This is live blogging of the CNN Florida Republican Presidential debate. Note that due to logistical reasons I have started late. So I will include links and live blogging from around the Internet and news organizations. MY entries entries will be on top PST. When this debate is completed an EXTENSIVE roundup: Will be placed on top of the live blogging.
The debate ends. Winners: Santorum and Romney. Loser: Gingrich. Paul: barely there.
From the Guardian’s live blogging:
10.15pm: My instant reaction is that Mitt Romney did pretty well. He stuck it to Newt Gingrich but without a dog-fight or losing much blood. Gingrich couldn’t even bring off his signature media-hate.
Rick Santorum was good, as he usually is, and Ron Paul had the best jokes, but all the polls show that Florida is about Romney and Gingrich.
CNN went straight to Santorum and ask him about Romney’s snarky “chill out” response to his grilling on healthcare. “Don’t confuse passion with anger,” says Santorum, missing an opportunity to say “I’m a lover not a fighter.”
RedState’s Erick Erickson says Romney and Gingrich were rubbish and that Paul and Santorum had the best night. Interesting.
And this might be the moment when Newt Gingrich lost the debate? when he tried and failed to derail what he called “a nonsense question”
(SEE VIDEO):
JG ADDS: Yes, Gingrich has become very tiresome on the media bashing in every single debate. Sooner or later a journalist would call him on it and it would backfire. And GOPers would see this for what it is: a sheer manipulation — pushing a hot button. You can almost see Gingrich getting ready to push another hot button. But this time it didn’t seem to work.
Blitzer also gave Romney a fact check:
Red State’s Leon Wolf:
I never thought I would see the day, but it looked an awful lot like Newt finished fourth out of the four candidates in tonight’s debate. For the first time during this primary season, Newt paid a price each and every time he went after Romney personally, who looked unusually aggressive and actually managed a passable impersonation of a human being. After the second time, he attempted to follow Santorum’s lead by saying that the tax return question was a distraction, and in a bizarre twist, Newt actually got his liver eaten by a moderator when Wolf Blitzer nailed him for having been the one who made an issue out of the tax returns.
Newt managed to look at least better during the second half of the debate but he did so mainly by staying in the weeds and making several unsubtle appeals to Paul voters. Even then he was overshadowed by Santorum (who has had back-to-back strong debate performances) and even Ron Paul, who a) was clearly on his medication and b) having conceded a last-place finish in Florida, was committed to having some fun at the other candidate’s expense.
In the last three days, Newt has watched a 7-point Florida lead evaporate into a 7-point deficit to Mitt Romney. He needed a bump from tonight’s debate in order to mount a challenge to Romney in Florida and hold his momentum heading into Super Tuesday. Instead, voters saw Romney displaying a killer instinct for perhaps the first time during the campaign, and Newt clearly overshadowed even on style points by both Rick Santorum and Ron Paul.
A cross section of Tweets from humorist Andy Borowitz:
BorowitzReport Andy Borowitz
Debate Winners/Losers WINNER: Barack Obama LOSER: Anyone who watched #cnndebate
37 minutes agoBorowitzReport Andy Borowitz
If the Chinese were watching they must wonder what kind of country they’ve bought. #cnndebate
38 minutes agoBorowitzReport Andy Borowitz
Gingrich: “Beat Obama? If I can convince women to sleep with me, I can do anything.” #cnndebate
42 minutes agoBorowitzReport Andy Borowitz
Romney: “I’d beat Obama because Americans love someone who makes millions, pays no taxes, and fires people.” #cnndebate
43 minutes agoBorowitzReport Andy Borowitz
Ron Paul: “I would beat Obama because everyone loves elves.” #cnndebate
44 minutes agoBorowitzReport Andy Borowitz
Romney: “If I’m President, my wife will serve as First Lady from inside a safety deposit box in the Caymans.” #cnndebate
1 hour agoBorowitzReport Andy Borowitz
Newt: “I can assure you that my fourth wife will be an outstanding First Lady.” #cnndebate
1 hour ago
Washington Post blog tells why we saw a big change in Mitt Romney:
10:25 p.m. | Is Mitt Romney’s new debate coach paying off?
If Mitt Romney was particularly on his game tonight, it’s likely due in no small part to the work of Brett O’Donnell.O’Donnell, a GOP debate coach who’s considered among the best in the business, on Monday confirmed to The Washington Post that he has signed on to informally assist Romney in his debate prep. He was formerly assisting Rep. Michele Bachmann until the Minnesota Republican dropped out of the race earlier this month.
