CNN Mesa, Arizona GOP pres. primary debate **live commentary thread**

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Haha Romney stops talking when he gets applause.

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I think this crowd might be 30% mormon.

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Managed bankruptcy in the middle of a credit crisis would lead to liquidation, mittens.

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Rick throw in the "let Detroit go backrupt" line! Do it, do it now!

Because, in Santorumland (or a certain part of Andy Dick), auto workers are lazy and don't deserve a bailout, but the Banks and Israel does.

Israel sells us military equipment nowadays, dude.

Yes, they do. We buy their equipment that we could (and should) build in order to fund them. T

But my point is that we aren't 'bailing Israel out'. Israel is a developed, secular First World nation with close historic ties to the US, whose economy is doing way better and whose military is much more efficient. What point are you trying to make by saying 'we shouldn't bail Israel out?' If you're saying we shouldn't engage in commerce with them, then a) that's absurd and b) you just contradicted yourself. If you're saying we shouldn't support them diplomatically, then I'd like to remind you the alternative (Hamas) is much worse.

Israel is one of the biggest recipients of foreign aid.

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Yes, a real doctor understands the similarities between birth control pills and MAP's!!

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Gingrich: Be afraid, be very afraid.

Paul talks sense of course.

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America should control the Persian Gulf? It's because of people like Vosem that the terrorists attack us. You don't need to control all the countries there to get oil. If anyone tries to close the straits of Hormuz that is one thing, but attacking a country for no reason. That is completely crazy talk. 

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Ron Paul's foreign policy stance is insane and is the number one issue (amongst many others) why he would NEVER be the GOP nominee. Never.

HOW is it insane? Stop repeating talking points and tell me what is "insane" about his position.

It's insane that he does not want to maintain American control of the Persian Gulf.

My quote is wrong, I said it IS insane to invade Iran. I said it was not. Why should America control the Persian Gulf? We have no territory there. Its none of our business.

Our oil comes from there and our economy depends on it. Therefore, it would be good not to lose it.

Or not?

That insane Ron Paul saying we need intelligence, declarations, and preparations to go to war.  

No. The insane Ron Paul saying we need to pull out of existing wars. Those things he's saying are fine.

I disagree with one thing Ron Paul says =/ I disagree with all of Ron Paul's positions

Yes, because oil is more important then human life. War for oil is disgusting.

Unfortunately, we need oil to keep our economy going. Without oil, we would enter a Depression and the lives that exist would be horribly miserable. War for oil is quite justified.

We have MASSIVE amounts of Oil here in the US. Why cant we get it from Venezuala and Brazil? Why does it have to come from the Middle East.

The even better question is why do we have to BOMB people to get it??

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Vosem, in the 50's in order to help American and British oil companies we got rid of democracy in Iran. We are the ones supporting dictatorships out there. It is their oil and they get to sell it to us at market prices, not due to force.

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Oil prices are set as a global commodity. It doesnt matter where it comes from.

And domestic production is gowing and imports are now below 50%, but the notion that we can drill our way to 0 imports is a fantasy. Now maybe if people want to talk about radically reducing consumption, maybe.  

If Iran did block the straight, oil would got to $500 a barrell overnight because it would be treated as a reduction in the overall supply. And the Iranian navy would cease to exist by the next day.

Yup, blocking the straits would mean war. They would be stopping oil coming from other countries from going to their destination. They would deserve to get bombed. Forcing regime change to put in our dictators so we can get Iranian oil is absolutely ridiculous. This is just frightening. The same sort of rhetoric leading to the Iraq war is being seen right now. Anybody out there who is not war hungry, I plead with you to not vote for any Republican other than Ron Paul.

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Vosem, in the 50's in order to help American and British oil companies we got rid of democracy in Iran. We are the ones supporting dictatorships out there. It is their oil and they get to sell it to us at market prices, not due to force.

I never said we supported democracy. Gaddafi supported us in Afghanistan (and stayed quiet about Iraq), I think we should've put a no-fly zone over Syria and left Gaddafi in power (where he would've stayed if not for NATO). I said we should maintain our presence in the Middle East to maintain our source of oil, and to ensure regimes hostile to us, in what unfortunately is a critical strategic area, cannot survive for very long -- and, if necessary, that means using military force, as we did in Iraq in '91 and '03.

And that leads to terrorism and hate against us. Not due to our wealth or whatever crap the Republicans/neocons throw at us. If you can at least admit that, then fine we can agree to disagree.

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Oil prices are set as a global commodity. It doesnt matter where it comes from.

And domestic production is gowing and imports are now below 50%, but the notion that we can drill our way to 0 imports is a fantasy. Now maybe if people want to talk about radically reducing consumption, maybe. 

