First Republican debate open thread Update: Poll: Who won? Update: Videos added
posted at 7:48 pm on May 3, 2007 by Ian
Update @ 1:59 Eastern 5/4 Poll closed. Stay tuned for results …
Tonight at 8pm eastern on MSNBC. If you’re unable to watch it on television, MSNBC will simulcast the debate online and C-SPAN will broadcast the audio.
Chris Matthews will moderate. He was a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter, an aide to Tip O’Neill and worked for Democratic Senators Frank Moss and Edmund Muskie. Matthews and “moderator” shouldn’t even be in the same sentence. But, alas, that’s a subject for a different thread.
Debating tonight: Fmr. Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Fmr. Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, former Govs. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin, Jim Gilmore of Virginia, and Reps. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, Duncan Hunter of California and Ron Paul of Texas.
The Politico and N.Z. Bear will be live-blogging from the Reagan Library.
As always, let us know if you see something clipworthy.
Update: I’m not a Romney guy, but I think it’s great his staff is pumping out debate video.
Update: Tony Snow was asked what the President thought about Keith Olbermann, a known Republican-hater hosting debate coverage (via Olbermann Watch):
At tonight’s Republican candidates debate, the pre-debate and post-debate coverage I read will be Chris Matthews and Keith Olberman of MSNBC, of whom there is a report that last October 23rd, Mr. Olberman said, “The leading terrorist group in this country is the Republican Party.”And my question: Does the President know why this Republican debate is tolerating such a reported maligner, and does he believe they should?
Update: Heading Right is doing some great live-blogging. Michelle also liveblogged.
Update: Rudy’s stance on abortion is already on YouTube:
Update: According to our poll, Drudge’s poll, and many bloggers, Romney won the debate. I’ve got to say, I’m not a Romney guy, but he came off as the winner to me. However, he also won the “invoke Reagan as much as you can” award. It would be interesting to see Fred Thompson debate this “incomplete crowd.”
Blowback
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Definetly chosen by liberals…
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 9:25 PM
This entire debate is like a lightening round. So much faster than last weeks, and much more substantive answers. Yes, I know, lots of talking point, yada yada yada—but still, the pace is incredible.
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:25 PM
let’s see, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, Terry Schiavo…
OMG. What a ridiculous question. BILL CLINTON. OMG.
SillyRyno on May 3, 2007 at 9:25 PM
So Dr. Paul thinks Libby should suffer in jail for a crime he wasn’t accused off. Niiice, Granny.
p0s3r on May 3, 2007 at 9:25 PM
Would it be good for America to have Clinton back in the WH? Good answer by Romney. “You’ve got to be kidding”.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:25 PM
ROFL Would it be good for a Clinton to be back in the White House? Geez heh.
Dash on May 3, 2007 at 9:26 PM
“Big Bill”?
noble_eagle on May 3, 2007 at 9:26 PM
WOW Chris Mathews is a real BIG A$$hole !!!!
abinitioadinfinitum on May 3, 2007 at 9:26 PM
Next, Matthews is going to ask “Should Lincoln have put more emphasis on ending slavery at the start of the Civil War?”
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 9:27 PM
Matthews: “Ok, raise of hands. How many of you still eat puppies?”
Lehosh on May 3, 2007 at 9:27 PM
It’s not that we don’t like it…it’s just that Matthews is trying to set people up. I am happy to hear these answers, and Dems should be upset about the discrepancy. But they won’t be.
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:28 PM
I think police could decide that. Just like they can get a feeling about certain drivers, and pull them over to see if they’re drunk.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:28 PM
A real stand up guy would have done something to stop the nonsense.
Fortunately [sic]I listened to a portion of the debate via talk radio. My beautiful SONY HD television would have a hole in it if I hadn’t. Good gawd, what a bunch of garbage.
MrC_5150 on May 3, 2007 at 9:28 PM
How would you be different than Bush?
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:28 PM
Ha good one by Ron Paul =) “I voted to impeach him”
Dash on May 3, 2007 at 9:28 PM
Agreed. Say what you want about Matthews, but this debate was pretty good.
Nonfactor on May 3, 2007 at 9:29 PM
that’s fine with me, but no one allows the police the latitude to do their jobs like that anymore. Profiling, race baiting,…what cop would be brave enough.
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 9:29 PM
I refuse to watch that numb skull, Matthews. I’ve been keeping up with it at Michelle’s signature site. And besides, it’s what? 17 months to the election?
Zorro on May 3, 2007 at 9:29 PM
Ian, please put together a tape of all of Ron Paul’s answers back to back so no matter who does get the nomination we’ll have proof that we could have done worse.
bdfaith on May 3, 2007 at 9:30 PM
The dog had to pee!!! Was there really a Bill Clinton question?
ctmom on May 3, 2007 at 9:31 PM
But you do have to admit that there have been plenty of softballs tossed by Matthews.
