Last Night's Final GOP Debate Before the Iowa Caucus

What do you think? Post Comments Below!

The candidates at the Fox Debate in Iowa last night.

Everyone except Bachmann refused to attack Newt so as not to leave a bad taste in Iowan voters' mouths. 


But Bachmann wasn't buying the kumbaya/attack Obama theme last night. She bravely and successfully took on Newt on abortion and $1.6 M influence peddling at Freddie Mac despite Newt trying desperately to attack her credibility. 


She succeeded. According to the polls Newt is no longer the heir apparent. The field remains the same, with no clear frontrunner and talk of third party candidates.

Debate Summary

Grades for the #IowaDebate: #Bachmann A+ #RonPaul A #Newt B- #Romney B #Perry C- #Huntsman F #Santorum B-

Recent Political Tweets

Pres. #Obama shouldn't blink on the payroll tax / #KeystoneXLPipeline debacle. Without a lifeline the Republicans will have to raise taxes

The #KeystoneXLPipeline won't create as many jobs as expected; just more BP-like disasters and Koch Brothers-like cover-ups / exploitation

The #KeystoneXLPipeline is a complete red herring in the payroll tax debate. Republicans were caught between a rock & a hard place

It's insanely paradoxical / ironic that the Republicans are using the #KeystoneXLPipeline as a bargaining chip in order to RAISE taxes

There are legitimate security concerns (#Iran) but the U.S. is war weary. We shouldn't have been in #Iraq. Let's focus on domestic issues

The place #RonPaul comes in in the #IowaCaucus will indicate how war weary the U.S. is. Paul is tapping into a legitimate isolationism

It's important to note that we shouldn't have been in Iraq in the first place. They didn't attack us; there were no WMDs #WarinIraq

Ending the #WarinIraq was a promise kept

Tweets During the Debate

#Bachmann was strong tonight she was the only one to effectively attack #Newt. #Romney pulled his punches. #IowaDebate

#Romney took the harshest beating tonight. #Newt got off easy #IowaDebate

ABC's #IowaDebate was much better. The Fox moderators were spoon-feeding and hand-holding the candidates.

#Obama killed off the Keystone XL pipeline for the San Francisco environmental extremists. #IowaDebate

This is a waste of time. No one is going after #Newt. The race remains unsettled. #IowaDebate

#Bachmann is the only one to go after #Newt. Freddie & Fannie aren't credit unions. He influenced keeping the scam going. #IowaDebate

#Newt was on Freddie Mac's payroll. It was influence peddling. He was Speaker of the House not a private citizen. #IowaDebate

#Newt claims the conservative revolution against him was due to working with Clinton. Lies. He shut down Congress many times #IowaDebate

The candidates are falling into Fox News' trap. They're attacking #Obama instead of #Newt. Newt will remain in the lead #IowaDebate

#IowaDebate starting now

AshleyRParker Ashley Parker
#IowaDebate starts by going through each candidate's perceived flaws — not conservative (Newt), unelectable (Paul), not on fire (Santorum)
16 hours ago Favorite Undo Retweet Reply
Retweeted by SoraRyu

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Newt Assures He Could Beat Obama #IowaDebate nyti.ms/vaX4YX via @thecaucus I highly doubt it. He's not Reagan
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Voters' View Who Can Beat Obama #IowaDebate nyti.ms/rK4xvt @thecaucus Not #Santorum NOR #Newt. I don't understand the support for Newt
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Fact Check:The Budget Under Speaker Gingrich #IowaDebate nyti.ms/vgqhY2 @thecaucus So much for #Newt's conservative credentials
1 hour ago

dickstevenson Dick Stevenson
Neither Romney nor Gingrich takes the opportunity at #iowadebate to repeat attacks on each other.
15 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Neither #Romney Nor #Newt Eager to Engage #IowaDebate nyti.ms/vLBoJT @thecaucus Holding back may quell bad blood but it's bad strategy
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Voters' View: No Candidate Winning Yet #IowaDebate nyti.ms/vcA6rP @thecaucus This is still the case. The #IowaCaucus will be a toss up
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Voters' View: Rick #Perry Fading #IowaDebate nyti.ms/rCdz8e @thecaucus He did the worst last night. Didn't say anything relevant
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
When in doubt, bash the courts. nyti.ms/sOb2ol @thecaucus #IowaDebate None of #Newt's arguments held any water here
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
A Calmer #Romney #IowaDebate nyti.ms/uRNbXB @thecaucus He finally knows that his eyes bug out & his face turns red when he gets angry
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Voters' View: Lack of Conflict #IowaDebate nyti.ms/vJUnze @thecaucus All throughout they were playing nice. No one was attack #Newt
1 hour ago

