Debra J. Saunders
As I watched Wednesday night's GOP presidential primary debate on CNN, I couldn't help but notice that the four surviving Republicans are old news. Three have been out of power for a political half-life. Mitt Romney hasn't been governor of Massachusetts for five years. Likewise, Rick Santorum hasn't been in the Senate since January 2007. Newt Gingrich hasn't been in Congress since 1999. If they weren't campaigning day and night, you'd think they were retired.
Ron Paul still serves in the House -- he was first elected in 1976 -- but he cannot point to a major initiative in which he played a leading role.
When Romney, Santorum and Gingrich talk about their records, they talk about -- or run from -- what they did last decade or two decades ago. As for Paul, he boasts about what he didn't do over the years.
Cynics say the American voter has no memory. In this primary, voters had better have a long memory if they want to understand what the candidates are debating.
Consider this Wednesday night quote from Gingrich on a border fence: "I helped Duncan Hunter pass the first fence bill in San Diego when I was speaker of the House." That would be in 1996. Hunter is retired from Congress. Hunter's combat-veteran son, Duncan D. Hunter, was elected to his father's seat in 2008.
Read more: http://townhall.com/columnists/debrajsaunders/2012/02/26/what_have_you_done_for_me_lately_gop
As I watched Wednesday night's GOP presidential primary debate on CNN, I couldn't help but notice that the four surviving Republicans are old news. Three have been out of power for a political half-life. Mitt Romney hasn't been governor of Massachusetts for five years. Likewise, Rick Santorum hasn't been in the Senate since January 2007. Newt Gingrich hasn't been in Congress since 1999. If they weren't campaigning day and night, you'd think they were retired.
Ron Paul still serves in the House -- he was first elected in 1976 -- but he cannot point to a major initiative in which he played a leading role.
When Romney, Santorum and Gingrich talk about their records, they talk about -- or run from -- what they did last decade or two decades ago. As for Paul, he boasts about what he didn't do over the years.
Cynics say the American voter has no memory. In this primary, voters had better have a long memory if they want to understand what the candidates are debating.
Consider this Wednesday night quote from Gingrich on a border fence: "I helped Duncan Hunter pass the first fence bill in San Diego when I was speaker of the House." That would be in 1996. Hunter is retired from Congress. Hunter's combat-veteran son, Duncan D. Hunter, was elected to his father's seat in 2008.
Read more: http://townhall.com/columnists/debrajsaunders/2012/02/26/what_have_you_done_for_me_lately_gop
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