The Republican Debate... off to a dismal start

For the last three years, the Republican party has been hemming and hawing about how President Obama has made the United States a much worst nation. Yet, as we approach the election season the “main” contenders that so desperately wanted his job are nowhere to be found. Here’s what a report from the Reuters had to say.

With the Republican Party's most high-profile contenders skipping the event, the five participants used the nationally televised forum to slam President Barack Obama's leadership and attack what they called his misguided policies on the economy, healthcare and foreign affairs.

"The issues that have come up while he's been president, he's gotten them wrong strategically every single time," former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, the lone top-tier candidate at the debate, said of Obama's foreign policy.

Along with Pawlenty, the debate in the influential early voting state of South Carolina featured four longshot contenders -- Representative Ron Paul, former Senator Rick Santorum, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and former pizza executive Herman Cain.

All five decried what they said was a growing government intrusiveness in private markets and private lives. They predicted Obama would be beaten in the 2012 election because of the weak economy and the growing budget deficit.

"The economy will be the big issue. My theory is people vote from their bellies," Paul said, calling it Obama's biggest vulnerability. "We are in big trouble, prices are going up."

Continued economic improvement will be critical to Obama's re-election hopes but his eventual Republican opponent will face a difficult task beating an incumbent president who hopes to raise a record $1 billion for his campaign.

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