The Republican Debate

I have just switched on the Republican debate, hosted by CNN.  A naif would say the staging is terrible - the candidates can't seem to find the camera bringing them to the home audience, so they are addressing their answers to the questoners and loking very shifty to those of us at home.  Naturally, this is a considered a coup at CNN.

Comments

[Rob Crawford]

Gee, letting the press run the debate and the press plays games with the cameras -- again.

Attention, Republicans: THE PRESS ARE YOUR OPPONENTS.

[Jane]

Santorum was asked, Leno or Conan. Sheesh?

[MayBee]

I want the GOP to do a primary lottery like the NBA draft.

Take some smaller states, put their names in a hopper, and start drawing the order of the primaries.
Then follow with some larger states.

Stop the Iowa/New Hampshire madness.

[JM Hanes]

Does anybody else finding themselves longing for some advertisements?

[Rocco]

Don't stop Jane, I'm watching the hockey game and your live blogging is great! Go Bruins!

[narciso]

The Python sketch with the 'awards show about
awards show' comes to mind,

[JM Hanes]

Ditto that MayBee!

Bachman is giving Obama serious competition in the "I, Me, My" department.

[JM Hanes]

Pawlenty sounds like talking point central, alas.

[Rocco]

I wish I could vote for Bibi.

[Ignatz]

I may be alone in this but, go Canucks!

[Jane]

Let me know how the Bruins are doing. If they win my tea party meeting gets displaced.

I agree about Bachmann JMH, but not about Pawlenty.

I'm gonna keep live blogging in the other thread so I don;t interrupt. It's killing my arm tho, so who knows how long I will last.

[glenda]

that I, me, my business reminds me of Obama:(

[Threadkiller]

--"It's killing my arm tho, so who knows how long I will last."--

Weiner's last text.

[Clarice]

Repeating my post from the other thread:
Abe Lincoln would look like a goofball in one of those fora. Quit participating in them, candidates, and quit watching and judging people on the basis of them, folks. Really They are designed to elicit gotcha errors and well-rehearsed inoffensive, meaningless pabulum.

[MayBee]

Live blog here, Jane! That wouldn't be interrupting! That's what I'm here for.

[Threadkiller]

From the other thread:

--"The questions are a little boring. John King is a horrid moderator."--

Does he start interrupting the second he finishes the question?

"uh, um, uh, uh, um,um,..."

Thank goodness O'Reilly got me drinking!

[centralcal]

Jane: I have been reading along on my iPad while prepping and cooking dinner. TV full blast, iPad on the counter, cooktop exhaust fan going - noisy house!

Everything is on simmer, so I quickly came here to comment.

I hate John King strutting around the stage to ask his questions. Park him somewhere!

[centralcal]

Amen, Clarice!

[JM Hanes]

The one minute window is a substance killer.

[MayBee]

I hate John King strutting around the stage to ask his questions. Park him somewhere!

He has to walk around. It's part of the Let's Move! legislation.

[MaryD]

Amen #2, Clarice!

[Old Lurker]

me three clarice!

[Extraneus]

I wonder if Palin and Perry are watching.

[Jane]

There have been some really good moments in this debate, by many of the candidates. newt just had one, and so did Romeny,

[centralcal]

Agree, Jane.

[Extraneus]

No questions about Obama's emails?

[centralcal]

HeyTammyBruce Tammy Bruce
LOL! “@jimgeraghty: I can't wait for the grand finale when Palin's bus CRASHES THROUGH THE WALL and screeches to a halt onstage.”

[JM Hanes]

Blessed relief, a call from Prince JMH.

[glenda]

CC..."tammy bruce.." LOL LOL LOL !

[Frau Knackwurst]

It looks to me as if there are answers that draw applause from the older people in the audience and *not* from the younger ones. Anyone else see that?

Weiner's last text.
Any prizes in the competition, TK?

btw the plastic of Weiner's action (oy gevalt!) figure cannot capture his smarminess.

[Clarice]

I take it you're playing with the anatomically correct model when you say that, frau?

[Caro]

Thanks,Jane! No TV.

