The Fix: debates
Presidential debate moderators announced: Crowley is first woman in 20 years
The 2012 presidential debates will feature a female moderator for the first time in 20 years.
The Presidential Debate Commission announced Monday that PBS’s Jim Lehrer, CBS’s Bob Schieffer and CNN’s Candy Crowley will moderate the three presidential debates, while ABC’s Martha Raddatz will moderate the lone vice presidential debate between Vice President Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
Arizona Republican debate: Winners and losers
Through the first four contests in the GOP presidential race, there were more than 20 debates. For the next 14 contests (at least), there will be only one debate.
That debate was held Wednesday night in Arizona, and its impact on the GOP presidential race will become clear in the days ahead.
Here’s our snapshot of the debate, presented as usual in the form of winners and losers:
WINNERS
* Ron Paul: Who knew the Texas congressman was such an attack dog? While we’ve seen flashes of it in previous debates, he really went after Rick Santorum on Wednesday and got himself plenty of camera time in the process.
The takeaway if you were seeing Paul for the first time: ‘I’m not a politician like these guys. I’m principled.’ He used Santorum as a counter-balance in that effort, and it worked.
Romney and Paul successfully call Santorum’s conservatism into question
Rick Santorum’s front-runner status in the GOP presidential race is predicated on the idea that he is the consistent conservative alternative in the field.
And that image had some serious holes poked in it at Wednesday’s debate in Arizona.
Mitt Romney and Ron Paul tag-teamed the former Pennsylvania senator much of the night, calling into question his conservatism on issues ranging from earmarks and fiscal policy to his endorsements and even what is often considered Santorum’s most solidly conservative credential — social issues.
Arizona Republican debate: What to watch for
It’s the last debate before Super Tuesday and perhaps the last debate of the 2012 GOP presidential race.
And there’s a lot at stake. A whole lot.
We’ll be doing a blow-by-blow live blog of the debate starting after 7 p.m. Eastern time (the debate starts at 8 p.m. on CNN).
Republican presidential candidates (L-R) former House speaker Newt Gingrich, former senator Rick Santorum and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney greet each other at the start of a debate sponsored by CNN at the University North Florida on Jan. 26, 2012 in Jacksonville, Florida. Tonight’s debate is the first since then. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
For now, though, here are some storylines to watch:
* Rick Santorum, center stage
Santorum emerged as a frontrunner more than two weeks ago. This is the first debate since then, which means that, for the first time in this entire presidential race, Santorum will no longer be a bit player on the debate stage.
Why the Arizona debate matters — a lot
Forget March 6; the new Super Tuesday is Feb. 28.
And if Super Tuesday is now Feb. 28, tonight’s debate in Arizona might as well be called Super Wednesday.
New polling shows not only is Mitt Romney’s win in Michigan in serious jeopardy, but so is his edge in Arizona’s primary the same day.
Mitt Romney applauds a 95 year-old World War II veteran during a town hall meeting campaign stop at Eagle Manufacturing Corporation Tuesday in Shelby Township, Mich. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
The CNN/Time/Opinion Research poll out Tuesday showed Romney leading Rick Santorum within the margin of error, 36 percent to 32 percent.
It all makes the stakes for tonight’s debate in Phoenix about as high as they could be for the erstwhile frontrunner.
Final pre-Super Tuesday debate falls apart
Updated at 3:50 p.m.
The March 1 debate in Georgia is crumbling.
Mitt Romney’s campaign said Thursday that he will not take part in debate, the final one before Super Tuesday on March 6. In addition, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is reportedly sitting it out as well, and Rick Santorum’s campaign says he’s likely to skip it too.
CNN, confirming that Romney and Paul won’t participate, now says that it will pull out of the debate.
“Without full participation of all four candidates, CNN will not move forward with the Super Tuesday debate,” CNN said in a statement.
CNN debate in Florida: A Fix live chat
Tonight in Jacksonville, Florida, the final four Republican presidential candidates hold their last debate of a debate-filled month.
The debate is on CNN; Wolf Blitzer is moderating. (The TV-free can watch online here.) Things kick off at 8 p.m. eastern time, but we’re chatting starting at 7:30.
Florida Republican debate No. 2: What to watch for
Tonight marks the 19th debate in the Republican presidential contest, the second Florida debate before Tuesday’s primary, and the last debate for nearly a month.
