Post Debate Wrap

December 12th, 2007 · No Comments

In a debate where it seemed like the candidates were cutting up as much as they were staying on message; not much changed when the dust settled. The debate format was limiting, and really allowed for more messaging by the candidates than actual debating. The Biz awards:

Wittiest. Fred Thompson had two of the sharpest remarks of the afternoon that drew laughter from the crowd. The first was in regards to Romney’s wealth; the other was on one of Alan Keyes’ diatribes.

Most Courageous Statements. John McCain wins the prize for having the most guts. He came out against ethanol subsidies in Iowa (!), prefacing it with the statement with “I’m the biggest free trader.” He also stole the stage (from Thompson) on the topic of global waming (keeping in mind its below freezing in Iowa) and peddled off some global alarmist propaganda.

Most Memorable Impressions. Speaking with a rhythm like the old preacher bringing fire and brimstone, Alan Keyes made quite a first impression. He took a rather abrasive approach to answering questions and dealing with the moderator. And he even called Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney out by name on flip-flopping and abortion.

At one point in the debate (on global warming) when it seemed like the entire premise of the question had been lost; the moderator turns to Keyes and asks, “Mr. Keyes, what do you think about this?” Keyes took the opportunity to launch a social commentary comparing the breakdown in the discussion to a breakdown in America (at least that’s what I think he was getting at).

Winner. Mike Huckabee was the clear winner for a number of reasons. He benefited greatly from the format of the debate which allowed him to emerge practically unscathed. He also did a good job of relating to the average family, or “the person,” and avoided getting trapped in the “big picture” scenarios that the other candidates did.

We’re searching for clips now, you’ll see them when we do.