Bradley in DC
09-18-2007, 09:14 AM
Top GOP Candidates Skip Social Issues Debate
By: Joe Murray, The Bulletin
09/18/2007
http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=18827526&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6
For the Democratic Party, debates have become something of a second nature. As eight Democratic candidates jockey for the nomination, all major Democratic voting blocs have held a debate - there has been a "union" debate, a "gay" debate, a "black" debate and even a "blogger" debate - and each time all the first-tiered Democrats have been in attendance.
For Value Voters, the voting bloc of the Republican Party that is motivated by social issues such as marriage and abortion, last night's "Value Voter's Debate" held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a key primary state courted heavily by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, was intended to be the conservative answer to the special interest debates of the Left. The only problem, though, was the GOP's first tier was missing in action.
Giuliani, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Arizona Senator John McCain, and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson were absent from the debate in which questions ranging from school choice to judicial appointments were prepared by 30 of the nation's conservative leaders.
Each candidate cited scheduling conflicts, yet Thompson was in Florida over
the weekend, Giuliani was in the Sunshine State yesterday, and Romney is there today. The absence those candidate drew criticism from the debate's moderator, Joseph Farah.
After describing a values voter as "someone who cares about the family," the editor of the conservative online publication WorldNetDaily stated, "whether the candidates are hear or not, they will be questioned-when you run for President, you can run, but you can't hide."
The missing first tier, however, did not dissuade attendance to the debate, for the 2700 seat Broward Center for Performing Arts was at full capacity as questions were presented to Rep. Ron Paul, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Rep. Tom Tancredo, Sen. Sam Brownback, Rep. Duncan Hunter, and businessman John Cox.
Also joining the group was Alan Keyes. Keyes, a former U.N. ambassador, just recently threw his hat into the ring arguing he was "unmoved" by 10 present GOP candidates.
After brief opening comments, the debate began with Buddy Smith of the American Family Association asking the candidates whether they would support an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage between a man and a woman and what the candidates would do to protect marriage.
"I would do everything possible," stated Tancredo. Noting that "the government does not have any real responsibility or authority to tell a person who they can care about," Tancredo stated there was a vested interested in protecting the institution of marriage.
Brownback, pointing out he was a key supporter of the Federal Marriage Amendment, took the opportunity to chastise President Bush for his lack of leadership on the issue, arguing things could have been different if Bush spent his "political capital" on defining marriage as opposed to Social Security.
Rather, it was Paul who as the odd man out at the debate arguing a constitutional amendment is "a trap."
"We have fallen into a trap that we have to define marriage... tell them to look it up in the dictionary," stated Paul. The Texas Congressman argued marriage a state issue and "true Christians believe marriage is a church function, not a state function."
Keyes, on addressing marriage, was the first candidate to take a swipe at the frontrunners and argued Romney, as governor of Massachusetts, was "single handedly responsible" for the gay marriage issue.
Keeping with the topic of gay rights, Conservative activist Paul Weyrich asked what the candidates would do to stop the "homosexual agenda."
Hunter responded by touching on gays in the military and argued the reason the U.S. has a strong military is because it bans homosexuals from serving.
Brownback and Paul used the question to voice opposition to hate crimes.
The candidates were also questioned on their commitment to life and all candidates pledged to overturn Roe v. Wade, largely by appointing pro-life judges.
"If a judicial candidate can look at a picture of a sonogram and not see the value of a human life, I will not appoint him," stated Hunter. Huckabee also pledged to protect the unborn, but not without questioning the pro-life credentials of the frontrunners.
"It is obvious that all of us on this stage are pro-life, but such an issue is why there are four empty podiums on the stage tonight," stated Huckabee.
Like most Republican debates, the war in Iraq was not without discussion.
Brownback asserted the U.S. will be fighting the war "as long as we fought communism" and Tancredo described it as a "war against radical Islam." Huckabee set the bar for victory, explaining the "war is about will-whoever chooses to leave loses."
Paul remained the sole GOP candidate opposed to the war in Iraq, arguing that the terrorists are over here because the U.S. is over there.
"To justify what we do in the name of Christianity is dangerous," proclaimed Paul. The Congressman asserted that "if we only declared war we would have had the debate before hand, not after the fact."
Keeping with debate tradition, Paul's policy of non-intervention was criticized by the candidates with Hunter asking Paul not to "blame America first."
The candidates also expressed united opposition against the formation of a North American Union and the Fairness Doctrine, but were split on immigration. During a yes/no question period, Brownback defended his support for a guest worker program, while Tancredo blasted such a position as amnesty.
Despite the absence of four frontrunners, the debate's organizers downplayed speculation that the influence of the value voter had been diminished.
"Values voters are the largest voting bloc in America," stated Mat Staver, president of Liberty Counsel and member of the debate's host committee. "Presidential candidates who ignore or oppose the core positions of values voters will never find their way to the White House."