The stakes could hardly be higher, with both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich arguably needing a win in Florida. So tonight’s debate is about as big as they come.
Why Newt Gingrich needs noisy crowds
On Fox News Tuesday morning, former House speaker Newt Gingrich said he wouldn’t “allow” future debate moderators to tell the audience not to applaud during the event.
“We’re going to serve notice on future debates that we won’t tolerate – we’re just not going to allow that to happen ... the media doesn’t control free speech.” Gingrich said. “The media is terrified that the audience is going to side with the candidates against the media, which is what they’ve done in every debate.”
Florida Republican debate: Winners and losers
The 18th — yes, eighteenth! — debate of the Republican presidential primary ended after most reasonable people had already gone to bed on Monday night.
But, the Fix never sleeps — or, more accurately, rarely sleeps — so not only did we live-blog the entire thing but we also came up with some winners and losers from the debate that was. We spent a night letting our thoughts marinate so they should be good and flavorful this morning.
Tampa, Florida NBC debate: The live-blog!
Welcome to the eighteenth debate of the Republican primary!
This debate is in Tampa, Florida and NBC News’ Brian Williams is moderating. For those of you without TV, you can watch online here.
The debate starts at 9 p.m., but we’ll be liveblogging here ten or fifteen minutes before the action starts.
If you’ve never participated in one of our liveblogs, it’s like watching the debate with a bunch of politics nerds. It’s fun. We promise.
Florida Republican debate: What to watch for
With the political world — or at least former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney — still reeling from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s convincing win in South Carolina, the four men still competing for the Republican presidential nomination will take the stage in Tampa tonight for their 17th debate.
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas,, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry (L-R) listen to a question from NBC Meet the Press moderator David Gregory during a Republican presidential candidate debate at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, N.H., Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)NBC will be airing the entire two-hour affair beginning at 9 p.m. eastern time and the Fix will be live-blogging as well (a cheer goes up from the crowd!).
Until then, you can either stare at the clock waiting for the moment to arrive or read our preview of the best storylines to keep an eye on tonight. We recommend the latter option.
Presidential debate fatigue: How many is too many?
Tonight in Tampa, Florida, the four men left in the Republican presidential nomination fight will gather for the 18th — yes, 18th! — time in the race to date.
And tonight’s gathering, which will be carried live on NBC starting at 9 p.m. and live-blogged in this space too, is one of two two debates scheduled for this week. (The other, sponsored by CNN, is set for Thursday night.)
Mitt Romney not committing to Florida debates
Mitt Romney could skip some debates, labor is getting into the primary, Gingrich thinks he’ll be the nominee again and he’s attacking Romney on Spanish-language radio.
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South Carolina Republican debate: Winners and losers
The final Republican presidential debate before Saturday’s all-important South Carolina primary is over.
We live-blogged the whole thing and, to be honest, came away generally impressed with the performances by each of the four men on stage.
South Carolina Republican debate: The live chat!
The final four Republican presidential candidates will take the debate stage for the second time in the last three days tonight at 8 p.m. eastern time in Charleston, South Carolina. And we will bring it all to you!
The four podiums for Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, stand candidate-less, at the North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, S.C., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, prior to Thursday's debate. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) Here’s the plan: Watch the debate will live on CNN and join us in our live chat — it’s at the bottom of this post — to talk about what you are watching in real time. (It’s all very meta.)
South Carolina Republican debate: What to watch for
And then there were four.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to quit the presidential race means that only four men — former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and Texas Rep. Ron Paul — will take the stage tonight for their 16th(!) gathering. (Who would have bet that quartet would have comprised the “final four” just a few months ago? You have to love politics!)
Newt Gingrich doubles down on ‘food stamps’
Newt Gingrich is touting a confrontation with debate moderator Juan William on Monday night in a new TV ad, using the back and forth to make the case that the former House Speaker is the only candidate who can stand up to President Obama in a debate.
No word yet on the size of the buy, but the ad is airing statewide in South Carolina.
Super PACs under attack
Super PACs took a starring role in Monday night’s Republican presidential debate, with three separate scuffles over attack ads aired by independent groups collecting unlimited funds.
According to an AP analysis, ads now sway more voters than traditional campaigning. Super PACs are outspending the actual campaigns in South Carolina 2-to-1. The State reports that average viewers in the Columbia-area market are likely to see a political ad 182 times before Saturday’s primary.
