Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
McCain Romney GOP Feud Bad for Debate Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee seemed to be interested in truly debating the challenges we face and their platform policies for addressing them while John McCain and Mitt Romney preferred to squabble and dance around engaging in a true debate.by Gary Wood
(Conservative Libertarian)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Senator John McCain enjoys using the words "straight talk" yet showed last night he does not enjoy engaging in it. Placing Governor Mitt Romney on the defense he was able to waste a large portion of the debate accusing Romney of using the word timetable as a clear message he wanted to cut and run from Iraq. Romney was more than willing to engage himself in this childish exchange in an effort to make it clear he did not support a timetable for withdrawal while showing McCain to be a liar, of course without directly calling him a liar.
Senator McCain appeared very smug as well as extremely stubborn and childish. Rather than elevating himself above the fray his entrenched political instinct was to attack Governor Romney relentlessly. He emphasized the fact timetables was the "buzzword" in April 2007 five times which somehow proved his assertion Mitt Romney wanted a cut and run secret timetable for withdrawal, ignoring the obvious out of context use of the quote he clung to. His smirk and smug attitude garnered emotional reactions from Romney and the CNN moderators seemed either unwilling or unable to break up this schoolyard feud between the two Presidential candidates, possible future President of the United States!
Stuck on the end and out of the camera's eye for most of the debate Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul appeared frustrated with the ridiculous exchange between the two. When Anderson Cooper finally asked Huckabee a question he began his response, "Well, first of all, I didn't come here to umpire a ballgame between these two. I came here to get a chance to swing at a few myself. So I'd appreciate maybe a question that we could talk about that would involve some of us down here at the end..." It wasn't to be as questions continued to go, in majority, to the feuding duo.
Ron Paul was quite clear about what he thought of the entire episode when Jim VandeHei was finally able to ask a viewers question. "You know, the country is in bankruptcy. And when I listen to this argument, I mean, I find it rather silly, because they're arguing technicalities of a policy they both agree with... We should be debating foreign policy, whether we should have interventionism or non-interventionism, whether we should be defending this country or whether we should be the policemen of the world, whether we should be running our empire or not, and how are we going to have guns and butter?"
The serious debate areas pointed to by Ron Paul will never get honest, straight talk air time as long as McCain and Romney are allowed to continue their silly feud that distracts from the real issues. Aside from the timetable debacle John McCain took every opportunity to swipe at Mitt Romney like a child waving a finger while chanting I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you. One of his favorite schoolyard games seems to be I've got better endorsements than you.' Seldom have we had a serious Presidential candidate who continually lists his endorsements in place of answering questions. When asked about an economic question he'll gladly say he's proud of his record and then list all the endorsements he feels will lend credence to his ability while never answering the questions with serious plans or the straight talk he claims to provide.
While Dr. Paul and Governor Huckabee may truly desire a chance to clearly debate differences and important issues impacting our future the media, McCain, and Romney seem happier feuding over silly technicalities. This GOP feud will benefit no one; not the candidates, not the people, not the future for our children's children. No one will benefit except the Democratic Party, they have to love watching the schoolyard antics of the GOP front-runners.
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2008 by Gary Wood - Permission to copy with attribution granted.
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2008 Gary Wood, all rights reserved.
Published: Thursday, January 31, 2008
Last modified: Thursday, January 31, 2008
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2008 Gary Wood, all rights reserved.