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There have been a few take away moments that the Left has gone crazy over in the Republican Presidential debates.  One in this last one was when Wolf Blitzer decided to do a "gotcha" question of Congressman Ron Paul on healthcare that was to show, primarily how cold hearted and uncaring Conservatives are in comparison to Liberals (who care far more about people despite what this research showed). 

Wolf Blitzer’s hypothetical was that a thirty year old who decided to go "naked" by not purchasing healthcare insurance.  Then he becomes seriously ill and requires massive amounts of care because of a resulting coma.  The question: "Who pays for that"?

Frankly, Ron Paul’s first curt answer pretty much summed it up well:

In a society that you accept welfarism and socialism, he expects that government will take care of him.

And Wolf realizes that he was caught – the LAST thing that a Lib wants is to have their worldview exposed as socialism.  But what did he want – his example all but cries out "Free rider!" – the exact same type of person they decry as one taking advantage of the rest of us.  In his example, this dude has a good job, and good income, could pay for it, but decides to not buy it.  What Wolf did not want to bring up was the question "Shouldn’t he be self-responsible?" (which is part of Mitt’s assertion in defending ObamneyCare – people who could afford it but decide not to.  The Eldest did exactly that – he decided that he was immortal and decided to spend his hard earned cash on other toys.  And then wants to use that to "make an example" by making this dude a "victim".

Which exposes the problem:

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In watching the CNN / TEA Party Express debate, I certainly did my share of observation and tweeted out what I saw, heard, and thought.  For what it is worth, here they are:

• So, just saw RLCNH Chair Andrew Hemingway in the CNN/TEA Party Express audience
• OK Wolf, get on with it!
• opening remarks – the Republican that Democrats love to love, Jon Huntsman leads off
• You do have to love Perry’s use of the work inconsequential

Drew Cline of the Union Leader was also doing the same; I had to respond to his line:

Wait, I’m watching a Tea Party debate and not drinking a Sam Adams. I’m doing this wrong

@DrewHampshire Just Dew it, then!

• Let’s see how the questions go
• How to persuade seniors that SS has to change
• Michele’s answer – ok, you may be able to do it…but how would you reform it?
• I agree with Perry that SS is a Ponzi scheme…so how to fix it?
• Perry – OK, you’re willing to fix it for the younger set….but HOW?
• Romney – please don’t continue this pattern…and I don’t want to read your book to find out.

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Certainly the big feature this Presidential cycle is one that has never played that much of a role before: social media.  Last cycle during the debates, I typed like a mad man and kept update the ‘Grok in mostly real time, and then redid the posts to reflect a more chronological order.

Now, that’s just plain old hat, old school, and, well, just old.  Twitter is what I use know to shove out on the spot thoughts and later on today, I’ll gather them up and stick em in a post. 

Then there is Facebook – not really the medium for a fast and furious outpouring of every minute detail, but certainly lots of folks giving their overall impressions – and LIKEs.

Ben Hartford (and the Contoocook Valley Young Republicans), who I met at the NHYR Lobster Bake a month ago, decided to track those LIKEs – which candidate had so many LIKEs before the debate, tracked them at every round of questioning, and had a final tally of what folks on Facebook thought of the Republican Wannabes.  The overall results are here:

"Round" info after the jump (greatest gains and greatest loses / least gains spotlighted):

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