Don’t think that this means anything beyond what it does (how’s that for a Berra-esque statement?), but here’s how some pundits and bloggers are describing the debate performances of Mitt and John last night:
“At certain moments it had the effect of making Romney look more sympathetic, at others it made him look like the only adult on stage, and at others it made him look like he must be the front-runner, since people were so determined to take him down a peg. McCain in particular seemed to go too far, looking and sounding downright snide at times.” – Noam Scheiber, The New Republic
“All of the animosity that McCain has toward Mitt Romney is coming out tonight. Is he going too far?” -Philip Klein, The American Spectator
“Moron Moment for McCain … and why some of us will NEVER support him. Cheap shot at Romney (candidate of change) as a set up for saying what a really fine guy Obama is.” -Andy McCarthy, National Review
“McCain snidely attacks Romney: ‘You are the candidate of change.’ McCain cackles.” -Michelle Malkin
“If you were looking for substance across the board on issues, I think Romney was the clear winner in tonight’s debate. McCain’s well-known temperament problems lingered barely below the surface much of the evening, especially when someone dared disagree with him. Except of course, for his hugs for Hillary and slaps on the back for Fred. This is a change election and old hands from the Senate will not get it done.” -Dan Riehl, Riehl World View
“I thought that Mitt Romney won the debate… I really felt fundamentally Romney really made the field.” -Dick Morris
“Mitt Romney is the most impressive performer this evening, striking a judicious tone of urgency and fluency.” -John Podhoretz
“Romney showed a steadiness under fire, sounded like a guy who knows what he’s talking about on a number of issues, and introduced more of his biography than he has at debates. I thought Romney’s performance was a good start to a weekend of debates where he had to do well – if he does very well tomorrow night, kicking it up a notch, he might show he’s a turnaround artist yet in this primary process.” -Kathryn Jean Lopez
Just because this is what the pundits or bloggers feel, though, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how the voters will feel. After all, there were over 60 of the most well-known and respected pundit/bloggers who are vehemently anti-Huck, and he still ended up winning Iowa.
But if this is the way McCain wants to play the game, I invite him to continue shooting himself in the foot.
January 6th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Don’t worry McCain is being strategic. Go nasty in the first debate and then play nice in the second. The voters in NH voters will be left with the impression that he is nice and presidential and at the same time they will remember barbs against Romney as being factual.
You can only pull off this stunt with a high approval rating which McCain has. I think it is smart politics..
January 6th, 2008 at 9:26 am
The focus group didn’t like McCain either:
http://www.wmur.com/video/14986683/index.html
January 6th, 2008 at 9:31 am
It will be very interesting to see how McCain performs in today’s debate, and how everyone acts towards Romney. I’m sure every one of the campaign managers, media committees, PR people, etc were up all night strategizing and refining messages and debate tactics. We’ll see if anything changes from yesterday to today.
January 6th, 2008 at 9:35 am
MattC,
You left one good one out from The New Republic:
January 6th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Romney got smoked last night! Huckabee and McCain both hammered him. The best line was when Huckabe attcaked Romney for his various positions on Iraq. Which one? Brilliant!
January 6th, 2008 at 10:04 am
The used car salesman is going down on Tuesday!
January 6th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Cole. . . The number of attacks on a candidate has no correlation to how well the candidate actually did. It just means they all targeted him. Based on the opinions cited above, many of the comments here on this site, and (for me, at least) my own impressions from what I saw myself, Romney handled himself quite well, and did so without attacking the character of those coming after him.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:10 am
McCain showed himself for what he really is last night: a pro-amnesty, anti-business liberal who would be a disaster for the party and the country if he ever got elected.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Does anyone know what kind of ratings this debate got? And is there any way of finding out how many NH voters were watching?
January 6th, 2008 at 10:22 am
What time does today’s debate air?
January 6th, 2008 at 10:22 am
One would think that the mature/adult thing to do would be to run on your record instead of distorting it. you know stuff like:
masshealth = hillarycare
romney was LEFT of McCain feingold
didn’t support the surge
and on..
and on….
AND ON……..
January 6th, 2008 at 10:23 am
the fact-checking sites wont be kind to him after yesterday’s lies
January 6th, 2008 at 10:24 am
8:00 eastern, Jake
January 6th, 2008 at 10:26 am
McCain’s “candidate of change” comment really bombed. It really made him look bad. I think maybe 5 people in the audience laughed. He looked like a real baffoon. I thought Rudy and Mike did a much better job criticizing Mitt, and after the “which one” barb, Mitt gave a look like someone had just run over his puppy, which traditionally is not considered looking Presidential.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Romney’s comment to Huck about “you talk about your record, I’ll talk about mine” smacked of incredible hypocrisy given the ads that Mitt has been running- that was his defense to Huck to get Huck off his back, and he basically condemned a key part of his own political strategy!