MayBee,I love the idea of a lottery for the order of the primaries. Spread it around.

[Jane]

Caro, where have you been?

[Frau Knackwurst]

Only looking at the picture from your link, clarice. The price is too high for a little pisher.

[centralcal]

Newt was perfect on illegal immigration! He is not on my candidate list, but I hope those who are were listening to him!

[JM Hanes]

This and that is dumb and dumber.

[MayBee]

Newt was perfect on illegal immigration! He is not on my candidate list, but I hope those who are were listening to him!

Yeah, that was good.

[Clarice]

These nonsense is to debate what Oprah is to literary societies.

[centralcal]

Come again, Clarice? :)

[Elliott]

Clarice: These nonsense is to debate what Oprah is to literary societies.

JMH: The one minute window is a substance killer.

A million little sound bites.

[Clarice]

These nonsensical bits of theater are to debate what Oprah's book club is to a literary society.
(Thanks, cc)

[centralcal]

John King: Asks question of Candidate So and So.

C.S.A.S: Begins to answer. No later than word 4, John Kings starts making noises in his microphone.

My god!

[Jane]

Are you watching Clarice?

[centralcal]

Yeah - that is exactly what I thought you were saying!!!! xoxo, Clarice

[JM Hanes]

Pick one other candidate to join your Administration? Just in case anyone was wondering how stupid a stupid question can get.

[Jane]

I hate to say it, but I would say Romney won, Pawlenty second and Newt (uck) third.

[centralcal]

OMG - now we have Anderson and David Gergen (barf).

[Clarice]

No, Jane. As I say it's against my principles to do so.

[Clarice]

Exactly, Elliott, and those sound byte campaigns conceal the fact that most of the candidates haven't a coherent thought or plan about anything.

[Clarice]

**sound bite campaigns*

[MarkO]

I am willing to wager that we could write a highly reliable review of the debates, including the actions of the CNN personnel without having any knowledge of the actual event.

Doom. Doom.

[JM Hanes]

Newt must have read the writing on the wall, because he didn't even try to be personable.

If Mitt can actually persuade me that he has really become a 10ther, he might have a chance. I loved his promise to waive Obamacare for all 50 states immediately more than I believe he'd be repealing Obamacare if it weren't the central litmus test in the primaries.

[Jim Miller]

Clarice - You're playing my song. I have been arguing for years that we should pay little attention to political debates.

(And I would really like to see some test of the candidates' ability to listen, as well as talk. I'll admit that I haven't figured out a good way to do that, but I am not giving up on the idea.)

[Jim Ryan]

Let me guess:

KATIE: Do you say "excuse me" when you fart around your spouse or have you two become so intimate and familiar that you don't? Starting with you, Governor Pawlenty.

PAWLENTY: No, Katie, on those occasions I say excuse me.

KATIE: Mr. Gingerich?

GINGERICH: I do, too, Katie, and, you know, it's important to our history to-

ROMNEY: Me, too, Katie.

CAIN: What the Sam Hill is going on here?!

[MEANWHILE AT HER HOME, SARAH PALIN HAS THE VIRGINIA-UC IRVINE TOURNAMENT BASEBALL GAME ON TV AND IS PLAYING WITH TRIG.]

[Jim Ryan]

Wait, the news clip has Romney saying that he'll grant a waiver to all 50 states on his first day in office. BLECH! It's Obamney/Robama on the issue of executive waivers.

[JM Hanes]

Oh, lordy. It's Frank Luntz lite on CNN.

[bgates]

the news clip has Romney saying that he'll grant a waiver to all 50 states on his first day in office. BLECH!

I'll say.

He ought to grant waivers to everyone who doesn't have one - and revoke the ones Obama handed out.

[JM Hanes]

Gloria Borger should be at home washing her hair.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

He has talked about the waivers several times. The waivers are a temporary measure until Congress pushes through the repeal.

[Threadkiller]

Typical identity conservative. Screwing 7 states out of waivers.

[Threadkiller]

Cain and Pawlenty were strong on BS birthright citizenship. I like it!

