Official lulz thread of the 1/23 Pug debate.

[joshcryer]

Live stream here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/ns/politics/

[Joe the Revelator]

1. Newt is wearing a wig...true story.

[DesertRat]

32. I think so too. n/t

[Joe the Revelator]

2. 3 minutes in and the first Reagan reference....

First sentence of the first answer of the first question.

[joshcryer]

3. Newt sounds half dead, he's not pulling punches yet.

[DesertRat]

43. I think he took one of Calista's Xanax pills before the debate. n/t

[Joe the Revelator]

4. I'm so sick of the sofa sound bite...it's just boring.

[joshcryer]

7. Yeah, boring and predictable.

But then, I don't think we're watching to be persuaded by these dimwits.

[joshcryer]

5. There goes Newt. "Romney said 4 things false in that tirade."

(Paraphrased, not sure if he said 'tirade.')

[Whisp]

6. Williams looks like he has a Boner tan.

don't like that fucker either.

[jberryhill]

8. Romney: did well among "Republicans" in NH

It was a Republican primary, you ignorant robot.

[Joe the Revelator]

9. 10 minutes in and this is the whiniest debate ever.

[joshcryer]

10. Oh god, Newt is just being downright nasty. He needs clapping to make him look sane.

Williams said no clapping / responses by the audience. I heard a few uncontrollable chuckles. Newt is seriously being nastier than any candidate I've ever seen.

[DCBob]

21. no crowd cheering is hurting the Newt.

good move by NBC.

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. He hit me! He hit me first!

Waaaaaaa!

[Ruby the Liberal]

12. Its sad that Frothy is making more sense than the others.

[Joe the Revelator]

13. Who did santorum's hair and makeup

He looks like Botox Ken.

[JohnnyLib2]

14. I like the questions, so far.

Also agree that Gingrich seems flat, tired. Except his hair.

[RandySF]

15. I think Mittens got the better of the first exchange.

[pa28]

16. Romney looks like he's examining bug when his opponents talk.

He reveals himself to anybody willing to look.

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. Crazy old Uncle Ron is running for the President of 30 and Under.

[Joe the Revelator]

18. Holy Christ....Paul's eyes...he looks like Nosferatu.....

That's the last shallow thing I'll say, but I was shocked.

[Ruby the Liberal]

19. Romney already turned over 23 years of tax returns?

[Ruby the Liberal]

20. Romney - real question isn't *his* taxes, but the taxes of the people.

[Joe the Revelator]

22. Romney is tap dancing the wrong way on his tax returns..

...setting up for a low tax to income ratio.

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. Mittens bragging that he pays "not a dollar more", that his taxes are "complicated".

Cue the forensic loophole accountants....

[joshcryer]

24. LOL, Newt got Romney on jobs.

Romney (negatively) said he'd pay a 0% rate under Newt's plan, Newt laughed it off and said it'd be fine if it created jobs. That was hilarious.

[Joe the Revelator]

25. Agreed...thought it was the first point Newt won

[Ruby the Liberal]

26. Tone is so much different without the catcalls and applause pumping them up.

Its almost like their egos are deflated without the immediate feedback.

[JohnnyLib2]

27. What a yawner. Wonder if any actual Republicans are watching?

[Ruby the Liberal]

28. Freddie only paid Newt $35k a year for "the history of Washington"

[joshcryer]

29. Man they're going at it. They need boxing gloves.

What was that person laughing about in the audience.

[Ruby the Liberal]

30. Romney now blaming Newt for lobbying for Healthcare.

Project much?

[Ruby the Liberal]

31. Santorum blaming housing crisis on Dem 'minions'

Banks didn't do a thing wrong.... Government forced them to make these profits ('take all these losses')

[joshcryer]

33. Newt: Repeal Dodd-Frank, fix the system. ROFL!

Dodd-Frank is fixing the issues. It's stopping the corruption.

The "big banks are getting bigger" because the corruption caused those not capable of breathing to crash and burn.

[joshcryer]

34. It sounded like Romney was going to agree, but he said corruption caused the crisis...

...but Dodd-Frank failed.

[Ruby the Liberal]

35. Romney - thank god for the death of Castro?

Damn.

[joshcryer]

37. Newt: "He won't meet his maker, he's going to the 'other place.'"

Newt knows he has to be nastier than Romney...

[Ruby the Liberal]

41. I really need the clap/laugh track back

Just to see how this is playing with the audience.

They aren't buying this shit, are they?

[Joe the Revelator]

39. That was strange, as was Newt's implication that he was going to hell....

Just morbid...

[joshcryer]

36. Williams asks the first stupid ass question: Castro dies, 500k Cubans immigrate, what do?

Stupid ass question. It wouldn't work that way.

[Ruby the Liberal]

38. Newt - Castro headed for hell

Dear God. These men want to lead this nation?

Sigh.

[Thrill]

40. The more I see of Romney

I'm convinced. Thats who Pres Obama would like to be the nominee. He can't debate for shit. And he sounds like a stuck up clown

[joshcryer]

42. Ron Paul moves more to the center: "I don't like isolationism."

Oh so now he's going to be internationalist? Interventionist?

