If a violent dirtbag breaks into the Romney home and tries to have his way with Mitt's old lady, Josh had better be sleeping with his Mom, because as we learned in the debate last night, he's the man with the guns.

It was a debate of pure pablum.

A couple of the boobs on stage mentioned staying until we achieve victory.

It would seem to me that any kind of journalist might have ask for a definition of victory.

Just to add some pros to the argument against CNN's questions. I agree that, within the debate, it was a clear emphasis on issues such as religion, but that rather speaks to the issues that are relevant for a GOP voter, isn't it?

I thought CNN did a good job in dealing at least with one issue -the gay rights- as even the hardcore republican voices had to sound less tougher when they had to confront the openly gay general. In addition, the question about the confederate flag was really hard to deal with - and only Thompson passed the republican litmus test by acknowledging that "having the flag" is a sign that you are definitely not racist. That was similar to saying that you can oppose torture and not knowing what water-boarding means.

Say what you want but it certainly is (creepily) consistent.No rebels so far from within the Republican or Democratic vacuum have rocked Bush's boat except ever so slightly.These debates are nothing more than window dressing to con the voters into thinking they have any kind of real choice.The winner has already been decided.

perhaps, mr shapiro, you will allow me to classify the usa as an elective monarchy?

whether or no, the quality of the debate was at least as good as the quality of the american electorate. they have, after all, elected king george the w twice.

At least CNN has the excuse that the questions were submitted by concerned citizens.

Russert, apropos of nothing, asked the Democratic candidates what their favorite bible verse was.

http://margalis.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-is-your-favorite-bible-verse.html

First step- stop calling these group press conferences debates.

In a debate these men would be forced to address each other directly, in a strictly limited time period, with a highlyl regulated structure of argument and rebuttal.

What we have here is a pathetic and useless kind of forum, a marketing event, a PR happening.

Anderson Cooper is NOT a journalist, he is a media star, a personality and a number of other things I won't list here, but he is not a journalist. Campbell Brown is married to Dan Senor and they are being prepped as the next Carville/Matlin Phenom. I give it another 12-18 months before we face the very real and scary chance of them having their own 'reality' show.

Finally, tonight represented one of the worst missed opportunities for Gay men in the US. Anderson Cooper had the chance to break from the format and ask the GOP candidates point blank why it was a threat to their own marriages if he and his boyfried were to get married or why they should be legally barred from adopting a child.

Anderson gets 4 million dollars a year in salary from CNN alone. I hope it can buy him enough happiness to compensate for the fact that he sold his soul.

Mr Shapiro

Isn't the phrase "powder keg"? Unless you were making some pun that escaped me, "power keg" is incorrect. Do a google search of each and check the number of results.

"power keg" = 949 matches

vs

"powder keg" = 521 000 matches

Mike Huckabee, in poor taste and even less humor, wished that Hillary Clinton would be sent to Mars.

I, in turn, hope that Mike Huckabee will be sent to another and wholly-appropriate-for-him planet: Uranus.

You know it's the end of civilization when a creature as lame as Anderson Cooper is the moderator of a nationally televised debate.

Once I heard the opening musical overture, I knew this would be a Busby Berkely type Debate. Orchestrated and choriograpphed from start to finish. CNN/Time(aka liars) lived up to the opening credits.

I agree this was in no way a debate-- it was another prepackaged infotainment show and the info was slim indeed. What really galled me-- in addition to all the bible talk, the lack of follow up questions and the maddening complete disregard for the time limits was the hooting, cheering and booing from the audience. This is supposed to be about the election of a president, not choosing the next World Wrestling "champion." It was fake, depressing and worthless. If this is really where we're heading, we're doomed.

I agree with you 100%. CNN should be ashamed. Anderson Cooper should be ashamed. This programming was below an acceptable standard for quality television.

If I heard right these folks collectively want to shut down the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Education, Homeland Security, Department of Energy and eliminate taxes except for the money needed to blow stuff up. And of course no universal health care etc. , etc.

I guess if they did all this downsizing of American institutions the work load left could be done by someone as stupid as Bush.

On another note it makes sense that the cost of Rudy's security for trips to his mistresses estate in the Hampton's would be hidden away in the budgets of scores of city agencies...this was so the terrorists couldn't find out which restaurants out there had the really big lobsters!

And as for me, after realizing that our current national makeup could produce such a crowd of lunatics I will have to take exception with "My Friendly Paul" and pray that we do merge with Mexico and Canada!

You could say, We can do better than this. But I guess not.

Mr. Shapiro, you are so right. After watching the Republican debate, I wondered why on earth would anyone want to vote for any of those sad, old guys who just want us to continue to live in a George Bush world. Geez, we're in the 21st century and America deserves to have a little progress for our future! Waterboarding is torture and everyone with half a brain knows it. So, as John McCain at least did, why can't the rest of them just say it. And gay people have been in the military for centuries. Was someone...anyone...on that stage willing to come into the real world, and leave their ridiculously bigoted fears behind? Not even for the sake of America and rights and freedom and progress and the 21st century? Too much to ask apparently. And CNN later highlighted clips of the Mike Huckabee statement about the death penalty as though he said something clever. "What would Jesus do about the death penalty?" was the question. Huckabee didn't answer it, but said something lame about Jesus not ever becoming a politician. Well, does that mean that religion and politics SHOULDN'T mix then? If that is the message, Huckabee needs to learn from it...as well as all the others on that stage. We all know Jesus was a victim of the death penalty himself, so I think it is obvious what he would say. And who gives a rat's whisker if New York was a sanctuary city or not? Like that is an issue? Have any of those candidates checked out the cost of health care, wondered about the economy, care if people's homes get foreclosed upon, or, with the except of Ron Paul, care if the war goes on forever. Wow, it was torturous to watch candidates say nothing of any worth for America and the 21st century.