Ron Paul wins the debate!!!

[Elwar]

Ron Paul kicked ass!

He got more than the 2 minutes like in 2008, he did great.



RON PAUL OR
the country goes
BUST!!!

[EvilEngineer]

Well... according to the polling asshat Luntz... Cain did. Gag...

[nate895]

I don't think he won, primarily because the entire debate was about torpedoing the candidates that were there. He handled it well for the most part, but so did the other candidates.

[eduardo89]

Ron should have stayed for 30 more minutes to be on Hannity...he's going to get trashed by that group, you'll see...

[nate895]

Ron should have stayed for 30 more minutes to be on Hannity...he's going to get trashed by that group, you'll see...

I'm not sure if that was that important, but I'm just not sure with the way he answered the so-con questions. He could have handled that way better by pointing out that he is the most pro-life candidate and focusing on how he would let the states determine those issues, and how the church is more effective, etc. Instead, he focused on the personal liberty, and that isn't going to convince many so-cons, it doesn't even convince me.

The main overall problem was that he was on defense with the exception of a couple of foreign policy questions where he simply nailed it.

[KurtBoyer25L]

I'm not sure if that was that important, but I'm just not sure with the way he answered the so-con questions. He could have handled that way better by pointing out that he is the most pro-life candidate and focusing on how he would let the states determine those issues, and how the church is more effective, etc. Instead, he focused on the personal liberty, and that isn't going to convince many so-cons, it doesn't even convince me.

The main overall problem was that he was on defense with the exception of a couple of foreign policy questions where he simply nailed it.

For the very reasons you didn't like them, I couldn't be more pleased with Ron's answers on the social issues.

I thought they clearly designed the debate to push Pawlenty as a serious candidate and Cain as a sideshow. Given that circumstance, we did great.

And I think the Gary Johnson problem might be working itself out perfectly. He is obviously a decent, likeable guy, and his voice gives more credence to Ron's positions for the home viewer. On the other hand, Gary looks and sounds shaky & politically out of step. He'll never win a significant chunk of the vote talking about "cost-benefit analysis." Not only does he give the voters too much credit as bright intellectuals, he is abandoning the Libertarian platform altogether in his overall statements, going for the "common sense and business" remarks. We're at least avoiding the two of them appearing to parrot one another as I personally feared.

[Joseph]

Ron wins again, but everyone notice they did not do a text vote. I thought Herman Cain and Gary Johnson were neck and neck for second. The other two were losers who should be in strait jackets.

[nate895]

For the very reasons you didn't like them, I couldn't be more pleased with Ron's answers on the social issues.

The question is, though, is Ron Paul trying to win a Republican Primary (and then go on to win a General), or is he trying to educate the GOP base on his brand of libertarianism? I think the answer is obviously the former, and, therefore, he has to say things in a way that appeals to the GOP voter, who is a conservative, not a libertarian, plain-and-simple.

I'm a conservative, not a libertarian, as well. However, my type of conservatism winds up agreeing with Ron Paul's brand of libertarianism on most issues. However, not every GOP voters is going to look into it as much. They'd rather get behind a Cain or Santorum who says the right things, but if they looked into it they would wind up supporting a Ron Paul because even though Cain and Santorum articulate better principles than Ron Paul, they simply don't follow through (of course, neither do a lot of GOP voters follow through on principle). Ron Paul just needs to articulate how his policies can fall in line with small government conservatives better than the hacks.


I thought they clearly designed the debate to push Pawlenty as a serious candidate and Cain as a sideshow. Given that circumstance, we did great.

I agree for the most part.

[RPsupporterAtHeart]

I was expecting more of the same this time around, just not so quickly. FOX knows it's target audience all too well. They look at the well spoken, catch phrase spewing groomed candidate more than one that actually talks sense.

With no Romney or Huckabee Fox had to switch tactics. Cain was used as the showman that everyone can like. Pawlenty was supposed to be the only real candidate in the group they could really push above and beyond. He failed!

To the average viewer Cain won this round. Ron has great points but once again stumbles in the key moments he needs to be flawless. Not on his points, but on how he speaks.

A logical person could take away from this that they asked every stupid, typical question one would expect them to ask Ron, so he got them out of the way and can focus on the more important issues next time. But then again, this is FOX and they will most likely ask them again just with different wording. Especially when their "tier1" candidates are on the stage.

It's really quite sickening.

What happened to debating a topic where every or multiple candidates can answer the same question and then debate each other.

[sailingaway]

Well, we will see how the next poll goes.

[zyphex]

I think everyone won. Nobody made a huge flub and I think each improved their positions. With that said, obviously I took a liking to Ron Paul and Gary Johnson the best, but if I had to choose who benefited the most from this debate, it was Herman Cain. He had the most to gain and the least to lose in this debate, and I think he gained a lot. Came off as very likable and straight-forward. With that said, I still think Ron Paul did a great job and Gary Johnson was definitely an asset on that stage. This election is going to have to be won from the grassroots and through effective campaigning.