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# The GOP Debate: Through the Social Media Lens
- URL: https://ivn.us/the-gop-debate-through-the-social-media-lens-2/
- Published: 2012-02-23T18:41:51.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-22T19:22:46.000Z
- Author: Jane Susskind
- Tags: News

**Last night's Republican Presidential Debate in Arizona marked the 20th, and as some speculate, the last debate in the 2012 GOP primary race. Here's how the debate was received in the social media world:**

[![GOP_Debate_Word_Cloud](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/02/GOP_Debate_Word_Cloud.jpg)](https://ivn.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/GOP%5FDebate%5FWord%5FCloud.png)

**Leading up to the debate, there were high expectations for the candidates' performances:**

> [bit.ly/xkR9AZ](http://t.co/dP6iApBu?ref=ivn.us)[February 23, 2012](https://twitter.com/ktla/status/172537589151178753?ref=ivn.us)

## [Why Tonight’s Republican Presidential Debate Matters](https://ivn.us/2012/02/22/why-tonights-republican-presidential-debate-matters/)

> [CNN](https://twitter.com/CNN?ref=ivn.us)[on.cc.com/zVLcHa](http://t.co/Ju30LG98?ref=ivn.us)[February 22, 2012](https://twitter.com/indecision/status/172371937870356480?ref=ivn.us)

> [trib.al/tWHRmg](http://t.co/EURc8nc4?ref=ivn.us)[February 22, 2012](https://twitter.com/TheWeek/status/172394213504327681?ref=ivn.us)

**As we [predicted yesterday](https://ivn.us/2012/02/22/why-tonights-republican-presidential-debate-matters/), the debate centered around the differences between front-runner [Mitt Romney ](https://ivn.us/tag/mitt-romney/)and emerging leader [Rick Santorum](https://ivn.us/tag/rick-santorum/), as they were strategically sandwiched in the center between neglected Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich.**

> [#tcot](https://twitter.com/search/%2523tcot?ref=ivn.us)[February 23, 2012](https://twitter.com/LisaDCNN/status/172489521357791232?ref=ivn.us)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/02/dogman.jpg)](https://ivn.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/dogman.jpeg)

**And there was no shortage of coverage of the debate. Here are the highlights from last night:**

> John King asks Ron Paul: "You have a new television ad that labels \[Santorum\] a fake. Why?" Ron Paul replies: "Because he's a fake."

> [February 23, 2012](https://twitter.com/Tony%5FMui/status/172728381484437504?ref=ivn.us)

**Did the final four live up to expectations?**

> [February 23, 2012](https://twitter.com/MHarrisPerry/status/172503102728044544?ref=ivn.us)

> [#cnndebate](https://twitter.com/search/%2523cnndebate?ref=ivn.us)[February 23, 2012](https://twitter.com/BorowitzReport/status/172515200744947712?ref=ivn.us)

> [9.04pm:](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/23/cnn-republican-debate-live?newsfeed=true&ref=ivn.us#block-20)

[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/2026/02/Instagram-Proactivism.jpg)](https://ivn.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Instagram-Proactivism.jpeg)

> [#Santorum](https://twitter.com/search/%2523Santorum?ref=ivn.us)[abcn.ws/xe5mjt](http://t.co/4ptmzsrT?ref=ivn.us)[#TheNote](https://twitter.com/search/%2523TheNote?ref=ivn.us)[MichaelPFalcone](https://twitter.com/MichaelPFalcone?ref=ivn.us)[AmyEWalter](https://twitter.com/AmyEWalter?ref=ivn.us)[February 23, 2012](https://twitter.com/ABC/status/172708573141417984?ref=ivn.us)

> [February 23, 2012](https://twitter.com/JoeTrippi/status/172511619627220992?ref=ivn.us)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17V2LlAFgEk