The Republican debates thus far have had the effect of damaging the Republican candidates and helping President Obama rise 5 percent in the polls. Sure, some of this is media bias in choosing and framing questions, but the candidates themselves have often treated one another the way they should be treating President Obama.
In the last South Carolina debate Thursday night, Rick Santorum had a large advantage — Romney and Gingrich had been damaged during the day by news about Bain Capital and an interview with an ex-wife. But Santorum chose the low road (attacks on Romney and Gingrich over health care and immigration) and pious statements on his record (which is vulnerable on earmarks, right-to-work, and past public support for Arlen Specter, who cast the deciding vote in the Senate for Obamacare). Santorum appeared pinch-faced and mean-spirited and is likely to gain little from Republicans who want to beat President Obama more than anything else. Is Santorum overly sensitive, as Ron Paul insists, or does he really believe the ticket to the nomination is bashing his fellow Republicans more than the incumbent, who has lost 2 million jobs since he became president?
— Burton Folsom is professor of history at Hillsdale College and co-author (with his wife Anita) of FDR Goes to War (Simon & Schuster, 2011).
Your are right and we need to do something about it. I always thought the Dems were wise in 1992 - Ron Brown was very strict with the candidates. However they had the press in their corner. We don't. Huckabee has done the best job and I don't like him that much.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseObama has lost the 2 million jobs? Obama did that? Not the huge recession that started in 2007?
Not to mention the fact that the vast majority of job losses were in the first three months of Obama's Presidency. Was he supposed to wave a magic wand and stop those? Explain to me exactly what Obama could have done to stop the job losses in those first three months. Please.
There are many grounds for conservatives to be upset with Obama, so why do you feel compelled to lie and distort?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat has Obama done to further hurt the economy and employment? The short answer: his anti-capitalist rhetoric, aura of instability concerning taxes, pandering to the raucous class-warfare contingency and labor unions (i.e., crony "capitalism"), and his abysmal fiscal policy have created a destabilizing climate of uncertainty when it comes to capital investment that would spur the economy and create jobs. Many businesses have huge reserves of capital that they are parking because they have absolutely no idea where this weather-vane president is going to list next. But if his actions were to match his rhetoric, those who have the reins of capital in this country can rest assured that he isn't setting a course favorable to an open, free-market economy.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseShhhhh. The important thing is to advance the candidacy of weak opponent for Romney in order to make Romney seem viable. This is NRO; what are you doing?
[Loudly] Rick Santorum had a superior night at the debates and clearly is advancing in the polls. The Santorum surge continues.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think Rick Santorum is just not very like-able. His presidency would be trading one scold for another school marm. His un-conservative positions aside (earmarks, etc), I think his social conservative positions are a little too far right for a country that I perceive to be much more moderate on social issues.
I continue to believe that Obama is likely to win re-election. I would be fun to see Gingrich debate Obama -- it would certainly make for good television, but I'd rather see Mitt Romney or Ron Paul in the White House, and I'm not actually excited about them either.
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