Live from New Hampshire: GOP Debate

Townhall.com ^ | October 11, 2011 | Guy Benson

[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.

[SaraJohnson]

Newt is the most well studied. He’s a former academic. That is good news and bad news. He has the morals of a University Professor and thinks he’s “smartest” guy on the block. He’s an elitist with a bigger mouth than Obama.

The dems had secret sex problems on him so he derailed Clinton’s impeachment and directed it to the least offensive crime - perjury in a sexual harassment case.

[sockmonkey]

Bachmann didn't do badly, but she's not VPOTUS material either. I thought she was initially, but she's not. Is she hanging around to attack Rick?

Considering, if you watch her looks of adoration when Romney speaks, she has cut a deal to attack Perry, throw her support to Romney when she drops out, and Romney will in return, pay off her campaign debt.

Pure theory on my part, but the adoring looks she gave Romney were more irritating than Ron Paul's eyebrow coming unglued. Okay, truth is, his eyebrow was a distraction, and entertaining, too.

[Hell to pay]

I can’t vote for Cain unless there is an exception to already taxed savings. I cant pay another 9% on my already taxed savings. People need to take that into account.

[mylife]

My Brother will be here from India in 2 days, he cant get his wife and kids over here.
Our system is broke but it sure aint Rick Perrys fault.

[Blue Highway]

I can assure you Cain has more experience in the business sector to qualify. His answers about internationsal affairs are spot on. He’d make sure Iran wouldn’t dare try the crap they tried with Cain in office.

[GOPsterinMA]

Your theory sounds very, very plausible to me. I don’t doubt Mitt’s made “the deal” with her and one or two others, Cain included.

Ron Paul. I’d take him over Romney ANY day of the week, even if his eyebrows come from a party supply store.

Mitt is a bucket of fermenting vomit.

[SaraJohnson]

If Perry was being honest in that interview, he would have said the truth about why the Texas rate of teen pregnancy is higher than say, New England.

We have a population from central and south America and having children young is not considered to be a bad thing in these cultures. They love, love, love babies and their families. (Don’t mean there are no exceptions to that rule.) That is not a bad thing altogether.

Liberals could learn to love babies and family more. I find it old fashioned and a good influence on life in Texas even though I think the girls should wait to have kids and get married after college. That love of family is something we could liberals should learn to respect about immigrants.

[jageorge72]

“I’m not a fan of telling your cancer-stricken wife you want a divorce, but we’re talking survival of our nation here.”

That is not true. His wife did not have cancer, and his wife is fine.... very much alive. Go find his daughter Jackie’s comments recently straightening out this media-created misconception.

[SaraJohnson]

CAIN / NEWT Cain edges Newt in the Integrity category.

---

Plenty of dirt will be shoveled on Cain’s corporate dealings. You should research your candidate before deciding. Cainites are going to be mighty disappointed unless they are crazy about Rinos.

[wardaddy]

You know...I read down this monster thread to nowhere and I realize I am still really pissed off.

I was a Palin supporter and payer from jump street 3 years ago and thought she was cool as grits.

Lived thru her missteps and reassured over and over and over by some decent people here..and some serious jackasses..that she would run for sure and so forth...and I believed it too till end of summer when my doubt radar went off but I kept faith...hoping and then maybe seeing a possibility with Bachmann or Perry..and watched jackasses beat up Michelle on behalf of a non candidate and watched Perry beat himself up with no one’s help

and then watch this sad spectacle now of desperation to stop Romney...

Cain?...I dunno..sometimes good...sometimes great...sometimes flaky..is this the best we got

Newt...well..I would love to see someone truly smart take smartypants teleprompter reader to the woodshed in debates

but..still after all the BS that went on here...there is no doubt to me that even after the occasional poor judgment of her’s and self promotion and all the damned waffling that Sarah Palin was our best shot for a social conservative that had “it”...the “it” being what we need to take our nation back.

and what makes it all the more sad is that the scenario for her to have won is about as good in her favor that it could have ever gotten...far better than any of us imagined after the 2008 defeat

I wish it was really just more “it's genius man...I swear just watch...it's Sun Tzu..etc”....lol..just remembering all that crap that got spouted here...but dammit... I wish they had been right all along and she did or had or would have run

cause what we have to replace her ...ain't it..it just ain't

and it sucks

but you Palin Partisan bolt loving wolf pack bullies...can still kiss my ass

now it takes a real fan to go above all that garbage I witnessed here and still profess a longing for Sarah Palin ...basically in spite of how disgusting the behavior by some here..I still immensely miss what I think Palin could have done and to realize how painful a loss it us for folks that think like me...most older white Christian southerners in my case...to realize it will likely never happen again either

it's depressing to see such an opportunity wasted when the stakes are so high..our GOP leadership is actually very very thing and none are perfect...Jim DeMint might be the only one I could see topping the current bunch easily

I notice some of the Palin bullies have now clustered their club around Cain...lovely..

