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Great Debate

You've got to love debates. Last night's debate may not go down in history as a pivotal moment in the direction of American political thinking. It may not go down in the annals of Republican Party lore as the emergence of a new leader. It may likely be overshadowed by future debates that will undoubtedly play a larger role in the ultimate outcome of the 2008 Presidential Election. But last night's debate will forever be known as the moment the world discovered the first class entertainment value of candidate Representative Ron Paul.

Libertarian Paul was a superstar. He absolutely brings it every time with unyielding conviction and dedication to a fringe political philosophy. Paul and his political philosophy can definitely look pretty darn appealing when highlighted among a group of cons and neo-cons who talk about cutting taxes, controlling spending and fighting costly foreign wars out of all three sides of their mouths. Libertarian-principled leadership seems like an attractive change from the currently bloated, mismanaged, ethically marginal, financially self-destructive, increasingly untrustworthy and invasive federal government.

Sure Paul didn't get all of the screen time he deserved during the debate. But when he had the floor he seized the opportunity. Again and again he criticized the US monetary system, foreign policy and fiscal management. He stayed on message and took it to the front runners... especially Mitt Romney.

There have been a number of memorable and significant moments in national debates over the years. There have been famous guffaws: in 1976 Gerald Ford declared, "There is no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford Administration." (Of course, the Soviet Union had been dominating Eastern Europe since WWII and would continue to do so for a decade and a half after the end of the Ford Administration.) Sometimes appearances have spoken louder than words, as in the case of Richard Nixon versus John Kennedy in 1960 with Nixon's sickly appearance and the case of George Bush the Elder versus Clinton and Perot in 1992 with Bush's frequent glances at his watch during the town hall-style event. Who could forget George Bush the Lesser charging Al Gore with using "fuzzy math" in 2000?

And possibly the most memorable nationally televised debate moment occurred during the 1988 Vice Presidential Debate when Lloyd Bentsen emphatically let Dan Quayle know he thought of his self-comparison to a lofty political icon...

Paul had a moment like that last night when, although on a smaller stage, jumped on a Mitt Romney statement with Bentsen-like skill and ferocity. Romney answered a Chris Matthews question by stating he would first consult his attorneys before deciding whether he would be required as president to Congressional consent to attack Iran's nuclear facilities... hypothetically, of course. Paul must have been chomping at the bit on the far side of the stage as the other candidates answered the same hypothetical.

Then Paul got his chance...

That's good stuff. Almost makes me wish I could vote in the Republican primary. But I'll likely just have to wait to vote for Ron Paul as the next Nader-like third party choice in the General Election. I may be a total sucker for a good debate moment, but can you imagine the great entertainment a Ron Paul/Dennis Kucinich presidential race would bring?