Casey vs. Santorum
In case you missed the Meet the Press face-off between Rick Santorum and Bob Casey (and who didn't? It aired at 10 a.m. on the Sunday on Labor Day weekend), I can point you to a transcript of the the debate, plus two stories -- one by my colleague Carrie Budoff in the Inquirer, another by Charlie Babington in the Washington Post.
The winner? Easy. It was Tim Russert.
The Meet the Press host was terse, aggressive and brooked no nonsense. It resulted in the kind of give-and-take you don't see on most debates. Russert and his staff did their homework. They had obviously unearthed every extant anti-Casey and anti-Santorum clip and were determined to ask the candidates about them. Special targets: the Santorum residency issue and Casey's stand on the morning-after pill.
The winner in terms of debate skills: Santorum. Hands down. After years in the media spotlight, the junior senator has his act down. He knows you don't give speeches on TV. You keep it short. You keep it snappy. And attack, attack, attack. He always went for Casey's throat, when he wasn't fending off Russert. He was masterful.
And yet, if I were Bob Casey, I would immediately take up Santorum's challenge to 10 debates, instead of the three others they are skedded to have. Why?
Because the debate underscores Santorum's difficulties in this re-election year.
This was not the Rick Santorum of his TV ads -- the Marzipan Rick, who dances the polka, hugs the babies, and does his darndest to appear benign. This was the Red Meat Rick, the conservative warrior for God and country.
He is pro-pro-Bush in a Blue State where about two-thirds of the voters think the president is doing a lousy job. He is pro-war in a state where nearly three-fourths of the voters hate the war. Not only is he pro-Iraq War, there were times in Sunday's debate where Santorum gave the impression he'd be happy to see that war expanded into Iran.
And this talk of Islamic Facism, while it may sound Churchillian to his supporters, is going to spook regular folks, who may not be as enthusiastic about waging a Holy Crusade against the Infidels. It may have worked for Pope Urban II, but times have changed since 1095.
It's hard to sound more hawkish than Dick Cheney, but Santorum managed to do that on Sunday.
As to the President, Santorum told Russert he is "doing a terrific job." This was after Russert flashed a graphic that showed Santorum's support for Bush in the 97% to 100% range in recent years. Which gave Casey a chance to utter his take-away line of the debate: "When you have two politicians that agree 98% of the time, one of them's not really necessary."
In a nutshell, Santorum has two problems: One is Rick Santorum and his standing among moderate and swing voters. The other is George Bush.
About $15 million in advertising may solve problem No. 1. But what the heck is he going to do about problem No. 2?
posted by Tom Ferrick Jr. at 4:53 AM
5 Comments:
In a nutshell, Santorum has two problems: One is Rick Santorum and his standing among moderate and swing voters. The other is George Bush.
About $15 million in advertising may solve problem No. 1. But what the heck is he going to do about problem No. 2?
As to Problem #2, nothing that works. Iraq is likely to get worse, not better, later this year. I don't pretend to have a crystal ball, but worse has been the trend in Iraq for a long time now. The Kurds are all but separated into their own republic—e.g., they recently replaced Iraq flags with their own Kurdish flag—and the civil-war-in-all-but-name just goes on.
Bush's ratings in PA and elsewhere are also unlikely to get better. Political memories may be short, but there is a lot to forget—the war, Katrina, scandals, and on and on. Bush's coattails are likely to be negative in PA.
I'm not even sure that $15 million in campaign funds can make people forget about Red Meat Rick (and Embarrassing Book Rick, come to that).
The "islamic fascism" kills me--Its McCarthyism--fear mongering. The people of Pennsylvania are not as stupid as Santorum and his handlers all think. He talks about casey mouthing DSCC talking points--every republican is now, in lock-step trying to scare the avergae joe wiht this talk of fighting in supermarkets, look under your bed for the fascists--I think we are all tiered of fear.
Let's be honest, Bob Casey is not exciting, but he more than held his own on Sunday against a tough questioner with the attack dog of the radical right frothing. To me, Casey sghowed he belongs and Santoryum showed he needs to grow up and act senatorial--we need someone who is willing to work and be flexible to achieve consensus and move the process forward, not the "red meat" Santorum, George's top crusader.
Santorum sounds tired. I am so weary of the God and values routine. Please... and fascism, give me a break. Anyone who backs Bush 98% of the time and uses that stay the course nonsense, come on, what if you were the captain of the ship and an Iceberg was ahead, stay the course!!!!!!! I think not, there are time when you must change the course or you are dead!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wake up. It's time to change the course.......
Santorum and BUSH should read ART OF WAR, great book, ""when you do battle,even if you are winning, if you continue for a long time it will dull your forces and blunt your edge. MASTER SUN We were winning but now it is turning into vietnam. We should have pulled out when we got Saddam. Civil war will break out because of the ethinic differences in Irag. I hope I am wrong
One of the most damning affronts against Rick Santorum is his medieval view on the roles of women! Why has most of the press missed this? He is a fundamentalist that wants all women to go back to baking pies and making a castle for their husbands...with submission and obedience no doubt. He is a hard core sexist. Wake up people.
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