Debate Round-Up

I will comment on just a few items from the CNN/YouTube Republican debate.

McCain's claim that isolationism was the direct cause of WWII was ludicrous. It was Wilsonian interventionism that allowed the punitive outcome of WWI that caused WWII. Get your facts straight.

Huckabee's praise of his program to give scholarships to children of illegals was interesting - in an decidedly wrong sort of way.

The idiotic conspiracy question directed at Ron Paul was trivial and low. Paul handled it as well as it could be fielded in 90 seconds.

McCain with the near tear in his eye as he described illegal aliens as "God's Children" in need of our help. I thought that is what our generous foreign policy was all about - to help all of God's children in their lands - not when they come to ours and break our laws.

Romney proved at almost every point that he is not a man I would vote for to hold the office of dog catcher. Guilliani was what we should expect - a wolf attempting to wear sheep's clothing. It was slightly interesting to see Romney and Guiliani beat each other up but ultimately that just wasted air time that could have been better utilized allowing someone with real conservative ideas to speak.

Huckabee talked a good game for the most part but his comments about spending what was necessary on the space program demonstrate that he does not grasp the predicament we are in.

Thompson looked cadaverous but did not say anything really offensive that I can recall. I thought it a bit inane of him to waste his 30 seconds for a commercial about him and his position attacking two of the other idiots.

Seven of the men seem to believe that radical Islam is really a threat - a bigger threat than say the Soviet Union with thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at us for half a century. It is amazing that we faced that demon down without war but seven of the eight are all for globe-trotting adventures aimed at routing out a few thousand radicals that cannot even successfully rule backward nations such as Afghanistan or Somalia. They think these people are actually a threat to us. Let them build their caliphate, build an army and a navy and a economic system to support it and then threaten us and I will personally call for the crusade. As it stands they do not have a chance to do anything more than cause trouble here and there on a relatively small scale.

Only one candidate had the chance to talk about the pending DC Gun ban case going before the Supreme Court and that was Gulliani. He had the nerve to state that he believed the 2nd Amendment was intended as an individual right but with restrictions. Talk about speaking to both sides of an issue. We found out that Romney, Gulliani and McCain do not actually own firearms. (but Gulliani does own matching stiletto heels for his black dress that could count as a weapon you know).

Finally, I am not sure why CNN decided to include the question about the Confederate Battle Flag - perhaps to try and place someone in what would seem to be an untenable position. After all the status of the flag is not the purview of the president or the federal government. However, they included the flag question any way. Romney bit off on it and stated something to the effect "that flag should not be shown, it is divisive". Perhaps he needs a history lesson - maybe he should read Lieutenant Colonel Frematle's (of Her Majesty's Royal Dragoons) account of the Army of Northern Virginia's march into Maryland and Pennsylvania. As Clyde Wilson once wrote (and I paraphrase) "It would be wonderful if black Americans viewed their heritage as a diverse experience rather than merely that of slavery and oppression". If "That" flag is divisive it is because folks do not know of the sacrifice that blacks and whites in the South made under that banner. The question had no place in the debate but it was there and Romney proved himself a moron in his answer. Thompson handled it fairly well but I presume and assume that Ron Paul would have said something to the effect "That flag is part of the history of many of our states and their people and the place the flag holds in those states is up to the states and the people to determine, not the federal government or the president."

John McCain proved himself to be wholly unqualified for further service in elected office - I recall during the campaign of 2000 in a debate in SC where Alan Keyes mopped the floor with McCain on simple constitutional issues - so much so that McCain actually lost his composure.

It is a shame that there are so many candidates at this point - so many that those on the left and right of the stage are not heard enough. Tancredo has it right on immigration but wrong on much else, notably the war; leave him off the invite list. Duncan Hunter - thanks for building the wall but don't show up any more please. I can see why some of my friends are misled about Thompson, I think we need to leave him in future dialogues to unravel what is wrong with him for them. The three front runners you have to leave obviously (not counting McCain as per above). I would love to see three hours of just those men and Ron Paul hosted by Lou Dobbs, Alan Keyes and Pat Buchanan with questions from ME and a few select friends. I would love to see everyone explain how their ideas are 1) conservative 2) constitutional 3) really good for America.