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I Like MIke
Here is my personal ranking of the Republican presidential candidates on their performance in last night's CNN YouTube debate.
First, the top 3:
1. Mike Huckabee
2. John McCain
3. Rudy Giuliani
Huckabee was solid as a rock last night. His answers, the steady and assured way in which he answered them and the resolute look in his face as he stated his responses looked like someone who's ready to take charge. His spanking of Mitt Romney regarding his Arkansas policy of making children of illegal immigrants eligible for merit scholarships was something to behold. His answer to the extremely hypothetical "what would Jesus do" about capital punishment was as honest and charmingly self-deprecating as it was sensible.
McCain and Giuliani were also very good. Actually McCain really surprised me last night. He made Romney look bad with the torture question, and he sounded like someone with nothing to lose, even if I don't agree totally with his answers. Giuliani didn't hurt himself at all with his performance, but he ought to be looking behind his shoulder at the hard-charging Mike Huckabee. His "sanctuary mansion" comment to Romney was rather shallow, which Romney inexplicably couldn't stand up to (more on Romney below). If he doesn't do better next week, we could be seeing a very close two-man race between Huckabee and the ex-mayor.
The middle tier of 2:
4. Fred Thompson
5. Duncan Hunter
Thompson didn't do badly, but I can't help to think that his star has peaked. I didn't see the fire and commitment in his eyes like I saw before he officially entered the campaign. Quite frankly, he looked tired last night. Hunter was good but didn't get enough chances to prove himself. Hunter could have easily overtaken Thompson in the ranking.
And now the last 3:
6. Tom Tancredo
7. Mitt Romney
8. Ron Paul
Tom "Miami is Third World" Tancredo did nothing to dispel the notion that he's a one-trick pony. Take away the immigration issue, and his answers are pedestrian and give the impression that he knows he has no chance to win.
Mitt Romney was by far the biggest disappointment of the debate. He stammered when challenged. He looked bad in one-on-ones with Huckabee, Giuliani and McCain. Basically, he was insecure when pressed, not a good sign for a potential commander-in-chief.
Ron Paul, of course, was last. He's also a one-trick pony, except he lives in La-La land with his isolationist "let's mind our own business and let the Middle East do whatever it wants" attitude. How some can take him seriously is beyond me.
I'm looking forward to next week's debate here in Coral Gables, and I'll provide new rankings
following that debate.
First, the top 3:
1. Mike Huckabee
2. John McCain
3. Rudy Giuliani
Huckabee was solid as a rock last night. His answers, the steady and assured way in which he answered them and the resolute look in his face as he stated his responses looked like someone who's ready to take charge. His spanking of Mitt Romney regarding his Arkansas policy of making children of illegal immigrants eligible for merit scholarships was something to behold. His answer to the extremely hypothetical "what would Jesus do" about capital punishment was as honest and charmingly self-deprecating as it was sensible.
McCain and Giuliani were also very good. Actually McCain really surprised me last night. He made Romney look bad with the torture question, and he sounded like someone with nothing to lose, even if I don't agree totally with his answers. Giuliani didn't hurt himself at all with his performance, but he ought to be looking behind his shoulder at the hard-charging Mike Huckabee. His "sanctuary mansion" comment to Romney was rather shallow, which Romney inexplicably couldn't stand up to (more on Romney below). If he doesn't do better next week, we could be seeing a very close two-man race between Huckabee and the ex-mayor.
The middle tier of 2:
4. Fred Thompson
5. Duncan Hunter
Thompson didn't do badly, but I can't help to think that his star has peaked. I didn't see the fire and commitment in his eyes like I saw before he officially entered the campaign. Quite frankly, he looked tired last night. Hunter was good but didn't get enough chances to prove himself. Hunter could have easily overtaken Thompson in the ranking.
And now the last 3:
6. Tom Tancredo
7. Mitt Romney
8. Ron Paul
Tom "Miami is Third World" Tancredo did nothing to dispel the notion that he's a one-trick pony. Take away the immigration issue, and his answers are pedestrian and give the impression that he knows he has no chance to win.
Mitt Romney was by far the biggest disappointment of the debate. He stammered when challenged. He looked bad in one-on-ones with Huckabee, Giuliani and McCain. Basically, he was insecure when pressed, not a good sign for a potential commander-in-chief.
Ron Paul, of course, was last. He's also a one-trick pony, except he lives in La-La land with his isolationist "let's mind our own business and let the Middle East do whatever it wants" attitude. How some can take him seriously is beyond me.
I'm looking forward to next week's debate here in Coral Gables, and I'll provide new rankings
following that debate.
Labels: Republican Debate
posted by Robert at 8:13 PM
4 Comments:
To the GOP base who are very big on not wasting taxpayer money on much of anything, but especially, on illegal immigrants, Romney scored major points with his humbling of Huckabee.
Go spend your own money, Mike.
http://www.evangelicalsformitt.com
Huckabee's pratical and compassionate stance on permitting children of illegals to qualify for scholarships based on merit just like anyone else shows a man who can actually think about the issue and come up with a reasonable and honest solution. Don't confuse that with being "pro-amnesty". It's more complicated than that.
On the other hand, Romney appeared as someone who has to look "tough" on illegal immigration just to earn the respect of the far-righties out there. He didn't look that honest to me.
I can't wait to see undecided voters Rick and Alex chosen to ask debate questions.
Man, I thought both Giuliani and Romney came off very poorly. As for Mitt, it wasn't so much the stammering that I mind, but the fact that he was stammering to give himself time to think up how to evade the question--typical not good president behavior (see current president).
Huckabee really knows how to shine in the spotlight, but I wonder what he is going to do when someone asks him whether evolution should be taught in school.
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