NBC debate results

By Scott A. Robinson, Editor

Filed Under Debates on Jan 23 

How would you rank tonight’s debate performances? Who were the winners and losers? Will this debate have an effect on the race like the one six days ago in South Carolina did? Did Brian Williams show any personality whatsoever other than at the very end when he said “Go Bulls!”

NBC debate open thread

By Scott A. Robinson, Editor

Filed Under Debates, Open Thread on Jan 23 

Can Newt Gingrich win the nomination by continuing to dominate the debates? Will Mitt Romney seem a bit more prepared this time and will he continue to attack as he has been on the trail since the South Carolina debacle? What is Rick Santorum’s purpose here? Ron Paul won’t get a fair amount of air time, but can he be good enough in the time he does get?

NBC/Facebook debate open thread

By Scott A. Robinson, Editor

Filed Under Debates, Open Thread on Jan 8 

Use this thread to comment on the NBC News Meet the Press/Facebook debate.

ABC debate reaction

By Scott A. Robinson, Editor

Filed Under Debates on Jan 7 

Who were the debate winners and losers?

Here’s how I saw it:

1. Mitt Romney dominated. When he spoke, he was fantastic. When he didn’t speak, especially in the first hour, everyone else who was fighting for second tore each other apart.

2. Ron Paul took apart Rick Santorum several times as well as Newt Gingrich.

3. Rick Perry made a few points that the audience enjoyed, but he isn’t a serious candidate anymore.

4. Newt Gingrich wasn’t bad. You could tell he was fighting internally to hide his anger at Ron Paul.

5. Jon Huntsman is completely unlikeable. He spoke in Mandarin. Who cares?

6. Rick Santorum had the most to gain and ended up losing the most. It is amazing what increased scrutiny does to a candidate. Ron Paul clearly got under his skin and Santorum was angry, pithy, and snarky. Santorum really hurt himself in this debate.

ABC News/Yahoo!/WMUR debate open thread

By Scott A. Robinson, Editor

Filed Under Debates, Open Thread on Jan 7 

This is your open thread for the first of two debates in the next 12 hours.

Mitt Romney, as the leader by 20-plus points has to most to lose tonight. Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich have the most to gain. It will be interesting to see if Rick Perry’s heart is really still in this race or if he has another disastrous debate. Finally, tonight is one of two final chances, tomorrow’s debate being the last, for Jon Huntsman to show any relevance whatsoever in the Republican primary.

Debate live blog!

By Scott A. Robinson, Editor

Filed Under Debates on Nov 22 

I’ll be posting analysis in five minute intervals of the CNN “National Security” Debate.

Read more

Will Perry’s fumble put him on the bench?

By Anthony W. Hager

Filed Under Debates, Race for White House 2012 on Nov 12 

Did Rick Perry’s fumble — forgetting the name of an agency he wants to eliminate — seal his fate? The pundits think so; there’s just no way Perry can recover. Even though he has campaigned for months, stating his opposition to education, commerce, and energy bureaucracies on innumerable occasions, he’s finished. But does a momentary brain freeze disqualify someone from high office? 

There are better reasons for voters to avoid checking Perry’s box. His position on illegal immigration rubbed many conservatives raw. Perry widened that rift when he said opponents of granting in-state tuition to illegal aliens “have no heart.” Rick Perry’s campaign has unquestionably stalled. But he isn’t losing conservatives because he fumbled at one debate. Read more

Some debate moments deserve their own post

By Jason Wright, Editor

Filed Under Debates on Nov 9 

Join us for the CNBC GOP debate tonight at 8 EST

By Jason Wright, Editor

Filed Under Debates on Nov 9 

Click here to join the live blog.

Christie to endorse Romney

By David Kaiser, Editor

Filed Under Debates, Race for White House 2012 on Oct 11 

In a fairly stunning move, popular New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will endorse Mitt Romney today in New Hampshire, just hours before a scheduled debate of the candidates for the GOP nomination.

Christie’s endorsement comes after last week, he finally put to rest any notion that he himself would seek the party’s nomination to challenge a wounded incumbent, President Barack Obama.

The Christie endorsement comes on the heels of several sets of new polling data which put Romney back in the lead of the RCP polling averages, an NBC News poll that put him in the lead in Iowa, and his continued dominance of the polling in New Hampshire.

Romney’s status as the front runner in the race is facing a challenge, as Herman Cain will be seeking to make his mark in tonight’s debate in the wake of some of his own good polling news in Iowa and South Carolina.

What impact will Christie’s endorsement have on the race?

