The NINETEENTH GOP debate

Romney was shockingly strong, confident and aggressive in his opening assault on Gingrich. He characterized the Speaker as rhetorically irresponsible -- Gingrich's attack on his immigration proposals was "repulsive," said Romney -- which for unfathomable reasons seemed to leave Gingrich rather dazed. And that, for Gingrich, is politically inexcusable. I understand he's tired -- this sort of mindless gauntlet is of course exhausting -- but Romney has been stump-thumping far longer than Gingrich has, yet he shows no sign of fatigue.

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Surprise. Gingrich reduced himself to pitiable pettiness in defending against Romney's near K.O.-ing of him on his own Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae investments. Romney's charge appeared to come to Gingrich as news, which Gingrich then tried to swat away as his financial "mouse" to Romney's "elephant." Gingrich was stunned. Poor oppo-research -- on himself.

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I'm as stunned by Romney's vitality and aggressiveness as Gingrich is. I thought Romney would coast tonight as best he could, given his upward movement -- i.e., Gingrich's downward movement -- in Florida polls. But Romney clearly believes he is now fighting for his political life, and that Florida might be his firewall after all.

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Romney pretty much decked Gingrich for living politically off the land -- for going from state to state, pandering as he went to each state's special interests. In Florida's case, it's the space industry and its chops-licking over Moon travel and colonization. Romney was devastating as the fiscal adult.

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Another surprise. Rick Santorum made an ass of himself on the Romneyesque wickedness of mandated healthcare. Rick now implies that even states shouldn't experiment, contra his own party's traditional ideological approach. His position was somewhat befuddling, but then again, Santorum is one befuddling guy, in so many ways.

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Finally, Gingrich opted for the old chestnut of the "secular elite" and the "academic media" (whatever that means) having declared war against Christianity, which is undergoing the "religious oppression of the state." Now that's the Newt we were all waiting for.

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Romney stole Gingrich's debate-skills thunder tonight. That's the top takeaway -- and the only takeaway that counts, since Gingrich has been peddling his candidacy chiefly on the premise that he and only he can, well, debate. Whichever of these two proves himself the fitter in this nasty, brutish, GOP survivalist state of nature, though, President Obama will make mincemeat of. The verbal games they played tonight were mere child's play compared to the coming, profoundly substantive battles of the actual presidential debates.

Good night, and, to any Republicans who might be reading this, good luck. Because you sure as hell are going to need it.

Comments

[Alli]

Interesting. I didn't watch but Josh Marshall over at TPM thought it was one of the worst ever.

[Jim Milstein]

As a Republican, I have long been despondent. I cannot imagine any amount of luck rescuing my beloved party. It will take much more than that.

I, with Lincoln, firmly oppose any expansion of the Slave Power. Furthermore, I think the long delayed Reconstruction of the South should commence, with special attention to Texas. I know these matters are old business, but they're still important.