Fred Thompson raised the rhetorical stakes of his otherwise lethargic campaign by saying that a struggle for the "heart and soul of the Republican party and its future" is underway. Then, demonstrating that he finds no candidate conservative enough not to lump with Mike Dukakis, Thompson proceeded to label Mike Huckabee a liberal in the mold of the Democratic party.
In a debate where significant time was devoted to questions about the party's adherence to the ideological formulas of its past, calling the man who claimed victory in the Iowa caucuses largely on the strength of fundamentalist, evangelical votes a liberal seems a bit out of place.
Nevertheless, such formulations have helped Republican candidates win elections with stunning regularity since 1980, and if last night's debate was any indication, the liberal label will again feature prominently in this cycle.
GOP hopefuls Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson square off in their third debate in six days at 9 pm tonight from Myrtle Beach, SC, on FOX News Network (on cable and streamed by FoxNews.com which has a preview.
We'll use the comments on this thread to record live reactions if my internet connection here in Texas keeps working and if the FOX stream works. I'm at a Radisson which features both balky internet access and a cable package that does not include Fox News.
The debate should be closely watched in not only in South Carolina, but also in Michigan where Romney is trying to hang on to his chances after having pulled ads in South Carolina and Florida. McCain is challenging in both places. Fred Thompson is making his last stand in South Carolina and Mike Huckabee leads there and is still rising in many polls of many states.
Rudy Giuliani is polling just ahead of Ron Paul and needs to remain relevant. Ron Paul might get questions tonight about his racist pamphleteering from the 1990's.
With McCain acting like the new front runner, or at least the "establishment" candidate, it will be interesting to see whether or not Thompson, Romney, and Huckabee triple team McCain much as Romney was ganged up on in New Hampshire.
Join me in comments or just live blog it without me should I lose contact . . .
I noticed something somewhat depressing and funny when I read this article and it wasn't the fact that my $2.99 355 mL can of Red Bull sitting beside my laptop is half empty, it was Stephen Colbert winning against Hillary's and Obama's Facebook support group. This article really explains how a vast majority of people are not taking the 2008 Presidential Election seriously.
Dodd's "Talk Clock" is the biggest winner and Wolf Blitzer is the biggest loser. Too bad his campaign's great innovation just displays how little time the Senator got in the debate.
Join me below the fold for a interesting links, thoughts, and analysis on tonight's debate from Saint Anselm College.
Update [2007-5-15 16:6:31 by Ross Smith]: We mourn the passing of Rev. Jerry Falwell, 73. Academic debate had no better support from a university president than the support he gave the Liberty team. The team, encouraged to argue and understand both sides of even the most controversial social issues, was his pride and joy. Their Director, Brett O'Donnell is on leave to work as John McCain's debate advisor. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Liberty debate family.
Check back for our liveblog and "First Analysis" posts for more on tonight's 9 p.m. EDT debate and join us at 11:30 p.m. EDT on .
Meanwhile, read more below for the pre-debate items of special interest. Check out the preview post below, too, worth its pixels for Alan Coversotne's comment alone.
Last night and today one question has dominated the post debate spin and commentary about who won and lost. It also was the subject of the last portion of our blogtalk radio show when former National Debate Tournament champion and Jim Webb campaign staffer, Jon Paul Lupo, called in to discuss how the answers portray Democrats as weak or strong on defense and terrorism (you can listen to the archived version here starting at the 44:30 mark).
Listen very closely to the question in the YouTube clip. Very closely, especially to the end of the question.
The video shows the candidates in the order they answered: Obama, Hillary, Edwards. They were the only ones asked. Richardson demanded and received a chance to answer later (an attempt to show he belonged in the top tier?).
Join me below the fold and in comments for analysis on what the answers say about who "won" this part of last night's debate and more. In the YouTube age, candidate answers will be dissected more than ever. We had might as well do a good and productive job of it.
Tune in to the debut of our Blog Talk Radio Show. We'll air at midnight EDT. It's good for all the night owls and those in the west. Plus we'll have time to digest the post debate spin and coverage before going on air.
Just click the nifty button and you're on your way.
Watching the early pitch on NBC Nightly News is just like watching the Superbowl pre game show. Brian Williams and Tim Russert set up the "contest" as if a champion will be crowned at the end of the night. Russert has just laid out the expectations game that purports to define the standards that the media and pundits will use to determine winners and losers tonight. Russert puts Clinton, Obama, and Edwards in his "first tier." For these candidates, the focus is on not making mistakes. Hillary cannot appear aloof, Obama must show mastery of policy specifics, and Edwards must square his lifestyle with his concern for poverty (Russert).
Placed in the "second tier" are Richardson, who needs to show his executive experience, Biden, whose partition plan for Iraq needs to be shown to be the only realistic solution, and Dodd, who needs to emphasize his bipartisan, legislative experience (Russert). Again, all of these claims are according to Russert and become "conventional wisdom prior to the debate.
Do the democrats have a plan to beat the expectations game? Read more...
In addition to a liveblog and post-debate analysis, tune in to the debut of our Blog Talk Radio Show. We'll air at midnight EDT after Thursday's debate. Can't be earlier since new shows there are blocked from the 7-midnight slots. Nevertheless, it's good for all the night owls and those in the west. Plus we'll have time to digest the post debate spin and coverage before going on air.
Just click the nifty button and you're on your way.
Get inside the head of Brian Williams and of the candidates. Williams selects the questions (even if a token few come from the average citizen via the internet), and the campaigns have been practicing answering the questions they anticipate.
There will only be 10 or so questions. Score more than 8 and you are above average. 7 is a minimum. 6 or fewer and you fail. Read more to see my predictions and use the comments to submit your top ten list . . .
Update [2007-4-26 21:28:10 by Ross Smith]: Well, you can throw out some of what is below as inapplicable since the format was somewhat wild. MSNBC kept it something of a secret until the debate, perhaps because it was too complicated to explain. More tomorrow on the format as applied. Much of the advice below is still useful, but . . .
While "pundits" and "Democratic strategists" are repeating mantras about syle and substance, smart debate coaches (to the extent the candidates employ any) start with the format because the format dictates the best tactics to achieve the substantive and stylistic goals.
Read more below the fold for the unique features of the South Carolina debate's format and how that will influence tactics . . .
The expectations game is often played simply in terms of the horse race: who is expexted to do better? But below we play a different game, listing for each candidate what we expect them to do and say. Read more for my predictions and add your own in the comments.
Update [2007-4-26 14:3:51 by Ross Smith]: Look just below for lots of fresh content on tonight's debate. Louden on media frame, me on format and predictions, and still more to follow soon.
Update [2007-4-25 11:45:11 by Ross Smith]: See Bill Benoit's excellent summary of the research below to move beyond punditry "common wisdom."
South Carolina State University hosts the first debate of this new presidential political season, a Democratic primary debate. It's on MSNBC from 7pm to 9:30 pm, and South Carolina Educational Television and ETV Radio will simulcast the debate. WYFF4.com will stream the debate, too (and you can submit questions here even though the odds of your question being selected is low).
Look for the blog to be hopping as we gear up for the new "season." I'll have posts discussing expectations, strategies, and potential questions prior to the debate as well as some of the usual linkfests to MSM and blogosphere coverage.
In addition to a liveblog and post-debate analysis, tune in to the debut of our Blog Talk Radio Show. We'll air at midnight EDT after Thursday's debate. Can't be earlier since new shows there are blocked from the 7-midnight slots. Nevertheless, it's good for all the night owls and those in the west. Plus we'll have time to digest the post debate spin and coverage before going on air.
Just click the nifty button and you're on your way.