Nonfactor on May 3, 2007 at 9:31 PM
Looks like Matthews takes any opportunity he can get to keep Tom Tancrdo from getting the floor…
RD on May 3, 2007 at 9:32 PM
Yes.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:32 PM
Good answer by Rudy
noble_eagle on May 3, 2007 at 9:32 PM
Winner: Romney
Loser: Paul
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:32 PM
Ok, let’s see our list.
1) Do you believe Evolution?
2) Do you believe Global Warming?
3) Free Scooter Libby?
4) Serve the Dread Lord Karl Rove?
5) Save Terry Schiavo?
6) Do you hate the Clintons?
7) How has Bush failed America?
Nice job, Matthews. You asked almost all of the silliest questions.
I guess we can be thankeful that we didn’t hear the words “Halliburton” or “The TRVTH behind 9/11″.
Lehosh on May 3, 2007 at 9:33 PM
he gets to host and then analyze? Is that typical?
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 9:33 PM
That plane creeps me out. How it’s suspended from the roof.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:33 PM
did Olby just say “more Iraq and Iran brought up tonight than expected”???
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 9:33 PM
I think he missed his debate the other night
abinitioadinfinitum on May 3, 2007 at 9:33 PM
Agreed.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:34 PM
Olberdouche! Oh God change the channel, CHANGE THE CHANNEL!!!
infidel4life on May 3, 2007 at 9:34 PM
Yeah, Paul should leave and make sure the door doesn’t hit him on the way out.
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 9:34 PM
Yes. I thought it sounded like it wasn’t supposed to be broadcast.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:35 PM
Rove’s anti-gravity machine.
db on May 3, 2007 at 9:35 PM
There’s the olberdouche, i’m outta here.
forged rite on May 3, 2007 at 9:36 PM
Actually, we weren’t damaged as bad as the Dems were, and that has nothing to do with Matthews. At least all agreed that there is a global war on terror.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:36 PM
Looked Good: Romney, Tancredo, Huckabee
Did OK: Hunter, Gilmore
Looked old and cranky: McCain
D’oh!!!: Rudy
Who Am I? Why am I here? Thompson, Brownback
Looney Toons character: Ron Paul
SillyRyno on May 3, 2007 at 9:36 PM
yeah, seemed like he came on a bit too early…but Olby could not have been serious …
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 9:36 PM
Libby doesn’t deserve a pardon because he helped mislead us into war. And them Duke boys musta been guilty of something. Go Paul!
bdfaith on May 3, 2007 at 9:36 PM
Olberdouche to Gregory: “Has the spinning already begun?”
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:38 PM
I believe Olbermann said “more Iran than Iraq as was expected.”
Nonfactor on May 3, 2007 at 9:39 PM
Indeed.
This ‘debate’ such as it was, was a real stinker. Chris Mathews made a mockery of the whole deal with is stupid silly questions. The candidates never had a chance.
Best thing about this debate is Fred Thompson didn’t have to waste his time attending and looking silly along with the rest of them.
Go, Fred. Go!
Lawrence on May 3, 2007 at 9:39 PM
Wow, 240 comments! Did someone bring up atheism?
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:39 PM
well, since he knew the questions ahead of time. Maybe he thought his buddy CM was going to misdirect sooner with his stupid questions even sooner than he did.
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 9:39 PM
To be fair he made the same sort of comments at the Democratic debate–don’t read too much into a light-hearted joke.
Nonfactor on May 3, 2007 at 9:39 PM
That was boring. Almost no questions on national security.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:40 PM
Ian…
CNN apparently had a Reagan, et al, counter
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 9:40 PM
Like I said. Paul is sitting there thinking, “How does this question relate to our ill-fated charade of expensive hubris in Iraq?”
Matthews: “Do you believe in Evolution?”
Paul: “I think Evolution is… more about the evolution of our failure of foreign policy, mostly in this egregious war for profit!”
Lehosh on May 3, 2007 at 9:40 PM
Before that Paul didn’t have my vote. I disagreed with his views on foreign policy, but I agree with him in many other ways. I could see where he was coming from and respected his views on Iraq, and I wish we didn’t have to do it. I wish we didn’t need a foreign policy, but we do.
Then he went and said that and he lost all of my respect. That was just plain hypocritical.
Keljeck on May 3, 2007 at 9:40 PM
I didn’t hear it in the Dem debate, personally. However, if that’s what he said, it was stupid in both cases.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:40 PM
Yes. I thought it sounded like it wasn’t supposed to be broadcast.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:35 PM
Actually, I heard him say, “… more Iran than Iraq…?” (but I might have mis-heard). Then I heard someone else follow up, saying, “Yes, we heard a lot of ‘more Iran than Iraq’ tonight.” Same caveat – might’ve misheard it.
