4:36 PM: Trade dominating this part of debate, all pretty much saying we have to maintain "doing" business with other nations. Crowd listening pretty quietly. All I hear are the camera shutters going off from the press.
4:40 PM: AMT (altermative minimum tax) issue now on the "floor." Thompson saying lowering taxes improves the economy. He says it should be phased out--index it for inflation. Okay, first TV commercial break right now.
BREAK
4:46 PM: Back from TV break. Matthews asked about Iraq. How did that get in there? I thought this was all about economics. Oh well. Thompson is answering and saying the U.S. has to do what's necessary to defend itself.
4:43 PM: Interesting to see Rudy G. and John McCain exchange a few words (pleasantly) just now during the TV break. The candidates are off stage, getting some makeup touch up and some water. Crowd standing up and talking amongst themselves. Hard to tell who the crowd likes but they do seem to listening intently.
4:50 PM: McCain now talking about Iraq. He threw a kind word toward Rudy G and 9/11. You get the feeling these two guys like each other or have some mutual respect. Ron Paul saying the Iraq war is disaster and saying we have to change our foreign policy if we want to have prosperity at home.
4:52 PM: Mmm...this debate may be about economics but the Iraq talk is capturing the attention of the audience here, I'd say.
4:55 PM: Now it's Iran and what to "do" with them. Romney saying we should hope that we don't have to take military action against Iran, but not rule it out. I can't spell the president of Iran's name correctly so I won't try, but when his name was mentioned by Romney, it got a few chuckles in the audience.
4:57 PM: Oooh, Congressman Paul hit Romney hard on the idea of having lawyers tell the president about whether he has the power to attack Iran. Meanwhile, Huckabee says the U.S. should do what it needs to do to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
5 PM: Oh boy, it's Hillary time. The first mention of Sen. Hillary Clinton's name and it came from Chris Matthews in a question to Rudy G. about Iran and taking a strong position on their nuclear power. I thought the crowd might boo at hearing her name, but it came and passed. Rudy seemed to attack Paul more than Hillary over the idea of keeping the U.S. safe.
5:07 PM: I miss the crowd cheering or applauding. At least it gave the place a little life. Oh, there's a few claps after McCain talked about oil. Darn, the claps died quickly.
5: 10 PM: Thompson made a joke, but I couldn't hear him. Maybe it's his mircophone, but he's hard to hear in the theatre. He's talking oil and the Middle East from what I can make out.
5:12 PM: So far, no debater has had to be told, cut it short. They seem to have the format down well. Paul is talking about changing foreign policy and how bad it is to give subsidies for ethanol production. McCain is talking about cutting wasteful government spending. He says Americans want straight talk. Romney says be confident, and stop talking gloom and doom about the economy. Another Hillary mention--Romney did it on health care. Minor rumbling from audience but no cries of "down with Hillary."
5:16 PM: Strong and optimistic America, that's what Rudy G. says we need. More Hillary talk, from him on health care and how her new plan "will cost more than the last one." Got a minor chuckle from audience.
5: 20 PM: Another TV commercial break. Just before,Tancredo talked about how illegal immigration is at the root of so many problems in the U.S. Rudy G. now signing autographs for the crowd. Maria B, John H., and Gerald S., huddling together for a minute as Chris Mattews also signed an autograph or two. Break about to end. Some 35 minutes left in the debate and still waiting for the "fireworks" to fly.
Starting a new thread!
No comments:
Post a Comment