More on yesterday's debate
Posted: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 9:25 AM by Mark Murray
The big change between this GOP debate and the previous ones: the intensity of the spin between the top three campaigns. By our count:
-- Romney’s camp sent 17 debate related emails with all of their attack emails aimed at Giuliani.
-- Giuliani’s sent 14 debate related emails, half of them either attacking Romney or Thompson.
-- Thompson’s sent 15 emails, half of them either attacking Romney or Rudy.
“On a day when stock indexes hit record highs, Republican presidential candidates gathered here Tuesday for a group defense of low taxes and free markets and warned that Democrats, particularly Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, pose the greatest danger to the nation's future prosperity,” the Washington Post says.
The New York Times notes that Giuliani and Romney “tangled over taxes and government spending yesterday as the Republican presidential candidates debated in Michigan, highlighting the way in which their increasingly fierce confrontation is starting to dominate the race for their party’s nomination… Mr. Thompson often found himself a bystander as Mr. Giuliani and Mr. Romney attacked each another — or, just as frequently, went after Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, reflecting Republicans’ expectation of a general election contest against Mrs. Clinton, who is leading in polls of the Democratic candidates.”
The Wall Street Journal: “Of all the forums to date, this one featured the most direct confrontation yet between Messrs. Giuliani and Romney -- over their respective fiscal records, and over who best could take on Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.”
USA Today adds: “Taxes and spending were at the heart of the Romney-Giuliani argument over who is a true fiscal conservative. The two threw conflicting statistics at each other then faced off over the line-item veto, which lets governors cut specific items from a budget.”
CBN's Brody: "Fred Thompson may have been the buzz candidate coming in and he held up well but Mitt Romney was as sharp as he’s ever been tonight. It was Mitt Romney's night… Thompson’s performance was measured and pretty strong. He spoke faster which helped him appear more in control and presidential. He didn’t offer up a whole lot of specifics but he did answer questions directly and forcefully… Mitt Romney is truly a human power point presentation …and I say that in a very positive way."
AmSpec's Jennifer Rubin: "Romney's ‘ask the lawyers’ will perpetuate the sense he is not tough enough, confident enough in a post 9-11 world. And someone will have to explain why he thought the line item veto was a winner… McCain was sober and steady but didn't shine... Huckabee suffered from the extra body on stage… Rudy is a prepared and confident debater. He won the dust up with Romney and his HillaryCare jibe reminded us (as if he would let a day go by without a reminder) there is no one better at Hillary bashing."
