Datechguy's Blog

Update: A Memeorandum thread and linked by friends. If it wasn’t 3 a.m. and I was awake I’d list them.

The Take away line from the night comes from Herman Cain’s man in the spin room. Herman Cain is driving the debate!

My take: Romney Wins Cain close second, Bachmann 3rd. Perry in trouble. Santorum didn’t break out.

9:52 p.m. Paul ignores question (wisely) talks about restoring liberty, Santorum talks about manufacturing leaving Pittsburgh. Huntsman raised a great family etc. Perry: Son of Tenant farmer and vet, he owns this question. Romney wants future brighter for my kids

9:50 p.m. Answers, Bachmann 28 kids run a business, Cain, I was poor, dad had 3 jobs, I have solved problems and have bold plans, Gingrich, I grew up an Army brat. You aren’t hiring me to sympathize but to solve problems.

9:48 p.m. What about you tell the American people so they can know you “feel their pain”, what a BS question.

9:46 p.m. Tumulty keeps going after Perry, she is almost a stalker. If she gets any closer he will need a restraining order. Santorum jumps in because they try to ignore him again, brings in social situation.

9:44 p.m. Romney hits the Obama jobs plan, gives a long answer, this has been his pattern all night and has paid off.

9:42 p.m. They try to hit Cain on the “it’s your fault” bit, he points out it was targeted toward the protestors, he missed a chance to hit them harder.

9:41 p.m. To Gingrich, on the American Dream, his question is a love fest because off all the good answers and plans by the people around this table.

9:39 p.m. Tumulty keeps on Perry and he knocks her question out, he really needed that.

9:38 p.m. Tumulty is going after Perry just as Dan Riehl predicted.

9:37 p.m. Paul talks about power, he has finished stronger than he started.

9:35 p.m. This debate really hurts the administration, 2 hours on the economy without talking Mormons and occupying wall street is devastating for Obama. Bachmann and Cain give good answers on this.

9:33 p.m audience question How will you make small business loans more available for small business? Romney hits Dodd/Frank. Talks about the difference between banks with Mega Lawyers vs smaller banks.

9:31 p.m. Ron Paul: “Greenspan was a disaster!” Complements Paul Volcker

9:30 p.m. Cain talks Greenspan and two other candidates he is not able to name publicly as new guys at the fed.

9:29 p.m. Tumulty actually asks Perry a good question. Elizabeth I’m coming to join you!

9:27 p.m. Perry giving good healthcare answer but he hasn’t done enough to come back, his best debate but he’s been pretty silent. Talks Tort Reform.

9:20 p.m. Santorum hits the people who supported Tarp, Ask Cain, can we trust you with your lack of experience: Cain 3 deterrents. Cain wants 2/3 vote to raise taxes, 2nd visible simple and transparent, people can see it happen. 3rd I will be president and won’t sign. Good question good answer.

9:18 p.m. Romney’s turn, questions Bachmann? What do you do to help the American People get back to work. A softball to keep her in the race, VERY smart move. Bachmann brings up mother of 28, Vodkapundit drinks. Brings up taxes and regulations.

9:16 p.m. Perry asks a Romneycare question. Romney has really taken hits but he has stood up to it pretty well. That will serve him well if he wins the nomination. It is actually making him look good although Romneycare sucks.

9:14 p.m. Paul asks Cain about opposition to auditing the fed, do you stick by it? Cain I didn’t call any of our supporters ignorant. I do not object to the federal reserve being audited it’s simply not my top prior, my focus is jobs jobs jobs

9:12 p.m. Huntsman makes religion joke then asks Romney about Bain..Romney gives examples of the moves he made, decent question, better answer.

9:10 p.m. Gingrich asks specific question about capital gain tax cut at a low-level at his plan. Romney answers that he wanted to help out middle America.

9:08 p.m. Cain asks Romney if he can name all 59 points in his plan. Romney answers simple answers aren’t always enough, talks about ending regulation and trade policy. Great question, not a bad answer.

9:06 p.m. Bachmann asks Perry why he supported Gore in 1988 hits him on spending, how can we trust you not to go Obama? Perry answer: I grew up a democrat, I came to the GOP at a younger age than Reagan, very good answer, and a good question too!

9:04 p.m. So far the debate winners are Cain, Romney and Bachmann with Gingrich close behind. Paul strangely silent. He needs to jump in like Santorum did.