January 6th, 2008 at 10:29 am
#13 Thanks.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:29 am
fair and balanced people:
January 6th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Romney knows he is going to lose on Tuesday. You could see it in his face and sense it in his words this morning on Fox News Sunday.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:32 am
How can Romney be whimpy and not fighting enough, and attacking and negative at the same time?
January 6th, 2008 at 10:39 am
18, i didnt see a loser as much as a saw a total nerd who let people pick on him. the resident class clown in the race huckabee was even able to push him around. and then there were the blows from mccain, rudy, and thompson.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:39 am
A big ouch for Mitt! It did show that the whole Republican field despises Mitt Romney…even Fred looked as though he hates him. Romney is coming unglued, I think the first indication was getting blownout by Huck. This does not bother me one bit, I can’t stand the poser. Go McCain and Huck on Tuesday night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rick Klein: “Perhaps its indicative of this scattered, chaotic Republican field that it’s extremely difficult to pick a winner… But I saw that as a pretty bad night for Mitt Romney. I think he was outflanked on immigration by McCain and Giuliani — that’s not easy to do. And you can tell that nobody on that stage likes him.
Marc Ambinder: “In this chess game, every move against Romney helps John McCain, so McCain, who debated evenly, solidly, if not spectacularly, probably gets the biggest juice out of the debate.”
Chris Cilliza: “McCain appeared relaxed and in his element. Gone were the days — in the mid-summer and early fall where McCain looked stiff and nervous on stage. He landed the major quotable body blow of the night against Romney (“You are the candidate of change,” McCain said in a sly reference to the Massachusetts governor’s at-times contradictory public statements.) McCain looked like a president tonight.”
Chuck Todd: “Wow, do these candidates have it in for Romney; the whole field seems to be jumping on the bandwagon of trying to end Romney’s campaign as quickly as possible.”
Walter Shapiro: “Though all six GOP candidates had their moments of interrupting, talking over, lecturing or otherwise needling each other, Romney played the straight man all night long, getting set up — or setting himself up — for punch lines his rivals couldn’t resist. Watching the debate, you couldn’t escape the feeling that they were unburdening themselves of months of frustration that had built up with each point he had climbed in the polls last year and each “contrast” ad he ran in the last month.”
January 6th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Are you guys sure you all watched the same debate? I never saw such opposing views about the same person!
January 6th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Also, since when did the fact that opposing candidates actually oppose you become a sign that you’re losing? Most of the quotes in #21 say nothing about how Romney actually did, only that others went after him. That’s more of a sign that he’s doing well. If he wasn’t, no one would waste the time going after him.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:45 am
The more people attack Mitt the stronger he becomes.
To quote Obi Wan-
“You can’t win… If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”
January 6th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Mitt is what is called THE ALPHA DOG…
January 6th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Romney has the lead in Zogby.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Brian, that look was not what you discribed. It was more like “How in the world do I find myself sitting on a stage with some ignorant Amos like you. Huckabee wasn’t funny in the least; he was rude, and the audience recognized it. Huckabee is supposed to be the ‘nice guy’ in this race. Bull crap! I don’t trust this snake oil salesman as far as I can throw him.
January 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
C’mon Rombots. Put the cap back on the Superglue and wipe your noses!
The fact that Mitt was the butt of everyone’s quips and jokes to the merriment of even the moderators should tell you something about his chances beyond the primary he’s attempting to buy. Mitt is little more than a punchline!
January 6th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Bull crap MarkG. The Luntz focus group dials turned downward everytime Mitt was being personally attacked. . I think that is indicative of how most intelligent voters in NH will see it.
January 6th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I think that is indicative of how most intelligent voters in NH will see it.
Most intelligent voters will not come out for Romney in a general election — not matter how hard he shows he is willing to use vote-suppressing, thermonucyular negative attack campaigning.
January 6th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Romney’s done. Mr. Moneybags has his own internal polling, just like he did in Iowa and he sees the writing on the wall. He’s going to lose in New hampshire. no two ways about it.
I don’t expect him to go graciously. The “smartest man in the room” will continue to fork over cash to try to buy the Michigan contest (His fourth home state? How many home states can Rombots credibly claim he has? Utah? Mass? NH? Michigan?). But the Most Excellent Money Manager on the face of the earth will sooner or later have to realize the futility of such a course of action.
January 6th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Adam, Mark, there is a debate today. Watched by far more than the other debate. Should candidates be chosen by a deliberative discussion of their views, or the perception “he bought it” (which is not true by objective analysis)? Adam, any link btw, or just talking point drive by?
