"The stockpile does a great job" and other thoughts on tonight's debate

Well, it's the Republicans again, this time on Fox News and from South Carolina. Let's get right to it...

• One good thing about John McCain...if he were to become president, he would be a perfect fit for Disney's Hall of Presidents. He moves his arms as though he's an animatronic figure.
  
  
• Does Tommy Thompson realize that we're fighting in Iraq, not Ireland? He keeps referring to "Prime Minister O'Mallekey."
  
  
• Sam Brownback is going to hurt himself if he keeps banging his pinkies on the table.
  
  
• I like the bell, by the way.
  
  
• OK Rudy, if the terrorists are already here, then the argument that they will follow us here if we leave Iraq is irrelevant. Don't you see that you're arguing against yourself?
  
  
• It's interesting that Chris Wallace asked Ron Paul if he was running for the nomination of the wrong party. There was a time when Libertarians were more closely tied to the Republicans. Now people like Paul are asked if they should be Democrats.
  
  
• Jim Gilmore looks like he's wearing his Masonic ring.
  
  
• Oh, cut it out Mitt. You didn't "raise taxes" but you hiked fees across all state agencies. Call it what you will, but it's the same thing.
  
  
• Oh, ha ha! John Edwards at a beauty shop. Hee Hee. Did you get those cufflinks at Wal-mart, Governor Huckabee?
  
  
• For what it's worth, I'm distracted by cufflinks. They bother me. I've always seen them as a sign of elitism.... Giulaini has buttons on his cuffs, so does Brownback. Gilmore, Huckabee, and Thomas have cufflinks.
  
  
• Tommy Thompson: "The stockpile does a great job" but there are inefficiencies in "the stockpile." What the hell is he talking about?
  
  
• Ron Paul: buttons. He speaks with the most conviction of any of the candidates. With his brand of libertarian conservativism, he could be a factor in New Hampshire if he had any money.
  
  
• What a weaselly answer from Gilmore. He suggests that his opponents aren't real conservatives, then refuses to name who, suggesting that we'll have to go to his website tomorrow to find out. Grow a backbone, man.
  
  
• Tom Tancredo gives me the opportunity to run to the fridge...
  
  
• Commercials? Who goes to commercial during a debate?
  
  
• Mmmmmm, Frozen orange juice.
  
  
• Huckabee just said he was the first governor in Arkansas's history to reduce taxes. I'm guessing that's a bit of hyperbole there.
  
  
• Mitt: definitely cufflinks, if there was any question. He's talking too fast in attempting to argue his conservative credentials. He sounds like he's lying, or at least unsure of how his answer will be received.
  
  
• Brownback just stepped in it. He had a chance to align himself with Reagan on immigration and in trying to do so, he used the "A-word." You can't call immigration reform "amnesty" if you're for it, and you certainly can't accuse Reagan of being for it.
  
  
• Auuugh! Giuliani just told a crowd of white Sons of the Confederacy that he couldn't see how anyone could be in favor of owning slaves.
  
  
• Brownback thinks having an abortion would be worse for a rape victim than being forced to carry a child borne out of evil. Unbelievable.
  
  
• Giuliani is not very funny. Every attempt at humor has fallen flat. He needs to dress up like a woman or something in order to get a couple of laughs.
  
  
• There Hunter goes again saying he "built the fence" in San Diego. I've gotta say I don't believe him. I think I'm going to see if there are any pictures of Hunter building the fence.
  
  
• And I just missed Ron Paul's point on Iraq. Let me rewind...Ah, he just said that we were attacked on 9/11 because of our presence in the Middle East. Giuliani takes the opportunity to demagogue, and misquotes Paul. He did not say we were attacked because of our attacks in Iraq. But at least Giuliani got his sound bite. That will probably be the lead bite on all of the news shows tomorrow.
  
  
• McCain is still pandering on the Confederate flag issue.
  
  
• Tom Tancredo gives me the chance to put eye drops in. My allergies are acting up. And another commercial, how convenient.
  
  
• Cool, an essay question. Let's hear how they answer.
  
  
• Giuliani: Every method they could think of? So in other words, you wouldn't use techniques as outlined in our military and intelligence procedures, you'd tell our people to use "every method they could think of?" Scary.
  
  
• Gilmore frequently avoids answering the question.
  
  
• Tancredo doesn't see the irony about using any means, including torture, to save the US as the last best hope of Western civilization.

And apparently the debate ran long, because the DVR just shut off. Ah well, can't imagine I missed much. I thought Fox did a much better job that MSNBC did a couple of weeks ago. I thought they kept up the pace and spread the questions around. I also thought that they had some appropriately tough questions. I was especially impressed by Wendell Goler. Perhaps the Democrats should reconsider their decision not to appear on the network.

Tags: Election 2008 Republican Primary Mitt Romney Sam Brownback Mike Huckabee Jim Gilmore Tommy Thompson Duncan Hunter Ron Paul John McCain Tom Tancredo Rudy Giuliani