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PETER'S NEW YORK, Saturday, January 7, 2011--Tonight's ABC/WMUR debate in Manchester, N.H. featuring Republican presidential primary candidates showed once again that the party of Lincoln is determined to put Barack Obama back in the Oval Office for another four years.
Yes, the debate itself had its high points, low points and interesting moments.
Ron Paul managed to cream Newt Gingrich on Gingrich's failure to serve in the Armed forces. Rick Perry showed he was a backwater hipster ready to step back into Dubya's shoes and send a fresh wave of troops to Iraq. John Huntsman was very well spoken, Mitt Romney did a great imitation of Ken, and Rick Santorum convinced everyone he ought to go back to mining coal. But none of this was really new.
Most of the participants were there for comic relief, their poll numbers in New Hampshire dragging as low as what they posted in the Iowa caucuses less than a week ago.
But the reality is that the party is not seeking a winning candidate. The most telling comment was made after the debate, by Democratic Party operative Donna Brazile. Brazile characterized the debate as a celebratory event for the Dems, because Mitt Romney was the clear winner, and he was the weakest candidate of the pack.
Clearly, the Republicans are busy crafting the losing ticket.
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