May 6, 2011

And here's a reality show I didn't even know was on.

Republican presidential candidates debated last night. I pay attention to... whatever... all day long and I didn't notice until after it happened.

31 comments:

Scott M said...

I was doing the dishes when O'Reilly's show ended last night and this came on. My first thought was that it was a broadcasting error and an old (2008) tape, but when they mentioned the participants, I realized that somehow this had just come in under the radar.

I thought Cain comported himself VERY well. For the 30 minutes I watched, the loudest applause came after Cain and Paul.

T J Sawyer said...

Meant to watch it, but it wasn't marked (and marketed) well enough for my DVR when I heard about it a week or so ago.

From most reports, I guess Herman did OK. He was a delight to work for. It will be interesting to see if he can break through the political fence that is erected to keep normal folks from getting into office.

Anonymous said...

Cain seems to have been the winner though I liked the way Paul and Johnson handled themselves.

What is up with Cain and his Chairmanship of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas? He was deputy chair for a couple years then chair for a few more. When they didn't announce it in his intro, I wondered if I had it wrong.

Nope, he was.

But there is nothing on his campaign website either.

What is he hiding from? More importantly, why? I would think this was a plus.

Instead it makes him look sneaky and devious.

John Henry

Shouting Thomas said...

Only the wonkiest of wonks watched.

I thought that would be you, Althouse.

Ann Althouse said...

"I thought that would be you, Althouse."

I'd have watched if I'd known it was on.

If you want me to watch this crap, you need to alert me in advance.

Scott M said...

If you want me to watch this crap, you need to alert me in advance.

Ditto.

MadisonMan said...

The reason no one knew about it is that none of the candidates would want to advertise their presence there in case they tanked.

Fred4Pres said...

Herman Cain won it.

Original Mike said...

"If you want me to watch this crap, you need to alert me in advance."

Noted.

Original Mike said...

Herman Cain debating Barack Obama is something I would love to watch.

A. Shmendrik said...

This is the farm team of bottom feeders.

T J Sawyer said...

When I first met Herman, he was an O/R (Operations Research) guy. Spoke fluent FORTRAN. I'm not surprised that he left that out of his resume.

AllenS said...

Maybe it's just me, but there's something about Ron Paul that gives me the flashing warning lights. I just don't know what it is. Perhaps it's the followers. They have kind of a cult like worship. Where'e Crack when I need him?

Anonymous said...

AllenS: but there's something about Ron Paul that gives me the flashing warning lights

Me, too, and I do think a lot of it is his followers- they're really odd. But, although I'd never want Rep. Paul to be president, I'm sort of glad that he's there and getting heard. A lot of things that he talks about (mainly the constitutionalism) are things that *need* to be discussed, but usually aren't by most candidates.

I've been following Caine for a while, and was thrilled to see him do so well. He's my top choice right now.

- Lyssa

edutcher said...

These things are just gang press conferences; everybody just watches to see who makes a slip, although Herman Cain supposedly did well.

PS Lyssa, you are not alone. Ron Paul seems to be Supreme Commander of the Tin Foil Hat Brigade to a great many people.

MadisonMan said...

What's wrong with speaking fluent FORTRAN?

Gives a different meaning of GOTO Hell

Scott M said...

Maybe it's just me, but there's something about Ron Paul that gives me the flashing warning lights.

I don't see Paul as POTUS. On the cabinet, though, maybe. Put him in charge of each department tagged for the scrap heap in order to close it down.

traditionalguy said...

Allen S... Ron Paul was once a High Priest and head Prophet in the John Birch Society Cult. Maybe he has changed, and maybe not. The Cult in question sells pride in the belief that they alone are in on the truth about Communists. They can be correct about many issues, but they in effect condemn everyone as dupes that cannot think for themselves about what they fear. Those tactics remind me most of the Global Warmist Cult.

Original Mike said...

@Scott M: Good idea. Truely.

Alex said...

Primary debate 18 months ahead of the election? People are getting seriously annoyed by this constant politicking.

Alex said...

So if a bunch of loser GOP gather and nobody knows, did it really happen?

Sprezzatura said...

"Only the wonkiest of wonks watched."

I rushed home so I wouldn't miss it!

Oh dear...that's lame.

Sprezzatura said...

BTW, Paul was even more flakey on Rhem's NPR show this week.

Even so, at the debate he had a point that got a huge, and unexpected (for me), applause response. He said that heroin should be legal.

ken in tx said...

I live in South Carolina and I didn't watch it. I heard Cain did good. I like that he speaks Fortran. I used to.

David said...

As a resident of South Carolina, I can say with confidence that virtually no one cared. During the lead up and now in the aftermath, I have not heard a single person say a word about this debate.

Erik Robert Nelson said...

Ron Paul is problematic in so many ways that it's impossible to list them. I thought Herman Cain did well, otherwise I felt this was all a bit early. The first primaries aren't for eight months. It's all well and good to start thinking about candidates, but debates? It's only happening because the media wants it to. No one else really does.

Alex said...

Ron Paul is problematic in so many ways that it's impossible to list them.

Orly? Please list what's wrong with Ron Paul. Everything he says makes perfect sense to me.

Fred4Pres said...

Hugh Hewitt on the debate last night:

This is why the GOP needs to rethink its debate schedule and why the RNC should take over the operation of the debates and exile Cain, Johnson and Paul as well as every other candidate without a prayer of winning. (Santorum is a long shot, but he has a realistic though small chance of winning the nomination, while the others do not.) The seriousness of the fiscal crisis requires the GOP and its candidates to act seriously, and allowing marginal candidates to eat up time and distract from the enormous problems facing the country is not serious.



Hugh Hewitt is going crazy in the head again over threats to Mitt Romney.

Charity said...

I actually came here last night looking for live blogging, or something. I was surprised that you didn't have anything about it.

Peter Hoh said...

How did Pawlenty do? He's the most viable of the candidates who appeared in the debate, but even my neighborhood conservative blogger didn't mention this debate.

el polacko said...

i was as suprised as frank lutz to the overwhelmingly positive reaction to cain in the debate. his responses were okay and he has a sonorous voice (put me in mind of ex-mayor of san fran, willie brown) but nothing to get excited about. besides, after all the digs at barack (and palin) for a lack of experience, is a pizza guy who has ZERO political experience really the guy for the top of the ticket? v.p.?...maybe.. but i'm still waiting to feel that tingle up my leg from any of these guys (and gals).