Read FrumForum's Nevada GOP Debate Livechat
On October 19th, FrumForum's bloggers and contributors liveblogged the Nevada's GOP presidential debate. The debate was a lively affair, featuring strong attacks on Herman Cain's 999 plan, energetic rhetoric from Rick Perry, and even a physical confrontation between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry.
The transcript of the livechat can be read below the fold.
Post Debate Impressions:
Some of the most significant developments from the GOP debate:
1. Cain's 999 plan got attacked from all candidates. Nearly every candidate had fresh talking points on how Cain's plan imposed a VAT tax. Even Ron Paul argued that the plan should be opposed because it was regressive and added an undue burden on the poor. Cain was reduced to defending his plan with a pained "Apples and Oranges" metaphor.
2. Rick Perry decided to use the debate to accuse Mitt Romney of hiring illegal workers to work on his lawn. This created an incredibly intense confrontation between the two candidates, with Romney even placing his arm on Perry to try and hold him back. Romney ultimately argued that his experience of contracting with a company that hired illegals showed how important it is to punish companies for their hiring practices.
3. When Romney was attacked by Newt Gingrich for implementing an individual mandate in Massachusetts, Romney responded that he got the idea from him, to which Gingrich responded that he got the idea from the Heritage Foundation. Expect a press release from the Heritage Foundation arguing why they have no responsibility for Obamcare.
4. Cain also had to back-track comments he made about being willing to exchanging all the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay in return for a hypothetical American soldier who had been captured.
Ultimately, this debate likely weakened Herman Cain, but the title of "Not Romney" is still up for grabs.
Pre-Debate Lay of the Land:
Tonight’s GOP debate is being hosted by CNN. It will be broadcasted from Las Vegas at 8pm ET. Nevada’s primary is currently scheduled for January 14th, so like in the New Hampshire debates the candidates will be speaking to a key group of voters who have an early say in the nominating process.
FrumForum will be liveblogging the debate. Although it has only been one week since our last debate, a lot has happened in the GOP race.
Herman Cain currently leads as the “not-Romney” candidate of choice for conservatives, but he has many weaknesses. His 999 tax plan has been slammed by many conservative leaders and pundits. Grover Norquist compares the plan to “tapeworms in your tummy.” National Review says the plan is “Bold, Brash, and Wrong.”
Meanwhile, Jennifer Rubin notes that Herman Cain may be leading in the polls but that he hasn’t changed his campaign operation to reflect this. He is currently not doing enough to visit voters in Iowa.
Cain isn’t the only candidate who has released an economic plan. We finally has plans from both Rick Perry and Ron Paul, the only other candidates (aside from Mitt Romney) who have the resources to stay in the race for the full length of it.
Ron Paul’s budget calls for $1 trillion in cuts and eliminates five cabinet departments. Its bold and brazen but at least the math adds up. Rick Perry’s own jobs plan advocates for changes in the nation’s energy policy, and it just so happens that all of his estimates on the job growth that his plan would generate come from the American Petroleum Institute.
It is not a question of whether Paul, Romney, and other candidates will attempt to dethrone Herman Cain’s ‘not Romney’ status, the question is whether they can be effective at it.