BCAppelbaum Binyamin Appelbaum
It's amazing to me every time one of these debates swings through foreign policy without touching EUROPE. #iowadebate
15 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Huntsman Makes the Most of It #IowaDebate nyti.ms/so7pCH via @thecaucus He's done
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Romney Hands-Off on #Newt #IowaDebate nyti.ms/ryOIaQ @thecaucus Romney was trying to avoid criticism; he should have attacked Newt
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Voters' View: Weakness on Immigration Action #IowaDebate nyti.ms/uHxBbm via @thecaucus
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Newt Toughens Stance on Immigration nyti.ms/rNrh2q via @thecaucus Why didn't the others attack him more on this #IowaDebate
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Voters' View: A 'Safe' Debate nyti.ms/vtNWX4 via @thecaucus ultimately all the candidates accomplished little. #IowaDebate
1 hour ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Glee Christmas Special Review - Yet another absurd Glee episode, created to showcase iTunes ballads instead... tmblr.co/ZTxcaxDKK1Gr
12 hours ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
What Is College For?: nyti.ms/tr0uKK
12 hours ago

nytimes The New York Times
Gingrich Parries With Challengers at Iowa Debate nyti.ms/s9sJe5
13 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Voters' View: Little Support for #Huntsman nyti.ms/vWjUjO via @thecaucus He needs to go #IowaDebate
12 hours ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Voters' View: No Candidate Winning Yet nyti.ms/vcA6rP via @thecaucus No candidate took on #Newt. No clear winner #IowaDebate
12 hours ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Perry's Call for a Part-Time Congress nyti.ms/rwzXfK via @thecaucus Absolutely ridiculous #IowaDebate
12 hours ago

dickstevenson Dick Stevenson
Perry runs against Congress, Gingrich against the judicial system. #iowadebate
15 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

JohnJHarwood John Harwood
Romney says Obama's "pretty-please" request for Iran to return drone "absolutely" invites war
15 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Romney Hands-Off on #Newt Gingrich # nyti.ms/ryOIaQ via @thecaucus A timid and weak approach
13 hours ago

JohnJHarwood John Harwood
Romney invokes immigration stance of Giuliani, who mercilessly trashed him as principle-free flip-flopper this morning
14 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

AshleyRParker Ashley Parker
Newt tougher on immigration: "I would propose cutting off all fed aid to any sanctuary city that deliberately violated fed law." #IowaDebate
14 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

JohnJHarwood John Harwood
Santorum: Gov Romney went along with court rather than using his power to stop gay marriages. "He personally issued gay marriage licenses."
14 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

fivethirtyeight Nate Silver
Gingrich recovered pretty well in the second half but I wonder how that last exchange with Bachmann will play in IA living rooms.
14 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
As always #Glee is absolutely absurd autostraddle.com/glee-psychotic… drshebloggo.com/2011/12/rbi-re…
13 hours ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#RonPaul and #Bachmann should go for the upset in Iowa. #IowaDebate
14 hours ago

michellemalkin Michelle Malkin
Q: If GOP candidates all agree that taking down Obama is key, why are their answers on #fastandfurious & Obama cronyism so superficial?
14 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

briefingroom Briefing Room
Gingrich: I don't want to appear 'to be zany’ bit.ly/voLFAK
14 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

JohnJHarwood John Harwood
Romney enjoyed dream scenario tonight: Bachmann and Paul went after top rival Gingrich, letting Mitt profit by focusing on Obama
14 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
After the #IowaDebate the field remains unsettled. Except for #Bachmann, #Perry, #RonPaul and #Huntsman all failed to make a dent in #Newt
14 hours ago

pemalevy Pema Levy
Tonight in sexist: Frank Luntz says Michele Bachmann defined herself as the "female conservative."
14 hours ago
Retweeted by SoraRyu

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Tonight, the biggest question is who is lying? #Newt or #Bachmann et al? #IowaDebate
14 hours ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
Meanwhile #Romney was under attack for flip-flopping for social issues. He was weak and didn't go after #Newt #IowaDebate
14 hours ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Newt is inconsistent on the definition of life and he's a lobbyist. I'm glad #Bachmann called him out on both of those issue #IowaDebate
14 hours ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Bachmann fought back against #Newt unfairly belittling her. She was the only on to attack Newt all night #IowaDebate
14 hours ago

SoraRyu Sora Ryu
#Newt kept calling #Bachmann a liar but she's a serious candidate and she kept on fighting. #IowaDebate
14 hours ago

- Ryu