October 18, 2011

At the Serenity Café...



... I'm off tonight. I know there was a debate. Feel free to talk about it or anything else. I watched it. We talked amongst ourselves here at Meadhouse. But any written commentary will have to wait until morning.

ADDED: Here's my son John's live-blog of the debate.

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gov. Romney won the debate. He is insanely presidential.

Gov. Perry is angry. Why? He knows he cannot go the distance with Gov. Romney. He also knows that he has no plan (energy treasure trove is dead-on-arrival issue, Obama would have a field day dissecting his plan). He is also angry because he knows he should not have put his hat in the ring. Perry is not ready.

This election is Romney to lose. That is, if Romney wins nomination, then he may be able to scrap his way to victory.

Obama wins only if Perry is the nominee.

GOP: Your call.

My sources in WH and on the Hill: All say the same thing - POTUS Obama wants Perry! The campaign to re-elect has nationwide plan to defeat Perry in each and every district.

Perry is screwed. If he wins, he loses. If he does not win the nomination, then he will be known as a loser (people already know that). Thus, Perry is angry.

Steve Austin said...

I'd like to see Romney, Newt and Cain in a three way debate.

I'm done with Perry. Done with Bachman. Santorum and Paul serve no purpose other than to provide tv ad fodder for Obama to use.

Kirby Olson said...

CNN set it up to maximize squabbling by allowing rejoinders. Obviously all the half-minute rejoinders will be used by the communists when it comes time to reelect H. I too thought Romney came out looking and smelling like roses. He won the fisticuffs with Perry now a third time. Romney looks like th e Lone Ranger. Cain is still playing nice with Romney. They're going to end up riding together?

I too am done with all of them except Romney and Cain. I love Paul's ideas, but I can't stand his presentation. Imagine hearing that whiing voice for fouir years. Almost as bad as Obama's schtick. Paul at least has ideas but why can't he be more personable? Cain is still that.

David said...

"Cain is still playing nice with Romney. They're going to end up riding together?"

Only if Cain wants to go along as Rubio's assistant. Doubt that is what Cain has in mind.

traditionalguy said...

Thoughts during the debate:

Perry went after Romney and knocked him back on his heels. Romney gave back the same to Perry, but no longer seemed polished.

Newt made several good points.

Santorum and Bachmann kept up acting like whiny brats assigned to smear everyone on stage.

Paul made his case from a distant and far away land unlike the USA of today.

Herman showed his likability and his mental focus strength. He is in the best position as everyone's likable 2nd choice that can jump into the lead when either Perry or Romney stumbles.

Herman's only problem is that due to Romney's RINO problem, the last poll has made Herman a first choice. Now he must play hurry-up organizing staff as the early primaries have suddenly moved up 5 weeks.

The 9-9-9 Plan did just fine. It keeps on exposing the others as merelying politicians, except for Newt who addressed the real Plan.

The starkest realization was that the CNN talking heads, who are Obama supporters, obviously really like Cain, This shows how little the cold fish Obama is liked even among his supporters.

AlphaLiberal said...

Wow. What a bunch those Republican candidates are! Kooky!

Loved Bachmann's admiral uniform. Or skipper, maybe. Then we get to call her Skippy.

Anonymous said...

Gawd... watching that video clip of the twin scumbag douchebag totalitarian fascist assholes Romney and Perry destroy each other is... just... simply wonderful.

You can see Anderson Cooper smirking as it happens. Who thought up the bright idea of having a super-liberal moderate a conservative debate? The world seems so bizarro now...

Anonymous said...

The starkest realization was that the CNN talking heads, who are Obama supporters, obviously really like Cain.

Oh, come on, t-guy, get out of the closet of darkness and see that humanity has a little light left left in it sill! Maybe the CNN Obama supporters supported Obama because they recognized America is sick and because he offered bold plans for making it well, and maybe they like Cain for the same reason?

Lauderdale Vet said...

