Guest Author - Nicole Collins
The debate, hosted by Fox News, was held at the University of New Hampshire's Whittemore Center, relevant because New Hampshire is considered a key primary state.
Candidates addressed a wide variety of topics from the war in Iraq to illegal immigration. But contrast to previous debates, a main focus was family values. The candidates were bluntly asked about their views on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.
The first hopeful to address the issue of abortion was former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. When asked how he can rectify his belief that abortion is murder yet allow it be legal in some areas, he responded, “I'd like to see Roe v. Wade overturned and allow the states and the elected representatives of the people, and the people themselves, have the ability to put in place pro-life legislation.”
In other words, there are two ways abortion could be banned. First is a constitutional amendment, for which Romney recognizes a lack of congressional support. Second is the reversal of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, Roe v. Wade. This action would give the power back to the states’ legislatures to create their own laws regarding abortion, which is the more attainable option.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was asked a follow-up question likening Romney’s gradual end to abortion to former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani’s essential support for a woman’s right to choose. He responded, “I would love to see us have in this country what I helped lead in our state…a human life amendment to our state constitution…that says that we believe life begins at conception…” This is the type of state legislature that would take effect if Roe v. Wade was reversed by the Supreme Court and the decision was given back to the states.
Giuliani was next asked crime laws in New York City during his tenure as mayor. Moderator Wendell Goler indicated that the newest GOP candidate, former Sen. Fred Thompson (TN) who was absent from the debate, said that he never felt safe in New York. Giuliani was asked to respond to these statements and said, “New York City was, during the years that I was mayor, the safest large city in the United States.” He mentioned that in the year 200, the largest city in the US was 191st in the country in crime rates.
The stage was then given to Congressman Ron Paul (TX) regarding the issue of gun control as it relates to 9/11. He was asked about recent comments he made alluding to passengers being allowed to carry guns onto airline flights. He countered these statements, saying that he believed not that passengers should carry guns, but that it is up to the airlines, not the federal government, to protect its passengers. “If we wouldn't have been dependent on the federal government to set all the rules, which meant no guns and no resistance, then the terrorists may well have had second thoughts, because the airlines would have had the responsibility.”
Finally, the debate turned toward the issue of same-sex marriage. Sen. Sam Brownback (KS) was asked if he believed there should be a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. He replied that he does believe there should be such a ban. “[Marriage] is a foundational institution.” He followed up with some statistics from countries in Europe that allow gay marriage, saying, “In countries that have redefined marriage…the marriage rates…have plummeted to where you have counties now in northern Europe where 80 percent of the first-born children are born out of wedlock.” He noted that in the US, already 36 percent of children are born out of wedlock and when a “vast social experiment” such as gay marriage is implemented, it takes the “sacredness out of marriage” and “will drive the marriage rates down.”