[Ruby the Liberal]

44. He makes a point. We talk to China, but not Cuba?

[joshcryer]

48. It sounded more like open trade.

Which we already do (Cuba's largest imports come from the US, if I recall correctly).

[Joe the Revelator]

49. A lot of what Paul says make sense, it's just so much of the other stuff he says

Is bat shit crazy.

[joshcryer]

53. I think he was being snively, trying to pander to FL Cuban's.

What he said doesn't mean what he means.

[gateley]

50. That's the problem -- he's so sane on some issues, so off the charts elsewhere. nt

[joshcryer]

45. The crowd is getting antzy, wanting to clap. I'm waiting for Willams to scold them.

[Ruby the Liberal]

46. Santorum - They are 90 miles off our shore (cue boogeyman)

[Ruby the Liberal]

47. Cuba in a jihadist network now and 90 miles away.

[gateley]

51. Did someone really say "jihadist network"?

[Ruby the Liberal]

54. Sorry - yes, that was a Santorum quote.

Cuba & Venezuela in a "jihadist network" and only 90 miles off our shore.

[gateley]

59. You almost feel sorry for the level of stupid. nt

[Ruby the Liberal]

62. Looking forward to the YouTube on that one.

Really REALLY missing the applause/cheers on this debate. Its really flat and hard to tell if any of this crazy shit is sticking the landing or not.

[XemaSab]

65. And Nicaragua

[Ruby the Liberal]

80. Thank you - I drew a blank on the third 'jihad network' neighbor.

[Ruby the Liberal]

52. Romney - we are only building 9 Navy ships a year, should be 15

[gateley]

55. Yeah, Mitt. "Beating" the Taliban is a piece of cake. Just ask the Russians. nt

[joshcryer]

56. Newt: Obama weak on Iran, shouldn't have pulled back exercises.

And people fucking say Obama is no different!

[gateley]

58. Whenever they infer he's "weak" I just have to laugh. nt

[Joe the Revelator]

57. Newt: Obama is weak

Ask Osama and Gaddaffi that, asshole.

[Bluerthanblue]

63. +1

[Ruby the Liberal]

60. Crazy Uncle Ron - we already declared war on Iran with the Straits of Hormuz

and the blockade/sanctions.

[joshcryer]

61. Ironically, this foreign policy stance Ron Paul has stands in direct opposition to free trade.

Free trade means that you can chose not to do business if you don't want to. Indeed, that's how monopolies are formed, and if companies, on their own violition, boycotted Iran, Ron Paul would back them completely, and not call it a "blockaid."

It just shows how inconsistent and asinine this view is.

[Ruby the Liberal]

64. Boggles the mind, doesn't it.

Same with the housing crisis where the government forced banks (and loan officers, and mortgage brokers and MBS securities sales, and, and, and) to take RECORD profits "against their own best interest".

The head just swims trying to follow that argument.

[Ruby the Liberal]

66. Q to Frothy on Iran - to what extent do we engage?

A - bla bla bla about nukes and terrorists and basically 'turn them into a parking lot'.

He makes it sound like they are the most vile nation anywhere, anytime.

[Ruby the Liberal]

67. Q to Frothy on Offshore Drilling; A = its jobs!

He also tied Keystone XL to this answer.

[Ruby the Liberal]

68. Newt on English as "official language" - Equates Spanish with the Irish on St Patrick's Day.

[joshcryer]

69. God I missed that.

[Ruby the Liberal]

71. TOTALLY out of left field.

A real WTF. He stuck that in while talking about how campaigning with spanish literature is appropriate, english should be the 'official language'.

[Ruby the Liberal]

70. Mittens - OK to campaign in Spanish literature, but we must require English

(After they vote, that is)

[DesertRat]

72. Mitt: "Self-deportation"...audience laughter

[Joe the Revelator]

73. Wtf is 'self-deport'

[joshcryer]

74. Self-deportation.

[DesertRat]

75. Self deportation will be a top Google search tonight...

[joshcryer]

76. Get rid of sugar subsidies.

These guys lose in a landslide.

[Ruby the Liberal]

77. Mittens, fuck your questions about sugar subsidies, I want to talk about Florida housing and jobs.

[XemaSab]

81. You forgot the lead-in:

"Governor Mitt, Florida sugar growers have thrown buckets of money at your campaign. How do you feel about ag subsidies?"

"Well, Brian, I'm glad you asked that. You see, Barack Obama has done nothing to help the economy or the housing market in this state..."

[Ruby the Liberal]

100. He is probably one of the worst debaters I have ever seen

Unbelievable. He didn't even bother to phone in a segue.

[grantcart]

78. I may be off but I get the impression that Romney and Newt don't like each other

snicker

[joshcryer]

79. This 90 rounds of golf thing. Is that 5 rounds of 18 holes...

...or 90 rounds of 18 holes (1620 holes)?

