South Carolina Fox News GOP debate **live commentary thread**

[Politico]

Santorum, who apparently has no problem with violent criminals especially if they are African-American (FYI: That's all that audience heard in that little exchange), never got the memo that Romney was Governor of Massachusetts, not the Mussolini of Massachusetts?

[Politico]

"I've always opposed gay marriage." - Mitt Romney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI

Supporting gay rights does not equal supporting gay marriage. Just ask Ron Paul.

[Politico]

Gov. Romney and Rep. Paul are the only serious candidates. Paul has some out-there ideas, but he's an intelligent man who nobody doubts supports free enterprise. I am not sure I can say that about Gingrich, Santorum and Perry.

[Politico]

Gov. Romney and Rep. Paul are the only serious candidates. Paul has some out-there ideas, but he's an intelligent man who nobody doubts supports free enterprise. I am not sure I can say that about Gingrich, Santorum and Perry.

I'd give Perry some more credit, but otherwise your right.

Perry seems like a nice guy, but I am not sure he's intelligent. I suspect he is of average or slightly above average intelligence. Also, his comments about "vulture capitalism" are completely out of line.

[Politico]

"I've always opposed gay marriage." - Mitt Romney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI

Supporting gay rights does not equal supporting gay marriage. Just ask Ron Paul.

That's pretty much what the whole gay rights movement is about.

Certainly an improvement over the gay rights movement of the '70s, which was basically about promiscious sex with strangers in bathhouses.

It was also about being able to be sitting in a bar without the police coming in and beating you up...

And spreading lots of nasty diseases that other people can pay for with regards to treatment.

[Politico]

Paul is clearly pro-defense, but anti-interventionism.

[Politico]

"I've always opposed gay marriage." - Mitt Romney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI

Supporting gay rights does not equal supporting gay marriage. Just ask Ron Paul.

That's pretty much what the whole gay rights movement is about.

Certainly an improvement over the gay rights movement of the '70s, which was basically about promiscious sex with strangers in bathhouses.

It was also about being able to be sitting in a bar without the police coming in and beating you up...

And spreading lots of nasty diseases that other people can pay for with regards to treatment.

Yeah, I'm sure they were all doing it deliberately.

Gaetan Dugas did a good job of it. He probably killed more people than the most prolific serial killers in history.

[Politico]

Mitt Romney is going to be ravaged because of these immigration answers this fall.

Illegal immigrants cannot vote. Legal immigrants support legal immigration, not illegal immigration.

[Politico]

"I've always opposed gay marriage." - Mitt Romney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI

Supporting gay rights does not equal supporting gay marriage. Just ask Ron Paul.

That's pretty much what the whole gay rights movement is about.

Certainly an improvement over the gay rights movement of the '70s, which was basically about promiscious sex with strangers in bathhouses.

It was also about being able to be sitting in a bar without the police coming in and beating you up...

And spreading lots of nasty diseases that other people can pay for with regards to treatment.

Yeah, I'm sure they were all doing it deliberately.

Gaetan Dugas did a good job of it. He probably killed more people than the most prolific serial killers in history.

So because one guy did it, they all did it and that's the face of their movement.  ...Right.

I know what it was all about. It was about treating sex like fast food. Go read "And the Band Played On," a book about the era written by a gay journalist.

[Politico]

I know I am going to be in trouble for this one....But I think Santorum should start basing his policies off American law, not Vatican law. He is basing everything off the "family".

Rick Mussolini is never going to come close to influencing America law again, so don't sweat it.

[Politico]

LOL! Newt doubles-down on the pro-child labor rant

[Politico]

I know I am going to be in trouble for this one....But I think Santorum should start basing his policies off American law, not Vatican law. He is basing everything off the "family".

Rick Mussolini

Supporters of the uber rich white candidate acting racist. Shocking!

I forgot about Rick's ancestral roots in Italy. The comment was about his attitude/ideology, not his background (after all, Rick was talking like Mitt Romney should have been the Mussolini of Massachusetts by somehow forcing convicted felons not to vote in Massachusetts). I apologize.

[Politico]

Children are supposed to go to school to learn how to think, not to learn how to be a janitor. We need a nation of thinkers, not janitors.

[Politico]

Children are supposed to go to school to learn how to think, not to learn how to be a janitor. We need a nation of thinkers, not janitors.

I disagree. Children should learn to have a work ethic (which I lack ) as well.

I agree, but there are better ways to instill work ethic than forcing kids to be janitors. Also, Newt's comments are hurtful towards janitors. This is all that some of them can do. They should still have pride in their job because somebody has to do it or wherever it is they work will descend into a mess.

[Politico]

Romney, then Paul 2012!

Leave the GOP.

Big Government Conservatism is the only thing that needs to leave the GOP. The Libertarians are more than welcome in the party. They won't bankrupt the country, unlike some people who believe in excessive deficit spending.

[Politico]

Winning South Carolina will be a momentous achievement for Romney. I am not sure it is going to happen, though. Short of going a little bit further south, they are as far-right as you can get.

[Politico]

Raising the retirement age is such a ridiculous idea.

It is not as ridiculous as watching the nation default.

[Politico]

Santorum is just a Big Government Democrat with socially conservative views. Who does he think he's kidding?

[Politico]

I get a kick out of people who act like Romney was the Mussolini of Massachusetts. Just because Romney was Governor of Massachusetts does not mean he agreed with every law in place in Massachusetts when he was Governor.

[Politico]

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/01/4091356/raising-the-retirement-age-increases.html

Besides, having in a system in that lets one generation retire early and another retire later just isn't fair.  It would be far more reasonable to knock people off government benefit programs if they're very wealthy, but of course, no one would like that.

So wealthy people who have paid literally hundreds of thousands of dollars into Social Security and Medicare over decades should not get any return whatsoever on their "investment," if you can call it that?

[Politico]

So Romney did talk to them?

Not since declaring his candidacy for 2012 obviously. Do you really think Team Romney is not ironclad secure with regards to protecting their behind?

[Politico]

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/01/4091356/raising-the-retirement-age-increases.html

Besides, having in a system in that lets one generation retire early and another retire later just isn't fair.  It would be far more reasonable to knock people off government benefit programs if they're very wealthy, but of course, no one would like that.

So wealthy people who have paid literally hundreds of thousands of dollars into Social Security and Medicare over decades should not get any return whatsoever on their "investment," if you can call it that?

It's better than telling middle-class people of old age to work longer and that they're screwed if they lose their jobs and can't find work.  It's a misguided thing to do, especially when unemployment is so high.  And we already have people working longer than they should be just because they can't afford to retire.

If the choice is default or raise the retirement age, that is not even a choice.

I can't get over some of you folks on the left. You seem to think the wealthy can bail out everybody else, or pick up the slack for everybody. It's just not so. What you are advocating ultimately amounts to theft, and does not solve the problem.

There is no getting around it: Raising the retirement age and/or raising taxes will need to occur down the road.

[Politico]

Turkey ruled by Islamic terrorist?!?

Prediction: Perry's Turkish stupidity dominates the debate recaps.

Maybe in the international press.  In the national press, no one will care, because nobody knows a thing about Turkey.  Including Perry, as should be clear from his answer.  I wanted to throw things at my computer, honestly.  He lumped in Turkey with Syria and Iran... wtf?!?  Patent idiocy!

Yeah, Perry is off his rocker. Turkey is the model nation of what we want throughout the Middle East. Next Tuesday cannot come soon enough so that Perry the turkey can be sent back to Texas for good.