The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : CNBC GOP Debate Post-Mortem

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Let me begin by saying that this debate on the economy was a very cordial affair despite the best efforts of the CNBC panelists to get the candidates to engage in fisticuffs. Here's how I think the candidates did tonight.

Rick Santorum - No sooner than he started complaining about not being asked any questions about housing, the panelists saw fit not to ask him anything at all in the last hour of the debate. I can't say I blame them.

Michele Bachmann - This was her best debate since the summer. She was particularly strong on Social Security and China. I am not sure if it's a day and a dollar short but if she strings together a few more performances like that she might still have life left. In which case, she could have a good showing in Iowa.

Newt Gingrich - He seemed a little more cantankerous than usual.Gingrich hasn't had kind words for the media but he seemed unnecessarily testy with Maria Betrimono. Yes, she was obnoxious but he should have stayed cool. Otherwise, he put in a good performance and his numbers should continue to climb.

Mitt Romney - Aside from not momentarily not remembering how long he had been married, he put in yet another solid performance. Not surprisingly, he was well received by the Michigan audience. Yet it remains to be seen if he will resonate in Iowa or South Carolina.

Herman Cain - Despite a rough ten days, Cain was composed, well focused and retained his trademark sense of humor. He is still very much a contender in this race.

Rick Perry - While I think not remembering he wanted to eliminate the Department of Energy humanized him, I don't think he did anything to inspire confidence.

Ron Paul - He put in a respectable performance and had a particularly good response with regard to the Federal Student Loan program.

Jon Huntsman - Like Santorum, he doesn't help himself by complaining about only getting 30 seconds to respond or lament feeling lonely on stage. But when the panelists gave Huntsman a chance to elaborate on his criticism of Romney's sabre rattling on China, he pulled a Pawlenty.

The next debate is scheduled for this Saturday in South Carolina. It is will air on CBS and is co-sponsored by the National Journal. The debate will focus primarily on national security issues.

View all comments (21) | Leave a comment

Jack in Wi| 11.9.11 @ 10:43PM

As usual Ron Paul won the debate. All the other candidates were trying to sound like him. He is driving the issues on the whole campaign. Gingrich put in an itelligent performance. So did Bachman. Romney was mediocre. Perry was awful and Cain was his usual ignorant self. He is a great performer, but has no knowledge or substance. He is strictly media made and now the media is taking him down.

Tobluap| 11.9.11 @ 11:22PM

The Ron Paul you have on your planet sounds way cooler than the one we have here!

chuck| 11.9.11 @ 11:28PM

You just have to readjust your tin hat, and Ron Paul wins everything.
Right Jack?

Devin| 11.10.11 @ 12:13AM

If you have read any of ron pauls books, many of his major points of the past several years have become standard responses by each of the candidates now. Such as, Audit the fed, small federal government, more power to states, constitutional importance, lower taxes, balance the budget, libertarian style free market with few regulations, anti bailouts. To list a few.

Dai Alanye| 11.10.11 @ 12:32PM

Sure, Reagan, Goldwater, Senator Bob Taft - none of those old-time dudes had anything to say about small government, states' rights, constitutional governance, low taxes, balanced budgets, or free markets. Nor did any of them invent the internet or slow the rise of the oceans.

Clint| 11.9.11 @ 10:56PM

Dr.Ron Paul knows The Medical Care Issue & recognizes the difference between Capitalism & Crony Capitalism & it's artificial fix on The Financial Markets.

Paul McGrath| 11.9.11 @ 10:56PM

Cain might have actually picked up a few points. There will have been a--slightly--larger audience tonight as there were undoubtedly those who tuned in to take a look at the train wreck, and they will have discovered exactly as you said, Aaron: he was unflappable.

Unfortunately, the debate was rather tame, and even more unfortunately, these candidates are all over the map. Let's face it, most of the country doesn't pay a lot of attention to this stuff, and with these candidates all espousing different plans and different solutions, there is nothing that has yet truly resonated with the general population. This will change, of course, once a few of them start to drop out. But right now, it's pretty bland.

Bachmann, I thought, gave the best answer on health care: allow people to buy different kinds of plans from different states and set only minimal rules as to what the providers must provide. Great answer, but unfortunately, the problem must be more well-identified. We must start to educate the public, and you must do so in simple terms.

Perry, oh God. This gaffe didn't kill him, but he's bleeding from about twelve wounds now, and the shame of it is that they were all self-inflicted.

Final three will be Gingrich, Cain and Romney, and once either Cain or Gingrich drops out . . .

