"Debate Welcomes 'Home Viewers:' GOP Candidates"

You mean "some" of the Republics are actually going to debate in front of minority Americans?

Be still my beating heart!

You can always tell it's getting close to election season when some of the Republic Party members actually acknowledge that minorities really do exist in America.

Ron Paul impressed me tonight. I get the sense that he looks at everyones individual rights as being an inalienable, as the Founders spoke of. Ron Paul could put this country back on the right track. A true Statesman.

Wow, no wonder everyone hates the Republican Party now days.
I hope to god we don't get stuck with another Republican President in 08, I don't think our country would be able to survive it.

Rush Limbaugh makes me want to puke:
http://www.newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p=622

Apparently the only way these Republican drones get the vote of a soccer mom or a gun rack in the truck nascar dad is to promise them you'll never let the homos next door get married. I realize there is a portion of society that is so busy watching bad TV and text messaging American Idol 150 times a week that it's hard to get them to pay attention to the more mundane issues facing the nation. Things like the economy or the war or the appalling number of their neighbors that can't afford healthcare don't as a rule show up on the radar screen of the linear thinking simple minded GOP base. The GOP knows this so they keep the attention of their base by using tactics that they know will get said base to react. They "Jerry Springer" them into action. Appeal to their sense of "morality." It always works. The GOP knows these yahoos won't vote unless they can make them believe a gay Arab is going to show up at their door with a bomb and a marriage license. The sad part is that it works all to well. What does it say about us as a nation when 44 million of our citizens can't afford to get sick and families are on the verge of literally going under, yet our government is most worried about whether or not a couple of gay people can get married. I'm not a magician but I think that is what you would call sleight of hand. Get them focused in one direction so you can do the trick while they're not looking.

The truth is I don't like the idea of gay marriage either. Don't get me wrong I am as socially liberal as anyone you'll ever meet. I just can't get used to the idea of gay marriage. My problem is that before I could ever vote for a law or an amendment banning gay marriage I'd need to come up with a legitimate argument for why I am against it. I can't do it. Try as I might to come up with a reason I can't come up with anything other than I just don't like it. Well "I just don't like it" isn't anywhere near good enough and that's the difference. The GOP simpletons don't seem to mind voting for the "just don't like it" card. And that my friends may be one big reason why we are where we are today.

I guess I'll end this by saying what I say to anyone who asks me about gay marriage. I don't like it but until you can show me how it will adversely affect my life in any way shape or form I can't be against it.

Laws should be based on facts. They should be put in place to protect the people. We can't ban something simply because we "just don't like it."

Anti-Gay marriage and Anti-Blacks/Hispanics is what you run on when you don't have any ideas other than fear.
The GOP disgusts me.

What Republican would want to go to a PBS debate and get asked about (Abortion)--(Katrina)--(The something six) again and again and again.
Nobody watches anyway! The democratic debate was watched by 1.2 million viewers...Ewwww...WOW!
I did hear that Tim Russert put the screws to Hillary....
Ticking Time Bomb?
I'll talk to my husband...the perv. Haaaaa....Haaaaa....Haaaaa!

I'm not really a cold fish Tim...Haaaaa....Haaaaa.....Haaaaa...cackle,cackle...

Rudy,Rudy,Rudy!---save us from these clowns!

Paulo

I am disheartened to see that the primary (nearly exclusive) evaluation of the Morgan State University GOP debate is STILL centered around the no-shows. Why continue to give 4 media/party endorsed candidates more of our undeserved attention. I assert that to live free in a truely representative Democracy, we need to quit saying that we voted for the lesser of the 2 evils and start supporting whichever candidate we individually think is best suited to govern most fairly. I sit here and search online for a rundown on what the candidates stance on issues were last night and find NONE. Shame on the journalists of all levels. I yearn for my Grandfather's type of news when they reported the FACTS and let the reader decide for themselves. I am glad I watched the debate myself, and was impressed with Ron Paul. But the Media wants to steer attention to no-shows rather than Facts and Issues. So Be It! Thank God for Freedom of the internet.

The Republic party is a great name, the GOP should adopt it. Much better than Republican. The dictionary says Republic means, "a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law." Not bad. Actually, the country is a representative republic, not a true democracy. Insofar as appealing to minorities, the Republics have little incentive since blacks voted 92 percent Democrat in the last election. If the black vote were in play, they would not downplay it. Right now, it's like a Republic campaigning in Chicago. Not much point.

I watched the last hour of the debate and I was impressed with the way it was done. It was far, far better than the glitzy dog-and-pony show that Fox and CNN stage. As well, there were strict guidelines, every candidate got a chance to speak, and there was no favoritism that I could see. The only problems were audio: the candidates could not always hear the questions.

Though I am a Ron Paul supporter, I thought Alan Keyes was best on delivery, though not content. This man had been beautifully coached. His answers were crisp and eloquent. Too bad I disagreed with much of what he said; he's out of touch. Paul's answers were far better, but his delivery needs improvement. Like Kucinich, Dr. Paul tries to cram everything into one answer, instead of pacing his delivery.

Anyhow, high marks to PBS and to Baltimore. It was a very fine job.

I watched the debate. It's too bad Huckabee isn't one of the frontrunners.

There is room for everyone in the
RON PAUL Revolution!!
Stand up for FREEDOM!!