Romney has turned in lackluster performances in several recent debates and has allowed himself to get put on the defensive, particularly on the topic of his tax returns.
Not so tonight.
He was aggressive in taking on Gingrich and came well-armed on the issue of the former speaker’s work for mortgage giant Freddie Mac. He also delivered several memorable quips on immigration, Gingrich’s moon colony idea and health care – which certainly can’t hurt heading into Tuesday’s primary.
Some Tweets from political columnist Dick Polman (and a few of his retweets):
DickPolman1 Dick Polman
Mitt had a solid, steady night, the equivalent of a ballplayer hitting .295 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs. Enough to win on Tues. #CNNdebate
27 minutes agoDickPolman1 Dick Polman
Finally, a Saul Alinsky reference from Newt! Audience has no clue who Alinsky was – but it’s a foreign commie-type name, right? #CNNdebate
32 minutes agoRichLowry Rich Lowry [of National Review]
by DickPolman1
unless this last question trips up romney in a big way or gives newt some huge opening, newt has lost the debate and prob the primary
42 minutes agoDickPolman1 Dick Polman
Upshot tonite: Doesn’t seem like Newt got the visceral memorable moment he needed, but who knows whether the voters agree. #CNNdebate
38 minutes agoDavidCornDC David Corn
by DickPolman1
Follow-up question to Newt: “Did you seek God’s guidance when you okayed the impeachment crusade against Clinton while having an affair?”
44 minutes agoDickPolman1 Dick Polman
Q: How would your religious beliefs affect your decisions? Mitt wants to make sure he doesn’t talk about the underpants. #CNNdebate
45 minutes agoDickPolman1 Dick Polman
Courageous of these guys to stand tall for Israel while campaigning in a state like Florida. #CNNdebate
Andrew Sullivan’s final entry:
10.01 pm. Given Mitt’s big financial advantage in advertizing in Florida, and the two debates, I think Gingrich lost this campaign in the past week. It wasn’t just the Drudge-Fox-Coulter establishment that will have done it. It was his much improved debate performance tonight. Probably foolish to say but if Romney wins Florida, with a winner-takes-all delegate haul, Newt’s wait for Super Tuesday will be a long and nail-biting one. Ron Paul? Oh, it’s only just begun.
The question is whether Paul’s and Santorum’s great performances – better than Newt or Mitt – will now alter the race. And how
.
Gingrich and Romney clash over immigration:
CNN: Eric Erickson thought Gingrich and Romney did poorly but Santorum and Paul shined. Thinks Santorum had best night. (If that’s true that means Santorum could siphon some of the Gingrich votes. Donna Brazille thinks Gingirich was flat.”
7:01 PM PST: So, it’s over. Newt wilted—big time fail. Doesn’t have the stuff to beat Romney. But Romney didn’t really do anything good, other than allow Newt to fail. Santorum, meanwhile, had a great debate, and truly got under Mitt’s skin
.
CNN: David Gergen (who I greatly respect). Fascinating debate…Not a clear winner. Surprise how good Rick Santorum did. If momentum has shifted then you have to say that Newt Gingrich needed a knock out “he did not get that. For Romney then this is a good night…Very different from South Carolina. The Romney people should be very happy tonight. They are very close to securing this and if they secure this they are close to securing the nomination.” Gergen, to me, is someone who is not mired down in partisan and ideological polemics — and someone who I listen to very carefully…Former Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleisher: “A great night for Mitt Romney. Romney showed an agressive side…an Alpha Dog…Newt didn’t have a commanding night tonight…Rich Santorum was strong…And I thought Ron Paul was funny. He had the best lines of the night.”
FINAL GRADES: I missed too much of the debate to grade it. Will do roundup above these entries so keep refreshing TMV
6:57: Santorum get same question. Another rehearsed closing statement. So far only Paul sounds as if he’s answer –not reciting. At least Santorum is freshing up his pitch by referring to the State of the Union address and Reagan Democrats. Says he is aiming also at getting the Reagan Democrats back. Santorum is increasingly impressive in the debates.
6:53: Each is asked by audience question why they’re most likely to defeat Barack Obama. Paul notes he does pretty well on polls and that he has a far different foreign policy than Obama does. Also argues he understands money and foreign markets. Romney: says this is a critical time (CANNED ANSWER is doing talking points). As he recites (and it sounds that way) needs dramatic fundamental change in Washington to allow private sector to re-emerge, etc. etc says need new people not people to just “change chairs” but someone “who has been on the outside.” This is his boilerplate. Romney’s problem is reciting is NOT connecting. He sounds like he’s reciting index cards. Gingrich gets same question. Same reaction: he’s going through all of his mental index cards. Why bother live blogging this from either or these two guys? Why not just copy and paste from past debates? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Gingrich back on food stamps again..Has to be an “American campaign”…gets Sol Alinksky in there.
