Posted on 11/06/2011 5:30:38 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The debate didn’t really use a Lincoln-Douglas model, and we ended up hearing from the moderators far too much, but both Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich delivered on their promise to give America a substantive debate on the biggest issues of this cycle. For 90 minutes, the two men discussed entitlement reform and associated issues, and even if the two only rarely disagreed, the format allowed for lengthy responses, nuanced proposals — and plenty of opportunity to hit Barack Obama’s performance as President.
Who won? It’s pretty clear that Gingrich had the better of this debate. He had better command of both the issues and the facts, offered plenty of corroborative studies and resources, and managed to make all of it accessible to the average voter. Cain did well at times, but twice had to ask Newt to handle questions first, which isn’t exactly a confidence builder. Cain seemed confused about the difference between defined-benefit and premium-support approaches on Medicare, getting confused between pension plans and health care later on the same point. While Cain discussed philosophical approaches to these issues confidently, Gingrich had actual data at the ready, and the difference was telling.
Mostly, I think the voters won this debate. We finally had 90 minutes of substantive discussion of the real issues in entitlement reform, offered in positive terms from two of the men who want to lead this country. With media “moderators” out of the way, we put aside slogans and soundbites and the sniping that broadcast outlets love to provoke to write stories on the fluff rather than the issues.
This could set a standard for debates in the future, but only if Republican voters demand to see the other candidates in similar forum models. I’d love to see Rick Santorum and Ron Paul debate foreign policy, for instance, or Mitt Romney and Rick Perry debate economic policy, for 90 minutes with no moderators and no media needling. That would produce real choices for voters, and strip away the gotcha strategies to find out which candidates have substance and which have really good tailors.
Let’s take a poll to see what readers think. Note that I left off “the American people” as one of the choices. I’d like to get a real sense of who people think won between the two candidates on stage.
CLICK ABOVE LINK TO VOTE ON THE POLL
..my criticism exactly
BUT it was great exchange of ideas.
Newt is the great policy wonk--Mr. Cain inspires IMO...
“Is it true that they couldn’t be on the ticket together?”
Not true. Cain was born in TN and now lives in GA. Newt was born in PA and now lives in VA. They are not from the same state as some seem to believe.
I saw that, couldn’t take it anymore. I switched over to C-span. FUFOX
I don’t think we could win with that ticket. Cain and Obama debate would be a disaster and we would lose. But a Newt Obama debate would be a disaster in reverse and we would coast into the whitehouse.
Cain may not be the most well rehearsed person on a debate stage, and lost a little ground defending 9-9-9 in the last “beat up on Cain” debate, but quite honestly you put him in a Corporate board room, or the White House Situation Room, and his ability to take charge in the worse of possible situations, I think will astound those around him.
And if Newt is selected as VP, Obama will have to replace Biden. There is no way he will expose Biden to that level of embarrassment. Newt would cream him.
I would be pleased with either men on the ticket.
I agree with you Ryderann. So disappointing, plus now where do I go to get my conservative news on TV?
Hopefully this approach will become popular enough that the candidates can use it as a reason to tell the MSM to get lost when it tries to pressure them into participating in their “gotcha” debates.
There’s nothing I’d love more that having credible candidates tell Bob Schieffer, Tom Brokaw, Charlie Rose and the rest of the holier-than-thou lib commentator crowd where to stuff their idiotic pseudo-debates, and then one-up them by engaging in the sort of activity pioneered by Herman and Newt.
But that’ll only happen if a sizable fraction of the electorate demands it.
Unconstitutional??? Both from the same state.
Amen.
“and lost a little ground defending 9-9-9 in the last “beat up on Cain” debate”
Cain lost no ground. There is not a single poll that shows that. You are just repeating foxnews propaganda.
Newt is the one who failed to gain ground and is now polling the same as he did back in March.
Rush Limbaugh,Mark Levin and even the sometimes erratic Doc Savage tend to agree with me.
But then what do WE know?
I just finished watching it on CSPAN this morning as I fell asleep before the debate began. Have to say I agree with what you said.
I'm one of those folks with one foot on the "Cain train" but I have to say Newt won hands-down. It's clear though that Cain wasn't intimidated by Gingrich, and that Cain needs some "political seasoning" to be ready to be President.
A Gingrich/Cain ticket is something I could support.
There are other combinations too (none of which include Romney or Paul) as I'm pretty much in the "Anyone but Obama" camp.
They are not from the same state as some seem to believe.
But they are residents of the same state at the current time and that is why Dick Cheney change his residency back to Wyoming just prior to Bush asking him to be the VP nominee?
Not with Gingrich on top...Cain is the better person on top of the ticket. While Newt showed his command of the issues last night, Cain had his fair share of cheers and laughter and standing ovations from the crowd. He isn’t as polished as Newt, but the two things I noticed was Newt constantly complimenting Cain (like he wanted to be his VP) and Cain’s ability to connect with ordinary people.
Me too. No one can go toe to toe with Mitt when it comes to facts and figures, he is a walking computer.
NO one has ever doubted Newt's brilliance, it's his baggage, but the more I see him the smaller his baggage load looks.
I do have hard time with newt and ms nancy sitting in the Cialis bathtubs, holding hands and whispering about the globull warm breeze wafting over their shoulders.
“But they are residents of the same state at the current time”
Newt has been a resident of Virginia since 1999.
I’ve been off all television news since 2006, it is nice. There is very little news that you’ll miss if you come to FR and you can avoid the hysteria and the emoting and the guessing of the news and being told what to think.
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