The problem with a debate of this size is that you just don't get to hear as many answers as you'd like from the candidates you want to hear from. That said, here are tonight's winners and losers, in my most humble of opinions:
Winners:
Rudy Giuliani: Giuliani was forceful with his points and seems to be getting more comfortable. He walked the stage and looked like an attorney in a courtroom; confident, sure of his answers and convincing. He didn't get tripped up on the social issues and was on his game. He solidified his place as a front-runner by sounding conservative on national defense and taxation.
Duncan Hunter: Duncan Hunter suffers from the incurable disease of having zero charisma. He's a great candidate and knows policy better than anyone. He would make an excellent president. He was on in his answers and knows the immigration issue well because his district (my former home) in San Diego County is literally miles from the border. He also has a son serving in Afghanistan and who also served in Iraq, the war is real to him and he speaks with authority. That said, he still is a third-tier candidate because he is just not making a splash with the American people. He'd be an excellent Vice President. The international press and the New York Times will most-likely go ballistic that Hunter said he'd nuke Iran to prevent their having nukes themselves.
Losers:
John McCain: McCain had to be stellar today when discussing the immigration bill. He had to convince conservatives that this was a good bill. He failed miserably. As the old saying goes; you can put a dress and lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig. That's how it is with the immigration bill. McCain had but one issue to hammer home and he just couldn't do it. Besides that, the whole "my friends" thing is a bit irksome after the fiftieth time.
Ron Paul: Although the congressman from Texas has no shot at the nomination, he is a candidate and thus gets to talk at the debate. He's anti-war, anti-national defense and would be the single worst choice to lead our nation at this time. I would take Hillary Clinton over Paul at this time -- and anyone who reads my writing knows what I think of Hillary.
Mitt Romney: Romney, like McCain, had to have a strong performance and failed to. He's sinking in the polls and sits behind Fred Thompson -- a candidate not even in the race. He made good points but failed to nail them as much as he needed to. Romney is the anti-Duncan Hunter -- he looks presidential and has charisma but just doesn't convey his message well and sound too much like a politician.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 9)
1. Way to Go Rudy. Smaller Govt, Less taxes, no to the imigration amnesty, strong and free America. You have to love this man.
Don at 9:49PM on Jun 5th 2007
2. Ron Paul for President!!! The only smart and honest person
Mike at 9:59PM on Jun 5th 2007
3. This is disgusting. Ron Paul is not anti-national defense. He doesn't want us to get involved in the affairs of other nations and stop nation building. Your comments make me fear for the future of this country. Especially when you say praise Guiliani, who has denounced that our foreign policy has anything to do with whether we are like or not throughout the world. You say Ron is anti-war like that is a bad thing....
You sir, make me very frightened and I can't believe your not joking.
Mike at 10:00PM on Jun 5th 2007
4. Way to go, Rudy. Cutting funding for emergency equipment prior to 9/11, and also locating the disaster management headquarters in the World Trade Center, and also scaling back health concerns at Ground Zero to get it cleaned up faster and resulting in thousands of respiratory problems. You gotta love a man who can look so good in front of a camera that it literally masks his stench of incompetence.
http://www.observer.com/2007/giulianis-birthday-protest-fire-fighters-september-11-families
Oh, I forgot to mention: also, great job banging your cousin, Rudy.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0212072giuliani1.html
Ken Brosky at 10:03PM on Jun 5th 2007
5. The writer is a moron like Fooliani. He is obviously brainwashed by the mainstrem media. Check out Ron Paul's record. He has intergrity and always votes based on what the constitution whould dictate him to do. I wonder if the moron writer is really Sean Hannity in disguise.
Al Santos at 10:06PM on Jun 5th 2007
6. "Smaller Govt, Less taxes, no to the imigration amnesty, strong and free America. You have to love this man"
I think you're talking about Ron Paul. Paul wants to abolish the income tax, and get rid of useless federal programs we have, he also wants no amnesty, he is also a non-interventionist he believes that most of what happens in other countries is none of our business; I suggest you look up Ron Paul. Rudy just stated in the debate he wants to nation build, do you expect us to have a small government with a huge army ?