In the battle of candidates vs. super PACs, candidates won, at least on merit. Every ad described as dishonest in the debate has been deemed so by independent factcheckers.
Below, every exchange, every ad and the facts.
South Carolina Republican debate: Winners and losers
Another day, another Republican presidential debate. (Missed it? Don’t worry — we liveblogged the entire night right here.)
Republican presidential candidates, from left to right: Texas Gov. Rick Perry; former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum; former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, participate in the South Carolina Republican presidential candidate debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, Pool)So, who won tonight’s set-to in South Carolina? And, more deliciously, who lost? Our answers are below.
South Carolina Fox debate: The live-blog!
Five candidates will take the stage tonight in South Carolina for the first of two debates this week in advance of the state’s Jan. 21 Republican presidential primary.
And we will bring it all to you! We will be live-blogging every minute of the proceedings in the space below. Come hang out! It’s got to be better than re-watching the Golden Globes, right?
South Carolina debate: 5 storylines to watch
Oh, debates, how we’ve missed you.
The five remaining Republican candidates for president will be back at it tonight in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina starting at 9 p.m. on Fox News Channel.
We will be live-blogging the entire debate but to tide you over here’s a look at what to watch for tonight.
* Bain banter?: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have spent the majority of the past week blasting former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for his time spent with Bain Capital.
New Hampshire GOP debate(s): Winners and losers
In the past twelve hours the six men running for the Republican presidential nomination have debated not once but twice.
We live-blogged both debates — the Saturday night set-to sponsored by ABC/WMUR and the “Meet the Press” debate this morning.
“Meet the Press” debate: The live blog!
Less than 12 hours after the six men competing for the Republican presidential nomination concluded their last debate, they’ll be back at it again this morning at 9 am eastern time on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
We will be there — assuming our typing fingers can recover — documenting every moment of the festivities in our live blog. Never participated in a Fix live blog before? Think “Mystery Science Theater 3000” but for politics.
Come hang out. It’s like breakfast at Wimbledon — without the white shorts or the class.
New Hampshire debate: What to watch for
The first Republican presidential debate of 2012 is just hours away — 9 p.m. on ABC (or WMUR if you are in New Hampshire) to be exact — and we are, admittedly, a little too excited.
Since the last time the GOP candidates shared a debate stage, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich peaked too soon, Iowa voters, well, voted and one-time top-tier candidate Michele Bachmann ended her campaign. (Texas Gov. Rick Perry hinted at doing the same but decided to stay in while on a run in Iowa. Not kidding — that really happened.)
Afternoon Fix: Gingrich tells Romney, ‘Let’s test this kitchen’
Gingrich wants to debate Romney in the kitchen, Michele Bachmann says there’s no reason to drop out, California Democrats got the map they wanted and a pro-Perry super PAC is throwing punches.
Make sure to sign up to get “Afternoon Fix” in your e-mail inbox every day by 5 (ish) p.m.
Iowa Republican debate: Winners and losers
The last Republican presidential debate of 2011 is in the books. It was a remarkably sedate affair with the frontrunning candidates — former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney — playing it safe and staying away from any direct attacks on one another.
If you missed any of the debate, never fear: We live-blogged it! We also jotted down some winners and, yes, some losers from the night that was. Our picks are below. Agree? Disagree? The comments section awaits.
Iowa Republican debate: What to watch for
For the final time before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, the seven men and women running for the Republican presidential nomination will face off on a debate stage tonight.
The debate will run on Fox News Channel starting at 9 p.m. eastern time. (And, yes, The Fix will be live-blogging it all!)
We’re calling this the “kitchen sink” debate because you can bet any and every attack that the Republican candidates might have been keeping in their pocket will come out tonight. Why? Because it’s the last chance for Iowa voters — and voters nationally — to compare and contrast the candidates before an actual ballot is cast.
Gingrich-Huntsman debate live blog (VIDEO)
Debate over (5:27 p.m.)
The debate has concluded.
We got through five of 10 planned topics in 90 minutes.
And the time-keeper closed with a zing for Mitt Romney, who is not there to defend himself.
Of Gingrich’s plan to challenge President Obama to similar Lincoln-Douglas style debates, the time-keeper, Pat Griffin, said: “I’ll bet you $10,000 he doesn’t show up.”
