GOP Debate Forecasts Stormy Days Ahead

This analysis was written by Vaughn Ververs, senior political editor for CBSNews.com.

Divisions on issues ranging from immigration to abortion were on clear display. And after months of treading softly around an unpopular administration and many of its policies, wide cracks emerged between President Bush and the candidates in his own party who are seeking to replace him.

Almost to a man, the Republican field continued to stick with the president when it came to the issue of terrorism and sounded every bit as strong and determined as their party leader in pledging to fight it. But for the first time on a national stage, the candidates began to truly distance themselves from President Bush, sometimes in jarring language.

Two nights ago, the Democratic candidates were asked how they would utilize former president Bill Clinton should they win the 2008 election and they had no qualms about using him as an international ambassador or mid-east peace envoy. Last night, even Bush-appointed HHS secretary Tommy Thompson seemed to have little good to say about the current Oval Office occupant.

"I would certainly not send him to the United Nations," said Thompson, acknowledging the president's international unpopularity. Thompson then allowed that the president would be effective speaking to young people on "a lecture series." Kansas Senator Sam Brownback offered that the president would likely want to stay out of the public spotlight and Representative Tom Tancredo recalled his turbulent relationship with the White House, saying he would tell Mr. Bush to "never darken the door of the White House" again.

Those were some of the more personal comments made. Just as sharp were the policy differences, both with the administration and among the candidates on stage.

As expected, immigration proved to be the biggest flashpoint, with John McCain under attack for his co-sponsorship of the administration-backed bill currently up in the U.S. Senate. The Arizona Senator was well-prepared in his defense of an approach many equate with amnesty, arguing that it represents a national security concern as well as a moral and practical issue. Here again, though, the president was under fire as well. At one point, Congressman Duncan Hunter referred to the legislation as the "Kennedy-McCain-Bush" bill, lumping his fellow Republicans in with the party's traditional bogeyman, Ted Kennedy.

Even on the issue of Iraq, the candidates were quick to criticize the administration even as they continued standing behind it. McCain, who remains one of the war's strongest supporters, said more sacrifices have been made than necessary due to mismanagement in Iraq. "This war was very badly mismanaged for a long time," he said. And former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said, "we were under prepared and under planned for what came after we knocked down Saddam Hussein."

When asked later to name the biggest mistake President Bush has made, the candidates shied away from direct criticism but had plenty to say about where their party as a whole has gone wrong – overspending, failure to carry through on promises made and drifting away from conservative principles. But those general complaints were also aimed at the White House, which has held an iron-fisted grip on the party and the federal government for the past six years.

Among the candidates themselves, McCain gave one of his steadiest performances to date. Expecting to be on defensive on immigration, the senator stuck mostly to his talking points. But in the second half of the debate, when audience members were allowed to ask questions, McCain rose above the policy and catchphrases to put the issue in human terms. Recalling the contributions made by Hispanic immigrants and others before, he said, "let's, from time to time, remember that these are God's children. They must come into our country legally. But they have enriched our culture and our nation, as every generation of immigrants before them."

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani once again hewed to his strong points, especially his view that the war on terrorism is the overriding issue of the times. Making his case for strength at every opportunity, Giuliani said Democrats are in "denial" about the threat and insisted they are "on the defensive against terrorism."

Giuliani did have one uncomfortable moment when asked about a Catholic Bishop's harsh criticism of his support for abortion rights. But providence seemed to provide a rescue – or issue a warning, depending upon your point of view. Thunderstorms caused the audio to go out just as Giuliani began his answer and he got a round of laughter when he looked up nervously and said, "for someone who went to parochial schools all his life, this is a very frightening thing that's happening right now."

Romney is becoming more familiar to voters and his smooth style was on display once again, even though he found a way to talk around some questions. And he added a hefty dose of optimism into his performance, invoking Ronald Reagan and his signature "happy warrior" style. Talking about abortion, Romney said part of conservatism is a belief that America "is a land of opportunity" and that "our future is going to be far brighter than our past."

Romney gave perhaps his most direct answer to date when confronted with a question about his Mormon beliefs, saying, "I believe in God, believe in the Bible, believe Jesus Christ is my savior. I believe that God created man in his image." Romney also said he was not going to distance himself from his beliefs. "I also believe that there are some pundits out there that are hoping that I'll distance myself from my church so that that'll help me politically, and that's not going to happen," he said.

The rest of the field continued to try and claim the mantle of "true conservative" but did little to stand out in the crowded field. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee spoke eloquently on moral issues such as abortion and evolution. At one point, the ordained minister seemed slightly annoyed at being asked such questions, joking that it was better than "getting the immoral questions."

Hunter and former Virginia Governor James Gilmore insisted again and again that the top three candidates were no conservatives. Thompson was overjoyed to finally be asked a question about health care and showed off his grasp of details on the subject. Tancredo will be remembered as much for his anti-Bush rhetoric as for his anti-immigration positions. Representative Ron Paul claimed to be the "champion" of the Constitution but was unable to get the kind of attention he did in the last debate when he sparred directly with Giuliani.

The candidate who was not on stage, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, did not directly figure into the debate much. Tommy Thompson joked about sharing the surname and those who were asked directly about his imminent entry into the race had little to say. Fred Thompson appeared in an interview on the Fox News Channel immediately after the debate (broadcast by CNN) but said he caught only part of the event and had little comment on it. Still, with his campaign expected to become official sometime in early July, Thompson may have spurred some of the lower-tier candidates to ratchet up the conservative talk in this debate.

This Republican race is different than any the party has seen in decades. A socially liberal New Yorker and a former Governor of Massachusetts who has converted on key issues are two of the front-running candidates alongside a mostly conservative stalwart who has angered the base of the party in recent years. The traditional red-meat candidates are struggling to gain traction and it is all taking place in the shadow of an unpopular president from their own party.

Those dynamics are creating the kinds of pressure and fissures in the GOP evident last night. As usual, none of the candidates ran away with the nomination as a result of their performance. But unless one of these candidates field can manage to bridge the divides on display, the Republican Party is in for some stormy days.