Not having watched all the way through, did it strike anyone that they spent more than a small amount of time on Iran by any chance?
RD on May 3, 2007 at 9:42 PM
Well, I thought the first third was uninspiring, but the last 2/3 was decent, the silly questions from Matthews and some of the online ones notwithstanding.
Everyone got at least one good answer in. Some of them got a lot of really bad answers in.
Pretty much every candidate was about what I expected with the following exceptions:
Romney was better than I expected. I always thought he was OK, but I like him even better now. I think he won the debate overall in terms of consistency of ‘right’ answers, polish, and likability.
Guiliani didn’t do as well as I expected. I think this is really going to hurt him in the polls for the next few weeks.
No surprise to me, but Tancredo came off better than most people expected. He showed that he isn’t a flaming nutcase as many (including some HotAir commentators) believe.
Too bad Fred! wasn’t there. I’d bet he would have made everyone but Romney look like a bunch of 7th graders in their first playground debate.
LegendHasIt on May 3, 2007 at 9:42 PM
olby isn’t going to sleep tonight unless someone admits to criticising Bush.
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 9:43 PM
I like Fred! too (a lot), but I don’t think he would have done well at this debate. He would do much better in a one-on-one situation. This was, as I said before, like a 90 minute lightening round, and I don’t think that’s Fred!’s style.
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:45 PM
no,no yell at him. That would be great television
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 9:46 PM
Is it bad for wanting to know whether one of the candidates for President is critical of Pres. Bush?
Nonfactor on May 3, 2007 at 9:47 PM
The NAU prepares its candidates well. Thank ya very much!
lorien1973 on May 3, 2007 at 9:48 PM
Admittedly I didn’t watch the Dem debates, but I gotta wonder if they got asked such tough questions. Also, I think it formidable that the Republicans don’t flinch at answering questions by Chris Matthews, yet the Dems are scared to death about answering questions from Brit Hume!
Another observation …. Matthews hammered them all on “would you pardon Scooter Libby?” (Matthews’ personal fantasy blow-up doll he gets off to when the cameras are off). And he asked the question about fed funding for embryonic stem cell research, reminding them that Nancy Reagan was in the audience… AND asking them all, reminding them Gov. Schwarzenegger was in the audience, would they favor changing the Constitution for legal immigrants. Talk about putting them on the hot seat!
And lastly, which I will not way, Olby is going to comment with Matthews on the debate… Matthews is just salivating because he’s been in front of more viewers than he ever has his entire career.
MsUnderestimated on May 3, 2007 at 9:48 PM
Olberdouche looks like he wants to vomit. Speaking to these evil Republicans. God knows he never got any practice on his own show.
Sammy316 on May 3, 2007 at 9:49 PM
Like Olby knows anything about “great television”.
D_bot on May 3, 2007 at 9:49 PM
It is so annoying to hear Olberdouche theorizing about who might have criticized Bush’s policies right after all of the Republican candidates debated serious issues for an hour and a half. For him, everything comes back to one thing: how much Bush sucks.
FormerLiberal on May 3, 2007 at 9:49 PM
It’s idiotic to try to put words in their mouth. and to ask the same question over and over when you don’t get the response you want the first time.
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 9:49 PM
sorry… “way” = “watch”
MsUnderestimated on May 3, 2007 at 9:49 PM
It’s bad because Olby and Matthews (and others) just want to hear a Republican criticize Bush–a sitting President– so that they can use in their own talking points: “See! Even the leading Republican candidates think Bush is a loser!”
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:50 PM
I was much more impressed with Romney than I thought I would be, McCain seemed a little shaky, Giuliani’s abortion answer may be problematic.
and GOOD LORD what the hell is Qlbermann doing?!!
at least they could have refused to answer this bufoon as part of the MSNBC deal, but then again the Republicans are real men who fear no Man of News network unlike a certain group of Democrats who will remain
namelessgutlesss186k on May 3, 2007 at 9:52 PM
The Democrats…thanks to some wonderfully unbiased moderating by the Hard Ball…
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 9:52 PM
Sister Toldja is right, Chris Matthews is horrible. Why can’t a real moderator get the job instead of a partisan hack like him?
naliaka on May 3, 2007 at 9:53 PM
I find nothing wrong with criticizing a sitting President, Democratic or Republican, but that may just be me. And I don’t think the purpose of the question was to do what you state, I think the purpose is clarification. Almost everyone on the stage criticized in some way the plan in Iraq and plan for Iran, yet after the debate, when asked, they are unwilling to say whether or not they’re criticizing the President (‘s plan).
Nonfactor on May 3, 2007 at 9:54 PM
Ok, the Update Poll is up. Who voted for Ron Paul?!?!?! There are at least 22 of you!!!
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:54 PM
Just voted in the poll at the top of page.
