USF Tampa Debate (1/23/12) NBC 9:00 pm ET Official Thread

[MozoVote]

My assessment: This debate didn't change the dynamics much. Nobody made a fatal slip-up.

Santorum needed to "break through" as an alternative. He threw some good poop on Romney and Newt at the end, but people may have been tuning out by then. His screed against Cuba may not help with south Florida, but North Florida will be fine with it. I doubt this debate got him anywhere. Maybe Ron can get third.... does Santorum have any Super-PACs advertising for him?

Romney has an irritating voice to listen to for long. I feel like I'm being lectured to. He seemed to be speaking fast and trying to squeeze in lots of blows on Gingrich. I felt like he only answered one question "well" and directly. The importance of cheap energy to the tourism industry and manufacturing in Florida.

Gingrich? Hard to say. Ron called him out on the "I left the speakership voluntarily" thing. But he stepped out faster than Mitt the businessman to explain how overbearing legislation like Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley hold companies back. Mitt seemed to be doing a "me-too" with him.

In the end, nothing fatal for anyone. I think whatever undecided voters came into this will probably watch the next one and make up their minds at the last minute, as in South Carolina.

 

[rfbz]

Im starting to think the 2 man race will be Ron Paul and Newt, not Romney. Romney's slipping, this was a very weak performance. He didn't say anything at all to win any votes. And as he starts slipping he's going to get more desperate and end up turning voters off.

Santorum needs to go. When it comes to their records and stances, Santorum is probably better than Romney or Newt, however he has absolutely no charisma and is a second rate candidate. He has less of a chance than Huckabee did, at least he was likeable.

 

[MozoVote]

Guys, remember in the beginning Dr Paul called the others "isolationists" on their Cuba policy. That was fairly clever.

+rep Yeah I liked that verbal arm twist too

 

[affa]

The beauty of freedom is I didn't need a Ron Paul to wake me up. I've always been for freedom. But yeah I'm not tied to Paul. I'm tied to freedom. Freedom can have bad candidates and good candidates. Paul's message is great but he's a flawed candidate. A great teacher but not a good campaigner. We will never "wake up" 51%. Christ the Dems and GOP never have anywhere near 51% on their side, but they play the game for votes.

blahblahblah

 

[UCFGavin]

santorum needs to get off the stage and stop taking up space with his scary nonsense

 

[kill the banks]

I think he should say something like this to to the 3rd party questions

Why do you keep asking me if I am going to run 3rd party? are you afraid i am going to leave the republican party? If anything the party is leaving me. look around. I am the most conservative candiate here. Then Paul points out various conservative stances. Then say look at these guys and then one at a time name past liberal stances. Then say, why don't you ask these guys if they are going to run third party? They are true liberals running in conservative clothing.

what I don't get is the GOP needs our vote to win period ... 3 rd party or not ... they work with us or they do not have the votes to win ... sooo , it's Ron Paul or lose it !

 

[Rudeman]

haha Newt's superpac guy was complaining about the audience not being involved.

 

[matt0611]

Ron did pretty well. But I would really like to say things like "When I am President I will make sure we follow the constitution, do this, do that etc" or say things like "If you want someone with a strong conservative record, someone who never voted for a tax increase or an unbalanced budget, vote for me" etc

I already love you Ron, so you don't have to convince me. You need to REACH OUT more to the undecideds, the people who don't know your record, you gotta talk like you WANT to be President.

My father (early 50s) is a Romney guy (we live in MA so...) and he says that Ron doesn't say enough things like that and I kinda agree with him.

 

[Badger Paul]

"Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids. In fact it's cold as hell."

 

[rfbz]

haha Newt's superpac guy was complaining about the audience not being involved.

wow that guy was terrible....I'd never want him being the spokeperson for anything I'm a part of

 

[dfb]

what I don't get is the GOP needs our vote to win period ... 3 rd party or not ... they work with us or they do not have the votes to win ... sooo , it's Ron Paul or lose it !

The GOP really does not get it. There is only one candidate that will steal the youth vote and indys from obama and that is Paul. It sure the hell is not going to be Newt.

 

[affa]

man, ron just doesn't seem to have the fire he used to, even four years ago. he needs to get pissed.

man, your second post doesn't seem to have the fire of your first post.

 

[torchbearer]

good debate

 

[Gravik]

Missed the debate. But also been hearing that some of the candidates want to bomb Cuba? That true? lol.

 

[AngryCanadian]

Missed the debate. But also been hearing that some of the candidates want to bomb Cuba? That true? lol.

sadly yes.

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Missed the debate. But also been hearing that some of the candidates want to bomb Cuba? That true? lol.

Santo said the Jihadists were moving there or some crazy nonsense like that.

 

[matt0611]

Missed the debate. But also been hearing that some of the candidates want to bomb Cuba? That true? lol.

They want to bomb and invade Mars too. They want to make us into the FIRST GALACTIC EMPIRE!!!! dontcha know?

 

[Gary4Liberty]

Yeah, that was a genius move on his part. I think he totally nailed the foreign policy and economic questions. Those were his strong points at this debate.

Ya that was definitely a high high point. And so true.

 

[kill the banks]

forget which channel but they were saying bomb bomb bomb , bomb bomb Iran per Tricky Ricky ... and he was not a president they would want

 

[seyferjm]

sadly yes.

And you guys up north if they ever get the chance.