Open Thread: Your thoughts on the GOP debate in Las Vegas last night

Did not have the time to watch anything but the last minute or so of the debate last night, so how about adding your comments below concerning debate performance. Who gained? Who lost?

Jim did record the debate and I’m certain it will be a discussion on the show today. One thing that bugged me is the exchange I saw as Perry attacked Romney on hiring illegal aliens for working at his home. That’s a complete looser of a swing in my book. If the lawn guy comes to my house five times a year for the standard fertilizer and weed control treatments, there is no way I’m checking the immigration status of all the employees. If you hire a company and you’re getting invoiced and paying just like you would for any other service, it is there responsibility of the company to ensure their employees can legally work here.

Your comments.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

22 Comments

  1. phil on October 19, 2011 at 8:44 am

    How would a campaign be received if ALL the candidates stood tall on their own merits instead of crotch punching their opponents to bring them down to their level?? This infantile scrapping is getting old.? Knock it off children! Show us that YOU deserve to sit in the big boys chair.



    • Lynn on October 19, 2011 at 12:31 pm

      Totally with you, and why not talk about real issues. We have problems real problems.? I want solutions NOT backstabbing.



  2. King Phillips on October 19, 2011 at 9:22 am

    Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich were clearly the winners last night. Romney lied about hiring illegals. Perry lied to Rick Santorum about TARP. Perry wrote a letter that supported TARP and Perry did not confess this. He lied. And Jim, please! please at least mention Ron Paul’s trillion dollar plan to reduce the Federal Government as well the fact that CNN gave everyone on-stage a final comment EXCEPT RON PAUL. WHY? WHY? WHY?



    • zedgar2 on October 19, 2011 at 11:48 am

      From all that I can find from searching the web, Romney’s story holds up – i.e., his lawn care company had an illegal alien in 2006, Romney gave them a second chance on the condition that they not hire another illegal, and when he learned that another illegal was working for them in 2007, Romney fired the lawn care company. What evidence is there that Romney lied about this last night? Perry is desperate if he has to resort to a cheap smear tactic like this.



  3. GaryInSoGlast on October 19, 2011 at 10:40 am

    ?
    Here’s my rundown for all that care. Romney and Perry are just the McCain brothers.? They are both RINO?s to the core, and they may as well just admit that they really just want bigger government run my their party.? Power is their only goal, and the people can be damned. ?Dr. Paul has bad medicine to give, but he’s not wrong. He is someone that needs to be listened to and he should play a part in fixing our nation. I just don’t think he can be president. Newt is Newt, smart, well spoken, but too close to the problem (Washington). Bachmann is an interesting women that wears her religion on her sleeve. I don’t hold it against her, but we need to fix all of our other problems before we worry about the spirits of the people. The country is in real financial trouble, addicted to spending, and no signs of shrinking the government. Once that’s fixed, then we can worry about more social issues. (I know there are others, but I don’t care)Finally, the man himself, Mr. Cain. He’s not…



  4. zedgar2 on October 19, 2011 at 12:07 pm

    Newt gave the most cogent and relevant responses to the questions and went into attack mode on Romney (but then later chastised the forum for fostering bickering.)? Santorum looked like he was in pain last night and showed almost childish desperation as he kept interrupting Romney and then said “You’re out of time!”. Bachman was grasping for straws. Ron Paul was inconsistent – said defense is most important but we need to bring all the troops home. He did score points on again criticizing the Fed and advocating the dismantling of Dept. of Education and other Fed. agencies. Perry was scary – as in Dr. Strangelove. Romney defended himself well but shouldn’t have stooped to Perry’s level. Cain’s disposition in responding to 9-9-9 battering was good but he can’t just keep saying “go to my website” – he needs credible independent economists to vet his plan. He also stumbled badly on releasing Gitmo prisoners to win a soldier’s release. Overall winner was Newt with Romney in second.



  5. zedgar2 on October 19, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    One last comment. No one gave a good answer to the question about what you would like to say to Hispanic voters. There were the beginnings of a few worthwhile thoughts but it was disappointing that no one jumped in with a well thought out, cohesive message as to why Hispanics should feel more positive about voting for a Republican than for Obama and the Democrats. It will be important for the Republican candidate to explain, without pandering,? why his or her policies on jobs, taxes, immigration, regulation, etc. will benefit Hispanics as well as all other groups and individuals.



    • Lynn on October 19, 2011 at 12:37 pm

      Why divide by ethnic groups? They should talk to ALL Americans (not illegals and voters who are “dead”) and tell them to vote for Anybody But Obama (ABO). Then each say what their solutions are to get economy back, how to handle foreign policy, our war with terrorism, and other pertinent problems.? NO personal stupid fights with each other. D**n it!