I think Romney and Perry both took lumps. Perry looked angry, not presidential. Romney didn't handle the attacks very well, IMO. Cain gains by default, because any lost Perry voters join Cain's camp. I still think Romney will win the nom, and then I fear enduring Bob Dole Part 2: not exciting enough to take the general. Disenchanted or not though, damn straight, I'm voting, and not for Obama.

Chip Ahoy said...

The Mad Hatter's hat should change every time the camera turns to him, but we should never see him change it.

So say, in a conversation with with the March Hare or the Door mouse or Alice, back and forth, every time the the Hatter is shown, BANG!, a different hat.

He is mad after all.

traditionalguy said...

Dead Julius...Ok, I will get out of the closet of darkness.

Wow! Its bright out here.

CNN and Anderson Cooper are good news sources, more than Fox with its Hannity rants.

But I am still surprised whenever I hear NPR or CNN start to deal in off-narrative, half complements of a GOP candidate.

Wince said...

Steve Austin said...
I'd like to see Romney, Newt and Cain in a three way debate.

I'm so glad you chose to include at the end of that sentence the word "debate."

Spread Eagle said...

Gov. Romney won the debate. He is insanely presidential.

He can't get above 24% to beat the band. That's all the deeper his support is. I say he's toast.

Dustin said...

Perry outperformed expectations by a tremendous margin.

He also improved last debate.

I think he did very well. He's been so tame when attacked. That's not how you win these things. You gotta dish it out. It's lame, but these debates are about drama.

I see 'America's politico' trolling other websites with that verbatim comment. Not really worth a response, but it's amusing the guy is that committed to trolling.

This election is about jobs. Perry's first 100 days plan for jobs and energy show he knows the right way to go. Cain's 9-9-9 point is a solution to tax problems, not spending problems. We can think about new taxation schemes, and fight the years long fight over that, after we've reformed the Ponzi schemes and gotten on track for a balanced budget.

Perry's walked the walk. Tonight he even talked the talk. I hope he keeps it up. I think he's building a strong campaign operation, and it's plain Romney sees Perry as his only rival.

Ralph L said...

Who thought up the bright idea of having a super-liberal moderate a conservative debate?
When doesn't that happen? Even Fox used Chris Wallace, IIRC.

Spread Eagle said...

I always believed Chris Wallace to be fair, whatever his politics are. Meanwhile, wasn't it Anderson Cooper who initially coined the term "teabaggers?"

Clyde said...

And yet, each and every one of them would be a drastic improvement over the current resident of the Oval Office!

ANYONE BUT OBAMA 2012!

Robert Cook said...

"...wasn't it Anderson Cooper who initially coined the term 'teabaggers?'"

I thought it was the Tea Party people themselves who started referring to themselves with that term, as they started by mailing teabags to elected officials. (Or are you making a reference to Cooper's personal life?)

Robert Cook said...

Recap of the debate: assholes assembled to engage in a contest of self-serving mendacity, and Americans who watched ended the evening more ignorant than when it began.

Toad Trend said...

Robert Cook said

"...assholes assembled to engage in a contest of self-serving mendacity, and Americans who watched ended the evening more ignorant than when it began."

I immediately flashed back to the greek columns erected for the current occupier of 1600.

Sometimes, the ignorant are able to put a match to a candle and provide a bit of clarity.

edutcher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
edutcher said...

A little Meadhouse serenity is necessary from time to time.

Snuggle down, you love bugs.

AlphaLiberal, Dead Julius, Robert Cook said...

"Did You see Barry try to compose a coherent sentence on his own after somebody stole TOTUS? We are so screwed."

PS Perry did well last night. Articulated his border policy well. Bachmann also had a good night. Herman had some bad moments, foreign policy is going to be a problem unless he hits the briefing book.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the CNN Obama supporters supported Obama because they recognized America is sick and because he offered bold plans for making it well,

For instance?

No names, please said...