Jon Bet at 10:08PM on Jun 5th 2007
7. I am a New Yorker, Thank God For Rudy's leadership on 9/11 God Bless You Rudy, We will never forget.
people can lie all they want about you beacuse they see you as a threat but we know the truth. We dont need gay illeagle imigrants telling us about one of America's greateast Hero's and Rudy is a Hero to all of us true Americans.
Don at 10:13PM on Jun 5th 2007
8. Hillary for President!
Tori at 10:15PM on Jun 5th 2007
9. Yes, Ron Paul is actually STRONG on National Defense and protecting our nation. Why do the neocons not understand that you can be strong on defense, without having to go bomb someone, invade a nation now and then, or USE the military to be the policeman of the world. Didn't Bush and all the rest of us Republicans campaign AGAINST Gore in 2000 and criticized Clinton for "using the military to be the policeman of the world"? ..and cheers went up from our side. When we do the total opposite, the blind neocons who have destroyed our party still "line up like good little soldiers" and cheer for the total INVERSE of what we camapaigned AGAINST in 2000?!?!?!?!?!?!
Other than Tancredo, Paul is the STRONGEST of the bunch on stoping illegal immigration. Elect him President...and see how quick your incorrect synopsis of "anti-national defense" Paul fades away when he uses the full force of our military to start defending our OWN BORDERS!!!! In his district he for YEARS talks about protecting America FIRST. We shut down bases here in our nation, while building ones across the world? Ron Paul would STOP shutting down military bases in America and probably open some back up again!!! So HARDLY anti-defense Scott. Find out what he REALLY is for first and not just the neocon spin.
Those crossing our southern border with Mexico would find out VERY QUICKLY what a President Paul would do!!! They would all be running back for the border quicker than they could press 1 for English. Paul would have em press 2 for SHAKE YOUR ASS BACK HOME and stop invading our nation!!!!
Ron would do whatever necessary to stop it...while Bush and the necons invade other nations, pissing off the world while allowing our OWN nation to be invaded by aliens every day, every hour and do nothing.
Liberty at 10:17PM on Jun 5th 2007
10. Hey Don: I think you accidentally typed in Rudy in your comment instead of Ron, that or you are a complete idiot.
And as for Scott, who the hell are you and why is AOL letting post on their website? Hillary Clinton over Ron Paul? You are even dumber than Don. Yeah, I would totally vote for someone who voted for our country to go to war without even reading any of her materials... nice! AOL has a winner in you!
MG at 10:18PM on Jun 5th 2007
11. Don, your second post has confirmed that you are in fact a complete idiot. Why don't you ask the families of some of the victims of 9/11 if they like Rudy?
http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/310507_giuliani_blocked_families.html
MG at 10:26PM on Jun 5th 2007
12. There are only two constitutional statesmen running from either corrupt , treasonous and genocidal parties and they are : Rep. Ron Paul (my first choice); Rep. Tom Tancredo. All the rest, both republicans and demo-rats, are lying ,anti-Western,no borders, globalist elites (one world government). May Our Lord allow either of these two true patriots to win the presidency. Amen !
Warren O'Leary at 10:32PM on Jun 5th 2007
13. I'll take GORE/OBAMA all the WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Patty at 10:40PM on Jun 5th 2007
14. Ron Paul believes in the Constitution of the United States. If one of the other Republican candidates attack Ron Paul, they attack the Constitution. How conservative or so called republican would that be? LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC. RonPaul2008.com
WILLIAM WALLACE at 10:55PM on Jun 5th 2007
15. You've got some serious issues. To claim that an Air Force Captain is "anti-defense" is absurd. Ron Paul is BY FAR the best choice in the GOP field. Perhaps you ought to try reading something besides the transcripts of White House Press briefings in the morning over breakfast.
The sooner we pull completely out of Iraq, the better off the Iraqis will be, and the better off our nation will be. I would bet my life, and yours, on that.
Cameron at 10:56PM on Jun 5th 2007