Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich are having a Lincoln-Douglas style debate tonight in Texas, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.
I’ll be doing a live blog for it, and I’ll try to embed the C-Span live coverage, if that is possible (I don’t think it’s possible, so if anyone has a link to a live embed, let me know).
I’ll turn the blog live shortly before it starts.
This is an interesting twist, mostly because it’s just Cain and Newt. As I mentioned before, I view this as a chance for Newt to replace Cain as the leading not-Romney; or alternatively, for Cain to show that he can debate with the best of them and that he has the substance needed to make his surge more than temporary.
See you tonight.
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[…] this one should be different as both candidates will have time to elaborate on their positions.William Jacobson lays out what’s on the line.This is an interesting twist, mostly because it’s just Cain and […]
But the LSU-‘Bama game starts at 20:00 EDT! This is the real national championship. How can I decide?
This game is REALLY important…
Can’t you multi-task?
As much as I admire you, Professor, sometimes your priorities seem skewed. We are talking SEC Football here…
Record the debate – posted it looks like CSPAN has a replay Sunday morning in the 5AM time frame. I’ve found it really usefull in the other so-called debates just for the ability to back up and replay. Whether one is a “Newt Fan” or a “Cain Fan” this looks to be part of a series both are doing together. Historian v Rocket Scientist. Just think the 1912 and 1920 elections.
From what I’ve heard, “debate” is the wrong term for the public meetings that Gingrich and Cain are holding. It’s more of a public conversation where they can bounce ideas off of each other and the public, as well as explain wide ranging issues such as public policy, history and the effect of business regulation on the marketplace and other concepts.
I concur that this is starting to look more and more like Gingrich is making the play to be the “not Romney” but with the added twist that he’ll make a play to “early select” Cain as his VP candidate, floating these meetings as a trial balloon. At this point (where they’re both sitting high in the polls) it makes sense to try to give that appearance. Whether it will still work in 4 months after a couple of primaries is the question.
One of the two would have to declare a new state of residence for a Gingrich-Cain ticket (or Cain-Gingrich) to happen. Both now claim Georgia as their home.
Professor, I’ll have to rely on your live-blogging after the fact, since I’ll be at work (which includes monitoring LSU-Alabama). Do your usual bang-up job.
I didn’t think about the residency angle, but not impossible. We did see Cheney change his residency to Wyoming. Granted, he had a prior connection with Wyoming which probably made it easier.
I don’t think the residency issue would be too much of bother. He might still actually own property in Omaha, but I’m not sure about that.
Very much looking forward to the format as much as the personalities though, Cain and Gingrich may have more in common than any two of the other candidates. More a coup for the “moderator” than candidates, the recent “debates” are a near complete waste of time and no basis at all for choosing a pesident.
Nothing yet has changed my opinion that Gingrich, among all the candidates/players from either party, has the best instinctive feeling for the Constitution (preceeded by Fred Thompson in the last cycle) and the government it intended to provide. In a perfect world a good critical congress would keep any president from going off the rails in pursuit of every passing fad, like global warming or redistributing wealth, and conversely, consider thoughtfully program suggestions from a thoughtful president and keep him from going off the rails. We have now neither the congress nor the prsident, Gingrich may be the best choice on the executive side.
Gingrich has virtually no executive experience. And without being snarky, explain why you believe Newt has “the best instinctive feeling for the Constitution” after all the silly things he has said and done over the last 4 years?
In my opinion, Newt has consistently demonstrated an elitist bent slanted toward ever increasing size and scope of central government and always demonstrating loyalty toward the GOP instead of anything resembling TEA Party core convictions. Show me where I am wrong.
Here’s a start, though it’s 17 years old. Read it over, see if there’s anything similar to Tea party positions; hint, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10. How aout something constructive instead of snark responses, re the Profesor, Dodge, and, oh never mind…suit up and enjoy the game.
1. THE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out- of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses. (Bill Text) (Description)
2. THE TAKING BACK OUR STREETS ACT: An anti-crime package including stronger truth-in- sentencing, “good faith” exclusionary rule exemptions, effective death penalty provisions, and cuts in social spending from this summer’s “crime” bill to fund prison construction and additional law enforcement to keep people secure in their neighborhoods and kids safe in their schools. (Bill Text) (Description)
3. THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT: Discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers and denying increased AFDC for additional children while on welfare, cut spending for welfare programs, and enact a tough two-years-and-out provision with work requirements to promote individual responsibility. (Bill Text) (Description)
4. THE FAMILY REINFORCEMENT ACT: Child support enforcement, tax incentives for adoption, strengthening rights of parents in their children’s education, stronger child pornography laws, and an elderly dependent care tax credit to reinforce the central role of families in American society. (Bill Text) (Description)
5. THE AMERICAN DREAM RESTORATION ACT: A S500 per child tax credit, begin repeal of the marriage tax penalty, and creation of American Dream Savings Accounts to provide middle class tax relief. (Bill Text) (Description)
6. THE NATIONAL SECURITY RESTORATION ACT: No U.S. troops under U.N. command and restoration of the essential parts of our national security funding to strengthen our national defense and maintain our credibility around the world. (Bill Text) (Description)
7. THE SENIOR CITIZENS FAIRNESS ACT: Raise the Social Security earnings limit which currently forces seniors out of the work force, repeal the 1993 tax hikes on Social Security benefits and provide tax incentives for private long-term care insurance to let Older Americans keep more of what they have earned over the years. (Bill Text) (Description)
8. THE JOB CREATION AND WAGE ENHANCEMENT ACT: Small business incentives, capital gains cut and indexation, neutral cost recovery, risk assessment/cost-benefit analysis, strengthening the Regulatory Flexibility Act and unfunded mandate reform to create jobs and raise worker wages. (Bill Text) (Description)
9. THE COMMON SENSE LEGAL REFORM ACT: “Loser pays” laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation. (Bill Text) (Description)
10. THE CITIZEN LEGISLATURE ACT: A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators. (Description)
Further, we will instruct the House Budget Committee to report to the floor and we will work to enact additional budget savings, beyond the budget cuts specifically included in the legislation described above, to ensure that the Federal budget deficit will be less than it would have been without the enactment of these bills.
