The GOP debate

This crowd is too stupid to know when it's being played. Gingrich's opening Joe McCarthy offensive -- he reveled in assaulting Bill Clinton's personal transgressions, but his are unfairly targeted by the vindictive media -- was perhaps the most despicable display of grotesque demagoguery I have ever witnessed. This ass was merely dangerous as a Speaker; he'd be the end of America as anyone knows it as its president.

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Santorum just landed a staggering blow to 'Romneycare.' I positively hate watching Romney get bruised and battered in this pornographic brawl of a GOP embarrassment, because he is fast becoming not so much the least electable among his party's offerings, as simply unelectable. His own tax peculiarities, as well as his peculiar tax plan for others; his off-putting aristocratic airs; his thin skin and loose lips; his pitiable ineptitude in working a crowd; his near total lack of admiration, lack of respect, and lack of commitment from the base -- all these factors make Mitt Romney a surefire calamity for the Republican Party in November.

He has brilliantly demonstrated his colossal ability to shatter the GOP's unity; he has confirmed this ability, again and again, by slipping behind even more deeply flawed candidates, from Herman Cain to Newt Gingrich. He'll likely survive this latest onslaught -- he remains the strong favorite for the longer game (I'd say a near certainty) -- but he's undergoing far too many close calls for my political comfort.

Come on, Mitt. You have finally unveiled yourself to the greater American electorate as Obama's Tom Dewey. Don't disappoint us now. You hang in there, Mitt. Hang on the ropes if you need to, but hang in you must.

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Santorum is strong tonight. He's shuffling, bobbing, and stinging. He just called Gingrich un-"cogent." And uncourageous and abjectly incompetent. About time.

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Gingrich, 0. "Fundamental," 2. So far.

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Romney's excuse for not releasing at least last year's taxes before Saturday was simply laughable. Democrats just want a "drip by drip" story, said Romney, and he won't play their game.

What do Democrats have to do with a South Carolina Republican primary?

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These debates should be limited to 10 or 12 minutes, tops. I'm growing physically ill and emotionally exhausted watching these wretched buffoons. And listening to this Nuremberg-like audience? Depressing, deeply depressing.

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Four staunchly anti-government males standing up there dictating to women, through government, how they will make the most personal, private decision of their lives, which is to say, they can't. Unbelievable.

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Mercifully, finally, it's over. And you know what? About four years ago the far right ridiculed many of us for perceiving Barack Obama as some sort of messiah. And after watching and comparing these four idiots tonight, I've come to the not irrational conclusion that Obama is a messiah.

Comments

[Alex]

Thanks for your sacrifice, p m. I am not able to suffer through this imbecilic display of sociopathic lies but enjoy reading your withering wit, as always.

[Stan Wright]

These clowns are, collectively, the weakest republican field since at least the second world war. This slate is the very reason that write-in ballots were invented. Our prescient forefathers one day sat down and thought, "you know, some day there's likely to be a primary slate so abyssmal that there will literally no candidate a responsible voter can in good conscience vote for. We gotta come up with some kind of mechanism to rescue the voters, the party, and the nation from this looming calamity. Gentlemen, I propose the write-in ballot!"

[Susan Zoon]

WOW! what a mess. Of all of the clowns, I fear Newt most. He is a bloated tick on the body politic and someone should get a match and burn him off. (just a figure of speech)
Just a disgusting excuse for a human being. The very fact that he appeals to the audience is sickening beyond words.

ANYONE who tells you that the fall race between Barack and any of these losers will be close is not listening to anything anymore. And sadly, therein lies the rub.

The team sport aspect of this election is kicking in sooner then ever and it is going to come down to getting the "fans" to the voting booth.

Better start pulling for Mittens, because the "angry bastard" vote is dangerous.

[SueMe]

Sorry, but the Republicans are getting what they deserve.

[Peter G]

It is true that each and every Republican candidate is laden with daunting demographic handicaps owing to their peculiar beliefs. They all offend major sub sets of the population whether the division is by sex, or religion, or race or economic status but that does not mean victory for Obama is assured. There will be a competition of sorts between the left and the right to see who can suck the wind out of their very own sails. Some on the left will either not vote or go third party or independent and the same on the right but the general ideological split is so uniformly even now that this will affect only voter turnout for the respective parties. I expect that to a be statistical wash unlike 2010. That will leave the decision in the hands of those "inattentive" independents which means this could go either way.

[AnneJ.]

Ok, PM it is the next morning and I hope you got some rest. I saw the highlight reel when I got home from work. (I work to pay taxes so Mitt Romney won't have to) and again it was what my mother of ten children used to call "feeding time at the zoo". I just hope that Newt's pious baloney and puffed up fake outrage only play well with southern conservatives. With luck, I hope the general electorate remembers the 90's and what an insufferable boor he was back then if he happens to make the general. As far as I'm concerned they are all dangerous bullies in their own way but he's the worst of them all.

[SkipK]

PM, Personally, I think any of the three (the robot, the angry racist fat serial adulterer and the extremely unlikeable religious nut) would do, but I'll bow to your superior knowledge that it must be romney who gets his clock cleaned by President Obama. after seeing how he's treated questioners, it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. and oh, your writing is superb, truly!