CFG Endorsement Watch
by Ryan Sager
Wed, 16 May 2007 at 11:44 AM
updated Wed, 16 May 2007 at 11:50 AM
Earlier this week, I speculated that the Club for Growth's white paper on Rudy Giuliani's fiscal record amounted to an endorsement in the GOP primary.
Well, we have more evidence to support my thesis today: CFG president Pat Toomey's analysis of last night's debate, as relayed in this NRO symposium.
Mr. Toomey:
All Around Winner: Rudy Giuliani for acknowledging the Club for Growth as the arbiter of economic conservatism.
All Around Loser: John McCain. McCain did not give conservatives any reason to get behind his campaign, and gave then more than enough reasons not to. One of the most striking was his response to the question on the Bush tax cuts. He refused to admit that his 2001 and 2003 votes against the tax cuts were a mistake, and continues to peddle a lame explanation for why he supports making the Bush tax cuts permanent — because otherwise it would constitute a tax increase. His answer is a negative one instead of a positive response about the crucial role tax cuts play in growing our economy. McCain was asked "how can you convince Republican voters you will push a Democratic Congress hard enough to make those tax cuts permanent?" McCain clearly demonstrated that he can't.
Status Quo Award: Romney's responses were reasonable, articulate, and conservative, but a little short on inspiration — kind of like his campaign so far.
Winner of Award for Economic Illiteracy: Duncan Hunter for his comments on trade. Hunter claimed China has devalued its currency by 40 percent and that Americans have lost 1.8 million jobs to China. Both these comments are patently absurd. Duncan Hunter — or any other human being for that matter — cannot tell you the precise value of the Chinese currency, and the loss of manufacturing jobs in America cannot be blamed on China but an economy that is increasingly more reliant on technology and automation.
Best Comic Answer of the Night: Huckabee's poke at John Edwards's $400 haircuts.
Governor Huckabee has distinguished himself within the second tier — but, really, only because he is the second tier. All the other clowns out there are third-tier.
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