Who Won the Republican Debate?
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on June 14th, 2011 4:38 am by HL
Who Won the Republican Debate?
Last night’s Republican presidential debate was the first to include nearly all the leading contenders, but as the Washington Post notes “most of them remain largely unknown nationally, a factor that could explain their reluctance to go at one another. At this early stage, they are introducing themselves to a nationwide audience, and testing their competitors’ strengths and vulnerabilities.”
The New York Times says the candidates “repeatedly passed on the opportunity to seize upon the fissures that have roiled the Republican Party for most of the last two years. They presented a forceful, and nearly unified, attack against Mr. Obama, especially on the economy, the budget deficit and health care.”
So who won? Some reactions follow:
Ron Fournier: “The mitts were off Mitt. Romney received a pass from a strikingly timid field of rivals in Monday night’s debate… There’s a rule of thumb in political debates: When a front-runner leaves the stage unscathed, he’s still the front-runner. And, thus, regardless of the sound and fury of the debate itself, he wins.”
Josh Marshall: “Romney seems like the only serious candidate on the stage. In a sense that’s not surprising because he’s almost the only serious candidate in the race.”
Howard Kurtz: “Michele Bachmann all but stole the show at the Republican presidential debate… Bachmann is relatively new to the national stage, but as anyone who has watched her in action understands, she knows how to play this game.”
Democrats Mock GOP Debaters
Democrats had a little fun with the Republican presidential debate last night and released a video titled, “What in the world are they talking about?”
Kirk Takes Reins of Illinois GOP
Little more than six months since he was sworn in, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) “has raised his profile and evolved into Illinois’ senior Republican,” the Chicago Tribune reports.
“For decades, Illinois’ Republican leadership came from governors — James Thompson, Jim Edgar and George Ryan. But the scandals that surrounded the now-imprisoned Ryan and the inability of the GOP to recapture the governor’s office the last three elections have elevated Kirk to the premier partisan role in the state.”
