The first GOP presidential debate for 2012 was held in South Carolina the evening of May 5, 2011. Participants were Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, businessman Herman Cain, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.
And here’s who the focus group picked as the winner – almost unanimously: (H/T The Other McCain)
Herman Cain!
You can watch the full debate below. The debate was moderated by some of my favorite Fox News people: Juan Williams, Bret Bair, Chris Wallace and Shannon Bream. This is the most even-handed questioning I have ever seen in a public debate, especially Chris Wallace.
Part 1 of 4:
Part 2 of 4:
Part 3 of 4:
Part 4 of 4:
Here’s the latest poll by PPP, a Democrat polling firm, from 5/5 to 5/8:
| Romney | Huckabee | Trump | Palin | Gingrich | Paul | Bachmann | Pawlenty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 19 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
Herman Cain, Mitch Daniels and Rick Santorum had no score.
My candidate is Michele Bachmann. I don’t like any of the others in that poll. I absolutely cannot stand Romney, Huckabee, Trump, Gingrich, and Paul. I don’t think Palin should run. Pawlenty is highly qualified, but not conservative enough for me.
WINTERY KNIGHT 
“Rock you like a Herman Cain!”
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“Most of the people in Washington are career politicians. How’s that working for you?”
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I don’t think Cain has a chance of winning the nomination, but I think he would be an outstanding VP candidate for someone like Gingrich or Romney or Huckabee (not my ideal candidates either, but one of them will unfortunately almost surely be the nominee in my opinion). Michele Bachmann would too. Gingrich/Romney/Huckabee would be in much need of a Tea Partier for VP, and Bachmann/Cain are not only tea partiers, but also a woman and a minority (not that being either should matter).
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Bah! All three of those guys are RINOs! And Pawlenty is also a RINO, but less bad than the others I think.
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I don’t like RINOs one bit. Sellouts.
Unfortunately it is likely the next candidate will be one though.
I hope I am wrong.
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What is it about Gingrich you don’t like?
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Nancy Pelosi and global warming:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/05/12/gingrich-feels-heat-global-warming-ad-pelosi/
Hillary Clinton and foreign policy:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2010/11/newt-gingrich-hillary-clinton-terrific-defense-secretary.html
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What? I know he’s not for cap and trade, but I would still like for him to say he had a brain fart when he agreed to the video with Pelosi and for complimenting Clinton. Gingrich is conservative on the rest of the issues.
It’s lengthy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Newt_Gingrich
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Two words: serial adulterer.
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I don’t trust any man who does what Gingrich does with women. I didn’t like it when Clinton did it, and I didn’t like it when McCain did it.
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Yeah, he does have some garbage he’s taking with him into the race.
I’m finding it difficult to get behind a candidate. Why can’t Paul Ryan run???
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He says his children aren’t old enough yet! He wants them to be a bit older, first.
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Chalk up another point for Paul Ryan. I respect his reason.
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I didn’t think you judged or pointed out people’s faults McSpinster? ;) :)
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Where’s the judgment in
“serial-adulterer,” J?
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I also said “pointed out people’s faults…”
I was really just kidding with you anyway. It’s Friday and I’m in a good mood. :)
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Here is the ‘Hermanator’ confronting Bill Clinton about government-run health care 15 years ago:
He really owned Clinton in this exchange :)
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