Final Republican Debate Was A Dud

Well if you missed the 20th and, if there is a God, last Republican debate last night, you didn't miss a thing. The final four squared off in Arizona, with just five days to go until that states primary with Michigan next Tuesday. While there was no real winner, there was a loser, and that was Rick Santorum. Father Rick basically played dodge ball all night. He was off message most of the debate, and got hammered from all sides which put him on perpetual defense. His responses were basically long winded admissions that he did do things contrary to what he is now advocating, and to top it off, when asked for a one word description of himself he said "courage." Well, I'm not sure what type of courage he was referring to, but it certainly wasn't courage of conviction. In a nutshell, he proved himself to be the Washington insider Mitt Romney claims him to be. Add that to a hostile Arizona Republican audience, and Father Rick was probably thanking God when it was all over.

Mitt Romney probably scored highest on points, but still couldn't knock it out of the park. Ron Paul had what I thought was his best performance, and Newt Gingrich did his best to remain relevant. The two hours passed slowly, and really didn't provide any new insights into the minds of these four horseman of the apocalypse. It is a consistent theme put forward by these Republicans of negativity, fear, and gloom, and it has become stale and tiresome to listen to on its unending loop.

I found it interesting that it took 45 minutes for CNN's John King to get around to Father Ricks religious crusade, and even when the subject was broached, it was done by presenting it as a question from an online viewer. The question raised a chorus of boos from the conservative audience as expected, and centered solely on birth control. They all painted this horrifying vision of President Obama with his boot heal on the neck of religion across America. It was just more of the same old fear mongering for the rest of us, but red meat for the conservative base.

As for the number one issue in America, "Jobs", there wasn't a peep. If I was an independent and watched last night, I'd be asking myself, "This is what they have to offer?" As for the implications going into next Tuesday's big contests in Michigan and Arizona, I think it safe to say Romney has stopped the bleeding, at least for now. Santorum withered under fire last night, and may have given Romney a much needed boost in his home state. Recent polls have the Michigan contest in a statistical dead heat, but I would bet Romney's lead begins to widen in the next few days. The result of Father Rick's poor showing last night, coupled with a week of radical theological babble, that has establishment Republicans, Independents, and women all moving toward the isles. Yes I agree with the former Pennsylvania Senator, the devil has his eyes set on America, and his name is Rick Santorum.