Posted on 10/11/2011 3:18:34 PM PDT by Kaslin
Greetings from the picturesque campus of the Ivy League's Dartmouth College, the site of tonight's Republican presidential tilt. The Tipsheet will have live coverage of the event, which kicks off at 8:00 pm ET and airs on Bloomberg television (time to break out the TV guide, I suspect). Before you read my take on what to watch for tonight, check out the latest poll from Gallup, which puts the three top-tier candidates within five points of eachother.
Storylines
(1) Iran: Although the debate is supposed to focus almost exclusively on economic issues, today's breaking news bombshell that the Iranian government has been caught financing and coordinating terrorist attacks against targets inside the United States should absolutely be addressed. The candidate with the most granular understanding of the issues at play on this subject is Rick Santorum. I'm eager to hear what he, and all of his rivals, have to say. (Except for Ron Paul, who doesn't think Iranian nuclear aggression is a biggie, and who will find some way to blame us for Iran's poisonous treachery). Another wrinkle: Could Eric Holder's involvement in this story provide an opening for someone to finally raise Solyndra and/or Fast & Furious in one of these debates?
(2) Chris Christie's endorsement of Mitt Romney will likely get some play. Will Rick Perry -- or someone else -- pull the Northeastern RINO card? A Perry spokesman has already come pretty close.
(3) Mormonism: Rick Perry was recently introduced at an event by a pastor who has called Mormonism a "cult." Today, Mitt Romney demanded that Perry repudiate this view, arguing that the Consitution forbids a religious test for the presidency, and that anti-Mormon bigotry is ugly and has no place in American politics. A Perry spokesman has already declined to acede Romney's request, calling the issue a "distraction." I'll be stunned if this kerfuffle doesn't spill over into the debate, and Rick Perry had better be prepared with a damn good answer.
(4) Occupy Wall Street questions are almost inevitable. The base cannot stand the mob of hippies, communists, anti-capitalists, and sundry lefty hangers-on who comprise the bulk of the "movement." Organized labor and the Democrat Party establishment are getting on board, too. He (or she) with the best Occupy Wall Street-related zinger might win one of the biggest headlines tomorrow.
Candidates
Mitt Romney - The former Massachusetts Governor is in his own backyard, leading in the polls, and feeiling buoyed by the Christie "get." Deep down, he knows that Rush is right: Absent a tactonic shift in the race, Mitt will be the Republican nominee. His goal is to keep things moving on the current trajectory. It will be interesting to see if anyone besides Rick Perry will try to jolt Romney out of cruise control.
Herman Cain - With first-tier status comes first-tier scrutiny (and first-tier stage positioning). Expect more exploration of Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan, which I called for in an earlier post. It's been fascinating to watch the Romney-Cain partnership develop over the last few debates. Neither one has anything bad to say about the other, with Rick Perry hardest hit. At some point, if Cain is going to win this thing, he's going to have to attack his ally. Will that first salvo come tonight?
Rick Perry - The guy is still raking in major bucks and has never lost a campaign in his life. Reports of Perry's demise are -- for now -- premature, but the comeback train has to leave the station soon. Perry's campaign unleashed a brutal attack ad against Romneycare this week. Almost on cue (arguably, directly on cue), the White House has leaked the story that several top Romney healthcare advisors were actively involved in crafting Obamacare. If ever there were a time to really tee off on the frontrunner, tonight would be the night. Perry's probably got the most to gain, and he seems to enjoy mixing it up, so he'll likely lead the charge. But will be be able to pull it off succinctly and convincingly, unlike his slow-motion trainwreck in Orlando? The good news: Perry's son says his dad will be "well-rested" this time.
Newt Gingrich - I briefly heard Newt compare Occupy Wall Street to the Tea Party movement on a local radio show this morning. I wonder what he means by that, and whether he's read Ann Coulter's column on the subject.
Rick Santorum - The former Senator's expertise and greatest appeal to primary voters lie in the realms of foreign affairs and social issues. Does this mean he'll he flounder in an economic debate? Not at all, but he may feel less relevant.
Jon Huntsman - He needs a strong showing in New Hampshire to justify the continuation of his campaign, so Romney's the guy to beat. But some anti-Mormon rhetoric has seeped into this race over the last few days, and Huntsman might join forces with Romney to beat it back.
Michele Bachmann - One of her previous high water marks came here in the Granite State, when she made a stellar debate debut in June. She'll try to recapture the magic tonight.
Ron Paul - The retiring Texas Representative says many of his "extreme" views of three years ago have been vindicated by intervening events, and have now gained broader credibility and acceptance. He'll have another chance to explain why tonight.
Tonight's debate is being co-sponsored by Bloomberg, the Washington Post, and a local television station. Between Romneycare, Mormonism, and the "Occupy" mob, there could be major fireworks on tap. Tune in, and follow our live chat here at Townhall.
