TJ Walker breaks down a Republican primary debate, calling Mitt Romney the winner for his presidential bearing and confidence. Tim Pawlenty impresses as a strong new performer, while Ron Paul appeals mainly to hardcore libertarians and turns off average voters.
Chapters
So who won the Republican debate tonight?
Mitt Romney had the most to lose because he was the front runner. Many people predicted the other candidates would attack him on his health care plan as governor and for flip flops on abortion. To me, the big surprise of the debate was when all the candidates were given the opportunity to say that they thought Romney had chosen his pro choice.
His pro life views out of expediency.
Nobody quibbled with that and nobody attacked him on his health care plan. So he went in as the frontrunner. He looked very presidential, came across confident.
Relaxed, authoritative, even put in some lighthearted humor there, talking about sports score. So he really came out ahead of this debate.
But there were other winners. Tim Plenty, the governor of Minnesota.
Not many people had seen him before.
This was the first time on the.
National stage for him.
And he came across as st solid, ultimately very, very credible. And to many Republican activist funders, they're.
Really limiting their choices to credible governors and current senators. That really just leaves Romney and Pawlenty. Now, who else did well? Michelle Bachmann did surprisingly well.
Most political activists think of her as just that flamethrower who puts out wild, crazy sound bites.
She actually came across as credible, likable.
Genuine, very, very knowledgeable and not at all what a lot of people expect.
Ron Paul.
Now, if you are a hardcore libertarian.
You love Ron Paul.
You think anyone who doesn't love Ron Paul is crazy. But for the average voter, average Republican voter like him, first of all, it.
Looks like he's sucking lemons all the time. He's hunched over and.
And he just almost exudes its attitude of you kids, get off my lawn. He always seems angry.
That does not play well in presidential politics. Rick Santorum, the former senator, I thought.
Came across better than he usually does. Came across more likable, less strident, but.
Didn'T really give anyone a reason to rally to his campaign.
Next we have Newt Gingrich. Now, Newt Gingrich has been in the.
News a lot lately for his entire campaign staff quitting.
I don't think he did anything to.
Make people rally to him.
The problem with Newt, he's sour looking. He always seems angry and he exudes this sense that I'm smarter than everyone else and you people are too stupid.
If you don't realize that that can.
Help you in congressional campaigns.
But it's not a winner on the presidential seat.
Finally, Herm Kane.
Yes, he wins the award as the most articulate person who has no chance of being president.
He wins sort of the Allen Keys.
Pat Robertson Award in the contest. That's not worth much. Didn't hurt himself. Didn't help himself. I'm T.J. walker.
