Wallace on the Debate

January 8, 2012

On January 8, 2012, the topic on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace was the Republican candidate debate in New Hampshire.  Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum debated the various issues facing them and the country. Wallace and his colleagues reflected on the tone of the campaign, the topics that were discussed, the topics that were not discussed, and who emerged as the winner of the debate.

Rather than concentrating on issues, the candidates chose to simply attack each other. When it came to ad hominum attacks, Governor Romney began by accusing his colleagues of attacking free enterprise.  Ron Paul and Rick Santorum traded barbs over Santorum's spending bills, and Paul accused Gingrich of avoiding the draft and promoting war.

Wallace and his colleague John Cameron also commented on how social issues trumped Jobs and the economy. Gingrich reiterated his opposition to gay marriage while Santorum promised to overturn Roe V. Wade.

Wallace voiced his (and mine, and probably most people's) disappointment that the candidates shied away from talking about the economy, but reasoned that they were not that far apart in their stands on economic issues but wanted to show where they did, in fact, differ. Cameron agreed, saying that the nominee's (whoever it is) economic attacks will probably be leveled against President Obama in the general election, rather than against each other now.