Perry showed poor judgment in his attack on Romney for "hiring" an illegal. He can't be so stupid as to believe that contracting with a lawn service that has an illegal on its crew is "hiring" an illegal alien, but yet he couldn't resist this line of attack? "You're the number one problem on immigration," he said to Mitt. Really? He thinks that?

Robert Cook said...

"Even Fox used Chris Wallace...."

Do you suggest that Chris Wallace is a "super-liberal?"

Hahahahahaha!

No.

As to the larger query about using a "super liberal" (i.e., Anderson Cooper) to moderate a Republican debate: why not? Journalists should always be antagonistic (in the professional and not personal sense) to politicians, if they're acting as journalists.

If they're merely moderating a so-called "debate" among privileged, strutting numbskulls vying for the Presidency, all they have to do is keep things moving along.

KCFleming said...

"Journalists should always be antagonistic (in the professional and not personal sense) to politicians"

A feat they accomplish only when interviewing non-Democrats.

Otherwise, fawning, boot-licking, and bending over are involved.

michaele said...

Perry's approach of personal attacks on Romney is not working in my household of three. Two of us were predisposed to be supporters but he has lost us more and more each debate.
I would love to see a Newt Obama free for all debate but a I suspect we're going to get the usual scripted talking point duel between Romney and Obama.

Robert Cook said...

"A feat they accomplish only when interviewing non-Democrats."

I don't recall any journalists ever challenging George Bush on any of his lies.

KCFleming said...

No, I expect you don't recall that, much as airbrushing history is an ideological requirement.

KCFleming said...

Or more to the point:
"You can't be serious!"

Jeff in Oklahoma said...

Cain probably won't get the nomination, and neither will Paul. But both have been very useful in steering the debate.

Cain's 9-9-9, agree with it or not, has raised the discussion about addressing the obscene tax code.

Ron Paul has managed to produce a specific deficit reduction plan. Again, like it or not, he has laid out a plan - - something that no other candidate has put forth. (See the plan and commentary at http://reason.com/archives/2011/10/19/borrowing-from-paul).

I applaud them both.

Patrick said...

Robert Cook, did you not see any interview of George W. Bush? Do you really think that the press was not antagonistic to him?

ricpic said...

I love Paul's ideas, but I can't stand his presentation. Imagine hearing that whiing voice for fouir years.

Yes, it's true that Paul has a querulous old man's voice. And it's tragic, too. Because only Paul sincerely wants to return us to the founders' vision of a limited federal government and only Paul would take the radical steps necessary to effect that reconstitution.

KCFleming said...

Cook: "I see nothing!!"

KCFleming said...

"...only Paul would take the radical steps necessary to effect that reconstitution"

99% (or 47% depending on who you read) don't want the personal responsibility.

They are quite comfortable with the 53% (or 1%) paying for it all.

machine said...

How come no one is talking about the leading GOP candidates plans to raise taxes on the middle class?

Cain's 9-9-9 plan certainly is a tax increase for most Americans while Romney has endorsed increases in payroll taxes and federal income taxes.

Where's the beef?

Anonymous said...

Skimming through the comments here, you all seem to have missed the serenity theme. "Serenity Now!"

Clyde said...

Without TOTUS, Obama's just Marcel Marceau.

Calypso Facto said...

A CFO Magazine poll shows that 95% of respondents say the tax code is either in need of a complete overhaul or reform. 88% would be willing to give up all exemptions and credits in order to simplify the code, even though 71% think they may end up paying more under such a system. The IRS, the CPAs, and the US legislators are apparently the only ones remaining opposed to some serious tax reform.

Althouse, nice to see you out dining and enjoying yourself last night. I'd have said hi, but I'm not one to interrupt, and my son said he'd probably be cast out of the University if I were spotted talking with you!

Freeman Hunt said...

Wild animals allegedly participating in Occupy Ohio.

Curious George said...

"Freeman Hunt said...
Wild animals allegedly participating in Occupy Ohio."

Those are just Buckeye fans. No worries.

DADvocate said...

Freeman is correct. Linns, tigers and bears!! Oh, no!! Literally.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/29524570/detail.html