# Republican Debate on National Security November 22nd **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 23, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827 "2011-11-23T01:41:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/1 "2011-11-23T01:41:30Z")
I’m thoroughly enjoying the debate. Romney had good points on Afghanistan IMO while Perry says we should finally stop having Pakistan leeching off us like some intestinal parasite. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/2 "2011-11-23T01:46:02Z")
Did Cain say that we need to be careful or else Pakistan will start working on a bomb? Did Perry say that Pakistan turning into a nuclear Islamist state is something to be encouraged? ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/3 "2011-11-23T01:50:59Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I’m thoroughly enjoying the debate. Romney had good points on Afghanistan IMO while Perry says we should finally stop having Pakistan leeching off us like some intestinal parasite. 🆒 Maybe Perry meant America was full of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/4 "2011-11-23T01:52:45Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Did Cain say that we need to be careful or else Pakistan will start working on a bomb? > > Did Perry say that Pakistan turning into a nuclear Islamist state is something to be encouraged? Should we be held hostage by Pakistan into providing aid,. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/5 "2011-11-23T02:04:00Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Should we be held hostage by Pakistan into providing aid,. Pakistan has had nuclear bombs since [1998](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_with_nuclear_weapons). ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/6 "2011-11-23T02:04:14Z")
Pre-election talk is cheap. I have no confidence inthe national security cred. of any of the Republicans except maybe Huntsman. I believe Paul is sincere in what he says but I wouldn’t vote for him. The rest are tough talkers pandering to the base. IMHO ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/7 "2011-11-23T14:48:00Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Did Perry say that Pakistan turning into a nuclear Islamist state is something to be encouraged? He was made to look like an idiot by Michele Bachmann, which is kind of like having your hairpiece made to look fake by Donald Trump. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/8 "2011-11-23T14:58:21Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > Pakistan has had nuclear bombs since [1998](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_with_nuclear_weapons). Pakistan has had nuclear weapons since the early to mid eighties. Pakistan became a declared nuclear weapons state in 1998. In other news, the candidates know as much about the subject as I know about ancient Bulgarian literature. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/9 "2011-11-23T15:30:30Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Pakistan has had nuclear weapons since the early to mid eighties. Pakistan became a declared nuclear weapons state in 1998. > > In other news, the candidates know as much about the subject as I know about ancient Bulgarian literature. Until 1998 weren’t their nukes all cataplut delivered? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/10 "2011-11-23T16:12:06Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Until 1998 weren’t their nukes all cataplut delivered? :smack: Yak, actually. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/11 "2011-11-23T16:59:44Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Yak, actually. 😉 Test battery power. Neutron-gun diagnostic green. Remove the safeties. Untie the Yak. We are at DEFCON 1, gentlemen, may Allah have mercy on our souls. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/12 "2011-11-23T17:06:04Z")
Apparently, Herman “I Have All This Stuff Flying Around in my Head” Cain didn’t feel comfortable expounding on his broad foreign policy knowledge at last night’s debate, as seen in this easy-to-read pizza, er, pie chart: > **[Apparently, the cat got Herman Cain's tongue at last night's debate](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2011/11/23/1039329/-Apparently,-the-cat-got-Herman-Cains-tongue-at-last-nights-debate?via=blog_1)** > > My oh my, that's one small slice of pizza... ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/13 "2011-11-28T19:04:21Z")
National security and foreign policy is going to be a tough talking point for Republicans this year. Better they stick to the economy and hope the electorate blames Obama for the recession. ---
**Author:** ![Lago\_Ys-Transform](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@Lago\_Ys-Transform](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lago_Ys-Transform)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/14 "2011-11-28T19:39:56Z")
Eh, I don’t think Perry’s remarks about Pakistan are going to hurt him that much. Obama said something just as stupid (he’d send troops into there if shit got out of hand) during the debates with Clinton once upon a time. That was a real :wtf: moment for me - I could imagine there being a rather catastrophic but plausible situation where the U.S. would send troops there if but not before India and China were already rushing in. But that’s another story. I do think that his sentiments are in the right place, but, Pakistan has nukes and is next to a country that doesn’t like them too much that also has nukes. So what are you going to do? > [@Damuri Ajashi](#): > > National security and foreign policy is going to be a tough talking point for Republicans this year. I don’t know about that. We have almost a year until the election proper, that’s more than enough time for some shit to go down that would leave Obama open to an attack. I personally was surprised at how quickly the Libya revolution flared up. You’re right though in that as things stand right now there’s nothing really for the GOP to attack. If Obama was being challenged by a Democrat or if Ron Paul became a candidate there’d be plenty of legitimate things to criticize about him. If someone _]really_ wanted to they could make hay about drones or our Cuba/Israeli policy or Guantanamo but I don’t see any conservatives embracing that line of attack well before liberals do. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/15 "2011-11-28T22:59:13Z")
> [@Lago\_Ys-Transform](#): > > Eh, I don’t think Perry’s remarks about Pakistan are going to hurt him that much. Obama said something just as stupid (he’d send troops into there if shit got out of hand) during the debates with Clinton once upon a time. That was a real :wtf: moment for me - I could imagine there being a rather catastrophic but plausible situation where the U.S. would send troops there if but not before India and China were already rushing in. But that’s another story. He sent troops into Pakistan. They killed Osama Bin Laden. It was kind of a big deal, but not the end of the world or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/16 "2011-11-30T14:29:33Z")
> [@Lago\_Ys-Transform](#): > > If someone _]really_ wanted to they could make hay about drones or our Cuba/Israeli policy or Guantanamo but I don’t see any conservatives embracing that line of attack well before liberals do. Yeah, this isn’t the 90’s when the GOP could shout about wagging the dog with at least a _pretense_ of a straight face. They’ve been banging the war drum for so long that no one will believe that their sudden care for international law and peace is anything more than political. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/17 "2011-11-30T14:58:00Z")
> [@Lago\_Ys-Transform](#): > > Eh, I don’t think Perry’s remarks about Pakistan are going to hurt him that much. Obama said something just as stupid (he’d send troops into there if shit got out of hand) during the debates with Clinton once upon a time. That was a real :wtf: moment for me - I could imagine there being a rather catastrophic but plausible situation where the U.S. would send troops there if but not before India and China were already rushing in. But that’s another story. You do know he actually did do that and it is one of his biggest successes? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/18 "2011-11-30T15:01:10Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Yeah, this isn’t the 90’s when the GOP could shout about wagging the dog with at least a _pretense_ of a straight face. They’ve been banging the war drum for so long that no one will believe that their sudden care for international law and peace is anything more than political. Which didn’t stop them from screaming about Libya. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/19 "2011-11-30T15:17:04Z")
I’m not saying they won’t try, I’m saying it won’t be successful amongst any moderate who has any chance of voting for Obama anyway. It might peel off some leftists, but simply prevent them from voting which is only half as successful as pulling moderates toward the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827/20 "2011-11-30T22:18:02Z")
If the Republicans want to win they better take a giant step back from the crazy and just focus on the economy. They will also have to kick their most extreme elements to the curb during the general election. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-debate-on-national-security-november-22nd/603827.md?page=2)