(Live Thread) Republican Presidential Debate #8 Oct. 18, 2011 Nevada 8 P.M. EDT CNN

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 | Kristinn/ newzjunkey

[kristinn]

Broadcast on: CNN

Broadcast time: 8pm EDT/5pm PDT

The Candidates:

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann is serving her 3rd full term in the U.S. House. Founder of the House Tea Party Caucus, worked as a tax attorney, and was a foster mother for 23 teenagers. She is a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Herman Cain

Cain is the former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He lost the Georgia Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in 2004. He was recently the host of Atlanta-based radio show.

Newt Gingrich

Gingrich served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. He represented Georgia's 6th congressional district as a Republican member from 1979 to 1999. He has a PhD in modern European history.

Ron Paul

Paul is serving his 11th full term in the U.S. House. He’s an ob-gyn and was Libertarian nominee for president in 1988. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president in 2008

Rick Perry

Perry is the three term governor of Texas, from 2000 to current. He is a retired Air Force captain for former farmer. He has a degree in animal science.

Mitt Romney

Romney was governor of Massachusetts (2003 to 2007) and former CEO of Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican 2008 nomination for president. He has an MBA (Harvard) and JD (Harvard Law).

Rick Santorum

Santorum served two terms in the U.S. House and two terms in the U.S. Senate. He became the Senate's third-ranking Republican in 2001. He was defeated for reelection in 2006.

[alicewonders]

She’s been trolling against Cain ever since Palin bowed out.

That's why she was zotted?

[joyce11111]

I like Perry...and Newt was super tonight.

But I just am hoping that romney gets low % for tonight he is an arrogant POS

[RitaOK]

He can go on a few shows, maybe some on Fox News, where the questions are known in advance, but truth be told, he needs to be out there confronting the liberals like Cain is, and he needs to be doing it everywhere. “ <<<

I believe you are absolutely right. I also believe that is
exactly what he is doing. No feedback how exactly that is going.

[joyce11111]

I like Perry...and Newt was super tonight.

But I just am hoping that romney gets low % for tonight he is an arrogant POS

[Windflier]

Putting a fence on our side of the river is just giving up more to Mexico than we already are. But I will agree to fence the other side. We push into Mexico and set up a DMZ and tell them if they want it back, come and take it. It’s Mexico, what are they going to do?

Naturally, I like that idea better than fencing our side, but we both know that our government doesn't have the stones to take land away from Mexico by force.

If we're ever going to get a physical barrier on that border, we're going to have to build it on our side. Just look at how much political will it takes just to get THAT done.

[joyce11111]

I like Perry...and Newt was super tonight.

But I just am hoping that romney gets low % for tonight he is an arrogant POS

[TheShaz]

Sorry, if you put Romney above Perry, your analysis mean nothing

My listing is how i expect the polls to average out. if I had my choice Romney would be on the bottom. but his bankroll seems to have a solid 20%. I call them the establishment Republicans, better know to the rest of us a RINO's

[caww]

You stated....”Illegals ....either they are poor and unemployed or they have other issues. We need to instead foster lawful immigration where the immigrants can add real value to the US economy>”

Are you nuts?....It is not this nations responsibility to feed or employ Mexico's citizens. Had we “closed” our borders long ago the Mexican people would have revolted against their government and be building their own nation by now. But with perry's polices to harbor them that will never happen...and the Mexican government loving the revenue flow to their nation from their citizens in the US...will never stop their people from coming here....

[reaganaut]

Nor do you understand Mormonism either.

[flaglady47]

“and I’ll no more vote for a Mormon than I would a Muslim or Scientologist.”

You make my point.

[Cruising For Freedom]

People who have spent most of their life earning money, paying a high rate of income tax and saving money for retirement, will now get taxed 9% on their life savings as they spend it in their retirement.

It's not to hard to figure out that that is a problem.

If, like most retirees, they have been saving in their 401K properly with pre-tax dollars, the Cain plan may be the best thing that has happened to them.

Whatever its shortcomings, it's hard to deny that 999 rewards the wealth-producers and the employers, which is something this country has sorely been lacking. The "share" given current federal spending levels is 1 out of every 5 dollars, and the ones who are making up for the 47% who don't pay any income taxes are the ones who should otherwise be employing people and investing. That is flat-out wrong.