[JM Hanes]

I can answer David Gergen's question about how well the candidates in tonight's debate played to the country at large. Not at all. The country wasn't watching.

[jimmyk]

LOL, TK. Brilliant, Jim Ryan. This is way more fun than the debate could possibly be.

Clarice, you were right the first time--a byte is even smaller than a bite.

[Danube of Thought]

I certainly don't say "excuse me" if I have said "pull my finger" beforehand. Wouldn't be prudent.

[Threadkiller]

Why do farts smell?

So deaf people can enjoy them too..

[Danube of Thought]

Feel the magic:

"MIAMI, Fla. -- A low-dollar fundraiser here Monday felt like a throwback to the 2008 campaign.

"There was the same old soundtrack – including 'City of Blinding Light'” by U2, the president’s 2008 anthem -- the enthusiastic organizers and the abundant appeals for supporters to rally behind President Obama.

"The one missing element? Overflowing crowds.

"Granted, it was a fundraiser, not a free rally. But the empty seats were hard to miss.

"The top level of the 2,200-seat concert hall at the Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts was entirely empty, as were the seats along the side of the second and third levels. "

[larry]

Hey, everyone. I am Larry Lynn, constant lurker and occasional commenter for years dating back before Plame. I have a Facebook account I've never done anything with and will be cancelling tomorrow. I have not posted on your walls or pages.

I was in hospital, counting Healthsouth Rehab, for 5 weeks after congestive heart failure, double pneumonia and renal failure on March 25. Making slow progress to recovery with 3-a-week physical therapy and thoughts and prayers from many of you. Thanks.

[Jim Ryan]

Good luck to you, Larry.

[Threadkiller]

Get well larry. You are in my prayers.

[Carol.Herman]

McCain didn't win because the GOP had no guidelines when they made the nomination; other than they thought "other people" would vote for this hapless jerk.

The GOP never learns.

I'm betting Sarah Palin has already figured this out. Painted her bus "ONE NATION." Which are the words that follow "UNITED WE STAND."

A 3rd party run can hit the jackpot! (Ross Perot's 19% came in ONLY after he went nuts BEFORE the election.) Most people aren't in the business of shedding voters like that.

And, somewhere, today, I read that in Florida, Obama couldn't even fill the seats in a 900 seat auditorium. And, one person posted: Come 2012, Obama's black voters will stay home." (Sure. I hope so.)

Who bothered to watch CNN? Political addicts?

[Stephanie]

Obama probably held the fundraiser in Miami in hopes of cashing in on having LeBron show up fresh from his NBA championship win.

FAIL.

[Jim Ryan]

Here's a 30-second video of what transpired in Charlottesville this evening. Bottom of the 9th, UVa down 2-1 to UC Irvine... bases loaded...

[Barbara]

Best wishes and prayers for your recovery, Larry. God Bless!

[narciso]

Best wishes, larry,

OT, does this seem as odd, as It looks:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/post/bomb-threat-disrupts-red-line-service/2011/06/13/AGP52uSH_blog.html

[hit and run]

Prayers as always larry.

Hope to get back down that way next year so we can shoot the sh*t....

[Frau Knackwurst]

Good to know you are doing better, Larry. Keep up the progress and say hi more often. Lurking at JOM makes many of us feel better. I'll take JOM over FB any day.

I saw this on Patterico while following Maybee:

“Weiner About to Lose His Staff?”

I hope it’s performed under anesthesia.

Comment by Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. — 6/13/2011 @ 7:36 am

[Porchlight]

larry, here's hoping and praying you continue to make good progress. Please keep us posted, and God bless.

[Threadkiller]

For anesthesia, he will be cold-cocked.

[Jim Ryan]

Cold Cock.

[bgates]

Get well, larry.

Stay sick, TK.

Jim -

BARACK: As I've said - uh, many times...before; mine don't stink.

[narciso]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, John Brennan, would approve:

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/2011/Jun-13/Lebanon-appoints-new-government.ashx#axzz1PDvbMuvb

[Jane]

Larry, it was the last name that flummoxed people. We won't forget again. Get better!

