Things got awfully intense at more than a few points in last night’s FOX News/Washington Examiner Republican presidential debate. And that’s exactly as it should have been. The stakes in the 2012 election are extraordinarily high. The GOP field of aspirants is passionate, highly talented and determined to make sure President Obama’s tenure in the Oval Office ends in 2013.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was pressed at several points, but emerged from the evening secure in his position as the front-runner, at least for now. He still lacks a persuasive answer to critics who say his Romneycare health reform bears great similarities to Obamacare, but his answers were otherwise mostly crisp and detailed. In contrast, neither of the two Minnesota contenders — former Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Rep. Michele Bachmann — helped themselves with their bickering back and forth over alleged flaws in each other’s records. Pawlenty did, finally, make his case against “Obamneycare,” but otherwise did not distinguish himself. The quarreling removed some of the lustre that Bachmann’s candidacy had acquired in recent weeks.
Three of the GOP debaters were most conspicuous by what they failed to do on the Ames stage. Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania is strong on virtually all of the issues conservatives most care about, but nothing he said last night answered this critical question about his candidacy: Why on earth should America take a chance on another former senator in the Oval Office?
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman needed a strong showing last night to revive a campaign that started badly on its first day and has gone downhill ever since, thanks to internal staff strife and the near-invisibility of the candidate. There were fitful bursts of energy here and there last night, but there’s still no logical sum of the parts.
House Speaker Newt Gingrich was what everybody has come to expect — a deeply knowledgeable guy with an endless supply of ideas, proposals and insights. Beating up on FOX News’ Chris Wallace and Brett Baier, however, does not make a compelling case for putting him in the White House.
Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain is clearly a smart guy with a superb record of business success. But he has yet to demonstrate why that means he should be president. Which brings us finally to Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, now making his third try at the presidency. Paul is nothing if not consistent, and he again made clear last night that he sees nothing good coming from federal regulation or “militarism.” Combining a “liberty first” with an isolationist “America first” revival is novel, but his apologia for the latter always seems to veer.
We close with a caution: The GOP aspirants displayed energy, ambition and optimism for America and confidence about denying President Obama a second term. It’s a long road to the White House in 2012, however, and regardless who becomes the GOP nominee, that candidate will face a formidable opponent willing to do most anything to win. Emphasis on “anything.”