A straw poll was held as to who won the debate, but results were not available prior to deadline.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us
By: Joe Murray, The Bulletin
09/18/2007
http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm?newsid=18827526&BRD=2737&PAG=461&dept_id=576361&rfi=6
For the Democratic Party, debates have become something of a second nature. As eight Democratic candidates jockey for the nomination, all major Democratic voting blocs have held a debate - there has been a "union" debate, a "gay" debate, a "black" debate and even a "blogger" debate - and each time all the first-tiered Democrats have been in attendance.
For Value Voters, the voting bloc of the Republican Party that is motivated by social issues such as marriage and abortion, last night's "Value Voter's Debate" held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a key primary state courted heavily by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, was intended to be the conservative answer to the special interest debates of the Left. The only problem, though, was the GOP's first tier was missing in action.
Giuliani, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Arizona Senator John McCain, and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson were absent from the debate in which questions ranging from school choice to judicial appointments were prepared by 30 of the nation's conservative leaders.
Each candidate cited scheduling conflicts, yet Thompson was in Florida over
the weekend, Giuliani was in the Sunshine State yesterday, and Romney is there today. The absence those candidate drew criticism from the debate's moderator, Joseph Farah.
After describing a values voter as "someone who cares about the family," the editor of the conservative online publication WorldNetDaily stated, "whether the candidates are hear or not, they will be questioned-when you run for President, you can run, but you can't hide."
The missing first tier, however, did not dissuade attendance to the debate, for the 2700 seat Broward Center for Performing Arts was at full capacity as questions were presented to Rep. Ron Paul, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Rep. Tom Tancredo, Sen. Sam Brownback, Rep. Duncan Hunter, and businessman John Cox.
Also joining the group was Alan Keyes. Keyes, a former U.N. ambassador, just recently threw his hat into the ring arguing he was "unmoved" by 10 present GOP candidates.
After brief opening comments, the debate began with Buddy Smith of the American Family Association asking the candidates whether they would support an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage between a man and a woman and what the candidates would do to protect marriage.
"I would do everything possible," stated Tancredo. Noting that "the government does not have any real responsibility or authority to tell a person who they can care about," Tancredo stated there was a vested interested in protecting the institution of marriage.
Brownback, pointing out he was a key supporter of the Federal Marriage Amendment, took the opportunity to chastise President Bush for his lack of leadership on the issue, arguing things could have been different if Bush spent his "political capital" on defining marriage as opposed to Social Security.
Rather, it was Paul who as the odd man out at the debate arguing a constitutional amendment is "a trap."
"We have fallen into a trap that we have to define marriage... tell them to look it up in the dictionary," stated Paul. The Texas Congressman argued marriage a state issue and "true Christians believe marriage is a church function, not a state function."
Keyes, on addressing marriage, was the first candidate to take a swipe at the frontrunners and argued Romney, as governor of Massachusetts, was "single handedly responsible" for the gay marriage issue.
Keeping with the topic of gay rights, Conservative activist Paul Weyrich asked what the candidates would do to stop the "homosexual agenda."
Hunter responded by touching on gays in the military and argued the reason the U.S. has a strong military is because it bans homosexuals from serving.
Brownback and Paul used the question to voice opposition to hate crimes.
The candidates were also questioned on their commitment to life and all candidates pledged to overturn Roe v. Wade, largely by appointing pro-life judges.
"If a judicial candidate can look at a picture of a sonogram and not see the value of a human life, I will not appoint him," stated Hunter. Huckabee also pledged to protect the unborn, but not without questioning the pro-life credentials of the frontrunners.
"It is obvious that all of us on this stage are pro-life, but such an issue is why there are four empty podiums on the stage tonight," stated Huckabee.
Like most Republican debates, the war in Iraq was not without discussion.
Brownback asserted the U.S. will be fighting the war "as long as we fought communism" and Tancredo described it as a "war against radical Islam." Huckabee set the bar for victory, explaining the "war is about will-whoever chooses to leave loses."
Paul remained the sole GOP candidate opposed to the war in Iraq, arguing that the terrorists are over here because the U.S. is over there.
"To justify what we do in the name of Christianity is dangerous," proclaimed Paul. The Congressman asserted that "if we only declared war we would have had the debate before hand, not after the fact."
Keeping with debate tradition, Paul's policy of non-intervention was criticized by the candidates with Hunter asking Paul not to "blame America first."
The candidates also expressed united opposition against the formation of a North American Union and the Fairness Doctrine, but were split on immigration. During a yes/no question period, Brownback defended his support for a guest worker program, while Tancredo blasted such a position as amnesty.
Despite the absence of four frontrunners, the debate's organizers downplayed speculation that the influence of the value voter had been diminished.
"Values voters are the largest voting bloc in America," stated Mat Staver, president of Liberty Counsel and member of the debate's host committee. "Presidential candidates who ignore or oppose the core positions of values voters will never find their way to the White House."
A straw poll was held as to who won the debate, but results were not available prior to deadline.
Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us