Yesterday's debate (R)
Posted: Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:21 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Republicans, 2008, Republican debates
The debate was so newsless that the Los Angeles Times lead is on the apology Huckabee offered to Romney AFTER the debate regarding his comment about Jesus and Satan and the Mormon faith.
The New York Times called it a "sleepy affair." "The candidates largely stuck to their talking points, which allowed Mr. Huckabee, a former preacher, to showcase his folksy aphorisms."
The Washington Post says it was a "lifeless debate." More: “Former senator Fred D. Thompson (Ten.), who has struggled as a candidate, sought to nudge back into contention with one of his better performances at the debate after pledging this week to campaign ‘nonstop’ in Iowa until the state's Jan. 3 caucuses. But overall, the debate seemed to do little to change the Romney-Huckabee dynamic in the nation's first caucuses.”
The Politico's Martin: "It was a typical if not necessarily spectacular Huckabee performance. But without his two top rivals here training their guns on him and with the inexplicable and antic presence of Alan Keyes offering a diversion, typical was enough."
The Boston Globe: "The tone of the debate reflected an unwillingness among the leading candidates to risk Iowans' ire by harshly attacking their opponents this close to the vote, and a decision by the moderator not to probe their views on illegal immigration, an especially volatile topic that provoked heated exchanges in past debates.”
The Boston Globe's Canellos was also annoyed by the Keyes inclusion: "The large number of marginal candidates -- including Tancredo, Representative Duncan Hunter of California, and even talk-show host Alan Keyes, making a surprise appearance as if beamed out of the 2000 GOP debates -- was a distraction from the business at hand: choosing a nominee."
Human Events' Jennifer Rubin thought Fred Thompson did well. "Indeed his entire performance -- filled with mature reminders on entitlements, national defense, and removing judges from the business of dabbling in social policy was plainly his best yet."
The Des Moines Register’s Yepsen also gives the “debate” to Thompson. He called him “specific, good-humored and exuded an executive persona.”
After the debate, NBC’s Bethany Thomas reports, McCain said he was unhappy when the moderator said the topics of immigration and Iraq would be avoided. McCain recently returned from a trip to Iraq over Thanksgiving and emphasizes the war heavily at most campaign stops. “I was rather astonished. In all due respect, I think those issues need to be talked about because they are important to the people of Iowa.”
Giuliani also criticized the debate format yesterday, NBC/NJ’s Matt Berger notes. "One of the things that I found unsatisfying about the debate today was that it cut off discussing Iraq and illegal immigration. They are two of the biggest issues that face us." Giuliani later said he believed moderator Carolyn Washburn, the editor of the Des Moines Register, "did a good job of asking the questions she asked. But I think it was a mistake to leave out terrorism, Iraq, Iran and immigration."
