Thoughts on Tonight’s Debate

A couple quick thoughts this morning before tonight’s GOP presidential debate in Southern California at the Ronald Reagan Library:

1.    Intensity, intensity, intensity. It ain’t there. If the GOP doesn’t fall in love with their eventual nominee by next year, they aren’t going to turn out to vote. And that, of course, could have a ripple effect throughout the country in state and local races. I think part of the angst is that Republicans aren’t sure what they would get by voting for any of the top three candidates. Would McCain be a good capitalist in the White House? Not sure. Would Romney be as eager to veto socially liberal bills as he says he would spending bills? Maybe. Would Rudy go a tad too far in wire-tapping every citizen for the sake of the greater good?  Who knows.

2.    Speaking of intensity, Chris Matthews is no Brian Williams. Or is it the other way around? I predict at the end of the debate, Matthews accuses all the Republican candidates on stage of being Neocon spin machines for the White House. (Except for McCain, for old times’ sake.)

3.    Because this forum is taking place at the Reagan Library, all the analysis will focus on the fact that none of the candidates lives up to the legend of the Gipper. Perhaps next time the GOP should think about holding the debate at the Hoover Library.