# Second Republican presidential candidates' debate tonight
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [May 15, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243 "2007-05-15T22:28:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/1 "2007-05-15T22:28:07Z")
Story [here.](http://www.thestate.com/169/story/53388.html)
Ten candidates have been invited:
• Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas
• Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
• Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore
• Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee
• U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California
• Sen. John McCain of Arizona
• U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas
• Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney
• U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado
• Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson
Any predictions? Will this be any different from the first debate? If so, how?
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/2 "2007-05-15T22:34:06Z")
With Fox News running the show and Brit Hume moderating, I don’t have high hopes that the questioning will be very tough or center much on Bush. I’m guessing the questions will all be steered well clear of the Bush administration’s misdeeds and towards the safe waters of liberal bashing and “terror” mongering.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/3 "2007-05-15T22:41:15Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
With Fox News running the show and Brit Hume moderating, I don’t have high hopes that the questioning will be very tough or center much on Bush. I’m guessing the questions will all be steered well clear of the Bush administration’s misdeeds and towards the safe waters of liberal bashing and “terror” mongering.
[/QUOTE]
So what? This is a strictly intramural stage of the contest.
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### Author:  [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/4 "2007-05-15T22:45:16Z")
Considering that it was official FoxNews line that the liberal media that ran the first debate was set up explicitly to shaft Guiliani, we’ll just have to see if he’s featured more prominently this time.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/5 "2007-05-15T22:48:33Z")
[QUOTE=Apos]
Considering that it was official FoxNews line that the liberal media that ran the first debate was set up explicitly to shaft Guiliani, we’ll just have to see if he’s featured more prominently this time.
[/QUOTE]
Why would Fox News favor Giuliani over the others?
I’m not challenging your assertion, I’m genuinely curious.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/6 "2007-05-15T22:52:33Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton]
So what? This is a strictly intramural stage of the contest.
[/QUOTE]
I think it will be boring and uninformative. Each candidate will be allowed to expound on only safe positions and none of them will be challenged on how to clean up Iraq.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/7 "2007-05-15T22:56:37Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
I think it will be boring and uninformative. Each candidate will be allowed to expound on only safe positions and none of them will be challenged on how to clean up Iraq.
[/QUOTE]
Some questioning on the budget, deficit, and debt would not be amiss, either. The only financial question I expect is, “How much do you pay for a haircut?”
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/8 "2007-05-15T23:02:09Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
I think it will be boring and uninformative. Each candidate will be allowed to expound on only safe positions and none of them will be challenged on how to clean up Iraq.
[/QUOTE]
Plenty of time for that **after** the Republican National Convention. For the moment, this is to help Pub voters choose which pol they want to run in '08. I’m talking, mind you, about the kind of Pubs who vote even in the primaries; and my guess is most of those want the occupation to continue anyway (I could be wrong).
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### Author:  [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)
#### Post date: [May 15, 2007, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/9 "2007-05-15T23:38:33Z")
[QUOTE=Apos]
Considering that it was official FoxNews line that the liberal media that ran the first debate was set up explicitly to shaft Guiliani, we’ll just have to see if he’s featured more prominently this time.
[/QUOTE]
Wouldn’t the (hypothetical) liberal media want to help Guiliani? He’s probably the most liberal of the Republican field.
In anycase Guiliani shafted himself by not having a good answer to the abortion issue, its not like it wasn’t predictable that it was going to come up.
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### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/10 "2007-05-16T00:21:12Z")
What’s the over/under on the amount of times Falwell will be mentioned?
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/11 "2007-05-16T01:19:56Z")
Ooh, Mitt! **Never** promise not to raise taxes! Has nobody learned from '92?!
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### Author:  [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/12 "2007-05-16T01:59:44Z")
If they debate the Confederate Flag, it will confirm to me that Republicans are all stupid and crazy.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/13 "2007-05-16T02:03:04Z")
Ron Paul sounds like he’s from a completely different party than the other 9.
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### Author:  [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/14 "2007-05-16T02:05:27Z")
Wow. Tardfest.
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/15 "2007-05-16T02:06:58Z")
[QUOTE=monstro]
If they debate the Confederate Flag, it will confirm to me that Republicans are all stupid and crazy.
[/QUOTE]
Here we go . . .
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/16 "2007-05-16T02:11:10Z")
Now they’re pretending that the existence of Global Warming is still an open question.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/17 "2007-05-16T02:13:01Z")
Count on more whacky laffs from Tommy Thompson, former Wisconsin governor.
He’s wowed 'em recently, when he complimented a jewish group on their ethnic group’s ability to make money.
Then in the last debate, he stated it was okay to fire employees who revealed they were gay. But later he said he was on cold meds and had to pee real bad so he didn’t understand the question. Besides, he didn’t hear it real well either.
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### Author:  [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/18 "2007-05-16T02:15:49Z")
I just saw a headline on Yahoo News stating that all the Republicans agreed on lowering taxes. Another profile in courage.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/19 "2007-05-16T02:17:55Z")
[QUOTE=Frostillicus]
I just saw a headline on Yahoo News stating that all the Republicans agreed on lowering taxes. Another profile in courage.
[/QUOTE]
No shit.
Is Giuliani coming down foursquare and stalwart for torture?
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [May 16, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/second-republican-presidential-candidates-debate-tonight/404243/20 "2007-05-16T02:18:32Z")
Romney: “Enhanced interrogation techniques, not torture . . .” 😕
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