[GOPsterinMA]

That’s good to hear!

I still stand behind what I said earlier, I don’t care if he has 15 ex-wives, we’re talking about the survival of our nation. If Newt can right the ship, I’m with him.

2012 is it. If Barry Assclown gets another term, we are finished, of that I have no doubt.

[SaraJohnson]

Perry will rise as Cain cozies up to his heart throb, Romney. He’s more conservative that Cain.

[mylife]

If Sarah was smart she would move to the Maricopa county property she owns, and run for Jon Kyle’s seat..

Then she’d re enter the race after she filled a term or two.

[Netizen]

http://www.examiner.com/finance-examiner-in-national/presidential-hopeful-herman-cain-changes-position-on-bank-bailouts

[Mozilla]

Flip Flopping Myth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_6BCXIsgLE

Liberal Myth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_6BCXIsgLE

Liberal Mitt’s Greatest Hits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OQoBxZZPqU

[buccaneer81]

Carpetbagging is only accepted by the leftists and the media when Democrats do it. Palin is the last person who should move to another state to run for office.

My prediction...if Sarah did that, the Democrats would run Mark Kelly against him.

[RitaOK]

I thought you signed off! LOL! Say it. You missed us, didn’t you? :)

[wardaddy]

I could be wrong given how this was handled and dragged out to the last minute, I just don’t see her ever harnessing this sort of opportunity again.

Folks might say ...”well some sort of catacylsm could provoke a call for a candidate like her”

that sort of cataclysm...basically a CACHE and BLOAT serious time of crisis will call for a candidate far different from her...the likes we have rarely seen on this soil

It’s just not encouraging to watch this unfold now...I will support any but Romney like most here but it’s just not the same..

It was frustrating to deal with how it was dealt with here and now it’s depressing to watch it unfold now...in the aftermath

I tell ya’ll the way the powers that be in the GOP are lining up in the real world outside this forum, it looks like Romney will be difficult to beat..given the primary frontload and all that cash

just imagine...we have Obama on the ropes...one knee...a concussion metaphorically ...bout to get a Holyfield earjob

and Romney is what we get?

after fighting all the crap for 4 years like we have...the base that is...and Romney waltzes in and tries on the brass ring for size

and why?

Hell we all know why don’t we?

There was only one person who coulda stopped it...easily

now given Cain’s dislike of Perry(is is it all over that silly rock?) they will likely split the social vote and Romney buys more Vitalis on us

and we end up with a GOP president whose wife was a Planned Parenthood supporter just for starters...these folks are Northeastern quasi liberals talking from both sides of their mouths

it’s unbelievable...if you know how to spell culture war it is anyhow

[Betty Jane]

I dislike these debates with the liberal moderators. I would like to see Rush sponsor some debates around the country with conservative moderators, such as Mark Stein, Levin, Beck, Coulter, etc. He could offer the television rights to the networks. The questions would be better and from the right, and attacking Obama. If a candidate (Romney) didn’t answer, the moderators would ask again. None of this tearing each other apart for the amusement of liberals

Rush could then not invite Huntsman and Johnson. He could give out tickets for a donation to pediatric aids or a veterans group. Imagine a debate where conservatives could actually hear things that are important to them.

[RitaOK]

We can’t stop fighting and teaching as we go. If we don’t stay noisy, they win. But, yeah, I get you. We have let the conservatives pile on with the liberals against the only guy who could curb Romney—Rick Perry. Perry got in too late to get a big league, full Monty national campaign together, on account of that back surgery and slow recovery.
He is not full speed but he has the goods to go all the way, but the message is just not out there and “they” want the nomination cinched for Romney. Romney wants everyone to stay in as long as possible to divide the field and outfox all of us. Are we going to get behind Rick or not? It’s him or Romney. Bank it. Cheerfully.