If Iran did block the straight, oil would got to $500 a barrell overnight because it would be treated as a reduction in the overall supply. And the Iranian navy would cease to exist by the next day.

Yup, blocking the straits would mean war. They would be stopping oil coming from other countries from going to their destination. They would deserve to get bombed. Forcing regime change to put in our dictators so we can get Iranian oil is absolutely ridiculous. This is just frightening. The same sort of rhetoric leading to the Iraq war is being seen right now. Anybody out there who is not war hungry, I plead with you to not vote for any Republican other than Ron Paul.

It's looking like a moot point by now - appears Obama's about to start a war prior to election day, the only question being Iran or Syria or both.

Sadly, I think you may be right..... but the Republican party is even more militaristic than Obama. Imagine that!

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Vosem, in the 50's in order to help American and British oil companies we got rid of democracy in Iran. We are the ones supporting dictatorships out there. It is their oil and they get to sell it to us at market prices, not due to force.

I never said we supported democracy. Gaddafi supported us in Afghanistan (and stayed quiet about Iraq), I think we should've put a no-fly zone over Syria and left Gaddafi in power (where he would've stayed if not for NATO). I said we should maintain our presence in the Middle East to maintain our source of oil, and to ensure regimes hostile to us, in what unfortunately is a critical strategic area, cannot survive for very long -- and, if necessary, that means using military force, as we did in Iraq in '91 and '03.

And that leads to terrorism and hate against us. Not due to our wealth or whatever crap the Republicans/neocons throw at us. If you can at least admit that, then fine we can agree to disagree.

You do know that the majority of terrorists come from the middle class, right? Just saying.....

Yes, because they are pissed off that we think we get to control them....I never said people become terrorists because they are poor.

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Vosem, in the 50's in order to help American and British oil companies we got rid of democracy in Iran. We are the ones supporting dictatorships out there. It is their oil and they get to sell it to us at market prices, not due to force.

I never said we supported democracy. Gaddafi supported us in Afghanistan (and stayed quiet about Iraq), I think we should've put a no-fly zone over Syria and left Gaddafi in power (where he would've stayed if not for NATO). I said we should maintain our presence in the Middle East to maintain our source of oil, and to ensure regimes hostile to us, in what unfortunately is a critical strategic area, cannot survive for very long -- and, if necessary, that means using military force, as we did in Iraq in '91 and '03.

And that leads to terrorism and hate against us. Not due to our wealth or whatever crap the Republicans/neocons throw at us. If you can at least admit that, then fine we can agree to disagree.

You do know that the majority of terrorists come from the middle class, right? Just saying.....

Yes, because they are pissed off that we think we get to control them....I never said people become terrorists because they are poor.

I can think of hundreds of things that I don't like about society. Should I kill those people and expect them to change their ways? Please.

I'm not saying the terrorists are doing the best thing to advance their cause. It's a problem with the desert culture....just look at Palestine. Obviously they are in the right, but then a bus blows up in Israel and the whole world thinks there's two sides to the story. They need a Gandhi, MLK or a Mandela, but their culture won't allow it.

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Vosem, in the 50's in order to help American and British oil companies we got rid of democracy in Iran. We are the ones supporting dictatorships out there. It is their oil and they get to sell it to us at market prices, not due to force.

I never said we supported democracy. Gaddafi supported us in Afghanistan (and stayed quiet about Iraq), I think we should've put a no-fly zone over Syria and left Gaddafi in power (where he would've stayed if not for NATO). I said we should maintain our presence in the Middle East to maintain our source of oil, and to ensure regimes hostile to us, in what unfortunately is a critical strategic area, cannot survive for very long -- and, if necessary, that means using military force, as we did in Iraq in '91 and '03.

And that leads to terrorism and hate against us. Not due to our wealth or whatever crap the Republicans/neocons throw at us. If you can at least admit that, then fine we can agree to disagree.

You do know that the majority of terrorists come from the middle class, right? Just saying.....

Yes, because they are pissed off that we think we get to control them....I never said people become terrorists because they are poor.

I can think of hundreds of things that I don't like about society. Should I kill those people and expect them to change their ways? Please.

I'm not saying the terrorists are doing the best thing to advance their cause. It's a problem with the desert culture....just look at Palestine. Obviously they are in the right, but then a bus blows up in Israel and the whole world thinks there's two sides to the story. They need a Gandhi, MLK or a Mandela, but their culture won't allow it.

Because obviously there's not two sides, and every West Bank settler is a mindless robotic Palestinian-killing monster. Who eats Palestinian babies for breakfast. With ketchup.

Any West Bank settler is a thief and that land should be given back to their rightful owner.