[Wall Street Journal live blogging:
Mr. Romney, on how his religion would guide him as president: “I would seek the guidance of providence in making critical decisions.” Mr. Gingrich also says he would also seek guidance from God on the most difficult decisions. He says one of the reasons he is running is because of the attack on Christianity from the “secular elite,” among others.
6:42 pmby Neil King Jr.Add a Comment
Mr. Romney shows himself to be pretty well schooled on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. His description of the influences of Hamas and Fatah are pretty accurate. His harsh criticism of the Obama policy in Israel, a little less so.6:39 pmby Neil King Jr.Add a Comment
Interesting that Mr. Romney puts Vladimir Putin at the top of his list of “world’s worst actors.” It wasn’t that long ago that the last Republican president, George W. Bush, was very close to Putin and boasted of having a special relationship with him].
(BIG INTERRUPTION ON THIS END)
6:39: Romney blasting Obama’s Israel policy for not backing Israel sufficiently and “throwing Israel under the bus” on some issues…”has time and time ago created some distance from Israel.” Gingrich asked about him saying Palestinians “an invented people.” Gingrich also stating support of Israel and saying in effect Palestinians have to recognize Israel’s right to exist. On first day as Prez, he says, he’ll sign executive order to move US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Both Romney and Gingrich scramble to show their devotion to Israel (this IS Florida — duh!).
9:33 p.m. ET
The topic now is U.S. policy toward Cuba. “The United States should stand on the side of the Cuban people against these despots,” Santorum says, talking about what he calls Cuban puppets like Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez. “We’re going to reward this type of Marxism … in our region. This is the exact wrong message at the exact wrong time.”
9:30 p.m. ET
“I’ve never voted for a Democrat when there was a Republican on the ballot,” Romney says. “Any chance I got to vote against Bill Clinton or Ted Kennedy, I took.”
9:28 p.m. ET
The topic now: Gingrich’s propensity to mention Ronald Reagan. Romney says he can’t claim the Reagan mantle, explaining when Reagan was president he was just getting started in business. He turns the question around to showcase his business experience and why it matters. “Being governor taught me a lot of things … I became more conservative,” Romney says.
Gingrich begins by talking about the “Romney attack machine,” and notes he’s been endorsed by Reagan’s son, Michael. He mentions that Nancy Reagan said he has her husband’s torch.
Now he’s blasting Romney for his criticisms of Reagan.]
6:32: OOPS (excuse me Rick Perry). They’re being asked about Cuba. Time for them to pander. I’ll take a bathroom break (be back soon) since we know what they’ll all say, right? CORRECTION: Ron Paul isn’t pandering. He’s answering like Ron Paul.
6:27: Wolf Blitzer on Romney criticizing Gingrich for embracing Reagan when he himself said he was an independent at that time. Romney argues that he was younger and starting out in business and just out of school. Then he was asked to help get the Salt Lake City Olympics on track. Hails Olympics. Then asked to come back by friends to run for Governor. He argues that he evolved: “I became more conservative when I was governor.” Gingrich: “It’s increasingly interesting to watch the Romney attack machine…” Notes endorsement by Michael Reagan, Nancy Reagan saying torch passed to Gingrich. Gingrich moves into the kill: says at that time Romney was an independent, donating to Democrats, etc. Romney said he never voted for a Democrat when there was a Republican on the ballot. Always voted GOPer when a Republican on a ballot. Romney notes the Reagan diaries. IN other words: what they say on attack isn’t carried over into the debate. It’s the usual way our politics operations: everyone (except those who don’t) realize it’s all game of distortion and attack on both sides. It’s the GAME.
6:26 pst: CNN’s debate story lede at this hour:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich sparred Thursday with Mitt Romney over immigration policies race as tempers flared in the opening minutes of the CNN/Republican Party of Florida debate in Jacksonville.
Gingrich charged Romney’s immigration policy would result in the deportation of grandmothers who are in the country illegally. Romney has advocated for “self-deportation,” a policy that involves making economic conditions so difficult for undocumented workers that they choose to leave the country to find better opportunities.
The former House speaker said Romney was the most anti-immigrant candidate on the debate stage, which prompted outrage from Romney.
