Republican Presidential Debate Turns Into Strange Faculty Lounge

HANOVER, N.H. -- Charlie Rose's famous oak table ended up looking like the faculty lounge of the world's strangest economics department. On speed.

Rick Santorum wants to "beat" China. Mitt Romney warns that "if you don't stand up to China, you will be run over by China." Herman Cain denies that the criticism of his "9-9-9" plan's arithmetic is incorrect because it is incorrect. Michele Bachmann says that Cain's plan is dangerous because if you turn "9-9-9" upside down it reads "666." "The devil is in the details," she said with a cold smile.

If the American people are looking for concrete, comprehensible specifics about a way forward to more jobs for the middle class, it is hard to know if they found any in the GOP presidential debate at Dartmouth Tuesday night.

Cain has been a star of this Mad Hatters Tea Party, declaring that his "9-9-9" tax plan had been vetted by a guy in Cleveland and that "dynamic scoring" meant that a $2 trillion shortfall estimated by Bloomberg was not, in fact, a shortfall.

Cain's guy in Cleveland turns out to be a rural financial adviser whose company bio insists that he "can offer you a wide range of services, from helping you select individual investments to developing a retirement plan. With access to a broad array of company resources -- including research analysts and economic and market experts -- I can help you make informed investment decisions based on your specific needs."

Romney all but declared a trade war on China. Newt Gingrich called for jailing Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, said that new prostate exam guidelines will "end up killing people" and suggested that the chairman of the Federal Reserve should be booted -- even though neither the president nor Congress has that power until his term ends several years from now.

Rick Santorum talked somewhat comprehensibly but not specifically about his re-industrialization plan, though again the details were fuzzy, at least in this telling.

A subdued Ron Paul was well, Ron Paul, mumbling on about the superiority of Austrian economists to Keynesians. That'll win over the middle class.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas kept quiet, knowing either that he is in over his head or that no one in the country understands what is being said.

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Comments

[l78lancer]

09:10 PM on 10/13/2011

The GOP-speak and loony ideas seem to have their masses completely inebriated. Then again the masses can't help it. After all, the cantidates sound like they have been drinking from the same cup.

[Dennydorite]

06:11 PM on 10/13/2011

This is the result when schools failing to promote critical thinking combines with a major cable propaganda network and rapidly changing times that many people cannot adjust to. If you throw in 30 years of Republicans bashing representative government--you know, DEMOCRACY--is it any wonder decent, capable people shy away from what used to be known as honorable public service leading this country?

[mansterEZ]

05:11 PM on 10/13/2011

The Republicant debates are a carnival side show. Entertaining for a few minutes until the attraction right next door. The scary thing about this show is that a lot of purposefully ignorant people "believe" what they're saying. Beliefs do not require the support of provable facts in evidence and most voters have proven over & over they are truly willfully ignorant and cast a ballot for the best of the worst without doing ANY pointed research. One liners, sound bites and headlines are the only thing worth paying close attention is the common theme of our present politics.

[SueMVetforObama2]

07:46 AM on 10/13/2011

Why does Cain hide the fact that he took Stimulus funds on the BOD of 2 firms?

One off-shored and the other ain't "Drill, Baby, Drill"

[Linda Edmondson]

02:41 AM on 10/13/2011

OMG ! This is so sad, they are the worst groupe of candidates for the highest office in the land, that one could imagine. No wonder the Machine behine the election has put everything they can into winning it. No holds bared.

[peacekitten]

02:33 AM on 10/13/2011

wow.  an open thread.

i'm impressed.

[Telemachus]

10:33 AM on 10/14/2011

Don't worry, Hickenlooper will shut it down just as soon as he's finished with #OccupyDenver.

[Rick Ayers]

11:45 PM on 10/12/2011

And, after seeing this performance, are there really people (Republicans) out there, in America, that would really want to turn the country over, to one of these bumba-clods. I mean,,,,,,,REALLY?!

It's one thing to be mad at President Obama. It's another thing to commit social & economic suicide, just because you're mad, at the president of the US. Just keep repeating this to yourself, Republicans,,,,,,,,,,,,Bush, and the Republicans, spent their 8 years, in the White House, putting the rest of the country, in the OUTHOUSE!

[hearmeloudandclear]

11:37 PM on 10/12/2011

What a disappointment -- There were no highlights actually, that's why it's hard to define anything of significance. Where's the beef?

There was nothing new - even the anticipated efforts to attack the President weren't as strong as expected (...probably has something to do with the OWS movement). Of course Romney did impart his talking points in that area insisting that there is "no leadership" that Pesident doesn't "lead", etc etc.

Cain proved he is a "one noter" -- it's all about "9-9-9" which Bloomberg debunked
as not reliable in the numbers. Foreign policy --- he has nothing to impart on that subject ...just more "9-9-9"...

Perry - Disappointing with a spark of being aware of his surroundings occasionally. I don't think he wanted to be there -- and I don't think he knew what he was getting into.

Bachmann Just talks ... nothing substantial...nothing new...eyes from others glaze over, but always with the fixed grins in place.

Santorum -- Nice guy that is obsessed with social issues. Probably constrains his possible substantial message...whatever that is.

