NEWS FROM THE FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTYTALLAHASSEE – Snowman or not, the Republican CNN/YouTube debate showed just how out of touch the GOP presidential candidates are with mainstream Americans – and even with members of their own party.

“The debate should have been an honest discussion of the pressing issues that the next President will have to face, but the Republican candidates allowed it to devolve into little more than a schoolyard scuffle,” Florida Democratic Party Communications Director Mark Bubriski said. “The low blows, foolhardy demagoguery, non-answers and zero common sense from the Republican candidates are more glaring evidence that none of them are prepared to lead America forward.”

Early blunders, evasive answers and heated attacks among the candidates characterized a debate offering plenty of combative politics and little in the way of meaningful policy discussion. From ignoring the economic challenges facing America’s working families to failing to present a plan to end the war in Iraq to attacking sensible policy such as increased access to healthcare for children, the Republicans engaged in a rhetoric-laden, substance-free event.

During the CNN/YouTube debate in July, the Democratic candidates fielded and openly discussed questions from the public on a wide range of issues. The Republicans have struggled with the platform, indicating the superiority of the Democratic candidates in confronting the issues facing America and demonstrating just how broken the Republican platform is.

Republican candidates Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter and Ron Paul attempted to tout their Republican credentials, but blustering on immigration and over-simplified policy proposals for the economy won’t overcome their overwhelming allegiance to President Bush’s failed domestic and international policies.

A recent report indicates that a “the dearth of big new ideas” and the fact that all of the GOP candidates are “enthusiastically embracing Bush’s major policies and principles” has “prompted a lack of enthusiasm” among Republican primary voters. [Los Angeles Times, 9/4/07]

All of the Republican candidates agree on continuing to spend billions of dollars in Iraq every month while denying more than 10 million children access to healthcare.

And while all of them tout credentials of fiscal discipline – which for Romney and Huckabee means record tax increases – all of the Republican candidates want to continue President Bush’s reckless tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.