GOP Debate Open Thread

This is the ABC News/Facebook debate. Republicans are up first. I'll keep an eye on it for fireworks. Considering the timing, there should be some good theatrics.

8:42 PM: So, the GOP debate is over. No clear winner. Romney looked pathetic. McCain really likes taking shots at him -- and no one defends Mitt. It's actually pretty obvious they just don't like Mitt.

This having all the candidates on the stage is a little weird. How self-serving of ABC.

Anyway, I did live blog the whole painful debate. If you want to see how I saw it -- and it was painful -- the live blog is now after the break.

7:06 PM: ABC is doing quite a bit of self-promotion at the beginning. Enough already. Get to the debate already.

Apparently, the candidates are going to be talking among themselves quite a bit. They're finally starting -- and they get to discuss Bush. Specifically, Bush's foreign policy -- running on it or running from it?

Rudy wants to be THE tough guy on foreign policy. He wants a much bigger military. And, he loves to invoke that terror scare. McCain wants to give Bush credit, of course. But, McCain disagreed with Rumsfeld. Wait, didn't Rummy work for Bush and have Bush's full confidence?

Mitt understands radical jihad -- and we owe Bush a debt of gratitude. According to Mitt, if you attack America, people know now there is a response (Note to Mitt: The guy who led the attack is still on the loose. Bush never got him and that war in
Mitt takes a swipe at HillaryCare and socialized medicine (which some in his own party accuse him of with the new Massachusetts health care law). Mitt admits he likes mandates which seemed to awaken Fred Thompson from his slumber.

A break at 8:00 P.M...what a relief. I've said it before, I'll say it again: I can't imagine any of those guys being President. They just don't exude any kind of confidence in their leadership. And, what a bunch of panderers. No wonder none of them really answered the question posed by Bush about principles. They don't have any.

8:03 PM: The WMUR guy is on the stage now asking McCain about immigration. You know those GOPers love, love, love talking about immigration. Seems like the more McCain says on this issue, the worse it is for him. He's trying to be logical and rational -- the Republican base is not logical and not rational about immigrants. They are the party of immigrant bashers and Mitt is living up to that billing. He is invoking the ultimate immigrant bashing codeword: AMNESTY. Rudy is trying to be somewhat rational too. Doesn't work, Rudy. He said he wants to get rid of the illegal immigrants who commit crimes. But, the GOPers think all illegal immigrants are criminals.

Wow. McCain has to invoke Lieberman as his defense on immigration. Wow. That's a reach. Lieberman said anyone who claims McCain supports amnesty is a liar. So, I think that means McCain is using Lieberman to call Romney a liar. Romney and McCain are really getting into it on this one. McCain keeps going after Romney over his "attack ads." Told Mitt to spend his whole fortune on the attack ads but it still won't be true.

Woah. After Romney claimed he had been misquoted by AP, McCain just said to Romney: "When you change positions on issues from time to time, you will be misquoted" Mitt then basically whined about sticking to the issues.

Rudy said Reagan would be in one of Mitt's negative commercial because Reagan granted amnesty.

Mitt is pandering unbelievably on this issue.

These Republicans keep talking about securing the borders. George Bush has been president for almost eight years. How come Bush and his GOP controlled Congress never secured the border?

Asking the candidates about running against Obama. I'd take a race with Mitt v. Obama....or Fred Thompson v. Obama. Can you imagine that?

McCain just SLAMMED Mitt. SLAMMED him. He said to Mitt: we agree, you are the candidate of change.

Mitt doesn't like the continued personal barbs.

8:32 PM: Gas Prices. Can't the GOP candidates level with the American people? Hahaa...that's a joke question obviously.

Thompson is unmoved by the profits of the oil companies. That's a great position to take in New Hampshire where it's already been a rough winter and where a lot of people use home heating oil.

[Note from AJ: This is hilarious viewing. I only caught the last half hour or so, but a couple quick things: first of all, apparently Huckabee isn't aware that there are *already* 100 mpg cars. Either that, or he wants to give a billion dollars to a bunch of random people who added batteries to their hybrids. As for Thompson, he's observed when gas companies have lost money?? Um, when, exactly?