South Carolina Debate Reactions

I increasingly cringe when I hear the responses of most of the GOP presidential candidates. I cringe even more when I watch and listen to the presumably conservative audience which seems best described by rudeness and nastiness. And they're all likely self-congratulatory far right Christians which adds to the overall travesty. While Romney so far continues to be the likely nominee, the guy just can't seem to really connect with anyone as he twists and weaves in his effort to please everyone all of the time. As for his opponents, Gingrich, Santorum and Perry to a lesser extent are merely demagogues who exemplify so much of what is wrong with today's Republican Party. The Washington Post sums up its view of the winners and losers. Here are some highlights:

WINNERS

* Newt Gingrich: This was the former House Speaker’s best debate of the entire race. With not all that much to lose, Gingrich let ‘er rip tonight and had the exuberant crowd — more on that below — eating out of his hand.

Gingrich’s characterization of President Obama as the “food stamp president” won him applause but it was nothing as compared to the standing ovation he received when challenged about that statement later by debate panelist Juan Williams. So in Newt’s corner was the audience that even his far less sensical lines — “Only the elites despise earning money,” he said at one point — earned him applause.

* Rick Perry: The Texas governor didn’t talk all that much but when he did he was very effective. His line about the South Carolina being “at war” with the federal government drew raucous applause. His ability to step back from a fight between Romney and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and label them both “insiders” showed how much he has progressed as a debater.

* Barack Obama: If you assume — and we do — that Romney is the all-but-certain Republican nominee (whether that happens sooner or later remains anybody’s guess) then the Obama campaign got some good material to use against him tonight. Romney committed — kind of, sort of — to (maybe) releasing his taxes in April, a pledge the Obama team will hold him to. He also stuck to his decidedly conservative line on immigration, which will make it more difficult for him to court Hispanics once the general election begins.

LOSERS

* Ron Paul: Ugh. We don’t often feel bad for politicians — after all, they are putting themselves out there and inviting public scrutiny — but we felt some pangs for the Texas Republican Congressman tonight. His answers on foreign policy were repeatedly booed and Perry even suggested that a gong should have been used to cut Paul off. While Paul-ites undoubtedly cheered their hero’s willingness to stand up for what he believes in when it comes to U.S. involvement in foreign countries, it’s just not a majority position — or anywhere close to it — in the Republican electorate of South Carolina.

* Audience: The Fix is pro-audience involvement — to a point. Tonight’s debate went beyond that point. Not only were moderators booed for asking questions — just doing their jobs, folks — but it became clear after about 15 minutes that Gingrich, Perry and, to a lesser extent, Santorum were all vamping for crowd reaction in each of their answers. The result? Lots of conservative red meat thrown on the debate stage but not a lot of serious and detailed discussion that went beyond the candidates’ talking points.

Serious thought and analysis are increasingly things scorned by the GOP base. If it doesn't fit in a quick sound bite, then they don't want to hear it. I guess they fear their tiny little brains might explode.