The New Hampshire Debates
Republican Candidates:
Two candidates spoke their message clearly and passionately: McCain and Ron Paul. I don’t agree with their message, but at the same time, respect them for being straightforward and focused on what THEY can do, rather than what their opponents cannot. I found Huckabee to be flat and stumbling, along with redundant. Guiliani is a one-trick pony; Romney was just negative and overbearing.
For me, McCain was the winner; Ron Paul the runner-up.
Democratic Candidates
John Edwards was doing great until he hosed himself with me by saying AT&T was a wonderful company. Brace yourself for another four years of unbridled telecom abuse. Gimme a break. Where he shines is on the health care front — it’s a passion of his and he’s committed to it. However, his fight for the middle class lines feel a little hollow to me, no matter how much he says it’s his passion. His subliminal shot at Hillary as the status quo was not lost, either. Aligning himself with Obama while pointing at Hillary and saying “the status quo pushes back against change” was a nice subliminal message. Loved the “You cannot ‘nice these people to death'” message.
It’s ironic to me that Hillary Clinton is now viewed as the ‘status quo’, given the drubbing she took when she really tried to be an agent of change. If anyone should be owning the health care debate, it’s Hillary Clinton, but she seems strangely apart from it. I don’t know if that’s her handlers’ advice to keep her away from issues that hurt her in the past, or what, but it’s too bad, because I really believe she would be an excellent proponent for true health care reform. Overall, she acquitted herself well, but claiming she’s been around for 35 years, etc. does not send that message. It sends a message that she’s part of the old guard (which she is), and the old guard is being rejected in this primary season.
I was glad to see her step up and defend President Bill Clinton’s record of turning the deficit into a surplus and leaving office with a balanced budget. It’s about time someone did it. For me, the jury is still out on Hillary Clinton. I can’t quite get myself all the way behind her, partly because she has compromised on so many of my key issues, including the extension of the Patriot Act (which Obama did as well) and the Iraq war authorization.
Bill Richardson just drove me crazy. Absolutely crazy. So full of himself and what he’s done and what he is. I honestly shut him down after a few minutes because of his incessant pounding on the podium. Note to Richardson: Debate with a mirror, please, so you can see how obnoxious you are. And Gov. Richardson, your negative comments along with the patronizing “I understand” crap isn’t flying with me. Thumbs down, withdraw now, build more highways if you insist. Just stop pounding on my ears.
Obama did exactly what he should have done. He’s on top, he didn’t jump in until asked, he spoke with authority and kept his message positive and simple. I like his ideas — I like his hunger for “big change”. I am concerned, however, that those ideas for ‘big change’ will be so divisive that they will be impossible to implement. Unless there is a huge mandate in the national election to give the next President his majority and the ability to do business in this country without endless political infighting and partisanship, an elected Obama with big ideas may mean 4 years of nothing being accomplished at all.
Winner: Photo Finish – Edwards, Clinton, Obama. I wish there was a candidate named ObWarTon, mashed up with the best ideas of all three.
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