Huntsman digs at Trump (5:26 p.m)
“I can’t wait to compare and contrast this format with the Donald Trump debate,” Huntsman said.
Huntsman has passed on participating in the Trump-moderated debate, but Gingrich is taking part.
Gingrich says Chinese relationship most important (5:16 p.m.)
Gingrich said the Chinese will be the United States’ most important relationship for decades to come.
“The most important relationship of the next 50 years is the American people and the Chinese people,” Gingrich said, differentiating that from the relationship between the governments.
“If you don’t fundamentally rethink what we’re doing here, you cannot compete with China,” Gingrich added. “If we do the right thing here, China can’t compete with us.”
Huntsman says U.S. has interest in Syria, not Libya (4:52 p.m.)
Huntsman said he disagrees with the intervention in Libya because there was no national security interest there.
Iowa Republican debate: Winners and losers
It’s all over but the spinning at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa where six Republican presidential candidates duked it out earlier this evening.
We live-blogged the debate but also managed to come up with some of the winners — and losers — from the night that was. Our picks are below. Have some of your own? The comments section awaits.
The ABC/Yahoo Iowa Debate: What to Watch For
No days off!
That’s the motto of the 2012 Republican presidential candidates (and the people that cover them) with only 24 days left before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.
The final Iowa sprint begins in earnest tonight with a debate at Drake University sponsored by, among others, ABC and Yahoo. Six candidates will be participating — all of the major contenders with the exception of former Utah governor Jon Huntsman who failed to meet the minimum requirements to be included. (Huntsman has ignored Iowa to focus his energy on New Hampshire.)
Rick Perry is the latest GOP candidate to turn down Trump Newsmax debate
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is the latest presidential candidate to reject a debate moderated by real-estate mogul and reality-TV star Donald Trump .
The Dec. 27 forum is being hosted by the conservative Web site Newsmax and broadcast on Ion Television. Republican leaders have been urging candidates to avoid the event, warming that it could easily devolve into a circus-like atmosphere.
Afternoon Fix: Romney says no to Trump debate
Romney not doing Trump but he is doing Fox News Sunday, Jon Huntsman shifts a bit on global warming, Joe Walsh making a decision and AFSCME endorsing Obama.
Make sure to sign up to get “Afternoon Fix” in your e-mail inbox every day by 5 (ish) p.m.
Afternoon Fix: Gingrich and Huntsman to debate
Newt Gingrich and Jon Huntsman will debate, Cain is meeting with top supporters tomorrow, Lisa Murkowski is backing Romney and Jon Corzine has been subpoenaed.
Make sure to sign up to get “Afternoon Fix” in your e-mail inbox every day by 5 (ish) p.m.
Donald Trump to moderate GOP presidential debate
Media mogul Donald Trump will moderate a Republican presidential debate sponsored by the conservative website Newsmax in Des Moines, Iowa on Dec. 27, Newsmax confirmed today.
“We approached Donald Trump,” Newsmax.com executive director Steve Coz told The Fix. “He is a well-known and vocal conservative, and we thought it was a great partnership.” Trump adviser Michael Cohen confirmed his participation.
CNN national security debate: The live-blog
While most Americans are planning what — and how much — they will be eating at Thanksgiving on Thursday, eight Republican presidential candidates will take the debate stage in Washington tonight for a national security focused debate.
And we will be there! For those who haven’t participated in our live blogs before, think of it as watching the debate with your best (and most sarcastic) friends. You can follow the live blog below. We will get started around 7:30 p.m. — about a half-hour before the debate actually starts.
Come hang out. It will be more fun than watching a Hallmark Hall of Fame tear-jerker. We promise.
CNN national security debate: What to watch for
Eight Republican candidates will gather for the billionth — oops, sorry, twelfth— time tonight in Washington, D.C. for a debate focused on national security.
The festivities get started at 8 p.m. on CNN — we will ramp up the Fix live-blog around 7:30 p.m. — but in the meantime we thought we’d offer a few things to keep an eye on in tonight’s debate.
As always, your thoughts are welcome in the comments section.
No Republican consensus on waterboarding
On Twitter this morning, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) castigated his party’s presidential candidates for embracing waterboarding at this weekend’s CBS News debate.
“Very disappointed by statements at SC GOP debate supporting waterboarding,” the 2008 presidential candidate wrote. “Waterboarding is torture.” (President Obama offered a similar rebuke on Sunday.)