Paul McGrath| 11.9.11 @ 11:01PM

Dr. Ron Paul Was His Typical self: Occasionally Thoughtful, but Wandering all Over the Map & Unable to Stay on Subject ever At all. Period. Dr. Paul Has the Same Chance of being president of teh United States, as I Have of marrying Kim Kardashian, Discovering a Cure for Cancer, and swimming Across the Atlantic Ocean.

chuck| 11.9.11 @ 11:33PM

Kim K is available, or will be. Read a little, and there are some promising things on cancer. And with enough training.......the Atlantic may be possible.
Ron Paul, however, has no shot in hell of winning the nomination.
My apologies to the Paul-bots.

Clint| 11.10.11 @ 12:06AM

Top Tier: Ron Paul Polls Third In Three Early Voting States

GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is polling in third in the key early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, according to a new CNN/Time poll released yesterday.

The Texas Congressman attracted 12% in telephone polls with potential voters in all three states.

Jack in Wi| 11.10.11 @ 1:30AM

Ron Paul and Willard Romney poll the best against Obama in the compiled polls of Real Clear Politics, as of October 31st. Ron Paul polls the best, by far, among the young, Independents, and Democrats. No Republican can win without a lot of those votes. Romney can win but Ron Paul has the best chance. Romney and Paul have the best national organizations and the best fund raising operations. I predicted Cain was gone weeks ago. not based on his sexual harassment claims but based on his general ignorance and incoherence in explaining himself. I predicted days ago, that Newt Gingrich will be the new hope of the anti Paul and anti Romney gang. Good luck with that. Newt has more bagagge then went down on the Titanic.

Paul McGrath| 11.9.11 @ 11:02PM

ON the Same Day.

Clint| 11.9.11 @ 11:17PM

You're A RINO-CINO Propaganda Flunkie Stooge.

Top Tier: Ron Paul Polls Third In Three Early Voting States

GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul is polling in third in the key early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, according to a new CNN/Time poll released yesterday.

The Texas Congressman attracted 12% in telephone polls with potential voters in all three states.

The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.

chuck| 11.9.11 @ 11:38PM

Still posting the same old crap, Clintie-pooh?

12%, 1 in 8..........top tier..........haaaaaaaahhaaaaaaa

Clint| 11.10.11 @ 12:10AM

Still Crybabying RINO-CINO Chuckie ?

http://www.grimmemennesker.dk/.....people.jpg

Simon Templar| 11.10.11 @ 12:57AM

It looks like they finally got the memo and have decided to act like adults and attempt to actually answer questions with substance. Most of all they obeyed Reagan's rule for conservatives.

This is playing it smart..not stupid and it will be better for the rest of us to actually see who these people are, their ideas, their solutions, and how they think and process.

Most of all it shows the general public that we have people with ideas, energy, and intelligence.
It is not just conservatives and republicans that watch these televised debates.

Aaron, thank you for a balanced, accurate, and useful summation.

JimH| 11.10.11 @ 8:15AM

Rick Perry - Texas toast?

Mike Rogers| 11.10.11 @ 8:40AM

It will be most instructive to see how Santorum behaves toward Gingrich in a NH tea party debate tonight. Check out granitegrok.com for the live stream put up by our chief blogger, Skip.

Tom| 11.10.11 @ 12:17PM

No matter what the question is, Rick Perry talks about his energy policy. And, yet this is the thing he chooses to forget?!

I understand it's easy to freeze, debates in front of audiences are hard, etc. But, that's the job he's applying for and he comes across as a complete dolt.

Sorry, Rick, not interested in spending another 4 years defending conservative principles on behalf of an inarticulate Texan boob.

Perry needs to exit, stage right, to help a clear non-Romney consensus candidate emerge before the caucus.

Jeff| 11.10.11 @ 3:04PM

Mr. Goldstein mentions Maria Betrimono being "obnoxious" ? How kind. My assessment would be that her utter disdain for the candidates, due to their poltiical affiliation, was palpable. Her Liberal bias was so evidently on display I thought she was going to stroke out. She clearly see any Republican candidate as the "enemy".

Bill| 11.10.11 @ 3:57PM

Here is my assesment: Gov Rick Perry is the winner because he has a solid conservative record unlike nobody else on that stage. Herman Cain can cry foul but he committed a crime he needs to admit. Mitt Romney is infested by his Romney- Care. Michelle Bachmann and Rick Santorum have to wait until 2012. Gov Perry will dismnantle Obama and restore America's pride and glory.