A perfect example of the fact that Newt did mean any of what he said. And, by and large, neither did those who helped him write the Contract. He implemented virtually none of those ideas, refused to defund leftists power centers within the US government like NPR, PBS, various National Endowments, etc. and let the federal government continue to grow every single year while he was speaker…
He wants to promise conservative policies but he doesn’t want to implement them. He is a statist and an advocate for an ever increasing size and scope of government, albeit slightly slower than Obama…
Reserving all comments about Cain+Newt until after the debate. Glad we’ve moved Cain out of Politico’s arena.
I live just a few miles from this event, but my work schedule and the ticket cost will prevent me from attending. Thanks for the CSPAN alert!
WarEagle82, EVERY candidate has flaws. Even my preferred candidate (who didn’t enter the race) supported that go-along-to-get-along idiot for reelection as a Senator from Utah.
I understand that every candidate has flaws. And if the MSM doesn’t like the real flaws they are willing and able to manufacture a few to suit their tastes.
But note they are not bothering to focus on the flaws of Romney or Gingrich (at least at this time). Ever think about that and wonder why?
Offering up a fundamentally and fatally flawed candidate as the GOP nomination (again) is hardly the key to success. It hasn’t worked yet…
well romney has said hes the candidate liberals should want.
pretty telling statement there IMO.
I think he meant he’s the candidate liberals would like to win. Because he is one…
[…] before 8PM or as soon as it’s available.For now, here’s a debate preview courtesy of Legal Insurrection: […]
Having friends from both the Bama and LSU persuasions…
Actually I heard something about this indirectly and it has some interesting and intriguing side notes. Maybe to obviously don’t look for any TOTUS. Side note is Cain and Newt have been personal friends years before they became candidates for this election and that was how this developed. In the campaign the other candidates have been aware or maybe attuned to ‘avoid getting into a debate with Cain or Newt’. That’s resulted in some strange speaking orders and arrangements. The almost intriguing note was that apparently there is some [obscure?] constitutional requirement that the president-elect and vice-president-elect Not be from [reside in] the same state.
Lastly, I was in a phone conversation with a 2008 hardcore Dem-Obama voter. The background was TV program with an extensive Gingerich speech. Since the individual doesn’t like TV in general but is a heavy CSPAN watcher, I make some inferences……..
BTW Newt has a Virginia home so if in fact there is a not-the-same-state requirement it’s not like either would have any difficulty proving they were “Natural Born Citizens”
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/search/display.html?terms=Minor%20v.%20Happersett%20&url=/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0088_0162_ZS.html
The link is to the Cornell based “Legal Information Institute” SC reference on the 1877 “Minor v. Happersett”
I heard from a different blog that Justia.com is a more frequent Supreme Court reference resource but that Justia edited it’s references to “Minor v. Happersett” and I had been utilizing LII as a reference on ‘the key supreme court’ cases since just before the 2008 election. Before Obamacare I’ve been a computer geek like Cain in his first career as happy as a lark to stay out of things surgical or legal.
The 2012 primary season can be summarized in one word: DARWINIAN.Survival of the fittest. I view this debate as a novel strategy, akin to the first fish trying out lungs. I will be interested to learn everyone’s opinion of the format and the candidates.
I am no big fan of Newt; however, if he offers the best approach to the General Election (and there is no doubt that he has experienced extreme media scrutiny before), then I will be delighted to support him in 2012.
recording notes:
This being one I’d love to record looks like CSPAN will be repeating Sunday morning something like 530AM to 730AM.
Check your schedules.
Side note #2
This debate is on “Entitlements”
I heard something to the effect they had set up multiple debates. Courtesy and sponsored by the “Texas Tea Party” seems this one is taking place in “The Woodlands” [north suburban Houston]
I’m reminded that Newt, ‘the Washington Insider’, is one of those who had a career before entering politics, as a History Professor. At a non-Ivy-League Land Grant school.
[…] Here’s the link to the piece LI has up currently: Cain-Newt debate — live here tonight […]