Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich agree to Lincoln-Douglas style debate in The Woodlands

Houston Chronicle ^ | 10/24/2011 | Richard Dunham

[SeekAndFind]

First, there were Lincoln and Douglas.

This year, we have Cain and Gingrich.

The two Georgians seeking the Republican nomination for president have accepted an invitation from the Texas Patriots PAC to meet in The Woodlands on Nov. 5 for a free-wheeling and moderator-free debate on the major issues in the 2012 presidential campaign.

The two participants — former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — have gained ground in the polls following their performance in the first eight debates of the GOP campaign season. But Gingrich in particular has been critical of what he considers “gotcha” questions from reporters and the nasty tone of the most recent debate in Las Vegas.

“This event is a response to remarks by Speaker Gingrich regarding his frustration with the format of the other presidential debates,” said Bill O’Sullivan, a Texas Tea Party Patriots PAC volunteer. “We believe this is the best opportunity for candidates to have substantive discussion since the Lincoln-Douglas Debates.”

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held a series of debates in 1858 when they were running for an Illinois Senate race. The debates became famous for the in-depth discuss of issues and the high level of political discourse. Democrat Douglas defeated Republican Lincoln in the 1858 Senate race. But Lincoln defeated Douglas and two other candidates in the 1860 presidential race.

The Cain-Gingrich event, sponsored by the Texas Tea Party Patriots PAC, will be held at 6 p.m. CST on Nov. 5 at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center. The Patriots are based in The Woodlands.

[jpsb]

"I can’t believe Cain would agree to this."

Cain has been making a lot of mistakes, so far he has over come them (right of return, Alan Greenspan, electric fence). Newt campaign said they wanted to take a few shots at Cain and Cain gives them the perfect format to do just that. Interesting, since Cain and Newt are pretty much going after the same vote, right now Cain has mostly got those voters so Cain risks far more then he stand to gain. However he is doing everyone a favor by agreeing to debate. In that I must said I admire him.

Newt will have to be careful, if he rips Cain to hard and he suffers a backlash from Cain supporters, not hard enough and he will not win over any voters.

This will be fun to watch.

[jpsb]

Most of your comment is pure BULL SH*T.

[Shelayne]

For all our talk about a Cain/Gingrich or Gingrich/Cain ticket, maybe the fix is already in. Maybe they’re just looking to capitalize on the added publicity against a common enemy. Who knows?

Oooh, I like your way of thinking!

[left that other site]

I hope it is more of a “Discussion” rather than a “Debate”, as I would like to see these two on the same ticket! :-)

I would like to see either one in a head-to-head with Romney, and finally blow that RINO out of the water.

I say this as an escapee from Massachusetts. LOL.

[supremedoctrine]

My thoughts also as of about two weeks ago:
Cain/Gingrich or Gingrich/Cain.......
but I also can’t see Gingrich settling for Veep.
And you can just anticipate what ‘some’ people would
make of Cain occupying the “secondary” slot.
Especially if polling still shows him ascending past
Gingrich months from now.

[dead]

And you can just anticipate what ‘some’ people would make of Cain occupying the “secondary” slot. Especially if polling still shows him ascending past Gingrich months from now.

It's not like "somebody" would decide the order, should that ticket arise.

The top of the ticket will be the one who wins the primaries and selects their running mate.

Any other poll has no meaning at all.

[supremedoctrine]

“...it would be bye-bye Cain”.
-——=Yeah, ironically Gingrich, the better debater, might
come off as “glib” as Obama in contrast to Cain. It might
become an example of unintended consequences to have Gingrich suffer in approval ratings as a candidate because of the upcoming debate.

[dead]

Mitt vs. Perry in this format would be a bloodbath.

I like Perry, I think he's a good guy and a decent conservative, but he's absolutely stinks in the debate format.

Romney's an oily son of a bitch, and he would verbally gut Perry on that stage.

[caww]

Cain has just shown he is not timid about stepping up to any plate...this one is a huge one for Cain and you have to give him credit for standing with Newt who we all know is a master debater....it does Cain well for I don’t think Newts’s going to rip him one...he’ll play nice...and it’ll be excelaant practice for Cain...who needs to stop shooting from the hip in areas he’s week.

I somehow think Newt is going to enjoy Cain more than oppose him. He likes Cain and vice-versa. But the two will show the nation how it’s done, instead of the media enduced gotcha, banging, let me be the star sort of debates they’ve held.

[TheOldLady]

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[llandres]

“um... this might be a huge mistake for Cain. Gingrich is a phenominal debater... and has nothing to lose, while Cain has everything to lose and little to gain from this...I can’t believe Cain would agree to this.”

My thoughts exactly. I believe either one of them would defeat BHO in debate (and also any of the other candidates) but I really don’t like to see them go against each other. Were any other candidates invited to do this? I love Herman and he’s a fantastic thinker and speaker, but as you said, Newt’s a phenomenal debater. He’s got the political savvy AND considerable knowledge in the one area Herman needs improvement in - foreign policy. I want to see them on the same ticket, Cain/Gingrich. Just hope this debate doesn’t backfire on Herman.

And why was this article on a blog that appears to be all about Rick Perry? Don’t you think it’s weird that this debate is formulated by TX Tea Party Patriots, yet the two Texas candidates (Perry and Paul) aren’t going to participate???