Ron Paul shoots to first place in the public mind after the initial debate and no mention of him here now? What is this, the mainstream media?

Surely this is not what REALLY took place in the second Republican Presidential Candidate Debate.

What was that? NOT a parody?

Oh my.

The libertarian was alone as a reasonable voice here, so I guess that means he doesn't deserve mention. He explained well that it was interventionist policies that fueled the hatred that led to the attacks. Giuliani interrupts to call this absurd and demands a retraction (they hate us for our freedom of course!).

Hannity brings it up afterwards and Paul wipes the floor with him, even as the blowhard refuses to let him speak.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0LRM57k038c

(Somehow, foxnews.com didn't put that clip online, just the McCain and Giuliani "reactions".)

There is at least a sliver of truth in what Ron Paul said. We need people who will speak truth to power. In this case, the ‘power’ during this debate was FOX News. I applaud Mr. Paul for speaking what many are thinking. And I think that Sean Hannity simply looked foolish in his righteous indignation during the post-debate interview with Mr. Paul. (Unfortunately, Mr. Paul chose to argue specifics with Mr. Hannity, and the result was a jumble that didn't make Mr. Paul look very presidential.)

It was fun to watch the FOX commentators squirm as the results of their (admittedly unscientific) viewer poll began to roll in, showing Ron Paul IN THE LEAD. Rather than take that as a possible indication that the public might like to hear the truth for a change, they dismissed the result -- more than once saying that Mr. Paul must have had campaign staff ready to flood the poll.

After the debate, it was hard to find mention of the FOX poll on the main FOX page that covered the debate!

We’ve had six years of burying inconvenient truths. Enough is enough.

That would be acceptable - barely - if it were a Fox network feed for broadcast. Local affiliates often have station breaks in the middle of news coverage. But the networks have traditionally not given local affiliates breaks in political coverage like debates, considering them "continuing news coverage."

By inserting those breaks, Fox News gave away the ballgame; this wasn't a debate or of political importance, it was a reality show. Also, it was a heavily-weighted one; from the description, it's clear that Giuliani is the anointed Republican candidate, and the rest are going to join Fox News to support him and echo Republican talking points after he's awarded the nomination.

And while I wouldn't watch Dancing with the SARS, I'd have rather watched the local weather radar than this debate. Unlike the Republican nomination, weather is reality-based and hasn't already been decided by rich white guys.

...but I cannot stop cringing at this line: "Salon watches the second Republican debate so you don't have to."

Tsk, tsk.

As always Michael Scherer delivers the goods. He distilled things concisely while exposing these guys for what they are and that made me laugh (I also cried at the thought of any of them as POTUS). It's this kind of funny spot on analysis that makes this kind of baloney tolerable. More please.

It was interesting to see the crème de la crème of the Republican Party. It is encouraging to see that diversity has finally infiltrated its top levels, with much girlishness on display. The graphic I liked best was the one stating the combined IQ of the ten Republican candidates matches the combined IQ of the two leading Democratic candidates, though I don’t think this is to the Republican’s advantage.

One historical note to keep in mind when watching these debates: Eight years ago I watched in dismay as one political hopeful’s outwardly sophomoric, ignorant, condescending, idiotic, smirking, donkey-laughing, and non-replies to questions propelled him to the Party’s candidacy.

The gay bashing gayish Sean Hannity brought his flatulent weight to the affair, illuminating the grandeur that is the Republican culture.

A far right wing pro life Republican who punts like all the rest by handing all the hard decisions over to the states. That's the new definition of 'Libertarian'

Saloniks love him because he's a dove on Iraq. Period. The animals on Meerkat Manor can stick their noses up and arrive at the same conclusion. BFD.

I saw the Dem debate and both Rep debates, and last night's was a real debate, exciting, and full of conflict. When I think back to the Dem snoozefest (what circle of hell makes you listen endlessly to Hil and Bar?) I hand it to the Reps for mixing it up. I understand GOP haters will not get this point, but what else is new?

Who ARE these people?? Double the size of Gitmo -- applause! Complete and utter insanity. They know nothing about Gitmo nor habeus corpus because they rely on FAUX NEWS.

Thank you for watching this insanity & distilling it in a somewhat lighthearted way so I'm not totally freaked out.

This reminds me of a Family Guy clip -- check it out.

my username linked to the family guy clip... here it is:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/05/14/family-guy-lois-griffin-adopts-republican-talking-points/

It's scary that one of these simpletons may end up as our next president. So is Giuliani trying to say that he thinks we were attacking Iraq BEFORE 9/11 happened?

The stupidity inherent in the Hume question was apparently not commented upon. Why would people taken prisoner years ago know anything about attacks that, since one of these Republicans would be president, are postulated to take place two years from now? Or maybe five years, when some of the Gitmo prisoners will have been held essentially incommuncado for a decade?

What could they possibly know about a current operation? You could torture them until the cows come home and learn nothing. Of course, I suppose once you've set up the premise that one of these people might actually become president, the lesser absurdities flow forth more easily.

And Jack Bauer doesn't torture anyone not plausibly in possession of real-time knowledge of the situation. "24" is not a TV version of "Hostel" where victims are tortured for no apparent reason other than sadism. Perhaps some of these clowns who invoke the show should bother to actually watch it. It's pretty exciting, although this season has not been its best.