Well, we waited to count how many times the “H” [Hillary] name would be mentioned at Wednesday’s Republican CNN/You Tube debate in St. Petersburg’s, Florida – and guess what – hardly at all! (Four times, if you count the mentions of her in the campaign ad videos shown during the evening).
Rather than attacking frontrunner Hillary Clinton, the presidential hopefuls – Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo – preferred to attack each other focusing on immigration, gun control, abortion, the Iraq war, interrogation/torture techniques and in response to one questioner, the Bible.
McCain, in response to Romney’s response to a question about the legality of water boarding, came alive saying: “Governor, let me tell you, if we’re going to gain the high ground in this world…we’re not going to torture people. How in the world someone could think that this kind of thing could be inflicted on people who are in our custody is absolutely beyond me.”
McCain also took down Ron Paul for his isolationism saying: “We allowed (Adolph) Hitler to come to power with that attitude of isolation.
Giuliani came across totally defensive, stuffed with old statistics about what he had done for New York prior to 9/11 that invited a response from Romney that he was not running for mayor of New York City but president of the United States.
The verdict: a very disappointing “debate.” After the worst-ever week for the greenback in the past half century, not one of the presidential candidates had anything to say about the economy, the dollar, the falling real estate market, the erratic stock market – zip.
These rich and powerful men are not concerned about how Americans are just getting by from pay day to pay day. Why aren’t these candidates addressing the economic issues that are troubling most Americans and better yet, offering concrete solutions?
Even a Thompson who flashes down-home folksiness had nothing to say about jobs, security and the future of the economy.
One genuine laugh: Huckabee’s response to the bible questioner said: “Jesus Christ was smart enough not to run for public office.”
On that note, I want to add: Republicans, you don’t have a prayer.
![[RSS]](http://67.192.49.194/templates/images/rss_icon.gif){kind=icon}
Comments
Someone should remind McCain that Hitler didn't come to power because on non-intervention. He came to power by stripping Germans of their civil liberties, disarming them, and clamping down. He then used Nationalism to rally the masses against a common "evil" and told them it was in the name of the "motherland". Does this sound familiar??
Posted by: Bob | November 29, 2007 9:28 AM
Dick, I agree whleheartedly with your evaluationn of the debate and its shortcomings, and sincerely hope your closing comment is true.
Posted by: pogo
| November 29, 2007 9:30 AM
HDNet Dec 1 DNC debate (Sat 7:30pm ET).
- all eight -
gravel kucinich paul nader
Posted by: gravel kucinich paul nader | November 29, 2007 9:33 AM
Eisenhower once said "the idea of pre-emptive war is the idea of Hitler." Ron Paul's ideas on Iraq are right on the money.
Posted by: ixeos | November 29, 2007 10:29 AM
Like Bush, Hitler came to power by an electoral process. Militarily invading countries in order to overthrow governments he didn't like came later.
Posted by: anarchristian
| November 29, 2007 10:29 AM
I loved Dr. Paul's expression when McCain was attempting to smear him as an isolationist. But the best part was when McCain tried to associate Iraq and 1930's Germany.
It's absolutely astounding that McCain can espouse such nonsense with a straight face.
If American Industrial moguls would have stayed out of Germany after WWI and not completely rebuilt their infrastructure, allowing them to prepare a war machine, there would have never been a WWII.
Thus is the forgotten history of the United States. If it weren't for American companies enabling German Industry, and in turn, the Nazi Party, Hitler would not have any capacity to conduct a war.
The Japanese War Industry has similar origins. Personal investments in the early 1900's funded Japanese invasions into China and put their War Machine in motion.
Apparently this is lost on the Media and the Majority of the Public.
Posted by: Enlightened One | November 29, 2007 10:44 AM
Are you sure Hillary wasn't mentioned?
Romney: It's time for us to recognize we're going to have to take a new course in this country -- not follow Hillary Clinton off to the left; instead, to follow the pathway Ronald Reagan blazed...
Huckabee: Now, whether we need to send somebody to Mars, I don't know. But I'll tell you what: If we do, I've got a few suggestions, and maybe Hillary could be on the first rocket to Mars.
Posted by: What? | November 29, 2007 11:08 AM
John McCain successfully displayed his anti-history credentials.
Posted by: Luther | November 29, 2007 12:27 PM
Yes, if you don't know anything about foreign policy, then Rudy Giuliani telling Ron Paul that he was *there* on 9/11, and McCain equating non-interventionism as being pro-Hitler, then yes, Rudy and McCain definately dumb down- I mean, win these debates.
Posted by: Paul | November 29, 2007 2:14 PM
The amazing thing is, the pro-war hawks were so upset and outraged when Ron Paul talked about foreign policy mistakes leading to hatred of US government in the Islamic World. But the same war hawks have no reservations about blaming US for the rise of Hitler, a man with whom US had no connections and whose the US cannot be faulted for.
Posted by: Henry | November 30, 2007 3:17 AM
Post A Comment