Robert A. Levine
The increasingly strident tone of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich as they faced off in tonight’s 
G.O.P. debate in Florida must be considered in the context of the battering each has been receiving from the other’s SuperPAC. Of course, both candidates deny their ability to control these attack ads and criticizes the other’s ads for falsehoods and misstatements of the facts.
Perhaps desperation reared its head along with an obvious dislike that each candidate feels for the other, allowing them to slash away at each other with no holds barred. While that may make for fine entertainment in the tradition of the World Wrestling Federation, it bodes ill for the Republican candidate who eventually wins the nomination. The contest against President Obama will have to be fought with all the baggage that has been accumulated during the knock-down, dragged-out Republican race.
The attacks that Mitt and Newt launched against each other’s credibility must also be viewed in the light of the recent NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll that had Newt surging to the front of the pack for GOP primary voters nationwide, at 37% to Mitt’s 28%. Yet among all voters, Newt was swamped by Obama in a head to head match-up (55% to 37%), with Mitt faring considerably better but still losing (49% to 43%). Rick Santorum garnered only 18% of Republican primary voters, with Ron Paul trailing with 12%. However, the latest Rasmussen Reports had Romney ahead over Gingrich among Republicans in Florida by 39% to 31%.
In tonight’s debate, it appears as if Romney came out more aggressively than in the past and held his own against Gingrich. Romney hit Gingrich as expected over his lobbying for Freddie Mac and
its role in the housing collapse. Gingrich as expected denied that he had been a lobbyist and emphasized Romney’s investments in Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Goldman Sachs. He also brought up Romney’s Swiss bank accounts and his investments in the Cayman Islands along with his low tax rate. Romney countered that he was proud of his success and accomplishments. The two men also argued over the immigration issue, with Gingrich attacking Romney as anti-immigration and both claiming each was distorting the other’s stance on immigration. Most of the venom between Romney and Gingrich came out early in the debate and simmered down after Santorum asked that the debate move away from Gingrich’s actions as a lobbyist and Romney’s business success, since there was nothing wrong with either, and there were more important issues to discuss.
Santorum scored his points by hitting both Romney and Gingrich over health care, pointing out the similarities between the program passed in Massachusetts under Romney’s leadership and Obama’s federal plan. He declared that Gingrich had supported a health care mandate in the past and that neither Romney nor Gingrich could contest Obama over health care because of their past actions.
Ron Paul kept emphasizing the need for the U.S. not to interfere in the affairs of other countries, to shrink the federal government and strengthen the dollar. He spoke of medicine being better prior to the establishment of Medicare, blaming the government for the high cost of health care.
I would call tonight’s performances by Romney and Gingrich a tie, perhaps even giving Romney a slight edge. (Romney’s new debate coach can be proud.) Santorum was able to get across his passion, but did not articulate his positions as well as Romney and Gingrich. Paul’s vision seemed anchored in the past, without a way to move the country forward. Romney needed this performance to cement his Florida lead, but there are still five days left to the actual primary where things could change.
Resurrecting Democracy
http://www.robertlevinebooks.com/
The attacks that Mitt and Newt launched against each other’s credibility must also be viewed in the light of the recent NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll that had Newt surging to the front of the pack for GOP primary voters nationwide, at 37% to Mitt’s 28%. Yet among all voters, Newt was swamped by Obama in a head to head match-up (55% to 37%), with Mitt faring considerably better but still losing (49% to 43%). Rick Santorum garnered only 18% of Republican primary voters, with Ron Paul trailing with 12%. However, the latest Rasmussen Reports had Romney ahead over Gingrich among Republicans in Florida by 39% to 31%.
In tonight’s debate, it appears as if Romney came out more aggressively than in the past and held his own against Gingrich. Romney hit Gingrich as expected over his lobbying for Freddie Mac and
Santorum scored his points by hitting both Romney and Gingrich over health care, pointing out the similarities between the program passed in Massachusetts under Romney’s leadership and Obama’s federal plan. He declared that Gingrich had supported a health care mandate in the past and that neither Romney nor Gingrich could contest Obama over health care because of their past actions.
Ron Paul kept emphasizing the need for the U.S. not to interfere in the affairs of other countries, to shrink the federal government and strengthen the dollar. He spoke of medicine being better prior to the establishment of Medicare, blaming the government for the high cost of health care.
I would call tonight’s performances by Romney and Gingrich a tie, perhaps even giving Romney a slight edge. (Romney’s new debate coach can be proud.) Santorum was able to get across his passion, but did not articulate his positions as well as Romney and Gingrich. Paul’s vision seemed anchored in the past, without a way to move the country forward. Romney needed this performance to cement his Florida lead, but there are still five days left to the actual primary where things could change.
Resurrecting Democracy
http://www.robertlevinebooks.com/
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