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
Gingrich moved to another state.
Cain/Gingrich
I think Cain or Newt would make a great president, with the other as Vice President. Would love to see Newt debate zero. On the other hand Newt would be a great ‘Cheney’ for Cain.
OK then as you state there isn’t a problem with them being President/VP on the same ticket.
I disagree. Everyone already knows Newt's baggage. Granted, the media will try to rehash his mistakes but everyone will be sick of the piling on and bringing up old news. After all, Newt doesn't have a blue dress hidden somewhere or it would have already been used to drag him through the mud.
Either way works for me. The bottom line is this: if Cain were on the top of the ticket, he'd need someone like Gingrich who knows where all the political bodies are buried, and how the system works to get anything done.
We simply cannot elect another person to the White House without that type of experience on the ticket (Note: Joe Biden is a bumbling idiot. He doesn't count as having "experience" in my book.)
I too have backed off of Newt because of the baggage. But lately, I have asked myself this question; Who does not have baggage? They all have baggage, and as much as Newt has, Obama has even more (Ayers, Wright, closed school records, 3 years of quotes and actions that are close to being anti-American, etc.). I can live with Newt’s picture on a couch with Pelosi - that’s old news. I can’t live with Obama for 4 more years.
Bottom line, any of our candidates would be better than Obama and that being said, no one on this board would likely agree with everything one of our candidates propose.
Newt would embarrass Obama Obama in a head to head debate - Mitt would probably do the same...Cain would be fighting to stay even. My opinion.
I fear that after two terms, Mr. Cain might be a little long in the tooth.
We did.
Cain/ Gingrich would be a great ticket, because each man brings to the table what the other does not.
They compliment each other nicely.
They both did. The losers were named Romney, Perry, Paul, Bachmann, Huntsman, and (sadly) Santorum.
Highlights of Cain - Gingrich Debate
A link incuded to the entire show on C-Span.
Not true. While both spent the majorty of their careers in Georgia, Newt now lives in VA.
It is the same crap about Bush and Cheney since both spent most of their time in Texas, but lived in different states at the time.
But don't you worry.....liberals will manufacture a problem!
Correct. Everyone also knows Obama's baggage, and there simply isn't any valid comparison between the two. Obama's baggage includes:
- Bill Ayers, Bernadette Dorn the Weather Underground terrorists who held Obama's very first Fundraising campaign for the U.S. Senate in their home;
- Jeremia Wright, the "God Damn' America" Pastor who was like an "uncle" to Barack Obama for 22 years as Obama sat in his church week in and week out;
- ACORN, which Obama was a community organizer for helping them steal elections;
- As a "community activist" in Chicago Obama led the effort to due Banks, demanding they provide home mortgage loans to no-income/low income individuals who couldn't verify their income, and who's actions led to the housing bubble/burst that's caused untold financial damage in this country;
- No verifiable college records or grades from either Occidental or the ivy league school he attended;
- No legal opinions to review;
- A long, storied history of voting "Present" in the Illinois State Legislature as well as the U.S. Senate;
- Supports partial birth abortion, as demonstrated by his ONE VOTE in the Illinois State Legislature where he voted IN FAVOR of a bill allowing this heinous procedure up to the day a child was born;
- Solyndra;
- Obama's continued REFUSAL to allow America to drill our own oil or natural gas reserves;
- Obama's support for the EPA naming CO2 a "hazardous gas" and regulating industry and industry out of existence as a result;
- Fast 'n Furious, which has resulted in the deaths of American Border Patrol agents and dozens if not hundreds of Mexican national's on their own soil;
- Obama's complete incompetence in dealing with Iran, enabling them to develop nuclear weapons;
- Obama's complete incompetence in dealing with the economy, racking up more national debt from $9.2T when he first took office to $15T as of today);
- Government bailouts of Unions by seizing control of GM and Chrysler and illegally screwing bond and debt holders of these two companies out of their rights to recover debt in favor of the UAW;
- $850B in blown "stimulus" spending which hasn't created a single job and no one knows where all the money went;
- Dodd/Frank becoming law, which ultimately hurts CONSUMERS by further restricting credit and capital at a time when our economy desperately needs both to grow;
- I can go on, and on, and on.
Compared to this baggage, Newt's two "ugly" divorces seem pale by comparison. This "President" has been the worst EVER, supplanting even Jimmy "Liver Pills" Carter as #1 on the list.
Somewhere we all just know Jimmy Carter is smiling at the fact he's been replaced as Worst. President. Ever.
Well done...
I admired Mr Cain very much. He didn’t try to answer questions he wasn’t sure of. He deferred to Newt to answer them. Not too many men or women would do this. He is intelligent enough to know when to pass the question.
Heard of “optics” FRiend?
Newt is going nowhere without Cain—who has no such optic-AND BOTH HERMAN AND NEWT KNOW IT.
We need Newt to help Cain navigate the DC BS after his inauguration because of his Inside The Beltway experience.
Cain can take it from there and then we will be saved.
Who won? we did. When the debate was over after Cain asked Newt if he were VP and a few laughs insued they both rose hugged and faced the crowd waving in a political rally stance. These guys are conspiring and it’s great. Cain/Gingrich 2012 I think im sold
Right, I agree. But with or without newt as VP, he needs to be at least Chief of Staff for Cain. I think Newt knows unless Cain implodes, he will not win.
I found two things interesting, first it seemed to me that the moderators were somewhat after Cain. Second the only standing O was when Newt said illegal should not be getting freebees. If Newt thought he could go soft on illegal immigration, last night surely changed his mind.
One last point, right now Cain is benefiting from the grass roots rallying to his side against a basely media smear job. That support is temporary so I expect Cain poll numbers to come down a little and Newt to continue to climb as he clearly demonstrates that he class of this field.
It would be very interesting to see Cain and Gingrich running neck and neck thru the primary season...
I agree with you and I’m waiting to hear Newt’s DETAILED explanation of his global warming beliefs. That’s the main thing holding me back from giving him a complete ‘thumbs up’.
Question is: When is someone going to ask him?
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