New tactic for them is to call those of us who like Cain on this thread... trolls and a “cabal”. What a hoot!
Is RitaOK rude in her posts?
They post lies about La Raza Rick. Call them on it and the ban police show up to defend them. When you call them on it, the ban hawkers say you have neither class nor substance. They do this as a hobby horse with impunity. A few are of a mind to give as good as they get. A boor can lie without substance and does frequently. I will have to rise above the liars and their protectors. This means no more South40 and no more auntceecee for this poster. They are baiters, both.
You mean this Perry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAZYWrDaYAo
and this Perry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd3gnOyth1o
and this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBfaFy1idDY
Win what? He's not going to win the GOP nomination for President in 2012, if that's what you mean.
In case your forgot, Perrywinkle, Cain *is* authentically black; his Dad was a chauffeur (think Driving Miss Daisy) and his mother a domestic (think The Help).
And in Cain's formative years, that IS how black people often spoke: he is remembering.
As opposed to Obama, whose connection to the black experience is limited to Marxist-led grievance classes among the downtrodden at Columbia and Harvard, which he attended on someone else's dime.
Nice try though, troll.
It seem that most states give instate tuition to illegals.
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/learn/dream-act/map-states-state-tuition-laws.html
You're right. Considering it was another poster who made a completely unfounded accusation against me you should be responding at all.
Perry has not given taxpayer subsidized handouts to illegal aliens.
You're entitled to your own opinion but you're not entitled to your own facts. He did just that in the way of instate tuition and financial aid. And he defends ot to this day which is exactly why conservatives have kicked him to the curb.
The Texas legislature voted 11 years ago to grant in-state tuition rates to children of illegals if they met certain requirements. This is not novel to Texas and is not totally on Rick Perry by any means.
I have researched this issue completely so there is nothing you can tell me about it that I don't already know. I never said Perry did it alone but he did it with his signature on the bill(s) and he defends that to this day.
In fact, the vote was so overwhelming (4 noes I think) that it would have passed a veto had Perry been so inclined.
Then it would have passed w/o his vote. Had he not been for it he should not have signed it and defended it in the past debates.
These kids still have to pay tuition and it isn’t free or cheap. Most of them go to community colleges. The total amount involved is spit in the ocean compared to what Obama has done with the economy.
There is nothing conservative about giving ILLEGAL aliens anything -- be it large sums of money or a 'spit in the ocean'. And if you have to compare Pa Raza Rick to Obama in an attempt to prove he is conservative you really are desperate.
You are proving yourself to be a racist on this board and would do yourself and everyone else a favor if you would knock off the cursing and ugly talk and get some sleep.
My sleeping habits are really none of your business. And your accusation that I am racist now puts you squarely in the same category as the person you have failed to defend. It is not racist to reject a presidential candidate who gives taxpayer subsidized handouts to ILLEGAL invaders. I don't care if they are white, black or brown -- they deserve NOTHING because they are ILLEGAL aliens. Is that really so hard for you to understand?
Mr Obama just passed a law this week that opened long haul trucking in America to Mexican nationals
The next day, the butthead was bitching about passing his jobs bill.(I’ll bypass the congress!)
So this asshat acts concerned about jobs while he enacts legislation to undermine or long haul truckers.
FUBO!
Thanks Reagan. These are the ban baiters. Self appointed, who post no substance but complain when you do and name call with impunity. It’s a pathology.
He’s(Perry) going to win the GOP nomination for President in 2012,
I’m with you in spades on Cain’s performance over the N-rock.
I don’t see Perry getting it. The media doesn’t want him and he is fading from what I can see.
Newt is the best candidate from where I sit. Smart, unflappable, articulate... he doesn’t even breathe hard to manage the field. He also knows what he is talking about and it shows. His baggage is fading for me and if he can win it I think that he, with the likes of Cain as VP to do the closing on Newt’s ideas would make a step in the right direction.
Uh..yeah... comment #1601 which is now removed. Even moderators found it offensive.
Don’t feel bad, I was for her early on too... not anymore... ugh.
Then your father knows what’s what in the energy field!
This country is under-represented by the voices of drillers, engineers,
roughnecks and tool pushers from the oil business. Perry understands
these people and how these jobs can turn this country around.
He comes from oil country near Abilene. So does my family. Oil
and cotten...and wheat....
Maybe Obama can put him in for VP next time seeing how close he is to Biden...
Cheers!
How convenient that you would cease posting to me after I have challenged you to provide proof of your fallacious and slanderous claim that I have lied.
It's not like you have any credibility to damage but you should at least try to show some semblance of dignity. Clearly you're lacking in that order also. So be it.
I certainly didn’t hear about that! Another instance of the MSM covering up pertinent news about the harm this bozo is
doing to the country!?
I hope his job bill is dead in the water. I think even the
DUmmies know
that if they pass this they are screwed when re-election
comes around!
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