I happened to catch the second half of the Republican YouTube debate tonight. Safe to say, Canadian parties could learn a thing or two from this about how to make many-candidate leadership debates interesting. Here are a few random observations:
-Duncan Hunter: “Most army recruits are conservatives with deep judeo-christian values – that’s why we can’t have gays in the military“. Whaaaaaaaaaa? Come back Daily Show! Your snark is needed!
–Huckabee on putting an American on Mars: “Maybe Hillary Clinton should be on the first rocket to Mars”.
–Huckabee on What would Jesus do on the death penalty: “Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office.”
-John McCain says the US didn’t lose the Vietnam War. I guess he also believes that John McCain didn’t lose the 2000 Republican nomination.
-Mitt Romney believes nothing he believed 10 years ago…
-When asked about the crumbling infrastructure in the United States, Ron Paul says there’s too much government so…uhh…privately owned roads anyone?
-John McCain says it was Ron Paul’s strategy that allowed Hitler to come to power. It’s never a good sign when you’re a Republican and running plays from Elizabeth May’s strategy book.
-Ron Paul says he had 5,000 people show up at a rally “with flags and Hispanics”. Wow. Flags and hispanics – that must have been quite the organizational feat!
-Giuliani has trouble defending himself on immigration, guns, and…wait for it…baseball. You think he’d have a snappy comeback for his Red Sox rooting by now but he’s still stumbling around on that one. My suggested answer for the next time he gets asked the question: “Not rooting for the Red Sox would mean the terrorists win. 9/11! 9/11! 9/11!” It doesn’t have the Huckabee witt to it but at least it fits in with his overarching campaign theme.
-Kudos to Fred Thompson for skipping his 120th birthday celebrations to attend the debate.
-Thompson’s youtube video goes after Romney and Huckabee on abortion and taxes. It’s a bad sign when your campaign feels that Mike Huckabee is worthy of an attack add.
-According to the pundits, immigration is the number one issue in Iowa. Go figure.
-A CNN commercial calls this debate “one for the history books”. That may be a bit of a stretch.