How is it that African Americans feel the Democratic party reepresents tem better than the Republicans. Wasnt it the republican party that introduced the emancipation proclamation? Didnt the democratic party split over slavery in 1860. Didnt the democratic party want to extend slavery to the staes taken in the Mexican American war? Didnt the republicans have several African Americans in key cabinet positions? or minorities to not support the republican party is down right foolish. Go Duncan Hunter

I was really impressed by what Ron Paul had to say during the debate. I wish this article had covered more about what he said during the debate as I was pretty surprised to learn a Republican was against the war. I agree with him that de-criminalizing drugs and viewing them as a disease rather than a crime would help de-criminalize the black communities of America. Finally someone is telling the truth about one of our biggest problems. Unfortunately this article didn't pick up on this part of the story.

I am not black but I would like some feedback from those of you who are black regarding this statement on racism in an article written by Dr. Ron Paul:

"Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals. Racists believe that all individuals who share superficial physical characteristics are alike: as collectivists, racists think only in terms of groups."

"By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality, the advocates of so-called 'diversity' actually perpetuate racism. Their obsession with racial group identity is inherently racist."

"The true antidote to racism is liberty. Liberty means having a limited, constitutional government devoted to the protection of individual rights rather than group claims. Liberty means free-market capitalism, which rewards individual achievement and competence, not skin color, gender, or ethnicity."

-- from 'Government and Racism' by Dr. Ron Paul

Do you think that an administration that embraces individual liberty and freedom as a mandate for our country could resolve the current racial tensions that exist in America?

Brett, Phoenix, AZ

I don't have cable but I can get PBS. This is the first debate I've watched. I don't know much about whoever those guys were that didn't show up, but they lost their chance. I made up my mind after listening to Ron Paul and then coming on the Internet to check him out. He's got my vote. Hands down.

In response to Brett/"a patriot":

Yes I do. I think this approach is FAR BETTER than what the Democrats have been doing for the past few decades.

By that I dont mean the Democratic party trying to hide the fact that it was they who supported Jim Crow legislation, it was Geroge Wallace (D) who stood in front of schools refusing to allow them to be integrated, it was southern democrats who sicced Bull Connor and his attack dogs on early black civil rights activists and pelted them with rocks, truncheons and firehoses, and it is still Democratic Senator/President Pro Tempore (technically the third most powerful man in the country) Robert Byrd who was a Klansman in his earlier years.

What Im talking about is their more recent and relentless push for welfare programs, maintaining the atrocious status quo in public schools, and supporting every piece of legislation that makes it possible and even attractive to the average young minority to drop out of school, have multiple kids out of wedlock, and simply live off government handouts and take a minimum wage job for the rest of their lives. Its great how they do this while simultaneously downplaying the importance of traditional family values- even refusing to commend people like Bill Cosby for getting up and saying that we need to focus on commanding more respect for ourselves, speaking clearly and eloquently, finishing school, going to college, and having children in a married household when we're financially ready to do it.

To me this attitude is DAMAGING without question. And to me 92% of black voters consistently voting for democrats is way beyond luck or "connecting with a message" and more like evidence of utter exploitation and ideological manipulation. Its sad, after all we as black people have been through, to have it be assumed and taken for granted that we as a people are ANY one party's political chesspiece.

I think getting away from the whole group-mentality way of thinking that Dr. Paul points out is badly needed. It ultimately does injustice not only to blacks and hispanics, but homosexuals, women, and any other "group" that should not be a "group" at all but people who are simply Americans just like the rest of us.

Also, the Drug War is a disaster as Paul (FINALLY a politician with the balls to say this during a presidential campaign!) mentioned, and- as he also pointed out- it has been exploited to an extent to TARGET minorities in poor communities and trample their constitutional rights and basic civil liberties and throw them in jail (where they usually become institutionalized and adapt a persona and lifestyle which continues the process for themselves and those around them all over again).

Black people need to realize that- to paraphrase Kanye West's idiotic comment- that NO ONE in the federal government "cares about black people"...and really SHOULDNT, anymore than they should care about all Americans as free individuals.

Black people as well as other minorities are better served when they serve/help themselves not look to the same government that enslaved them to somehow do it.

Im a black American from the Bay Area, California and I wholeheartedly support Ron Paul for president. I have NEVER seen a candidate like this and I have been and will actively spread the word about his remarkable campaign to others.

Really, all those unfamiliar with him should check him out. Forget all the Republican vs. Democrat stereotypes and look at this man's policies, his track record, and (perhaps most telling) where most of his donations/contributions are actually coming from.

Introductory video
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IWfIhFhelm8

website
ronpaul2008.com

Ron Paul has the best message. It is a message that resonates with everyone who is willing to stand on their own two feet. To the extent this is still the majority of Americans, Ron Paul has a real chance here. Spread the word.

Alan Keyes was excellent on the "Black" and social issues, but he is off-base on the war. This baffles me.

Ron Paul earned my vote! His record actually matches what he says!

Ron Paul. Fight the Fed!
How Bad is the Commodities Price Index, the true measure of inflation?
Sept 27 2007
CPI = 216.5
http://www.economist.com/images/20070929/TAB3.gif

Sept 24 2005
CPI = 131.8
http://www.economist.com/images/20050924/TAB3.gif

It was 100 in the year 2000.

Ron Paul has been vocal about this horrible inflation since at least 1983:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hMeNnbSqkk

You are being paid in an inflating currency. Please think about how that impacts you.