9:02 p.m. One of the CSPAN guys has an awesome Rollie Fingers mustache.

8:56 p.m. Cain, kicking the can, Romney will use reconciliation (nuclear) to repeal Obamacare.

8:54 p.m. Santorum finally gets to talk. “I want to make America the most attractive place to do business, how many people want to give Nancy Pelosi a new tax pipeline?” It’s a fair question.

8:53 p.m. Perry jumps in and goes back to energy, we need a regulatory changes, not 9-9-9.

8:52 p.m. Tumulty goes to Romney on China, Romney talking tough on China, we’ve got to call cheating for what it is. Claims China has more to lose than us in a trade war.

8:51 p.m. Santorum had better jump in or go home.

8:49 p.m. Huntsman asked on trade war on China, he says it will be a disadvantage to us if we have such a war.

8:47 p.m. Flexibility on spending for the consumer. Bachmann: It is not a jobs plan it is a tax plan, She raises the prospect that these taxes might be raised and fiddled with.

8:45 p.m. They are playing a Herman Cain clip, that’s odd. Cain being challenged on his 9-9-9. Cain: ” The problem with that analysis is that it is incorrect.” Bazinga!

8:43 p.m. Bachmann is hitting it out right now.

8:42 p.m. Gingrich is calling BS on the super committee, Bachmann brings up the debt ceiling debate again. She’s still right.

8:41 p.m. Tumulty going the full liberal again, is anyone not named Romney going to get a chance to talk?

8:40 p.m. Could someone please point out that Reagan faced an overwhelmingly democratic house?

8:38 p.m. Perry says Reagan still looking for those cuts he was promised.

8:36 p.m. They are back playing a Reagan quote, asking for more taxes. Asks Perry if he agrees. Perry gets the answer right but the delivery totally wrong. He is saying the right thing but expressing it poorly.

8:34 p.m. Round 1 to Romney, had a ton of face time, big losers Santorum and Perry, totally invisible. Could that be Perry’s plan to avoid mistakes by shutting up?

8:32 p.m. Paul hits Keynesian, the federal government should get out of the housing business.

8:31 p.m. Gingrich jumps in: They didn’t have a clue, if the others
want some time, they’d better jump in. Perry is invisible.

8:30 p.m. Cain says “conceptually” the bail out was good, but the implication was wrong.

8:28 p.m. Has Romney just reversed himself again?

8:27 p.m. Romney: “I’m not interested in bailing out wealthy people.”

8:26 p.m. Actually surprised these folks have stuck with economic questions

8:25 p.m. Cain asked about his advisers who developed the 9-9-9 plan with him

8:24 p.m. Cain jumps in when nobody wants to ask him and he points out it will work because it junks the old tax code.

8:22 p.m. Back to Huntsman, Brad Marston is upset: “I thought Herman Cain was at this debate?” hasn’t had a question in almost 20 min.

8:21 p.m. Trying Bachmann, can we be sure the Medicare money is spent wisely? Bachmann: “It will be broke in 8 years.” President will replace medicare with Obamacare. Wonder if these people would be defending Palin if she was running?

8:20 p.m. Back to Tumulty, watch your left Newt: “Is end of life treatment ‘wasteful spending?’”, Newt hits the prostrate stuff and defends Palin on death panels. Yes!

8:18 p.m. Huntsman “Washington DC is the gas capital of the country”, talking innovation and bringing back industrial base.

8:16 p.m. Santorum: “My plan would pass tomorrow.”

8:14 p.m. Missed the question to Santorum answering a call from Stacy, he is now talking his 0-0-0 plan.

8:12 p.m. Tumulty to Paul, “Please help me here, say something bad about Wall street, not congress and government!” Paul doesn’t bite either.

8:10 p.m. Newt compares the protestors to the tea party folks big mistake, although he separates the groups. Tumulty going full left tonight. Newt points out the media wants to go after wall street but not the pols that enabled them.

8:08 p.m. Karen Tumulty asks Michelle Bachmann if the wall street types belong in jail. Doesn’t ask if they broke laws. Bachmann hits federal gov and Fannie and Freddie.

8:06 p.m. Back to Perry, Rose asking where’s da plan?

8:05 p.m. Romney swings directly at Obama

8:04 p.m. Rick Perry next talking about energy jobs.

8:02 p.m. First question to Herman Cain now I know he is leading in the polls.