Granted, it does so partially by rebalancing the burden to others not in that group and that includes a lot of hard luck cases like seniors on fixed incomes, but there's an easy solution to lowering that burden: lower spending. And that's much easier if everyone has some skin in the game, IMO.

[af_vet_rr]

I have said that I will vote for the Republican nominee, even if it’s Cain or anyone else.

I challenge you to say the same for Perry.

If Perry gets the nod, I'll vote for him. I'll vote for any Republican who was on stage tonight with the exception of Romney. Romney will not get my vote in the primary or in the general - I'll vote third party instead.

As to the things you accuse Perry of, I’d say you are ill informed and wrong about most of them.

Are you denying that he spoke at the La Raza National Conference last year? Are you denying that he and Mike Toomey are friends or that Mike Toomey was his Chief of Staff or that Toomey was hired to lobby on behalf of Merck? Are you denying that Bob Perry worked to kill off the sanctuary cities legislation this year?

He governs a state that is approaching majority Mexican population. If he can reach out to a Mexican group, I see nothing that ghastly about it.

You see nothing "ghastly" about reaching out to La Raza? I've seen Perry supporters try to spin Perry speaking to La Raza, but I give you credit, at least you don't try and spin it - you defend it straight up.

Hell, I'd bet you would defend Perry appointing a prominent La Raza member to the Texas Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care.

[Will88]

Ever worked free-range cattle?

I thought not.

Lol, you just won't tell the folks from how many miles north the cattle come to wade into the Rio Grande for their water. If you answered that, it would destroy your BS about how dependent every single rancher in south Texas is on direct access to the Rio Grande.

[flaglady47]

“I’m going to be charitable and assume that Cain is just naively assuming that they will pass it on, and not intentionally misrepresenting his plan. But when he says low income workers will save 18% from no payroll tax, it just isn’t true.”

I really like Hermann Cain and he makes me laugh (great sense of humor) and he even sings well! However, the last 9 in his 9-9-9 plan gives me great pause. That is why I hope he is someone’s VP rather than Prez at this point in time, until he can see the error of his ways on that last 9.

[Lady4Liberty]

I have a problem with Romney insinuating that this isn’t a Christian nation and a candidates beliefs & religion shouldn’t be a factor? Is this what the GOP has come to now if he’s the nominee?

[mylife]

Commoder Michell Bachmann... The sailing Bachmann

[make no mistake]

WRONG

[caww]

I’m still waiting for Romney to start crying. Or bust a blood vessel. He looks extremely stressed.

Am just half way thru the thread at this late hour and pleased hearing Romney got his butt kicked tonight. I'd be very pleased if by the time I finish this someone reports romney totally lost it! He cannot be the primary winner, and if so he will hand the election to Obama...

[savage woman]

Newt is not a leader. He is an extremely intelligent, articulate wonk.

1. Newt is a leader - but I don’t trust where he would lead us.
2. If you play any game long enough, it appears that your really smart and good at what you do - but that doesn’t make you extremely intelligent.
3. articulate wonk - you are correct.

[Nevadan]

re: “1. I detest mormonISM..born into it, lived it and left it. 2. Lived with mormons for years...they are no better or worse than any other group of people. I personally know this.

Why do you defend the sect? How much, exactly do you KNOW about the doctrines and practices?”

I think we need to give the Mormonism thing a rest. I’m not a Romney supporter, I’m not Mormon, although I know quite a bit about Mormon doctrine and theology. I disagree with Mormon theology regarding salvation, their view of the Diety of Christ, and a whole bunch of other things -

However, that being said, Romney is not running for Pastor or Priest (though I do believe personal character is important and relevant) and, he seems to be a descent enough fellow morally.

I think we must focus on what these candidates stand for on the political issues - not their religion per se.

I don’t see Romney making a big issue of his Mormonism nor do I see him attempting to make his home state a Mormon theocracy - do you? Why think he would do that with the country as a whole?

Your constant harping on his religion just isn’t helping anything. All you are doing is alienating people (for the wrong reasons). You are not changing any minds about Romney - you’re just making people mad (of course, if that is your intent then you’ve been quite successful).

So, I advise once again - give it a rest. Go after him for his political stands - not his religion - it just isn’t relevant in this instance.