The Big GOP Debate Thread

Pretty much everything you need to know about last night's FOX News Clown Car 2012 debate (yes, gods above and below ANOTHER ONE) was summed up by Rick Santorum's answer to a gay soldier on what he would do about DADT.  Dave Weigel:

On replay, Santorum's dismissivness is positively Dukakis-ian. A soldier in Iraq has just posed a question. Santorum's first response: "Yeah. I would say any type of sexual activity has no place." Jimmy LaSalvia of the gay Republican group GOProud (which has asked for Santorum to apologize) pointed out the political flub here.

"I don't care if you're running for dog-catcher," said LaSalvia. "If a soldier asks you a question, the first thing out of your mouth is: 'I thank you for your service.'"

The other issue: Santorum's answer was incoherent, especially after Megyn Kelly's smart follow-up. He would reinstate DADT, but "people like that" (in the video) wouldn't be thrown out. How, exactly? Would there be a special dispensation for gay men and women who came out from September 2011 to January 2013? Santorum doesn't say, and no serious candidate gets the question.

There's more and more discussion on conservative blogs about why, in a lackluster Republican field, Rick Santorum doesn't get taken more seriously. Here's one reason: The other candidates don't go through so many contortions when contemplating the privacy and humanity of their fellow Americans.

Also, the other candidates tend to hide their revulsion better at the notion that mighty America has gay soldiers.



Rick Santorum?  Not so much.  And no, none of these idiots are even remotely ready to actually govern the country.  Their entire plans start and stop with "Well I think I can beat Obama in an election next year" and that's it.

That's all they have.  That's all they ever have.