The New Hampshire GOP debate
The second Republican debate is over, this one featuring (in alphabetical order) Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum. In an exciting (but not totally shocking) moment near the beginning of the debate, Bachmann made her presidential bid official.
But the winner, in my opinion, was Paul. He was the only candidate who, for almost every answer, articulated his actual beliefs in simple language instead of saying what he thought voters wanted to hear. He stood up for the pro-liberty position on a wide range of issues, from the economy (opposing government aid to private companies), to our wars overseas (supporting ending them as soon as possible), to health care (“There was a time when we didn’t depend on the government for everything”), to marriage (the government should stay out of it entirely), to gays in the military (“Rights don’t come in groups, rights belong to individuals”), to eminent domain (big surprise, he opposes it).
The worst thing about the debate was what was missing: Gary Johnson. The former New Mexico governor and libertarian-leaning Republican was left out because he did not have the required poll numbers. I know that CNN had to narrow down the field somehow, but mere popularity is not the right way. Depriving the least popular candidates of a platform to express their views creates a vicious cycle, making it even harder for them to gain popularity. Little-known candidates like Johnson have the greatest need to be in debates, and their views (in my opinion, at least) often make them the most deserving. The debate would have been better with Johnson there.