What’s with Rudy’s ‘radio button’ being ‘pre-checked’ ?
LegendHasIt on May 3, 2007 at 9:55 PM
CRAP!! I missed it!! Is there going to be a re-run?
csdeven on May 3, 2007 at 9:56 PM
Perhaps I wouldn’t feel so strongly about it if the Dems had been asked to criticize Bill Clinton, their “hero.”
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:56 PM
Olberman is a retard… He just asked “Do you think it will make headlines that, despite the failures in Iraq, Republicans still think the military option is on the table!?!?”
Umm, shocking! Republicans favor the military! In other news, fire: hot. Water: wet.
Lehosh on May 3, 2007 at 9:56 PM
In time of war, it only serves to aid and abet the enemy…and perhaps put active troops in more jeopardy.
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 9:56 PM
Repeated at 11:00pm Eastern…
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 9:57 PM
11pm on MSNBC again.
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 9:57 PM
Who is scarborough? Should a romney supporter be worried that he thinks romney came out ahead?
csdeven on May 3, 2007 at 9:57 PM
According to the MSNBC polls, the front runners are still the same – Romney, McCain and Giuliani.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 9:59 PM
OK great. You’re in my will! I’m leaving you my sign pair of Fred! skivvies!
:-)
csdeven on May 3, 2007 at 10:00 PM
Oh great:
Do not refresh the poll results page; It will cancel your vote.
I didn’t vote again, just wanted to follow the results, but it treats a refresh as an attempt to vote again. Some bad programming there.
LegendHasIt on May 3, 2007 at 10:00 PM
Because there’s NOTHING we can do. We just went crazy on the dems for passing on a fox news debate and we can’t then turn around and do the same thing for a fourth rate hack like olbermann because it will make us look anti-free press.
Defector01 on May 3, 2007 at 10:02 PM
I’m glad that most of them referred to it as an Islamic, Jihadist, etc. movement.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 10:02 PM
I belive Chrissy said it would be later tonight,
infidel4life on May 3, 2007 at 10:02 PM
Good strategy of Fred!’s, waiting for the other Thompson to wash out before entering the race…
RD on May 3, 2007 at 10:03 PM
csdeven, it repeats on MSNBC at 11pm EST tonight.
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 10:03 PM
agreed.
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Matthews on the Scooter Libby question: “They didn’t want to play that banjo”
Gheeze…
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 10:05 PM
the self adulation seems to have started…
TexasDan on May 3, 2007 at 10:05 PM
Ian, something worries me. I went to the site easy-poll.com, the company that hosts your poll. I noticed it’s free, and there’s no ads. What it does say, however, is:
What does that mean?
amerpundit on May 3, 2007 at 10:07 PM
None of these guys will impress me much until they tell me how they will fight the traitors on the homefront. Ron Paul, predictably, gets the MSM question and Matthews would never in a million years allow anyone who would point out the treason problem in the Democrat Media have a chance to expound on it.
Perchant on May 3, 2007 at 10:07 PM
Joe Scarborough is my former congressman (R) from Pensacola. I think he had a little trouble with a babysitter… didn’t run for re-election.
On a side note, with Matthews and Olbermann in the same building, it will take at least a month to delouse the place…
Zorro on May 3, 2007 at 10:08 PM
Nice poll but you left a name of the list. I can’t be the only one convinced that Fred! won big time tonight.
bdfaith on May 3, 2007 at 10:10 PM
Fred! wins any debate. Even when he’s not there.
opusrex on May 3, 2007 at 10:10 PM
i’m surprised that no one voted huckabee. i think he presented himself better than any of the second-stringers. i think he deserves a media promotion.
tancredo’s a clown.
romney is a haircut.
if only this were a peacetime election…guliani would be my pick. but it’s not, so i have to look past his nixonian camera presence to back mccain still.
and where the flippin’ hell is allahpundit?
jummy on May 3, 2007 at 10:16 PM
Interesting…
On Hot Air, Romney wins by a landslide
On LGF, Rudy and Romney neck-in-neck.
IrishEi on May 3, 2007 at 10:17 PM
msnbc’s pannel is solid left and their analisys has so far been worthless.
jummy on May 3, 2007 at 10:18 PM
Notice how MSNBC, in it’s promo edits from the debate (or “debate” I should say) shows the most anti-Bush talking points?
JetBoy on May 3, 2007 at 10:19 PM
i am noticing that. this is their way of getting back at the right for the way they presume fox wouldv’e treated them had they not backed out of that debate. so it’s not bias, you understand. it’s like the girlfriend who get’s mad at you because she had a bad dream in which you cheated on her.
jummy on May 3, 2007 at 10:22 PM
The only equivalent that springs to my mind would be the Dems up in front of O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. Not much question which party has the balls, is there?
Blacklake on May 3, 2007 at 10:35 PM
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