January 6th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Ok, so if Mitt loses the nomination, then what? The attacks on Mitt have been pretty viciously personal, whereas Mitt’s ‘negative ads’ are nothing more than a fair representation of what the candidates are currently for. McCain is FOR amnesty. Huckabee is FOR releasing thousands of criminals.
This is going to be a tough year. Seeing the purility and thoughtlessness of a few of the candidates, as well as posters on this website tells me that Repubicans will lose in November. As I have Said before, if Mitt loses this election, then:
Mitt:2008 :: Reagan:1976
January 6th, 2008 at 11:54 am
RC,
“Adam, any link btw, or just talking point drive by?”
Actually I’ve been commenting on this site for a year. But it’s nice to see you here for the first time.
And absolutely! Candidates ought to be selected by discussing their views. I just hope Mitt’s views are still the same tonight that they were yesterday. One can never be sure.
January 6th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Pretty sad when the New Hampshire Republican Party drops its affiliation with Fox News. I am not a Paul supporter but he has raised alot of money and is a solid candidate in New Hampshire. What happened to Fox News? Every analyst was wrong about their predictions in Iowa. They try to drum up support for Rudy and the support is just not there. I can’t even stand to watch it anymore.
Fox Under Fire for Excluding Ron Paul
When Fox News hosts its Republican candidates forum Sunday night, one of the leading candidates won’t be invited.
The Fox debate is excluding Texas Congressman Ron Paul, even though he polls higher in New Hampshire, has raised significantly more money, and is campaigning more in New Hampshire than Fred Thompson — who is invited.
The censorship of Paul has infuriated his loyal supporters, who note that he pulled 10 percent of the vote in Iowa, well ahead of Rudy Giuliani, who pulled just over 3 percent. Giuliani has also been invited to the Fox forum.
Paul is also setting records in GOP fundraising, raking in $20 million in the last quarter alone.
New Hampshire Republicans are apparently not happy with Fox’s arbitrary decision to exclude Paul.
This weekened the New Hampshire Republican Party issued a press release announcing it had dropped its affiliation with the Fox Republican debate.
“The first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary serves a national purpose by giving all candidates an equal opportunity on a level playing field,” said Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen. “Only in New Hampshire do lesser known, lesser funded underdogs have a fighting chance to establish themselves as national figures.”
Paul’s campaign is also angered by the Fox effort to cut out his voice.
“The New Hampshire Republican Party did the right thing by pulling its sponsorship for Fox’s candidate forum,” said Ron Paul 2008 spokesman Jesse Benton. “‘Fox News’ decision to exclude Congressman Paul is unfair, but it won’t stop Dr. Paul’s message of freedom, peace and prosperity from resonating with the people of New Hampshire.”
The Fox decision is not going over well with New Hampshire voters or media who don’t like New York-based media coming to their state to dictate news coverage.
This past Thursday, the Manchester Union Leader, New Hampshire’s major newspaper, published a front-page editorial blasting news organizations that do not invite all candidates to their forums.
Fox said it decided to invite candidates who had received high standing in national polls, despite the fact small primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire will often back underdogs.
Paul supporters believe the move is an effort to marginalize their candidate, who has been a strong critic of the Iraq war.
“Fight Fox,” a new Web site organized by Paul backers, tells readers: “We need to send a message to Fox’s Rupert Murdoch & his fellow Neocon buddies that he is not Musharraf and the US is not Pakistan, yet! Fox News cannot just stifle public opinion. debate and impact a primary election by excluding Ron Paul just because they don’t like his message of freedom and liberty.”
Paul seems to share that view. According to a report in the Boston Globe, he called Fox News a “propagandist” for the Iraq war.
Despite the hoopla, Fox is sticking to its guns: no Ron Paul.
“We look forward to presenting a substantive forum which will serve as the first program of its kind this election season,” David Rhodes, vice president of Fox News, said in a statement.
January 6th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
sampo -
I’ve read a few of your posts here and can only conclude that you must be here illegally.
Your so anti-Romney (who will get you out) and McCain loving (who will give you tax dollars and comfort for breaking our laws)that is the only conclusion. Or you are just an idiot. McCain is a arrogant petty man who would destroy the Republican party
January 6th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Adam –
I see you are still pucking the same bloodymary laced spew as always. McCain, MY GOOD FRIEND, along with his (for now) buddy showed their true colors last night, small petty children
January 6th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Argamenon, it’s funny because when McCain starts to say, he agrees with Mitt on one issue, his lines go up. When he makes his snide little joke, his lines plummet.