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Pre-debate Horserace Open Thread

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The starters have left the gate and they’re off.  Michele “Speaks From God” Bachmann stirred the punters briefly with her Ames Straw Poll victory but was promptly sasquatched by good ol’ Rick Perry’s cannonball entrance.  Huntsman morphed into the sane alternative and subsists on earned media; tells Tea Party, “Bite me” but the tea leaves say “Not this time.”

Newt does well in debates but seems headed to repeat Fred Thompson’s performance art experiment while Rudy won’t commit ’till after the 9/11 observances free him for other duties.  Chris “Get off the damn beach” Christie is yet to be called.  And Sarah, bless her grifter heart, is left to pimp her PAC.

Romney trims his sails and tries to stay upwind of the scrum but puts in an appearance to kiss De Mint’s ring which Perry unexpectedly “misses” due to prior engagements; prayers notwithstanding.

Paul gets his day in the media but fails to inspire.  Cain is unable.  Santorum wanders deeper into postmodern ultraconservative irrelevance.  For all the values sanctity and financial probity demanded and promised by candidates for this “mother of all GOP nominations” the big question remains, “Who’s in the money?”

Debate countdown here.  Or submit a “yes/no” question via Twitter with hashtag #reagandebate (as if.)


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61 comments

  1. fogiv

    Or submit a “yes/no” question via Twitter with hashtag #reagandebate

    I’m hoping for a show of hands.

    Do you believe Jesus rode dinosaurs?

  3. HappyinVT

    “Reagan.”  Tax cuts, Obamacare, and deregulation should be big hits, too.  Wonder who will take the first rhetorical shot at Perry.

  4. HappyinVT

    Given the 9/11 coverage so far I cannot imagine what Sunday is going to be like.  I believe I will do what Bush told us to do back in the day and go shopping.

  5. fogiv

    I wonder if (p)Rick Perry will be asked to explain his desire for an ‘inconsequential’ federal government, especially after getting SEVEN Federal grants to combat the wildfires that have killed four people and devoured 600 homes in his drought-plagued state. You know, after Perry and the GOP who control all three branches of Texas government butchered the budget of the Texas Forest Service — slashing $34 million from the state agency that fights wildfires. The ‘inconsequential’ Feds/USDA Forest Service are now taking over supression efforts for the understaffed, underfunded, and ill-equipped state agency. Think that issue will come up? Meh, I doubt it. Instead, expect a concentrated discussion on the many charms of Reagan’s under-chin waddle.

    Or hey, since (p)Rick believes climate change is ‘one contrived phony mess’, maybe he could explain the record heat, drought, and 35-mph Tropical Storm Lee winds that contributed to the catastrophic fires? Seventeen major TX cities recorded their hottest summer this year, eclipsing records that go back more than 100 years. Greater than 81% of the state is in exceptional drought conditions, the worst level, according to the ‘inconsequential’ federal government’s U.S. Drought Monitor.

    Hey (p)Rick, does this mean that Jesus hates the Lone Star state?  Is that brimstone I’m smelling?

  7. anna shane

    brought to us by the gang of twits?  They never fail to entertain.  Isn’t Barack going to speak while they’re debating?  

  8. Shaun Appleby

    Down the first stretch:


    Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, who also managed the [POLITICO/George Washington University Battleground Poll], said the GOP race remained “very, very volatile.” Perry’s support – well over 20 percent in every poll – is a big cache of votes that Lake said had yet to be locked down.

    “I think it’s soft, because voters don’t really know anything about him,” said Lake. “A third of voters think of themselves as fluid, but from the data, I’d think it’s upward of a half.”

    Alexander Burns – Presidential debate season could alter GOP race Politico 7 Sep 11

    I think that’s true.  Interestingly Romney leads the polling on “might vote for” irrespective of first choice; he’s not out yet by any measure.  Also by this time in our nomination in 2007 we knew the campaign contribution hauls to the dollar and were running that horserace with enthusiasm.  How come the Republican campaign figures aren’t a metric for this race?  That’s where Obama first raised serious eyebrows and challenged Hillary.

    Anyone know what the monthly or quarterly tallies are for Republicans?  September seems a key period.

  11. Chris Blask

    Maybe he just looks that way normally.

    [sic]”nobody has done more for the poor than me”

    “we transformed the welfare system because we believed in the dignity of every person.”

    “bottom up, not top down”

  12. Chris Blask

    “The average white household has 20 times the income of a black family. What would you do about it?”

    “We need to create an environment where the small business can believe they can make a profit.”

    “JFK said the best welfare system is a job. That is what we need to work on today.”

  15. fogiv

    huntsman is jabbing everywhere.  he’s too sane for the GOP (i disagree with him all over, but i wouldn’t feel the need to hide my children at his approach).

    bachmann is the scary clown from under the bed in Poltergeist.  except dumber.

    Energy is too high.  Let’s make a goal of bringing it down.

    Ron Paul is like the great-grandpa who buries valuables in his yard and embarrasses everyone at holiday dinners by describing latinos as ‘breeders’.

    You can buy a gallon of gasoline with a silver dime!

    Newt:  the ‘smart’ one.  not smart enough to know that in a field of 6 (how many now?) contenders, he’s already finished 10th.  

    Santorum: so…we’re referring to ourselves in the third person now, eh? {insert sound of cuckoo clock here}

    Cain: if alan keyes isn’t careful, he’ll lose his ‘wackiest black republican’ title to the pizza guy.

    Romney tries very hard to sound ‘authentic’.  i’m actually surprised this guy gets as much support as he does.  no charisma, and he’s a bit of a dullard, no?

    Perry:  central casting, lots of misfires but he’s seemingly oblivious to them.  this is a guy who grins and cocks an eyebrow even when the building is falling down around him — not because he’s courageous, or steadfast, or anything like that…he’s just completely unaware.  

     

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