Some Random Thoughts on the New Hampshire Debates

On the GOP:

1. How can all of the candidates (except Ron Paul) continue to rail about the evils of "socialized" medicine, while pushing to dramatically expand what is essentially a "socialized" military and insisting it can't be funded by (gasp!) taxes? At least they could be consistent, and suggest that America develop the “strongest, best equipped, military in the world” by having individual citizens pay for their own Blackwater mercenaries with a personal “Private Defense Account!”

2. When Rudy Giuliani talked about his list of twelve core commitments that he would put on his desk in the Oval Office in order to make sure he stayed committed to them every day, I’m guessing his wife wasn’t one of the twelve!

3. My idea for a new TV reality show to help the networks wait out the writers’ strike: Who Wants to Punch Mitt Romney in the Stomach? It would be a big hit among the other GOP candidates and their supporters. In fact, I might even watch, and I hate TV reality shows!

Regarding the Dems:

1. How much harder would it have been for Obama and Edwards to brand Hillary Clinton as “The Establishment Candidate” if Bill hadn’t just spent the last five years hobnobbing with George Bush Sr.?

2. Is it just me, or was the only time Bill Richardson made any sense (literally) when he was reciting his resume? Everything else seemed like stringing together random words, both real and imagined (example: “emboldering”) until the moderator cut him off. If I were holding hostages, and Richardson showed up to negotiate, I’m sure I would release the hostages just to get Bill to stop talking!

3. Despite harsh criticism toward Barack Obama from many Edwards supporters (like Paul Krugman, for example), it seems clear to me that Edwards himself respects Obama and understands that the two men are working toward similar goals, with only stylistic differences about the best way to achieve them! Obama/Edwards (or Edwards/Obama) seems like a pretty good match, and I got the feeling (particularly in the exchange above) that either man would willingly take the second slot on the ticket if it becomes apparent that he can’t win, and it means preventing Hillary Clinton from beating them both.