[usregimechange]

114. That was a delicious read!

[in_cog_ni_to]

115. Bwahahahaha! That's hilarious!

You're SPOT ON too! Great....Post Debate, Post-Mortem :rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Cha]

116. I know you musta

suffered but look at it this way..Out of your suffering came some really funny stuff!~

That's about the only way I can take these guys..filtered through Stewart, Colbert, and now you! :P

Is "macaca" the name you were lookin' for? :)

[FVZA_Colonel]

117. About Chris Matthews:

It had to be the question about Bill Clinton being back in the White House that proved how useless he was for me. I mean, for God's sake, what possible relevance could this question have?

[nam78_two]

120. Great wrap -up

K&R

[Dem4truth]

126. THIS THREAD SHOULD BE LOCKED.

I thought sexual situations were not allowed here!!!!


The clear winner of the debate was: Ronald Reagan. Frankly I'm surprised they didn't just dig up his coffin and see who could masturbate into it the quickest. Maybe next time, eh? I'll say this: for a party that's held control of Congress for most of the past 14 years and currently has a two-term president in the White House, they spent an awful lot of time fawning over a dead guy who stopped being president 20 years ago.


Thats just disgusting Earl.....
:evilgrin:

[DemExpat]

127. We laughed and got a great idea about how the debate went, EarlG!

Thanks for the humor and for the re-cap to stop us from searching for a re-run of the event.

:D:D:D

DemEx