I’ll be pseudo-live blogging this debate and in the down time I’ll be penning a post about the most recent developments in Herman Cain’s the sexual harassment scandal.

You can watch it too via CSPAN.

-Live Blog-

11:54 – Cain & Gingrich ask each other a question. Cain tells about his surprise at the “nit-pitckiness” of the media. Gingrich says that he wouldn’t go hunting if he was vice president. I have two conflicting feelings about this debate. It is of (very) limited use for Gingrich to show how capable of the speaker and explainer of ideology he is compared to Cain. Also, both candidates came off as very friendly and affable individuals. However, my other feeling is that to call this a “Franklin – Douglass” debate is a ridiculous. There was no difference in ideology whatsoever, no conflict, not back and forth, no disagreement. If anything this looked like the announcement of Cain-Gingrich 2012.

11:40 – This is the debate Gingrich has wanted since forever. Cain’s very basic and rudimentary understanding of public policy has become crystal clear in this debate. Gingrich couldn’t help himself, he had to use the Fed Ex joke. It got a great reaction, apparently this crowd hasn’t heard it before.

11:28 – “Break the crack habit” – Cain

11:20 – Cain’s answers are extremely simplistic and often repetitions of prior answers.

11:14 – “This president is about as candid and accurate as Bernie Madoff in what he tells the American people.” That’d be in the headlines if anyone actually cares about Mr. Gringrich.

11:12 – Cain makes a bizarre appeal to business leaders to be channels of public information and debate. What? Gringrich gets a better response on SS than Cain by explaining personal accounts.

11:00 – Cain is dead right about the moderator’s proposed solutions to social security (raise the age, raise taxes, reduce benefits). They’re aren’t solutions at all. He offers up personal accounts as a replacement system (aka the Chilean Model). This is his first real answer.

10:51 – Cain just passed off his chance to answer a question first to Newt because he clearly did not know what the terminology meant. This is….it’s like watching the Harlem Globetrotters. Which is ironic…

10:50 – It is somewhat painful to watch Cain try to explain his ideas. He is unable not to explain things without relying on his personal conjecture to explain his understandings of issues. Uses of buzzwords like “market driven,” usually without explained specifics beyond how it impacted his experience as CEO.
Newt is academic and sharp as always. Abstract conservative theories complemented by an extensive specific knowledge. He’s got everything to gain from this. If he can become the conservative flavor of the week, as a more realistic choice he can (maybe) become a contender.

10:32 – First question concerns Medicaid reform. As expected, Cain can’t possibly keep up with Newt, nevermind find something to disagree with. He can’t possibly do this for the entire debate (can he?). Cain is going to have to find something to take issue with, instead of just providing his own folksy conjecture.

10:25 – Sound problems.

10:17 – First update, before the beginning. I’m not sure what to think about this debate in general. These two are some of the most “conservative” GOP 2012 contenders. I’m not too familiar with how their views might be strongly distinguished from one another, and each have probably more to gain by agreeing with one another rather than hitting each other. If there actually is any sort of conflict (which I highly doubt) I would expect Gingrich to demolish Cain.