2012 Fix Face-Offs: Rick Perry’s ‘Oops’ and more
A lot happened in the past week, so much that sometimes it’s hard to remember it all. If you’ve got a question, we’ll (hopefully) have the answer in today’s Fix Face-off.
Use the form below to submit your own question or just fill out one of our pre-written ones. Then tune it at noon today to see if we’ve picked yours.
Rick Perry: Is he the worst presidential debater ever?
So just where does Rick Perry rank on the list of all-time worst presidential debaters?
Or let’s just ask the question bluntly: Is he the worst?
Of course, such things are difficult to characterize and are a matter of opinion. With so many candidates having run in their parties’ primaries, lots of politicians have turned in some underwhelming and gaffe-prone debate performances that we may not remember.
The 11 best/worst political quotes of 2011
The Fix loves us some lists.
So what better way to celebrate “11/11/11” then to put together our favorite eleven — get it?! — political quotes of 2011.
Our list is below. Thanks to all who submitted nominations via Twitter and Facebook. What did we miss? Offer them in the comments section below.
11. Who?
Newt Gingrich’s war on Republican debate moderators
If there’s one thing Newt Gingrich has made clear in recent debates, it’s that he doesn’t have much regard for debate moderators.
Gingrich’s duel with CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo at Wednesday night’s Republican debate in Michigan was perhaps the tensest exchange between Gingrich and a debate moderator to date, but it was simply the latest in a long line of them. Gingrich has taken on the press at almost every debate (he actually did it twice with Bartiromo on Wednesday) in what can’t be described as anything less than a calculated effort.
CNBC presidential debate: What we learned
Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s near-minute long unsuccessful attempt to remember the three federal agencies he would eliminate if he became president dominated the post-game analysis of Wednesday night’s presidential debate in Michigan.
And, while the Perry gaffe likely ensures he will have never have the chance to eliminate any federal departments there were a few other take-aways from the debate that are worth noting.
CNBC presidential debate: Winners and losers
GOP presidential debate: What to watch for
Eight Republican presidential candidates will gather tonight at 8 p.m. at Oakland University in Michigan for their tenth debate of the primary season.
We’ll be live-blogging the proceedings — natch! — but thought we’d provide a viewer’s guide to keep you occupied in the hours before things get started in earnest.
Rick Perry skipping debates? Bad idea jeans.
After a series of mediocre debate performances over the past six week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry seems to be signaling that he may not take part in future candidate gatherings.
Perry has committed to the next debate in Michigan on November 9 but, according to campaign spokesman Ray Sullivan, the governor’s participation in future debates is very much up in the air.
Perry’s attack on Romney for landscaping by illegal immigrants will likely fizzle
In Tuesday night’s Las Vegas debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry answered a question about uninsured children in his state by attacking former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for once having undocumented immigrants at work on his lawn.
“And Mitt, you lose all of your standing, from my perspective, because you hired illegals in your home and you knew about it for a year,” Perry said, in a total non-sequiter.
Republican debate: The Caption Contest!
A picture is worth a thousand words — but which words? That’s what we want from you.
Offer your best caption for the photo below in the comments section or on the PostPolitics Facebook page. The winner — as judged by yours truly — gets an official Fix t-shirt and the adulation of political junkies everywhere.
The deadline for submissions is Thursday at 4 p.m.
Update: The deadline for submissions has passed. The Fix will announce his winners tomorrow.
(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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Herman Cain could be haunted by hostage question from Las Vegas Republican debate
Foreign policy has never been Herman Cain’s strong suit. But his response in the Las Vegas debate on the possibility of exchanging a soldier for Guantanamo Bay prisoners can’t be good for the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO.
Not only did Cain contradict himself, he was forced to admit that he made a mistake and did not understand a question.
Las Vegas Republican debate: Winners and losers
The eighth Republican presidential debate — and fifth in the last six weeks! — is over.
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 18: (L-R) Former CEO of Godfather's Pizza Herman Cain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry participate in the Republican presidential debate airing on CNN, October 18, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)We liveblogged the whole thing but also made time to scribble down a few of the best — and the worst — moments of the night.
Our take is below. Have thoughts of your own on the debate? The comments section awaits.
