Who do you think won tonight’s CNN Florida GOP Debate?  Visit the link below to cast your vote at The Dysfunction Junction:

http://www.thedysfunctionjunction.com/2012/01/26/poll-who-won-the-cnn-florida-gop-debate/

Could this be the last debate of the 2011-2012 campaign?  I can only hope. Though tonight’s debate was miles better than Monday’s NBC Florida Debate snoozer, we were still faced with riveting questions like “Why would your wife be a good first lady?” and “will you release your medical records?”  Check out a look at the winners and losers going forward:

Winners

• Rick Santorum- I’m not sure that anyone was really listening to Rick Santorum, but if they were he did himself a favor tonight.  He demonstrated a breadth of knowledge on foreign policy and articulated his talking points convincingly. Santorum also made the strongest case against RomneyCare that anyone has been able to make over the campaign.  He drew strong similarities between RomneyCare and ObamaCare, and though Romney tried diligently to distance himself from the President’s unpopular policy, that’s an argument he’ll never win. The problem Santorum runs into is that he’s got virtually no money, making it very difficult for him to capitalize on tonight’s strong performance.  If there was any thought that Santorum may drop out before Tuesday’s vote, tonight squelched that pretty solidly.  Grade: A

If you missed the NBC Florida GOP Debate, never fear.  Read The Dysfunction Junction’s full recap of the NBC Florida GOP Debate by clicking HERE.

If every debate this year was as boring and uneventful as tonight’s NBC Florida GOP Debate, the GOP would have conceded the presidency to the Democrats long ago.  For starters, NBC sucked all the energy out of the room by banning clapping/cheering/smiling/audible breathing.  The result of such rules prevented any Newt Gingrich standing ovation moments that we’ve become used to, but would have allowed the moderators to focus more heavily on the issues that matter, rather than spending time reigning in an unwieldy crowd.  I say “would have allowed” because the questions were largely useless, reaching from discussion of the everglades, to Terri Shiavo.  Hopefully Thursday’s debate will be a little less funeral home and a little more Romper Room.  Here’s a look at the winners and losers of tonight’s NBC Florida GOP Debate:

To finis the article, read the full story at The Dysfunction Junction by clicking the link below:

http://www.thedysfunctionjunction.com/2012/01/23/who-won-tonights-nbc-florida-gop-debate/

http://www.thedysfunctionjunction.com/2012/01/23/poll-who-do-you-think-won-the-nbc-national-journal-florida-gop-debate/

Check out the best NBC Florida GOP Debate live blog on the web courtesy of The Dysfunction Junction by visiting the link below:

http://www.thedysfunctionjunction.com/2012/01/23/nbc-florida-gop-debate-123-live-blog-join-the-discussion/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/ns/politics/

ALSO, Don’t forget to check out The Dysfunction Junction’s NBC News Florida Debate live blog of tonight’s debate by visiting the link below:

http://www.thedysfunctionjunction.com/2012/01/23/nbc-florida-gop-debate-123-live-blog-join-the-discussion/

Gabrielle Giffords will step down from Congress this week, according to a Youtube video posted to her account.

“I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week,” she said.

Giffords has served five years in the House.

According to the Arizona Daily Star, she will submit her official letter of resignation later this week to House Speaker John Boehner and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. Brewer will then schedule a special election to fill Giffords’ seat for the remainder of her term.

This is a developing story, more information to come…

Conservative. College. Caffeine.

Joe Paterno—a legend, lion and disgraced leader at Penn State – has died from complications of lung cancer.

Joseph Vincent “Joe” Paterno was 85.

His family, which includes five kids, 17 grandchildren and his wife Sue, released a statement Sunday morning to announce his death: “His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled.”

“He died as he lived,” the statement said. “He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community.”

For 46 seasons, Paterno was the beginning and end of Nittany Lions football. When he left Beaver Stadium for the final time on a snowy October day, Paterno had amassed 409 career victories – more than any coach in the history of the game.

He won his first national championship in 1983, and then another in 1987. Year after year, decade after decade, players left his program bound for the NFL.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-01-22/joe-paterno-dies-dead-penn-state-coach?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D129353#ixzz1kCsl7XYq

Conservative. College. Caffeine.

http://www.thedysfunctionjunction.com/2012/01/21/south-carolina-primary-results-live-blog/

http://www.thedysfunctionjunction.com/2012/01/21/south-carolina-primary-results-live-blog/