The latest presidential debate among the Republican candidates was held this evening on ABC. It was very interesting to watch. In my view, the clear winner was Newt Gingrich. The clear loser was ABC News. Here's why.
Gingrich came into the debate as the new front runner. His lead in the altest Iowa polls is now in double digits with Mitt Romney and Ron Paul running neck and neck for second place. At least half of the debate consisted of the other candidates taking shots at Gingrich, mostly at the instigation of the ABC News team (more on this later), but Gingrich rose above the attacks and defended himself well. Indeed, for me the most memorable moment of the night came in a question about Gingrich's recent remark that the Palestinians were an "invented" people. Others on the stage, while agreeing that Gingrich's remark was factually accurate, argued that it was a bad idea to say such things because they could upset a delicate situation. Gingrich in response spoke about the power of truth to transform the world. He referenced Ronald Reagan who called the Soviet Union an "evil empire" over the objections of the entire State Department and who called on Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, again over the objection of all his advisers. Reagan, Gingrich said, knew that the truth could change the world. Gingrich added that it was time to have an American president who would not be afraid to speak the truth. It was an electric moment and one that will serve Gingrich well in my opinion.
Mitt Romney also did well tonight in his usual fashion, but he did nothing that would push him forward with those who do not already support him. He may suffer for showing his Wall Street side when he offered to bet Rick Perry $10,000 on what was said in Romney's book about the individual mandate. The bet is not important, but the offer of such a large amount may not play so well, particularly among an electorate that was interested in whether or not the candidates had ever experienced the hard times now afflicting much of the middle class.
Michelle Bachmann also had a good debate. Her refrain about "Newt Romney" which lumped those two together as inconsistent conservatives was effective, even if it was not factual. She also came across much more thoughtful and with less sloganeering than usual. My guess is that she may see a rise in the polls after this.
Rick Santorum also had a good debate. But then again, he usually does. Whether or not this will help him, only time will tell.
Rick Perry had a good debate for Rick Perry. Of course, that is not saying much given some of his terrible past debate performances. Still, there were no errors and some clear answers. If this were Perry's first debate, he would have done fine. It will not be enough to repair his past debating injuries, however.
Ron Paul also had a good debate. There were fewer Twilight Zone moments when he was speaking, and there were many more where he actually made sense. I do not think that I have ever used the words "made sense" and Ron Paul in the same thought before, so tonight was remarkable. Paul, however, remains a space cadet.
There were only six candidates there tonight. Herman Cain was gone from the race, and Jon Huntsman was not present. It gave all the candidates substantially more time to speak, and it made the debate better and more informative.
The negative about the debate, however, was the performance of Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopolis. After a first question about jobs had been answered, both reporters spent the next hour setting up questions designed to have the other candidates attack Newt Gingrich. It is one thing if a candidate decides to attack a rival during a debate. The moderators can let that happen and the political pundits may love it. It is something else when the moderators design their questions specifically to incite fighting. Did ABC want the candidates to fight so that they would be demeaned and look worse in comparison with Obama? Was the set up done just to try for ratings? Did America really want to hear 15 minutes of discussion as to whether or not Gingrich made a mistake in his statement in an interview about the Palestinians, or would more discussion of the economy or energy be of concern to more people? The real truth is that the ABC reporters did a second rate job.
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