South Carolina Republican Debate - Charleston - January 19, 2012

These were my raw notes... I am posted them for those who missed the debate and for those who preferred not to sit through the two hour sideshow... I added a short commentary later on January 25th...


Referred to as "The Southern Republican Presidential Debate" and hosted by John King...

Newt Gingrich response to open marriage statement at the top of the debate - - - Rather than answer the question, Newt claimed the news media was destruptive and viscious and that he was appaled that debate began with John King/CNN questioning his marital issue. Gingrich said the question was as close to dispicable as anything he could imagine... He called CNN's question "trash" and said he was astounded that John and his staff chose to begin the debate with it. Claimed story was false... Claimed his friends knew it was false... Gingrich also said he was tired of the elite media protecting Barack Obama....! LOL!! Sorry... But I thought that statement was hilarious!!

On eliminating health care act - Romney.. will not be able to eliminate all at once and claims people will stand with Republican president and he will let people own their insurance and preexisting conditions will be covered.

Gingrich - Says he could appeal with total and complete contol of both Houses as well as the Presidency... Claims Obama wants young people to stay on parents' insurance because Obama cannot find them any jobs!

Santorum - Romney had different plan when he was governor of Massachusettes and he stood by it despite its expense and high premiums that exceed others in the country. Patients wait average of 44 days for care... Pres will be able to say he used Romney model during debates... Gingrich stood up and said he wanted to post individual mandates with bonds of $250K which most ppl do not have.... He (Santorum) has been fighting for insurance for 20 yrs while opponents were playing games.

Romney - 8% bought private insurance, 92% kept insurance they had, individuals saw rates drop 40% due to his plan... Claims to have compassion for ppl w/o insurance... Pres insurance is too conslty and he will fix it...

Santorum - Many of those in MA are on Medicaid and Romney is defending plan that is not free market but government oriented.

Romney - Medicaid in not a federal program but a mandate... He would like to get feds out of Medicaid and put it in hands of states.

Gingrich - Amazed Santorum thought he would have difficulty debating Obama on health care... Tooted his horn including his book and his website and said he would b happy to debate President Obama... and indicated that President Obama could use a teleprompter although Newt would use knowledge.

Santorum - Speaker Gingrich supported the core of President's health care act for 10 years...

Speaker - He was wrong for supporting health care; however, he figured it out - unlike Santorum who did not figure it out.

Paul - Theoretically, health care could be repealed, however, likelihood is low. Wants to cut programs but protect the people who are depend on Medical care... Paul would get money to help with medical needs by ending wars and by discontinuing policing the world...

Romney blew a bunch of smoke about releasing his tax returns and then started talking about President Obama and the pipeline and yatta yatta yatta!

King asked why people should not get to see previous years return and Romney gave snowy answer about making a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes.

Gingrich said Romney should release his tax returns but each candidate should discern the risk while making the decision.

Santorum gave snowy answer about releasing his returns insinuating he had, presently, been unable to do so because he was not at home... HA! That made me laugh...

Romney's dad said that releasing tax returns for one year could be a fluke and done merely for show, stated King, who then proceeded to ask Romney again if he would release more returns.

Romney gave another snowy answer talking about Democrats going after him and not wanting to apologize for earning money...

Romney evaded several questions, choosing to elude to president Obama failures, moreso than did the other candidates during the first half of this debate. He strove to do the same during the second hour...

A FEW KEY ISSUES AND CANDIDATE RESPONSES

* Reviving US Manufacturers

Santorum does not want corporations to pay any taxes at all. Said he would allow manufacturers to come back to USA and pay zero taxes.

Paul said regulations help us to export our money...(Didn't understand him... especially when he brought up "Right to work".)

Santorum said he would support and sign a National Right to Work Law!

* Piracy

Newt - Favors freedom and does not think internet should be "censored"...

Romney agreed that manufacturers should deal with their own piracy problems. Said he is "standing for freedom".

Paul said Republicans have been on the wrong side of this issue and is happy to hear Romney and Newt's responses.

Santorum does not agree with other three candidates and thinks government should try to protect against law abusers. Santorum did not get as much applause on his answer as did his opponents.