[peter]

God Bless You, Larry. Happy Flag Day!

[Captain Hate]

Best wishes Larry.

[Donald]

I assume John King got hired at CNN because he's considered handsome, right?

Or is it his commie wife?

[Clarice]

Best wishes, Larry.

[pagar]

Happy Flag day to all!
Happy Recovery, Larry!

Is it Possible to cancel Facebook? My daughter set mine up, but I haven't been on it in months. I just don't like it. JOM works better for me.

[Jack is Back!]

Larry,

You've had a tough ride but made it. Stay positive, you're in our prayers.

How about that hockey game last night? Not the result Iggy was looking for but it was Bruins from the get go.

That Red Line bomb story could have been us a day later but instead of going to the Mall's Air and Space we have decided to go to the Annex at Dulles - they have a Blackbird there - Frederick's favorite plane.

Read some of Jane's liveblogging of the debate and Clarice is right - don't watch or listen - its all pablum and not even relevant this far away from the real electioneering. Plus the MFM will never conduct a serious interragatory with Repubs and if Palin had been there it would have been even more banal, gotcha questions. At least she is smart enough to see how this is going and is staying a few interstates away.

[pagar]

More Weiners:

This one is different!

http://lucianne.com/thread/?artnum=620940

[Jane (sit on the couch or save your country)]

Geez JOB, that is hardly and endorsement.

Meanwhile I found this reference at Insty simply stunning:

JAMES TARANTO: “Unlike homosexuality, heterosexuality is amenable to therapeutic remedies–or so Anthony Weiner and his fellow House Democrats would like us to believe.”

That is hysterical on so many levels I can't keep track of all of them.

[narciso]

Yes, JiB, that's why I thought they had learned not a great deal in the last few years, by acceding to this debate, and the Politico one, scheduled for September, well
you don't need 'Admiral Ackbar' to tell you this will be an ambush.

[narciso]

I think Steyn, has got a good sum up,

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/269526/re-or-mark-steyn

They brought Niall back to Morning Joke, today, like students searching for extra
credit, from their tutor.

[Janet]

I love your live blogging, Jane....& I don't mind the debates. Any TV time to show conservative beliefs is good. These candidates need to learn how to handle the MFM anyway. I can see which candidates handle the biased moderators with contempt & which are intimidated by them.
I'd love a candidate to say, "What a stupid question." or something like that, & be a little sassy with the MFM.

[narciso]

Is it lack of self knowledge, or simple lying,
flip a coin:

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/06/worst-president-ever-tells-supporters-if-youre-looking-for-partisan-rhetoric-im-probably-not-your-guy/

[Danube of Thought]

I've been on Facebook for a couple of years now, but never use it and don't intend to.

Is there a way to get out of while simultaneously informing my "friends" that I'm signing off for good?

[narciso]

So, are they being 'thrown under the bus'

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/activists-cry-foul-over-fbi-probe/2011/06/09/AGPRskTH_story.html

[Janet]

I don't know how you end your Facebook account, but I'm sure if you google it there will be instructions.
I like it for events. I started mine (or my daughter started it for me) for the JOM Tea Party meet up in 2009. It's been great for my high school reunion too.
I also like it for sharing pictures with my kids & it was great for the Soylent care pkg. updates.

[Janet]

OT -
My daughter introduced me to some of the music from the movie "Country Strong". Didn't like the movie much, but some of the songs are nice. The song "Chances Are" was co-written by Lori McKenna, Captain. Really good....& I liked "Timing is Everything".

from "Chances Are" -
"One foot on the narrow way
and one foot on the ledge.
Sifting through the devil's lies
and what the Good Book says..."

It is the dilemma for all of us. There was a comment at The Anchoress years ago that was lovely, "Be kind - for everyone you meet is engaged in a mighty struggle."

[Ignatz]

I predict Facebook will begin to fade like a Canuck goalie n Beantown.

[Ignatz]

--Typical identity conservative. Screwing 7 states out of waivers.--

Zings bubu, Mittens and Barry in one line; a triple whammy.