Rick Perry:
Rick Perry kept it short and sweet, limiting his response to a single campaign statement of three sentences, summed up with this real humdinger: “America needs…a president with the courage to offer more than yet another speech.”
Mitt Romney:
Mitt Romney had three words for all of Obama’s speechifying…well, two words and a number, really. He tweeted: “960 days late” and linked to a new video full of stats and splashed with “edgy” graphics, but no Mitt. (Avoiding a repeat of last night’s awkward post-debate “reality TV”-style recap?)
Oh, and “960 days” refers the number that Barack Obama has been in the Oval Office. Mitt thinks Obama’s been asleep at wheel.
Michele Bachmann:
Congressional Republican leadership took a pass on an official response to Obama’s address, so Michelle Bachmann stood up to the plate. The Gentlelady from Minnesota summoned the media to a press conference in the Capitol for her very own response, as a legislator, not a candidate.
Candidate Michele got held up on the campaign trail and was tardy in transforming into her Secret Identity, Congresswoman Bachmann. CBS News couldn’t resist slapping this title on their report: “Michele Bachmann gives thumbs down to speech she misses.”
Statement issued from her U.S. House office here. Full video response available here.
Ron Paul:
Ron Paul’s campaign continued to be Rick Perry-obsessed today, with a blog post claiming “Rick Perry fears Ron Paul” and sending out an e-blast from the fingertips of campaign manager Jesse Benton, taunting “What’s the matter, Rick?“
The candidate whose supporters are convinced the media “ignores” him was a the lead-off guest on CNN’s top-rated Piers Morgan show. The host actually got “Dr. Paul” to talk about Obama’s Joint Session Address for a moment – not a fan, who knew? – in between notions that interest the good doctor more, like excoriations of the Federal Reserve.
Jon Hunstman:
Huntsman tweeted the gist of his campaign’s release, taking up the mantle of again of the “serious contender” and re-hyping his WSJ-praised econ plan.
Rick Santorum:
Apparently, Rick Santorum issued a “scathing” response after live tweeting Obama’s address, but failed to post it on his campaign site. More interestingly, before the Joint Session was gavelled to order, Santorum went to Facebook to post an Obama campaign email and call out the Commander-in-Chief for trying to capitalize on the supposedly “presidential” occasion and raise a little campaign cash.
Herman Cain:
Herman Cain keeps tellin’ Obama like it is. The pizza magnate’s boiled it down, with this one-sentence, incredulous response: “We waited 30 months for this?” I can just see him swagger when he delivers that line.
Cain had a little fun with Obama’s reputation for teleprompter-reliance with a tweet that plugged the shorthand for his own econ plan.
Newt Gingrich:
Newt invited the public to join him for a Packers-Saints halftime conference call and pile on the president.
Two guys bringing up the rear of the pack were the first out of the gate tonight, with statement appearing in inboxes the moment Obama wrapped up his remarks.
Gov. Gary (Johnson) took aim at the paternalistic tone in Obama’s remarks. Please, Mr. President, Gov. Gary implored “Stop Helping Us to Death.” Gov. Gary signed off his statement with a an emphatic, if inelegant, “Please, please, just stop.”
Gov. Buddy (Roemer) must have twittered his fingers off, he was so prolix in reponse. Gov. Buddy’s not worried that Obama will help “us” too much, but that he’s really out to help…yep, you guessed it: the Chinese! Gov. Buddy’s jesting concession to the president? “The President’s jobs plan will certainly create jobs – jobs in China.”
