Presidential hopefuls face off at GOP debate, but fail to show if they're fit to fill Obama's shoes

New York Daily News
Joshua Greenman


Republican presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty (left to right) at Thursday evening's debate in Iowa.

There they were, gathered in the site of the first 2012 presidential contest, telling Iowans and Americans that they're the ones to beat President Obama at the polls next year.

Fried butter on a stick might make the Republican base salivate at the Iowa State Fair. But down the road, it's not that good for them.

The same could be said of the answers the GOP candidates gave to the public tonight.

Brett Baier of Fox News asked the question directly: If you had on the table a 10-to-1 spending cut to tax increase deal to cut the debt, would you take it?

Nobody on the stage raised his or her hand. Nobody. Not Romney, not Pawlenty, not even Huntsman. This despite the fact that three out of four Americans support a deal that would include tax increases on the wealthiest citizens as part of a broader debt-reduction deal.

And these people want to lead a divided nation? And these people criticize Barack Obama for failing to unite the country?

Since this was Iowa, the candidates delivered their share of corny lines. They got in their packaged attacks at each other and of course at Barack Obama, the punching-bag-in-chief. They entertained.

But nobody up there looked like much of a President.

Michele Bachmann was, as usual, too hot. That unfair, frozen-eyed Newsweek cover made her look like the victim of the big bad media. It was unfortunate, because her actual record - as one who calls being gay "part of satan," who goaded the Tea Party to take the country over the debt cliff - should be disqualifying on its own.

Last night she repeated her brazen commitment to taking the country to the brink of default to make a point about spending.

Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney, the ex-governors, were both too cold - trying quite hard to overcompensate with manufactured anti-Obama passion.

Romney held his own. He had his second straight solid debate performance, free of gaffes, which means he'll stay atop the field - at least until the new frontrunner enters stage right.

Pawlenty, trying extra hard to engage Bachmann in order to look tough, did better than last time in the spotlight. But he didn't decisively turn the tide, and that could prove fatal to his campaign. The ex-governor of Minnesota is in a box. He's not intense enough to win over Christian conservatives, who prefer the likes of fellow Minnesotan Bachmann, not to mention Herman Cain and Rick Santorum. As an executive, he lacks the stature of Romney. And his quiet charisma looks pallid under the 2012 klieg lights.

It was the first big audition for Huntsman, former Utah governor and Obama ambassador to China. He was barely there, looking half like Joe Lieberman, half like Wesley Clark. It's a shame, because he's a smart, decent and talented guy who might excel in a country not dominated by two parties hunkered down in their respective corners during primary season.

In fact, the side-shows might have been more entertaining than the main events. Cain, former Godfather's Pizza CEO, had the best line of the night: "America's got to learn how to take a joke." And Ron Paul and Santorum, two smart candidates with no chance at winning the nomination, served up an engaging and substantive debate on America's role in the world, on the wars that have stretched the U.S. military in every corner of the globe.

More of that would be good for the campaign. Will we get it? Doubt it.

Waiting in the wings is Mr. Just Right, or so he hopes: Gov. Rick Perry of the Lone Star State. News that he with the priceless job creation record and cowboy swagger was stepping into the field wound up dominating the news on Thursday, leaving a Texas-size space on the debate stage.

When Perry's gets into the race in earnest, watch for Bachmann's popularity to suffer, Pawlenty's numbers to drop even further (yes, it's possible) and Romney to be on his heels defending his job-creation record.

This race, thank God, is just underway. We have 15 more months of entertainment, if not enlightenment. It may be best to expect ten parts entertainment to every one of enlightenment.

(AP VIDEO AT SOURCE LINK)

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