Las Vegas Republican debate: The Live Blog
Tonight at 8 p.m. eastern time seven Republican candidates running for president will take the stage in Las Vegas for the fifth debate in the last six weeks.
And what would a Republican debate be without a Fix live blog? (Answer: It would be, somehow, empty. Like “Two and a Half Men” without Charlie Sheen. Or Van Halen without David Lee Roth.)
Starting around 7:30 p.m. — we like to warm up to avoid injury — the Fix posse will be detailing every quote and note from the debate. If you’ve never participated in a Fix live blog before, there’s no time like the present. It’s “Mystery Science Theater 3000” and the “McLaughlin Group” rolled into one. Sort of.
Come. Comment. Hang out. It’s the only way to watch a debate!
Las Vegas debate: Your reading list
Can’t wait for tonight’s Republican presidential debate? Neither can we. Here’s some reading material for tonight’s debate.
Las Vegas Republican debate: What to watch for
For the fifth time in the last six weeks and the eighth time in 2011 — neither of those are typos — the Republican presidential field will gather on a debate stage with Las Vegas providing the backdrop to tonight’s tete a tete.
Unlike the last several debates there will be seven not eight men and women on stage as former Utah governor Jon Huntsman is boycotting the debate in solidarity with the New Hampshire Republican party, which is upset with the Silver State for scheduling their presidential caucus on Jan. 14, 2012. (Follow all of that?)
2012 Fix Face-off: The Las Vegas Republican debate edition!
Earlier today we fielded questions on tonight’s Republican debate — the eighth in a series! — in Las Vegas.
Missed it? Never fear. It’s archived forever on the Internet(s) and available in all of its uninterrupted glory below.
And don’t forget: we’ll be liveblogging every minute of the CNN-sponsored debate starting at 8 p.m. eastern time right here on the Fix. Tune in!
Does Intrade matter? Political betting explained
Texas Gov. Rick Perry is tumbling on the political prediction site Intrade in the wake of a series of lackluster debate performances. The once formidable Perry stock is now selling for just .86 cents a share. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, meanwhile, just keeps going up in price — as of writing, he’s at $6.70 a share.
“Perry enjoyed a nice boost when he first announced he was running,” said Carl Wolfenden, the Intrade Exchange Operations Manager. “The initial enthusiasm for his chances has fallen away after largely being bested by Romney in the debates and being raked over the coals for his stance on immigration and the HPV vaccine.”
InTrade — and the bets it handles — have become candy to political junkies of late, a sort of day-trading service for politics. But is it an accurate predictor of the GOP presidential nominee — or any of the other political bets it takes? Maybe. Sort of. Let us explain.
New Hampshire debate: Word cloud style
The Fix is an unapologetic lover of word clouds. And so we asked the graphic wizards at the Post to cook us up one after Tuesday night’s Republican presidential debate at Dartmouth College. The result is below. (And make sure to check out our detailed transcript of the debate here.)
Not surprising: “Taxes” was the most mentioned word. Somewhat surprising: “9-9-9” wasn’t mentioned more.
The beautiful, political simplicity of Cain’s 9/9/9 plan
Businessman Herman Cain’s “9/9/9 plan” is a controversial one in the world of economics. But it’s pure gold in the political arena.
Cain’s plan — a tax reform idea centered on, you guessed it, a 9 percent corporate tax, a 9 percent personal income tax and a 9 percent national sales tax — dominated the discussion at last night’s Republican presidential debate sponsored by the Washington Post and Bloomberg News.
Ron Paul calls out Herman Cain at Republican debate (Debate Video)
When the candidates were invited to ask each other questions in Tuesday night’s debate, most focused their fire on the front-runner, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. But Texas Rep. Ron Paul targeted Herman Cain — and caught the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO being disingenous at best.
“Mr. Cain, in the past you have been rather critical of any of us who would want to audit the Fed. You have said ... that we were ignorant and that we didn’t know what we are doing, and ... you’re not going to find out anything, because everybody knows everything about the Fed,” Paul said.
Rick Perry defends support for Al Gore in Republican debate (Debate Video)
At Tuesday’s Washington Post-Bloomberg News debate, Rick Perry was asked about his support in 1988 for then-Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore.
The Texas governor, who was then a Democrat but soon switched to become a Republican, pointed out that Ronald Reagan made that same party switch later in his life than Perry.
