The Republican Debate: CRY HAVOK! And Let Slip the Dogs of War...

There has finally, and thankfully, been an open and honest debate between the Republican Presidential candidates. Last nights debate on ABC can be said to have been the first open forum for true discussion and bantering between the candidates that we have seen in this Presidential race.

Charles Gibson moderated the debate by posing questions to the panel of candidates and allowing them to answer the questions and discuss them amongst themselves. It was the first real opportunity that the American public has been able to see them discuss and argue their points without getting the feeling that each candidate was trying to come across with the best sound bite.

Covering topics from foreign policy to domestic, the country was given the chance to see the personalities of each candidate come out as they addressed the issues and each other. There was an obvious animosity between Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, Ron Paul (who was told at one point by Romney, "We're going to miss you tomorrow night") was dismissed by several of the candidates on several of his statements as not being reasonable to accomplish, and Fred Thompson scored several "hits" on other candidates by pointing out their changes in positions during the progression of the campaign, particularly in regards to Iraq and the war on terror. The one candidate who seemed to be most at ease during the course of the evening was John McCain, who got his fair share of barbs in at Romney and gave a very clear position on his ideas regarding national health care.

The results of last night's debate? From this morning's Mason/Dixon poll among New Hampshire voters:

GOP race (400 likely GOP primary voters, conducted Jan.2-4, MOE +/-5%)
McCain 32%
Romney 24%
Huckabee 12%
Giuliani 10%
Paul 8%

A month ago (released December 9), the NH results were:
Romney 25%
Giuliani 17%
McCain 16%
Huckabee 11%

The results of the latest Zogby poll can be found here.

Fred Thompson has already conceded that he doesn't see his campaign as having much of a chance in the granite state and after tonight's FOXNews debate he will be heading to South Carolina (hat tip to Jay at Stop the ACLU), also taking the opportunity to have his say about the media and the rumor that he would be dropping out of the race after the Iowa caucuses.

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John McCain seems now to be the favored win in New Hampshire for the Republican race. With a significant lead over Romney, it's little wonder he seemed so well at ease and enjoying himself during last night's first New Hampshire debate.

On the Republican side, McCain led the field by 32-24 percent over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. There, it was McCain who got a bounce, not Iowa winner Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas who still trails in third place and appeared to get no immediate traction from Iowa.

The new poll is hardly a prediction. If anything, it revealed an electorate in New Hampshire still very much up for grabs.

As is, actually the rest of the country, other than Iowa and Wyoming. The tides have shifted; Hillary Clinton is no longer the inevitable opponent of whomever becomes the front runner for the Republicans. It is very possible that it could and will be Barack Hussein Obama. The remaining Republicans have already, as seen last night, begun to turn on each other in the race for the White House.

Whatever the final results may be, it's sure to be a very interesting ride on the way. May the best candidate win, in order that the American people may be the ultimate winners.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man



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Reshuffling the Deck

The Iowa Caucuses are behind us. New Hampshire and South Carolina loom on the horizon. Hillary Clinton was shown not to be quite so "inevitable," the little gray men didn't influence things for Dennis Kucinich, and another Arkansas Governor came out as the front runner of his party.

Iowa holds 7 electoral votes. New Hampshire holds 4 votes. It boggles my mind, and always has, why two states with such low impact on the elections hold such significance in the minds of the voters of the nation. Case in point, Wyoming, with 3 Electoral votes, held it's caucuses today, with Mitt Romney taking the Republican win. Where is the media coverage of Wyoming?

It is truly a case of the minority leading the majority, just by looking at the numbers aspect.

They do serve, however, as a good testing grounds for the rest of the campaign season. Candidates can take a look at these first states to hold their electoral process and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their individual campaigns. Some candidates can look into where they need to improve things, others will decide to drop out, as Biden and Dodd on the Democratic side have done in the wake of the Iowa Caucuses.

We move on with the process, now. The debates come back into play, if debates they can be called. The allegations of foul play begin, such as the rumor mill currently spreading whispers that the rumor of Fred Thompson planning to drop out after Iowa are traceable to the Romney camp (thanks, Jay.) We also see the shifting of attention to the front-runners who have come out of the Iowa process. ABC will host debates for the Republican party tonight at 7 pm EST, featuring Giuliani,Huckabee, McCain, Paul, Romney, and Thompson, but excluding Duncan Hunter. They will also host a debate for the Democrats 90 minutes later featuring Clinton, Edwards, Obama, and Richardson. but excluding Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich, who has filed protests at being excluded. It remains to be seen whether this will be an actual debate for either party, or another sound bite gathering, as the previous "debates" have been accused of having been.

FOXNews is going a different route tomorrow night, with a forum format for the Republican candidates at 8pm. The Seattle Times and Union Leader are both reporting that the New Hampshire Republican Party has pulled their support as a co-sponsor of the event because Fox has chosen to exclude candidates Hunter and Paul from tomorrow night's forum.

Party Chairman Fergus Cullen said he has failed in attempts to get Fox to include candidates Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter in Sunday's forum.

"Only in New Hampshire do lesser known, lesser funded underdogs have a fighting chance to establish themselves as national figures," Cullen said. "Consistent with that tradition, we believe all recognized major candidates should have an equal opportunity to participate in pre-primary debates and forums."

The question remains, and will be answered as the debates and the forum recommence, as to what topics will be covered for the candidates to discuss. Still to be seen, as well, as the deck is reshuffled and the cards redealt, is who will have the more impressive hair, Mitt Romney or John Edwards.

Once and Always, an American Fighting Man


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