Predictions for the New Hampshire debate

By Alaina Segovia

Filed Under Debates, Race for White House 2012 on Oct 11 

At 8:00 pm Eastern tonight, Bloomberg and the Washington Post will host the next GOP Presidential Debate.  Historically, debates have not made much of an impact on the polls, but this year is different.  Pawlenty’s campaign floundered and eventually gave up after he backed off his “ObamneyCare” statement when he was face to face with Romney.  His bickering with Bachmann like a catty little school girl didn’t help him either.  Then we had Bachmann who completely disappeared in the debate after her big win in Iowa’s Ames Straw Poll… so much so that she was handed an embarrassing defeat by Cain in a straw poll in her own home state over the weekend.  Perry’s train lost steam and close to 50% of his polling numbers when he couldn’t defend his stance on illegal immigration and stay awake during the last two debate.  Cain seems to be the only one who has gained momentum as a result of the debates, going from barely staying out of the bottom tier to a frontrunner.

There’s a lot at stake tonight.  Perry needs to prove that he can stay awake and intelligently defend his more liberal positions.  Cain has a newly minted target on his back so much of the focus will be on his as he takes center stage between Perry and Romney.  Romney will likely take quite a few punches as well since he is the clear frontrunner in New Hampshire and the focus is expected to be on the economy, which is supposed to be his strength.

What do you think will happen in the debate tonight?  Who will come out on top, who will get beat up and who should pack it up?

The Fix: Florida Republican presidential debate: Winners and losers

By Jason Wright, Editor

Filed Under Debates on Sep 13 

Worth a read:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/florida-republican-presidential-debate-winners-and-losers/2011/09/12/gIQAFKgHOK_blog.html

You agree with the winners and losers?

Bachmann shows true colors in HPV debate

By Alaina Segovia

Filed Under Debates, Domestic Policy, Race for White House 2012 on Sep 13 

Last night in the CNN Tea Party Debate (I am still trying to figure out how CNN and the Tea Party came together), Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry had a heated exchange about Perry’s attempted Executive Order to require all twelve year old girls in Texas to receive an HPV vaccination.

As most PD regulars know, I am no fan of Rick Perry and certainly not one to defend him, nor am I defending him now, but Bachmann made a couple of assertions that were blatantly false.

Read more

Are the Dems afraid of Romney?

By PD Administrator

Filed Under Debates, Race for White House 2012 on Sep 9 

A guest submission from Rochelle Edvalson

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC Chairwoman, is heading the the GOP Debate in Tampa. It’s in an effort to paint the GOP as extreme for wanting Cut, Cap, and Balance, and for support of the Ryan Plan. No news there, however, she seems to have her target set on one GOP candidate in particular. According to Politico:

Democrats are trying to keep Mitt Romney from carving out space to Perry’s left — a mark, perhaps, of who they see as a tougher general election candidate.

She will lay in to Mitt Romney’s outright hypocrisy on the issue. Romney thinks he can get to the left of Rick Perry on Social Security – but Romney’s support for privatizing Social Security is as hostile and dangerous to the program as Perry’s rhetoric and attitude. Gambling Social Security in the stock market as Romney would do would devastate the program and we’re not going to let Mitt Romney get away with pretending he has any virtue at all on the issue,” the source said.

Well, while the Democratic party may be experts on hypocrisy, I think defining another person’s virtues might be best left up to someone else.

Who won?

By Jason Wright, Editor

Filed Under Debates on Sep 8 

Putting aside your personal preferences and biases, who really “won” last night’s debate and why?

September forecast: Cloudy with a chance of Cain

By Daniel Bassali

Filed Under Debates, Race for White House 2012 on Aug 30 

Starting on September 7 there will be three major Republican debates in the month, two in October and another two to round out the year. After those there are five more debates scheduled for 2012 that run up to March 5th.

I say, however, we don’t need that many. The stretch of presidential debates coming this month will be the most important to winning the Republican nomination. This is the time in the season where a teams capabilities become apparent. In sports we look at this time as the sort out process. Any team can start out oddly hot or cold but its at this crucial time where we find who is for real and who is not. I personally think this upcoming month will weed out all the candidates the Iowa Straw Poll should have. Every major candidate has something to prove with these debates.
Read more

Debate analysis roundup

By Jason Wright, Editor

Filed Under Debates on Jun 14 

Politico: GOP debate rivals let Romney off easy

AP: Mitt Romney leaves GOP debate unscathed

National Review: Mitt’s Night

Barone: My take on the New Hampshire debate

CNN: Winners and losers of Monday’s GOP debate

Kristol: The missing seven