GOP Debate Talk

GOP Debate Talk: Hours before the sixth debate, the Republican candidate for president, the mood among the crowd was one of giddy anticipation. Disappointment soon faded with the field. The political landscape has blossomed. And even if at times a sharp elbows thrown among the candidates, the possibility of regaining the White House is limited to wounded ego and hurt feelings. Spanky McFarland would be running, and if Obama would win, I vote for him, "said Neil Moore, a Republican from Chicago, and 30 years of union man, who was outside the Convention Center. Spanky McFarland did not vote on the ticket. But the point Moore is the same. Among the issues he felt when it comes to choosing candidates, eligibility is of paramount importance. That's why, as he says, his "mind," said his vote for Mitt Romney, while his "heart says," Rick Perry. I like Ron Paul, "says Moore.”I think it's a very intelligent man. But I do not think that his approach is very good. I do not know how else to say. Moore had to say no more. The crowd in the presidential debate Thursday night echoes these sentiments. If you do not agree on what was an eligible candidate. Romney certainly has the polish to take on Obama. But that wasn't necessarily a strong selling point. Listen," said Sherri Ortega of Florida, channeling a line she's heard ad nauseam on conservative talk radio, "we can never be good enough for the Democrats to vote for us so stop trying to be like Democrats. Romney has had six years to sharpen up his stances," she added. Perry, she said, should be given some "time to think about them. By "them" Ortega means, most specifically, Social Security, over which Romney and Perry have had some of their sharpest disputes. The former Massachusetts governor has insisted that Perry's talk of Ponzi schemes, illegality, and state-run retirement programs makes him vulnerable in a general election contest. Perry counters that he's simply talking straight. It's fixable," says Moore, apparently siding with Romney on this one. "Rise the retirement age. Lower the benefit levels over time to adjust for longer life expectancy. Give people an option to choose [a private plan]. And keep your freaking hands out of it. Quit stealing from it. I like the system. I want it improved. But not everyone thinks Social Security reform is that simple or, for that matter, all that toxic to discuss. It's a total Ponzi scheme, and I'm glad Perry said it," said a Florida woman who remained nameless. "Things were fine before Social Security was put in place. People took care of each other. Communities looked after each other. Florida State Senate President Mike Haridopolos, speaking in an interview with The Huffington Post, noted that the program was "not the third rail it used to be. Haridopolos, who is not affiliated with any campaign, pointed to the willingness of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to talk about reforming Social Security during his successful campaign in 2010. While Perry may have gone too far in some of his rhetoric, Haridopolos added, there is widespread agreement with him on the need for changes to the system. "If the governor had his chance, he'd probably walk back some of the comments about it being a Ponzi scheme, but we need a real plan for Social Security," Haridopolos said. For others, Perry's bluntness was a virtue in its own right. Steve Hogan, 65, Palm Beach County, voted for Romney in the 2008 primary, but said he was leaning toward Perry at this time. He is basically honest, "said Hogan, the governor of Texas," and people realize you cannot tilt your words to make he look better. You can tell them a little 'clumsy, but he says what he means. I think the Americans are ready. Gaston Larranaga, 66, who came to Uruguay in the United States at age 23, enlisted in the Navy and then worked for IBM, has also said it was Perry Background despite Romney voted in 2008."I am on Social Security, and I am concerned about children who do not matter," said Larrañaga. "People are smarter now. There are a lot of things have been said all older people. I do not buy it. Perry is guilty of a language inconspicuous" Larrañaga said. "I think he can sell." Unlike Hogan and Larranaga, most of about a dozen participants surveyed said their minds yet to come up with a candidate who does not want to support. But even among the undecided masses, the fundamental question in the Republican field was the same.GOP Debate Talk