    • zedgar2 on October 19, 2011 at 1:51 pm

      It’s called marketing, Lynn, not dividing. I’m not suggesting that the substance of the policies should differ by ethnic group – that’s something that the Dems do. Rather, the candidate needs to understand that he/she is selling himself/herself to a broad array of constituencies and that their messages need to resonate with as many of those constituencies as possible. In doing so, cultural background and demographics can’t be ignored, just as it can’t be in marketing products and services to consumers. Rick Santorum came closest to this last night when he started out by saying that Hispanics tend to be very family oriented people. But he then didn’t do a very good job in explaining why those who are family oriented should find his and other Republican policies much more attractive than those of the Democrats. So he started the right messaging but didn’t finish. As I said, Lynn, that’s marketing not dividing.



    • ricbee on October 19, 2011 at 10:59 pm

      ?The correct thing to say would have been is that”Hispanics are just Americans who speak lousy English & what’s good for all is good for them.



  6. Lynn on October 19, 2011 at 5:21 pm

    As a capitalist, I’m all for marketing.? But Santorum sort of proved the point, none of these Republicans, probably know anything about Hispanics and would sound phony if they did.? I didn’t watch the debate and you obviously did. I guess I question the questioner! Was there a hidden agenda to make the GOP look clueless and unprepared on this issue. However, I don’t think Obama would know any better with his elitist education.



    • zedgar2 on October 19, 2011 at 5:50 pm

      The questioner was an Hispanic audience member. He asked the question respectfully and without any apparent hidden motives. If there was a gotcha here, it might have been CNN pre-selecting him. But I’d rather get these types of questions now when most people are not watching because they will certainly come up on the mainstage debates and interviews post-convention.



  7. Plainvillian on October 19, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    The biggest disappointments were:? Perry and Romney sniping like children and neither appeared presidential. Perry and Romney insisting on conflating Cain’s tax plan with state sales taxes when neither man is that ignorant.? Santorum’s sanctimonious whining is annoying.? The “gotcha” question for Cain about negotiating with terrorists was laid to rest by Cain following the debate when Cain candidly reviewed the afternoon’s statement and said he misspoke and why.? I’m sure few debate viewers stayed tuned in past the leftist pundit blather to see Cain’s recanting.
    Gingrich once again came across as the most cerebral of the group.? Too bad he’s old news and a beltway insider.
    Since 1968 in every presidential election save one, I have voted for what I believed was the lesser of the evils presented.? It would be wonderful to support a candidate in whom I believed for whom I was enthusiastic.? I fear Romney will be the eventual GOP nominee in which case I would hold my nose and vote for him.



    • ricbee on October 19, 2011 at 10:55 pm

      I’ll not vote for Romney.



  8. Anybody but Obama on October 19, 2011 at 8:40 pm

    My biggest disappointment was Ron Paul running down Ronald Reagan. I will stay home before I vote for that piece of work.



    • ricbee on October 19, 2011 at 10:53 pm

      You won’t be alone,but Reagan was no saint,tho God sent him to save us.



  9. ricbee on October 19, 2011 at 10:51 pm

    Watch the debate?-that’s your job,Radioman. I heard enough of what I took to be some kind of prattle between Perry & Romney to make me sick. And you expect me to watch that crap? That’s why you get the big bucks.



    • Steve M on October 20, 2011 at 8:13 am

      @rickbee: I think you need to step back and take a breath. First of all, note the author of the post, my name is Steve, it’s not Jim and I’m not a “radioman.” I also don’t get paid a dime for writing here. Maybe you could have missed the byline with my name, but if you actually took the time to read the two-paragraph post, you’ll see it was clear Jim was not writing the post since I referred to him.

      I’m also going to ask you to please stop bolding every one of your posts, it’s not necessary and is almost as annoying as all CAPS.?



  10. phil on October 20, 2011 at 8:25 am

    So, again, it boils down to who ya gonna vote against?? Be an improvement if we could just send all the scoundrels home.



    • Dimsdale on October 20, 2011 at 10:39 am

      Anyone is better than ?bama.? I would rather hold my nose than fill an airsickness bag.



  11. JBS on October 20, 2011 at 10:42 am

    I don’t like any of them. Of course, I don’t like the current president, I didn’t vote for him.
    I guess unless we get a real conservative candidate for president, I will have to vote against the current regime and, by default, vote for the Republican survivor.
    Another lackluster campaign.



  12. jjflynn on October 20, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    Barring a truly miraculous turnaround after Tuesday?s debate it is beginning to look like Perry could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, if he were to win the nomination or even be on the ticket. His immigration shot at Romney was an old story that came across as a cheap shot.? Perry then proceeded to be very un-presidential ?by talking over Romney while he tried to give his response. The crowed even booed him.
    ?



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