* Amnesty

Newt... First control the border... He would forgo all federel regulations to get build barriers and to move half of Homeland Security to major impacted states... He would modernize legal system for VISAs... make it easier to deport people by moving to execute deportations within 2 weeks rather than 2 years. Newt favors the guest worker program... says learning English should mandatory... and believes most illegals would eventually go home...

Newt admits that he doesn't think 25-year-long illegals would leave voluntarilly, nor could they be reported...however, he says they would need to go back to their countries, and stand inline behind everyone else in order to re-enter the United States legally.

Romney... Make certain employers check (identification) cards and sanction them if they do not check... Not going to round up illegals but they need to go back home and come back under legal channels...

Santorum... When you come here illegally, the first act you take is breaking US laws... Mentioned that Romney and Gingrich previously said there should be a pathway to amnesty just as does President Obama...

His dad did it the right way... and others should too... If they want to be Americans.. they should respect our laws... If they've been working for 25 years they probably stole someone's Social Security card and been working [legally] under that stolen card number...

Romney... Illegals should not be given a preferencial path to become legal... Should be able to get temporary documentation, arrange their affairs, then go back home and return legally... Need to underscore the fact that we want "legal" immigration and should protect it by deploring "illegal" immigration.

Paul... Individuals should not be cited for hiring illegals... We should provide incentives for immigrants to come and work low paying jobs that Americans will not take... We have a problem with illegals utilizing and running up medical system... We need to take resources from defending other countries' borders and use thoses dollars to defend our own borders...

* Abortion

Gingrich talked about Romney flipflops... saying he does not seem to be a genuine pro-lifer...

Romney said his medical plan does not mention abortion but that the courts handled the issue in his 70 pages of planned parent was not mentioned, he appointed several judges and did not have a litmus test that determined the basis on which the decisions should be made re those appointees... Will reverse President Obama's policy on the matter...

Santorum... Romney should have put in bill that abortions would not be covered because as governor he knew they would be covered when he submitted the documentation... Coverage would be automatic...

Romney defended his record...

Newt said he had a 98.6 voting record for pro life... Claims to have the largest number of pro-life candidates pass bills from 2010...

Paul... Taking care of pregnant women automatically means two patients... Country morality changed and reflected on laws... Morality needs to be addressed because laws cannot do much in the area... Funds going to hospitals can be used for abortions because it cannot truly be sorted out... Government needs to be out of the program... wants to repeal Rowe v Wade immediately!

Santorum... Paul voted against right to life bills...

I watched more of this Republican debate than any of the previous ones...

Somehow, listening to only four offbeat right-wingers proved more palpable than enduring sessions with eight or more... Besides, for the most part, they were actually responding to mediator questions far more than they did during previous debates; and managed to attack one another moreso than steering their answers to President Obama as they did in other sessions.

Why should the Republican race for a nominee continue on versus the party now coalescing and jumping behind Romney...?

Paul - Liberty benefits everybody and thus his camp must continue to convince people that programs will go down if the budget remains unchecked...

Newt - It is imperative that Obama is defeated... Newt went on to, once again, label President Obama as the "most dangerous president of our lifetime"... and stated that radicalness of a second term would be dramatic... Newt also suggested that the only way to create momentum of Obama's money would be to vote for Newt on Saturday, Jan 21, 2012...

Romney - The President is changing the nature of America and making us an entitlement society, which has never been a source of US greatness, and that we need to restore American values...

Santorum - A conservative with clear contrast with Obama would make the best candidate...

Following the debate, Marianne Gingrich said she had told the truth about Newt and that if he had truly changed, he would have told the truth about the matter as well (asking her for an open marriage).

Later, Santorum was granted the winner of the debate.

My thoughts - Commentary...

My oh my! Time goes so quickly sometimes, especially when you wear several hats, and events virtually come one following another right on eacher's heels - or at least seemingly so... It is State of the Union Address Day and yesterday was another Republican debate - this one hosted by Brian Williams.

Anywho, to me, this Charleston debate, despite a lessening of Obama bashing, still came off as extremely negative and radical. The candidates bashed one another more than they gave reasonable responses as to how they would live the country in a positive manner. They continued to suggest they were against women's rights, reasonable immigration policies, and also showed their determination to keep the wealthy rising while the poor and the middle class go on falling...