Republican Presidential Debate

Yesterday, I was stuck running sound for the same presentation three times at my work. In the sound booth ensuring quality vocals on the microphone for three hours, I quickly found other things to do. So I pulled up the internet and watched the Republican debate in Michigan on CNBC.com. There are still nine Republicans running for the nomination, which makes the debate extra boring and worthless. Why do we need to hear from Tancredo, Brownback, and Hunter? Are they adding anything to the campaign? Is there anyone beyond their immediate family supporting them? Anyway, here are my reactions to the debate:

Tancredo, Brownback, Hunter: See aforementioned question of just what exactly they are doing here. I'll give Brownback some credit - he was the best of these three, but that is not saying much. He did sound rather knowledgeable on the issues and I particularly liked his answer to the biggest obstacle facing the US economy - the breakdown of the American family. But other than that, these three should pack it in and allow others to have more time to talk about the issues. I really don't care what Hunter thinks about China, because he is never going to be close to making any sort of presidential decision concerning it. These three have the same amount of chance of winning the presidency in '08 that I do.

Ron Paul: The most unique positions of the candidates. He is more Libertarian than Republican. I am not sure whether his presence helps or hurts the other candidates. In the first few debates, he may have helped, but now he is a distraction. But, at least you know where he stands on issues - he is not afraid to speak his mind. And he nailed Romney on the Iran question. But he has no chance as well, and at this point, is merely an ideological candidate for the Libertarian Party and a few conspiracy nuts.

Huckabee: I don't know what to make of him. He is trying too hard to have down-home witty things to say all the time. I oppose his tax plan, and I really don't know what more he stands for, except that he is socially conservative. People mention him as a possible running mate for Giuliani, but I think he would be Quayled if he ran as VP.

McCain: A few months ago, I declared his candidacy to be dead. But there is still something I like about McCain. I like that he is not beholden to the Religious Right. I like that he was brave enough to try to do something rational about immigration, even though he is taking the heat for it now. I like his military experience and his opposition to torture. I like the guy - but it may be too late for him to make a comeback. However, there is a sign of a pulse there, so we'll see.

Romney: I can't stand him. Too smooth, too mechanical. And, I don't believe he believes half of what he is saying. Unlike McCain, Romney is trying to fashion himself as a Religious Right candidate, even though he has held positions contrary to them in the past. I find him unauthentic. His jab at Thompson was so rehearsed and lame. His "consulting lawyers" answer was completely out of touch. I would not vote for him - and while much has been made of his Mormonism, that is not a factor as to my dislike for him. I hope he fades quickly, because the Democrats would have a field day with him and the Republicans could lose southern states if he is nominated.

Thompson: At this point in the race, he is my personal favorite. While the beginning of the debate was a bit rocky for him, I could barely hear him in the sound booth - I almost thought he was too tall for the microphone - he got better as the debate went on. But he will have to be much more emphatic with his answers if he wants to gain much ground. He is a very tall guy - I never realized until yesterday how much taller he was than everybody else. He has a way to go to catch Rudy, but he showed a genuine, relaxed attitude that contrasts sharply with Romney's fakeness. I also appreciate the fact that, while he is conservative, he is not pandering to Dobson either - in an interview last week he said he doesn't care to meet with Dobson until Dobson apologized to him. I am eager to hear him articulate his issues in the coming days.

Giuliani - still the front-runner, but for how long? Just how much influence will the social conservatives have in '08? Rudy could split the party, which is why I still doubt he could win the nomination. But I like him as a leader and communicator. He is very genuine as well and quick on his feet. But will he be able to win the nomination merely as a fiscal conservative? He would do well in the general election against Hillary. Of all the candidates, I think he would be the strongest, but if the social conservatives bail on him, he may not have much of a chance. Still, with Hillary as the Democratic nominee, that may be motivation enough for social conservatives to vote for Rudy - just as an opposing vote to Hillary more than anything else.

Of the Republican candidates, Giuliani, Thompson, and McCain would be the three most formidable candidates. Any of those three would be a solid nominee for the Republican Party. But this is a watershed moment, because neither of those three will be in the pocket of the Religious Right, even though McCain and Thompson share much in common with them. It should be an interesting few months.