“I, like most people in the state of Texas and those Southern states, grew up a Democrat,” Perry said.
Perry also defended his spending in Texas, saying the state’s debt, per person, is the second lowest in the country.
Watch the video after the jump.
Huntsman needles Perry on Mormonism flap at GOP debate
Former China ambassador Jon Huntsman was full of one-liners in Tuesday night’s Washington Post/Bloomberg News debate. In one memorable exchange, he took a dig at Texas Gov. Rick Perry for his association with a controversial pastor.
Asked to pose a question to one of the other candidates, Huntsman chose former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
“Since this discussion is all about economics, Governor Romney, I promise this won’t be about religion,” Huntsman said. He paused, then added, “Sorry about that, Rick.”
Perry has taken heat for refusing to disavow the comments of evangelical pastor Robert Jeffress, who introduced the governor at last weekend’s Values Voter summit and later called Mormonism a “cult.”
Both Huntsman and Romney are Mormons.
Romney called on Perry to “repudiate” the remarks earlier today.
Republican debate: Winners and Losers
The Washington Post-Bloomberg News presidential debate at Dartmouth College is in the books. (That’s seven presidential debate for those of you counting.)
We live-blogged every minute of it but also came out with a quick take on who won and who lost. Our thoughts are below. Offer your own in the comments section.
Afternoon Fix: Herman Cain will attack Romney tonight
Linda Lingle says her campaign isn’t about Obama, Herman Cain says he’s got a plan for tonight, Daley is leaving the White House, and we’re having a debate!
Make sure to sign up to get “Afternoon Fix” in your e-mail inbox every day by 5 (ish) p.m.!
Rick Perry: Stakes are high
Late last week, we asked the world of Quora — a very cool question and answer site — which of the eight candidates had the most to lose in tonight’s economic focused debate sponsored by the Washington Post and Bloomberg News.
The answer from Matt McDonald, a friend of the Fix and Republican consultant, was Texas Gov. Rick Perry and it’s the right one.
Rick Perry’s greatest Republican debate misses
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has become known in a few short weeks as a bad debater. As we get ready for tonight’s Washington Post/Bloomberg News debate, he has a chance to set things right — or to reinforce a narrative that he cannot hold his own on stage. Here are some of the lowlights of Perry’s debate performances so far.
Who has the most to lose in the economic debate (and why)?
The Washington Post and Bloomberg News are sponsoring an economic-focused debate among the 2012 Republican presidential candidates at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire on Tuesday.
presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, listens as Texas Gov. Rick Perry makes a statement during a debate Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, Pool)The economy is the dominant issue of both the Republican primary fight and next year's general election so each of the candidates have a considerable amount riding on their debate performance.
Our question for you: Which of the Republican presidential candidates has the most at stake at the debate?
Is it former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney who has staked his campaign on the economic know-how he learned in the private sector? Or Texas Gov. Rick Perry whose job creation successes in the Lonestar State have formed the foundation of his nascent campaign? What about businessman Herman Cain who is the fastest rising star in the GOP field? Or is is someone else?
Offer your thought via Quora or in the comments section below. We’ll incorporate them into our debate preview in advance of Tuesday’s debate.
Orlando debate: Rick Perry vs Mitt Romney, round 3 (VIDEO)
Nine Republican presidential candidates — the usual suspects plus former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson — will gather tonight in Orlando, Florida at 9 pm for the third presidential debate in the last 15 days.
We’ll have our “what to watch for” guide — aka the debate cheat sheet — a little later in this space and, of course, will be live blogging the proceedings too. (You can watch the debate live on Fox News Channel.)
But before you do all of that, make sure to check out our “Fast Fix” video preview of what to expect tonight. Hint: It’s all about former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney versus Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
Mitt the tortoise
Mitt Romney is the tortoise of the 2012 presidential race.
Mitt Romney gestures during the debate Monday in Tampa. (AP /Mike Carlson)
Through four debates now, the former Massachusetts governor has shown himself to be a capable debater who doesn’t get tripped up, withstands whatever attacks are directed at him, and always has something to say. Almost like a the proverbial tortoise, he has been slow, steady and most importantly, no one has been able to penetrate the shell he has erected.
And given the uneven track record of his more hare-like opponents — particularly the struggles last week of Michele Bachmann and a very rough performance from Rick Perry on Monday night — Romney has come out as the winner almost every time.
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