Huntsman -- He knows he doesn't have a chance so he's speaking up more; nothing key imparted.

Gingrich -- Wants people in jail..., talks for the effect, to get a response, and maybe a bit of applause.

Bottom line -- No one put a plan out for JOBS -- Perry said he'd have his in 2 or 3 days; Romney has a 160-page plan that he wasn't specific about, ....






OBAMA in 2012 -

[Khalid Nurredin]

11:26 PM on 10/12/2011

OK. So if I buy a $300,000 dollar house does that mean that I'm going to pay an extra $27,000 in sales tax under Cain's plan? Your $25,000 Camry(Accord, Sonata,Malibu,Focus) becomes $27,250? Is he nuts? I live in Nevada.I already pay an 8% sales tax.That means everything I buy will now cost 17% more? I don't think so homie.

[txrose4ever]

12:29 AM on 10/13/2011

We pay 8.25% here, and that would be 17.25% for us. The local/state taxes aren't going to go away, so really we would end up paying MORE in taxes. That would affect the folks at the low and middle income levels more, because they must spend more of what they make just to survive.

[l78lancer]

09:25 PM on 10/13/2011

That's the whole point. Even if they don't apply it to home purchases, it will apply to practically EVERYTHING else you buy. The poorer you are the more negative the impact because the $25000 camry cost the same for the guy making $30000 as it does for the guy making $100000 or $200000, or $500000. The same is true for a loaf of bread and the kids' new school clothes, or paying for your care repair, or getting a new roof put on your house. That doesn't include the 9% that comes out of your check. if you make minimum wage ($7.25/hr) that would equate to about 15000/year. If you buy $200 of food every two weeks you will pay $468 in tax on food alone. In the final analysis you could pay significantly more in taxes than you currently pay.

999 - no, no, no. It is a bad idea.

[Telemachus]

10:37 AM on 10/14/2011

You got it! Shout that from the housetops, because as soon as people figure out what Cain is up to, he's toast.

[Telemachus]

10:38 PM on 10/12/2011

A "faculty lounge"? Looks more like the Breakfast Club -- a bunch of confused losers stuck in detention, with poor Jon Huntsman as the assistant principal who drew the short straw & had to sit there when he could've been doing something productive.

[l78lancer]

09:32 PM on 10/13/2011

Really? I was thinking more Grumpy Old Men (and a woman.)

The "debates" have resulted in a few sound bites, catch phrases and tag lines, but no substance, no analysis, and for that matter no real debate. At this point it is as much a popularity contest as American Idol. No real talent or ideas required, just get as many votes as possible.

[CePe]

10:25 PM on 10/12/2011

Here we go again...R candidates with no solution and elected R's who only know how to sink the economic ship of state instead of keeping it afloat. The 2010 election taught the R's nothing. did it teach the D's their lesson? The party that focuses on the 99 per cent may get another shot at making government work again. Hopefully, it will be the D's and next time, they won't blow it.

[l78lancer]

09:36 PM on 10/13/2011

Good eye. The "Rs" distain the 99%ers meanwhile the "Ds" are trying to figure out how to runaway from them. The ones who can look them in the eyes and speak a little sense will probably win.

[fairandbalanced100]

09:43 PM on 10/12/2011

What a bunch of clowns with no good ideas. Cain's 999 idea is bad . It would help the rich &
screw the rest of us & cause a bigger deficit . Bachmann & Perry are too dumb .
Romney is dull & big flip-flopper & many don't think he is a real Christian .
I see why the keep looking for someone else.
Obama would be better than any of them & should get re-elected.

[flaconoire]

09:43 PM on 10/12/2011

Now after watching this I must consider suicide again.

[CePe]

10:27 PM on 10/12/2011

Trust me, this group of losers is hardly worth it!

[flaconoire]

04:39 PM on 10/13/2011

For them I meant

[2lilluc]

07:14 AM on 10/13/2011

Get mad, not suicidal! They aren't worth it, but we are...worth fighting for!

[flaconoire]

04:40 PM on 10/13/2011

Not to worry,I am mad enough :)

[flaconoire]

09:39 PM on 10/12/2011

Why so sarcastic?

[election2012]

09:09 PM on 10/12/2011

The focus for these candidates is showmanship. It's a classic case of style over substance. They're banking that many will buy into the rhetoric that they represent the middle class and not just corporate interests and the extremely wealthy. In reality, few of them demonstrate the empathy, intellect, flexibility and tolerance required to represent all Americans. They're very much in it for the good life, the power and the influence. In Romney's case, what can you get for the man who has everything? The Presidency. Of course, this assessment does not apply to all Republicans. It just seems especially fitting for this particular group of candidates.

[fairandbalanced100]

09:46 PM on 10/12/2011

Republicans don't represent the middle class or lower class at all.
They are making it crystal clear that they only care about the rich &
big business & special interest groups. They are against average people
getting social security, medicare of healthcare.

[election2012]

10:56 PM on 10/12/2011

If only more people would wake up to that reality.

[l78lancer]

09:46 PM on 10/13/2011

That whole group is about as stylish as a plain white shirt and a pair of black pants. Except for Cain. He has a pizza stain on his but insists it's not pizza.