“I’m not going to go find grandmothers and take them out of them homes and deport them,” Romney said, accusing Gingrich of using “highly-charged epithets” irresponsibly. “Our problem is not 11 million grandmothers.”
Some Tweets carried on Huffington Post:
6:20 PM – Today
Newt Wobbling In Florida
@ howardfineman : Latest polls show Newt wobbling in Florida. He’s takeng a pounding; aura of South Carolina is a distant memory after Moon, Marco and Mitt.
6:19 PM – Today
Santorum Missed Big Opportunity
@ samsteinhp : seriously, seems like santorum missed a chance to jump on romney after he said “it’s not worth getting angry about”
6:18 PM – Today
What Wolf Could’ve Asked
@ jonward11 : I thought Wolf was going to ask what would your wife make you for dinner if you asked her for an open marriage
6:18 PM – Today
Romney’s Possible Cabinet
@ HuffPostHill : Mitt Romney lists “and, uh, uh, uh, uh, and, uh, uh, and, uh” as possible Hispanics for his cabinet. Huh, haven’t heard of them.
6:17 PM – Today
Newt Flirts With VP Speculation
@ mpoindc : Newt says he envisions Rubio in a “slightly more dignified and central role,” flirting with VP speculation.
6:16 PM – Today
Looking To The Future.. Finally
@ HuffPostHill : A question about the future? Americans love that!
6:16 PM – Today
Real Star Of The Night Is Former Bachmann Aide
@ howardfineman : Real star of the night, Brett O’Donnell, the former Michelle Bachmann aide who is Romney’s recently-acquired speech and debate coach.
6:16 PM – Today
Santorum Not Paying Attention
@ HuffPostMedia : Awesome shot of Santorum refilling his water glass as Paul is speaking — good to know he is paying attention #cnndebate
Some Tweets from ace political scientist Larry Sabato:
LarrySabato Larry Sabato
A gimme set-up to promote Marco Rubio for Veep.
3 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
I just figured out whom Romney reminds me of: Ward Cleaver (Hugh Beaumont) from “Leave It to Beaver”.
7 minutes ago…..LarrySabato Larry Sabato
Romney’s response on govt spending–and candidates promising all things to all ppl–was 1 of his best in 19 debates.
20 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
Romney should avoid all references to “firing” people.
21 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
It’s true. When I ask people about America’s needs, over 90% volunteer, “Moon colony”.
22 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
Newt quotes JFK instead of Reagan!
23 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
Somehow I suspect Ron Paul is well familiar with moon topography.
24 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
A large-enough moon colony could solve illegal immigration.
26 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
Romney dodges Newt’s moon base proposal. Won’t be invited on trip.
28 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
Paul: “There are laws against age discrimination.” Go for that FL senior vote!
29 minutes agoRichLowry Rich Lowry
this is beginning to remind me of the great lincoln-douglas-style debates i had in junior high school
35 minutes ago
Retweeted by LarrySabatoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
Audience trying to intervene to protect Newt & Mitt.
35 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
Don’t the people of the Cayman Islands deserve prosperity, too? #HopeCaymanAmbassadorIsOnTwitter
36 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
Wolf fighting back at Newt! Blitzer determined not to be John King.
38 minutes agoLarrySabato Larry Sabato
@CNN, many of us oldsters are watching SOLELY to find out if we have any chance of making it to the Moon or Mars. #hint
39 minutes agoBorowitzReport Andy Borowitz
Romney looks at Ron Paul as if he’s considering a lawn gnome for his mansion. #cnndebate
[A chunk of Daily Kos live blogging:
6:12 PM PT: Santorum has got Mitt really, really mad. Eye rolls, scowls. Wow.
6:13 PM PT: Hahahaha:
Rick Santorum. Hasn’t done this much damage since he spoke to a group of gay kids.
— @LOLGOP
6:14 PM PT: Santorum is not letting go. And Mitt’s thinking to himself: just when I thought I’d f——clinched things, Dirty Rick Santorum comes along!6:14 PM PT: Newt has this funny smile on his face. Probably thinking to himself he’d like to hire Rick Santorum to be his debate coach on the moon.]
