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 3 of 4)
31. 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
32. 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
33. Now only if the Scardycrats have the nerve to face a FOX news panel in a debate. They canceled the FOX debate with the Congressional Black Caucus to add something new to their talking points. After the FOX debate it is clear that the Republicans can answer tough but fair questions what about the Democrats. It is time to reschedule the debate.
Rick at 12:40PM on May 16th 2007
34. Rudy is an ignorant lick who doesn't have a clue about security. YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!
JUDY at 12:44PM on May 16th 2007
35. RUDY IS A JOKE!
JUDY at 1:32PM on May 16th 2007
36. Guiliani'a comment that "Republicans need to unite, to defeat Democrats", IS the problem with the frontrunners from both parties. More attention being given to party victory than the issues we want solved. Thumbs down to Guiliani. Party victory comes a distant second to what is good for the country in his book. He's a bad choice for president. Too bad the money that runs the media will squash good candidates like Ron Paul in favor of this puppet.
N J at 12:53PM on May 16th 2007
37. we need someone in the whitehouse that will take on the treehuggers and tell them for the next 10 years we are going to drill our own oil till we find the best alternate fuel..that way we dont need to get our oil from the arabs..i say let them drown in their own oil..nobody does anything about that..our congress and house are so busy hating bush that they dont have time to settle anything..just listen to that peepsqueek harry reid and palosi..god bless america if the democrats take the whithouse we all may need to order parayer rugs and call to prayer hour on the hour..
we need someone in there that puts their feet down and gets things done for me and you and our kids and grand kids..what ron p said makes sense to you...well not me..people that would rather die than live are no one you can talk to..why dont they go over and talk to bin laden or al queda..see how long they live..since when is water boarding as cruel as cutting peoples head off and showing it on the net..you tell me which is cruel and unusual punishment..i havent heared anyone get mad at the beheading but they get fired up on putting underwear on the killers heads..PEOPLE WAKE UP..before its too late and they set off a nuclear bomb in a mall or something.give them a chance and they will..close the border ..collect all immigrants let them back in the usa legally and get rid of the ACLU (Traitors to this country)..and last but not least..Throw PARIS HILTON in jail for the 45 days..she needs to grow up..no extra privilages for the rich and famouse..
thank you
jl
joseph at 7:36AM on May 21st 2007
38. Ron Paul's comments hit a bullseye. Bush should never have taken us into this unwinnable war. It's a secterian civil war that we should not be in. When the U.N. voted against the actions Bush was about to take, he should have done the following:
1. Said O.K if you're not worried about Saddam, then it's going to be your battle in the future because he's a lot closer to you than he is to us.
2.We're pulling our troops out of Germany and most of the other countries where they are not needed or wanted and station them on our homeland to make it more secure.
3.We're putting our National Guard on our borders to make them more secure and stop the illegal immigration and drug running that is running rampant.
4.The U.N. has once again proven to be worthless and impotent and we are withdrawing immediately. Two years from now the U.N. Hdqs in NYC will be closed.
We are in the early stages of World War 111 and our actions in Iraq and elsewhere are creating more terrorists and enemies than we ever imagined.
Ron Paul was right on target!
REL at 10:14PM on May 16th 2007
39. For all you partisan sheep that are so wrapped up in your liberal, conservative bashing you need to wake up the the fact that you're being guided by a biased media and political party. I'm democrat and Paul is my clear choice at this time. People that post things saying Paul is more like a democrat than Republican and they he wouldn't get their vote are the sheep that would vote for the media's choice for a candidate, or the parties choice rather than voting with a clear desicion based on a candidates desire to make America a better place to live and work, and solve the problems that a majority of the people are SICK OF. Pitiful.
N J at 1:12PM on May 16th 2007
40. I, too, have noticed the bias of AOL on many news articles as well as coverage of the presidential candidates.
Teddi at 2:24PM on May 16th 2007
41. I am not a supporter of Ron Paul in this race, but thank him for his comment. He has extracted a confession from Rudi Giuliani that he has such little interest in what actually occured to the city of which he was then mayor, that he wasn't even aware of the recognition of many Americans that this attack, however misguided and criminal, was in retalliation for over a decade of terrorist attacks on a far larger scale by Pentagon forces. These were mostly cowardly attacks on civilian facilities such as an aspirin factory (under the Clintons, of my party!) that resulted in over a million deaths and millions displaced.
Rudi, if you are going to lie to us so baldfacedly for a cheap slap at a candidate who is not a threat to your candidacy (unless YOU cause it him to be), how can you expect us to believe anything you say when you are under real pressure?
Please rethink this and issue a apology not just to Ron Paul, but to the American people whose intelligence you've so insulted!
Zev Aelony
VeganWolf.blogspot.com
Zev Aelony at 2:27PM on May 16th 2007
42. They will not show his response, because it actually makes sense. All the corporate owned media wants to do is play on peoples' emotions and not their intellect. We do have them running scared, because they realize the sleeping giant is waking up. America, if you want truth and real freedom, vote Ron Paul. Ron won both debates, all of the media double talk and fluff in the world won't stop him from winning.
Anthony at 2:26PM on May 16th 2007
43. Where is the Congressman's response?
Teddi at 2:30PM on May 16th 2007
44. MITT ROMNEY IS THE WINNER ! ~ ONCE AGAIN !
Mitt Romney came across as the most decisive in his comments and demeanor. He did not mince words in dealing with interrogation, immigration, and the clear defining and spearheading of the Jihadist threat.
He responds to all topics with directness and clarity, and is well versed on the intricacies of the issues without engaging in pat broader swept replies in answer to the questions or those orchestrated to garner applause. He expresses himself with great spiritedness and energy that is refreshing and infectious.
And in speaking of the highlights of this debate, let us spotlight Mitt Romney's brave and unprovoked comment on GITMO, which trumps the Rudy comment that could have been uttered by any one of the candidates given the fair opportunity.
Mitt Romney seems raring to go with ideas and the decisive aim and courage to achieve the goal.
Mitt Romney has guts and an independent vision that fortifies the Presidential stature that is innately his. He more than fulfills the requirements of a formidable GOP nominee in 2008.
I would look forward to voting for him.
Maria Rose at 2:59PM on May 16th 2007
45. Fun debate. Paul is a whiny, jackass. He thinks Muslims hate us because we have bases in the middle east? Muslims hate us because we are a predominantly Christian nation and Mohammed told them to hate and kill all Christians and Jews. It has been the same story for thousands of years now. How long until simpering idiots like Paul get it through their heads?
wiseone1w at 3:25PM on May 16th 2007