Impression of the New Hampshire Primary Debates
by tdaxp ~ January 6th, 2008
Republicans: Except for Paul, every candidate did well. Thompson stood out. Romney gave a more coherent explanation and defense of his (current) positions than anyone else, but the effect of being attacked by everyone probably hurt him.
Winner: Thompson
Loser: Romney
Also did well: Everyone else
Democrats: I was watching the debate on my DVR, and I thought “this is a meltdown.’ I wasn’t the only one. Clinton’s outburst was preceded by a joint Obama-Edwards attack on her, Barack calculating that his best chance is knocking out her machine, and Edwards thinknig that this best shoot is making himself (and not Hillary) the candidate of high-school educated voters.
Winner: Obama
Loser: Clinton
Also did well: Everyone else
January 6th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Wow. That town hall meeting was vicious. It's too bad that Hillary can never seem to get over the style hurdle. But it's so easy to see her having more meltdowns: something I don't want in a president.
January 6th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Unless there's a miracle in NH, she's over. The GOP race is still very much in flux and we shall see if there is any credence to Rudy G's Super Tuesday strategy. Could be a lot of horse trading going on among the four centers of power (Romney, Huckabee, Rudy G & McCain/Thompson) to determine the victor. NH won't resolve anything, and I doubt SC will either.
You are quite right about Edwards' motivation, but even he has to realize he won't win SC and thus his campaign is over as well, barring a sudden series of serious gaffes from Obama. Who will be Obama's VP? That choice will tell a lot about where his nomination could go….
January 6th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I have to agree with PurpleSlog, I lost a lot of respect for Richardson watching the debate. After a while I just started fast forwarding through any time he spoke (tivo). Likewise with Edwards. The red-faced taking-on-the-corporations-is-personal rant was scary. A pox on he and Huckabee with there populism.
I thought that Clinton clearly had a better grasp of the issues and minutia of different policies, and she has an amazing ability to pull all kinds of facts and nuances out of her nether regions. That being said, I really think Obama will be the nominee, he's just too damn appealing. Since the betting markets are predicting a Democrat will when handily, regardless of the candidate, it looks like he's our guy.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Here is my suggestion for Obama's VP pick…
-someone with more experience (executive level)
-someone with national security credentials
-somebody with some cross over appeal to republicans
…Jim Webb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb
That would cause problems for the republicans I think.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Wow! Amazing comments!
Red Son,
The Clintons are smart and strong enough to turn things around nationally, but the swiftness of the collapse [1,2] is startling.
PurpleSlog,
What anti-capitalism statements by McCain? McCain pointed out that the drug companies are bad for blocking reimportation — which is a clear statement of free market principles.
CGW,
Agreed. Her style is awful. Actually dangerous.
Eddie,
For the last many cycles, the candidate of high school educated voters has defeated the candidate of college educated voters in the Democratic primary. Clinton's the former, Obama's the latter. Edwards' hope is that Clinton is taken down swiftly enough that he can move into her place, and defeat Obama among the less educated/
ElamBend.
Lady of tdaxp's take was that Obama looks like a teacher, Edwards looks like a manager, Clinton looks like a lawyer, and Richardson looks like a Vice President. I think Richardson was hoping so, too.
PurpleSlog,
Not to mention Hong Le would be the most attractie Second Lady we've had in a long time! [3]
[1] Drudge currently has the headline: “RASMUSSEN: Clinton's lead in national polling collapse… now Clinton 33 Obama 29; Before Iowa showed Clinton 41 Obama 24… Developing.”
[2] http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/6/183244/6352/390/431837
[3] http://webb.senate.gov/gallery010408/Gallery/Photo_Gallery.html#56
January 6th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I have worked, lived, and gone to school in NH and I don't really see clinton winning there, especially not after all those college students registered to vote in NH and won the state for Kerry in '04. But if all of those students will vote in the primaries is another question. If the Obama campaign is smart they will take advantage of this.
January 6th, 2008 at 12:00 am
On the Dems side, I thought Richardson came across as a ticket-punching idiot. Also, every time I hear Edwards, he seems to be going more to the hard left – was he always like that?
On the Republican side, Romney took some hits. A big plus IMHO for him though was when he was the only person responding to the anti-capitalism statements of McCain. Romney responded forcefully and positively in defense of capitalism. Everybody else was silent.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:00 am
TDAXP,
It was related to that. He made several anti-capitlism, anti-drug company statements. Romney started to say something to the effect that they are “not evil” and McCain shot back (off-camera) yes they are.
On Sunday he said something like “not for profit, but for patriotism” in the context of leadership – the implication was his leadership was better because it was not tarnished with profit/economics.
I like McCain on Security. He is a mess on domestic policy (e.g. Campaign Finance reform fiasco) and economics (I think capitalism/entrepreneurialism is good….McCain not so much…lookwarm at best).
–Purpleslog
January 7th, 2008 at 12:00 am
PurpleSlog,
The drug companies have pulled off the nifty trick of building their state-enforced monopolies (everything from patents to reimportation laws), but are screaming murder when there's talk of regulating those state-enforced monopolies.
If the pharmaceutical companies want a free economy, great: just too bad they haven't been acting like it.
January 7th, 2008 at 12:00 am
More on a Obama VP…how about Robert Rubin or Bi8ll Bradley?
January 7th, 2008 at 12:00 am
PS,
I think Rubin would be good. Were he the candidate, Obama would need to choose someone to give him 'gravitas'. So, I would think of some elder statesmen figures or a popular governor, though no one comes straight to mind. I think Webb may have the problem of being a little rough around the edges in public events, that is to say, he might say too many impolitic things over the 8-9 month run-up to election day.
Also on McCain…Keating Five.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I like the idea of Hillary as Obama's VP (I think I've mentioned that before on here). Everything people say he hasn't got, she has; but he's got the things that would keep her from winning the Presidency in her own right. And, unlike Bush, I think Obama has the smarts to avoid becoming the puppet of a more experienced underling.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Well, after this [1]…
PS: may be too soon to crown Obama yet!
ElamBend: How does an elipses and a buzzword demonstrate anything? (Like writing “Also on Clinton… Travelgate,” it adds no new information.)
Michael: Clinton's style is so bad that her national office would hurt the country.
[1] http://www.tdaxp.com/archive/2008/01/08/that-humanizing-moment.html
January 8th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Which is why I don't like the idea of her as President. As VP, her style becomes less of an issue. I am willing to consider the possibility of Webb or someone else though.
January 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Vice Presidency would set her up to run again in 8 years… a disaster in the making.
January 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Obama may find himself not having a choice, though. If the results of Iowa and New Hampshire are repeated through the rest of the primary, he may find himself winning the nomination by a narrow margin and having to do some peace-making in the party before tackling the general election.
If that happens, one can only hope she would take advantage of that 4-8 years to learn a new style from him.
January 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am
“If that happens, one can only hope she would take advantage of that 4-8 years to learn a new style from him.”
Indeed, expecting personality to change is in the matter of “only hope,” as opposed to reasonable expectations, etc.