In fact, here it is on YouTube already.
As for the rest of the debate, and the participants thereof, I agree completely with fellow 'Stump' blogger David Knowles that the format and the moderators were much better. No punches were pulled with the questions.
John McCain: Did better than last time, and seemed a little calmer. No "gates of hell" type references this time. But he did claim to have never supported amnesty, which has a lot of us scratching our heads, remembering an immigration bill with his name on it last year. And the other sponsor was Kennedy. A point other debaters didn't fail to bring up.
Mitt Romney: His slickness didn't come off as well this time. Probably because Rudy and John did better. Didn't hurt himself, but didn't help either. He's stuck near 10% and he needs to break out. I saw nothing here that will help him do that.
Rudy: Much, much better, approaching the type of confidence in these forums that he usually has but did not display in the last debate. Got the best line of the evening in the aforementioned smackdown. Still, when the dust settles, his answers on abortion amounted to I support it, but want to reduce it. Which amounts to the "safe, legal, and rare" rhetoric of all Democrats. Not good, Rudy still has a huge abortion problem that he did not have in March.
The rest: While most did not distinguish themselves very well. Ron Paul is extremely whiny and hard to listen to. Comes off as a hard core libertarian, which I like, but will give hard core libertarianism a bad name, which I don't like. Mike Huckabee got the Edwards line off well with a great response, good for a second tier candidate and everyone will connect that with him, which is PR gold.
But the poll on Instapundit indicates that most of us are waiting for Fred.
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 4)
16. Of course it's Giuliani who who should withdraw his straw-man argument. Just the anachronism of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in in 2003 prompting the WTC attacks in 2001 should be enough to get Giuliani laughed off the stage, but he played his 911 credential and the crowd clapped it up.
This kind of grandstanding works in the partisan primaries but it won't get Giuliani t the White House. A "slap down"? Hardly. It was an appeal to emotions when some real analysis of how the invasion has increased al-Qaida recruitment and attacks is needed.
profebc at 11:19AM on May 16th 2007
17. I am a left of center Democrat who voted for Rudy Giuliani once but never will again. He has periods of clarity, then long periods of mania. He fires people based on their feelings toward his current girlfriend, there was one during his second marriage and before his current mistress/wife, or based on his wavering paranoia.
He let firefighters DIE in those towers because their RADIOS didn't work and he knew they didn't work before 9/11.
He had money for putting the pedophile son of one of his "bosses" on the payroll at OVER $100K with no college degree, but he "cut taxes" with firefighters and cops salaries.
Bill Bratton, Jack Maple and John Miller cleaned up New York at the NYPD, Rudy was too busy having an affair with his 28 year old press secretary.
HOW CAN ANY ONE WHO WATCHED THAT DEBATE CALL THAT A SLAP DOWN? that Paul guy is smart!!
frances at 11:30AM on May 16th 2007
18. Rudy did distort Ron Paul's Iraq comment. Ron Paul was right on all counts. Have emailedFox and the Factor,let's havethis guy guest on all our truth-telling talk radio and Fox cable programs. Eileen
Eileen at 11:38AM on May 16th 2007
19. Maybe cracking open a history book or listening to OTHER people for once would give Giuliani that edge he needs. It's a lot easier to close your eyes, stick your fingers in your ears and repeatedly cry 'jinx' though, isn't it?
Ian at 11:41AM on May 16th 2007
20. Ron Paul won the debate this should wake america up to the media.
ernie at 11:43AM on May 16th 2007
21. Kudo's to the above ! Ron Paul shoud be heard by the people, but, if the liberal media has thier way-he won't be heard!!!
keithskove1 at 11:43AM on May 16th 2007
22. I am a life long democrat who has never voted for anyone other then a democrat, but this election, I am a Ron Paul supporter.
Ken at 11:55AM on May 16th 2007
23. I didn't watch the debates, and was surprised by the the comments of Guiliani more than Paul. How much panadering does he want to to do to the Republican base.
Paul was right-on. Al-Queda stated that the first Trade center bombing was because of troops stationed in Saudia Arabia, and this was their only way to strike back at us. Maybe if someone had been thinking about how our the first Iraq war, and our continued presence in the region was going to make this worse.
I saw the Fox newsbies trying to marginalize Paul, with Cameron saying that there should be a winnowing process to get rid of Paul and others. This would be a shame.
bob olson at 12:05PM on May 16th 2007
24. ' This Dr Ron Paul was the only man on the stage that told the damn truth, I was impressed with this remarks, America's so call leaders have sold us down the drain, will support this man 2008, "YOU GO PAUL"
Texmac at 12:15PM on May 16th 2007
25. Ron Paul is so much smarter, more honest and more sincere than Giuliani and McCain it is refreshing watching a "truth vendor" like him expose those other stooges as the frauds that they are.
ventures360 at 12:24PM on May 16th 2007
26. Giuliani's twisting of Paul's statement to make a political soundbite was slimy and disgusting. He's oily--avoid him at all costs.
ventures360 at 12:26PM on May 16th 2007
27. Ron Paul is the one Republican candidate that speaks the truth. Why wasn't his reply to Guiliani presented? Because the Republican Party is afraid of his honesty.
billyb at 12:26PM on May 16th 2007
28. I'm sick of your anti Mormon labeling of Mitt Romney even though he's a much better and smarter candidate last night.You need to get away from your anti Mormon chair and say the right thing because your not helping to do the right thing for America by your continuing to target a specific candidate.Thats a dangerous thing your'e doing.America voted last night for the best and I mean the very best debater and Mitt Romney won hands down for the second time in the row and thats the reality right now and thats picture we're seeing right now of what is expected in the election.Forget the rest of the trash you keep bringing up.
Pen at 12:29PM on May 16th 2007
29. learn more about ron paul here
www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul-arch.html
he is our only hope for change
glenn mosley at 12:33PM on May 16th 2007
30. RON PAUL IS RUNNING IN THE WRONG SIDE,I THINK HIS ANSWERS SHOW HE LEANS WAY TO THE LEFT. WHY WAS HE UP THERE WITH THE OTHERS? MOST OF YOU LIKE HIM BECAUSE HE SOUNDS LIKE A DEMOCRAT. "FACT"
PETE at 12:37PM on May 16th 2007