The GOP Debate PreGame

I write this as the latest GOP debate begins. I wanted to log a few thoughts now and then come back later tonight with my impressions about the "show". There are many variables at play that might make this debate either a real snoozer or a real eye-opener. One thing I do know is that as you watch it, rest assured you will get a liberal talking head take because the host is MSNBC. I'm watching the Hardball crew carefully for veiled insults and zings, and I'm betting I won't be disappointed.

Today, my empathies are up on Romney, mainly because he cared enough to unveil a detailed plan yesterday. I believe the Wall Street Journal or the NYT has read it and analyzed. And I still need to find that and read it. I've already heard that the big criticism is Romney's position to go after China hard competitively in negotiating trade and monetary deals. Think Donald Trump here, from what I've heard. I'll let you know once I've read it.

I just saw Ron Paul's attack ad on Perry, and my first thought is, c'mon Ron, that was 20-30 years ago, dude. IS THAT ALL YOU GOT? For those who haven't seen it, it shows old photos of Ron and Reagan together, and then photos of Al Gore running for president in 1988 on the platform to undo the tax cuts, along with his "Texas Cheerleader" and then-fellow Democrat Rick Perry, who ran Gore's state campaign. A little side-note to this is that Texas used to be a different kind of 2-party politics: Dems and conservative Dems. Republicans were kind of an extinct and endangered species.

And in the Democratic party, if you were a conservative...a populist conservative...you could stay a Democrat pretty easily because the only folks who ever won were Democrats. So, knowing that, also know you'd have to be an idiot not to be a Democrat. So I don't blame Perry one wit for starting out as a Dem, because when he began his political career he was a bonafide Texas Democrat. My only regret is that we didn't stay that way in Texas, because we got good conservative government. And one could argue that it was Reagan who made that impossible to continue. The Democrat party in Texas went left considerably in response to the Reagan Revolution, and as soon as that happened, Perry became GOP as hundreds of other politicians did. End of story. Move on, nothing to see here. Like I said, is that all you got, Ron?

But back to detailed plans to handle the problems we have right now. Props for Romney. None for Paul (he's always had a general list of should-be's, but no targeted strategy for the current ills). And no props for Perry, either, on this. I know Perry has had the wildfires to contend with, but frankly, he should have a detailed plan as well, and should have had one before even jumping out of the gate. The wildfires didn't just start 2 weeks ago. Romney is climbing up my Likey Pole.

I'll be back later for more chit chat...