[Ruby the Liberal]

82. I have heard that line referenced before.

Guessing they don't like the idea of the man taking 3 hours out of his week to relax and clear his head.

Maybe if he was privately bowling in the WH lanes where no one ever saw him, it would be ok.

[joshcryer]

86. Ahh, I just looked it up, it really is 90 rounds.

I thought they were exaggerating. Still, over 3 years that's not a significant amount of time.

[XemaSab]

88. 2.5 rounds a month

BFD.

[Ruby the Liberal]

95. He should have taken up brush clearing.

[Angry Dragon]

99. did some google

http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/president-obamas-vacation-days/

I feel this is a more important indicator than a round of golf


President Reagan, in 1981, spent all or part of 42 days away from the White House "on vacation" at his home in Santa Barbara, Calif, according to Knoller. President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, also spent three or four days around New Year’s Day each year in Palm Springs, Calif., at the home of philanthropist Walter Annenberg. (In 1993 the late Mr. Annenberg founded the nonpartisan Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, which is FactCheck.org’s parent organization.)

President George W. Bush spent even more time away from the presidential mansion in the nation’s capital than Reagan. Of the 77 total "vacation" trips the former president made to his Texas ranch while in office, nine of them — all or part of 69 days — came during his first year as president in 2001, according to Knoller.

Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, spent less time "on vacation" during his first year than his son, but spent more days than President Obama. According to travel records provided to FactCheck.org by the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, the former president took six trips — spanning all or part of 40 days — to the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1989. The archivist at Bush’s presidential library told us she didn’t have a list of all vacations but did have the Kennebunkport visits.

But at least two recent presidents — by Knoller’s count — took less "vacation" time during their first year than President Obama — Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

[Ruby the Liberal]

83. WTF? They are digging up Terri Schiavo?

I know it was local, but damn. Really journos? This is the best you can throw out there?

[DesertRat]

84. Why are they dredging this up??!!!

Let that poor woman rest in peace!

[Ruby the Liberal]

85. Tampa/StPete/Clearwater

Guessing they thought it was a topical way of bringing up the government vs medical decisions question, but it was tacky as all get out, IMO.

[Angry Dragon]

89. and it was the republicans that had their fingers in it

Frist doing video diagnosis etc

[DesertRat]

92. Ohh... you're right...

[joshcryer]

87. Ron Paul: "Living will would've solved the whole problem."

Sniveling little toad, answer the question.

[DesertRat]

90. Paul Begala just tweeted...

"Thought bubble over Newt's head when asked about Terry Schiavo: 'Obviously, you divorce her.'"

[Joe the Revelator]

93. Ha!

That's excellent.

[Ruby the Liberal]

94. Win!

[Ruby the Liberal]

91. "If tax cuts create jobs, why didn't Bush tax cuts create jobs"?

Newt - because government regulations are preventing us from creating jobs (SOX regulations, etc...)

DAMN! No one else got this one. They cut to commercial.

[DesertRat]

96. I'm self-deporting to the kitchen for a glass of wine.

[Ruby the Liberal]

97. That phrase is just teh awesomeness.

[Ruby the Liberal]

98. Friday's SC debate was MUCH more fun.

Total snoozefest tonight.

[joshcryer]

104. They silenced the crowd. Total BS. I hope they let the crowds have at it next time.

This has been underwhelming to say the least.

[Ruby the Liberal]

106. It was really disquieting as a viewer.

I am thinking the candidates may have been off their mark due to the silence as well.

I heard there is another debate before Tuesday. Do you know who is hosting that one?

[DesertRat]

101. Now we know President Obama's re-election strategy

[Ruby the Liberal]

108. It was either Andy Borowitz or John Fugelsang, but after a debate last September

one of them tweeted "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Obama Re-election Committee".

Thought I was going to wet myself.

[DesertRat]

110. Perfect!

[Ruby the Liberal]

111. And that was back before they were all getting nasty.

That was just the glory days of pure crazy land.

Did you see this, absolutely hilarious graphic?



http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002201233#post1

[DesertRat]

112. No, I didn't! That is hilarious!

Thanks

[Joe the Revelator]

102. Romney loves beating a shitty line....dropped the 'I made Teddy take out a mortgage'

Again.

[Ruby the Liberal]

113. Sadly, reminds me of the John Edwards "son of a millworker"

line back in 2008 that was included on every drinking game bingo card.

Trotted out every time, and fell flat every time.

[Ruby the Liberal]

103. Newt on what scares him about the job: it will be humbling.

What is the "I agree with Senator Santorum.....and like Dr Paul says....." leadin?

What happened to night of the long knives?

[Ruby the Liberal]

105. Romney - I know how the economy works

(guessing he is talking about the economy of the nations Bain offshores to....)

[joshcryer]

107. NBC already fawning over Newt.

I personally think it was a draw in the end, but Newt definitely was pulling punches hard. Just being nasty, mind you, not substantive.

[Ruby the Liberal]

109. Gregory, Chuck the Todd and Mrs Greenspan?

/switching over to MSNBC.