6:11: Santorum seems to be going after the pre-existing condition clause in Massachusetts. Santorum blasting Romney on Romney care. Romney big gaffe:”Firstly, it’s not worth getting angry about.” That’ll be played over despite substantive debate as a sound bite. Romney explaining differences between his plan and Obama’s. Insists in debating Obama he can point out that Obama did was bad and he will repeal it. Santorum insists: Romney’s mandate no different than Obama’s. Paul? “I they they’re all wrong…All you;re arguing about is which form of government…There’s a better way: allow the people to make their decisions and not get the government involved…So the government is not our solution. I’m not too happy with this kind of debate blaming one person or another.” Paul again seems to be the voice of reason (on this at least)…
6:08 PST: Romney is again repeating that his plan is different than “Obama care” and that he’d repeal “Obamacare” if he’s elected. Santorum note that Romney is defending his kind of health care and that he can’t be a contrast with Obama “We can’t give this issue away…” Says under Romney government mandate in Florida would be OK and that isn’t the kind of contrast GOP needs. Romney: “I make a enough mistakes to what I say…not for you to add more mistakes to what I say.” And so Romney gives the same explanation he has given about 1,000 times during the debate.
Some earlier live blogging by Andrew Sullivan (times PST):
9.05 pm. Ron Paul is sparkling tonight. He even attacked Reagan’s fiscal irresponsibility and called Newt on his fiscal record. If I lived in Florida and were a Republican and a citizen – ha! – I’d vote for Paul after tonight. Romney is walking away with this, but Paul is easily the more honest. Oddly, the dynamic tonight is helping Paul and Santorum – which is more bad news for Newt.
9.01 pm. Newt is coming back on space, I think. At least he sounds confident and optimistic. And he has a point about the collateral inspiration of NASA. Romney does really well against Newt on the pandering issue. This is over. Even when Newt seems to rally, Romney comes back with a real slam. But, wait, Newt is returning with a good point about listening to local concerns. And then Newt revives with a riff on greatness.
8.56 pm. I’m sorry but space policy puts me in an instant coma. But they all sounded fine. I can’t imagine anything they are now saying will have any impact in even the tiniest way on anything in the actual world. The best answer was Santorum’s.
8.53 pm. Paul’s response to the medical records was one of the best of the night: funny, charming, and to the point. All candidates, by the way, agree to do this year what Sarah Palin refused to do in the last cycle. And for asking for those medical records, I was accused by Fox News of not being an “actual journalist.”
8.51 pm. The last question and Santorum’s response on exempting the very wealthy from any contribution to reducing the debt and the deficit is the reason Obama has easily the stronger argument in this election.
8.45 pm. So Newt tries to regain the initiative by bashing the media. Then he loses the battle with Wolf Blitzer – and allows Romney once again to win the exchange. Brutal. Newt is finished. If he can’t win on his own turf in his own game – demagoguing in front of a Southern debate audience (this is Jacksonville, not Miami) – then he has lost the whole thing.
8.40 pm. Then Santorum jumps on the Paul note and demands an end to all this personal Newt-Mitt bickering. Disingenuous, of course. But the right move for him. Rick and Ron won the crowd on this one in the end, but Romney’s early brutalization of Newt will remain in voters’ minds. He took the alpha dog position from the get-go; and Newt’s attempt to go after him backfired.
That’s the worst combo for a fighter like Newt. If you throw a rhetorical grenade, make sure your opponent doesn’t have the time and opportunity to throw it back. This means Newt has got to have a strong counter-attack now that sticks. But the dynamic is going against him.
8.39 pm. And then Ron Paul, with a dose of humor and integrity, breaks the ice with a lovely riff on the Newt-Mitt death match and then moves onto the real issue of GSEs.
8.36 pm. Newt goes after Romney on earning investments from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Romney says it wasn’t his decision; it was a blind trust. Then he says that Newt has investments in Freddie Mac himself. How did Newt not see that coming? Then Romney brings up the lobbying for Freddie Mac. And Newt is knocked flat into the ropes again. Anoher knockout for Romney.
8.20 pm. It’s getting pissy fast. Romney wins a huge point by attacking Newt for calling him anti-immigrant. He shows anger. He shows passion. And Newt doesn’t counter-attack with the same level of anger. Romney is killing him so far. And Newt ends up defending “grandmothers”. And Romney pwns him again. Newt’s red faced jowls contrast with Romney’s calm Bob Forehead.And then Romney manages to bring up the Newt gaffe when he spoke about Spanish being the language of the ghetto. And then makes the English-only language. You have to hand it to Romney: he just out-Newted Newt.
8.14 pm. Grandmothers won’t self-deport, says Newt. A nice blend of red meat for the panhandle and serious compassion for long-term illegal immigrants. Romney accidentally calls 11 million illegal immigrants “Americans.” But he then tries to seem compasionate toward immigrants who are brought across the border by coyotes.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.