COMMENTARY | The GOP hopefuls squared off Wednesday in another in a seemingly endless line of debates. This debate was scheduled to discuss economic issues, and, with only a few exceptions, that is where they stayed.
Maria Bartiromo tried to make the allegations against Herman Cain into an issue that would somehow affect the economy. Cain handled the question well by focusing on the fact they are still unsubstantiated allegations. And Mitt Romney took the high road by not being baited into more discussion and criticism of the situation.
That being said, the three things that stood out most of all in this debate:
* If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Cain's answer to every issue seemed to center around 9-9-9. How will you grow the economy? 9-9-9. What would you do to rein in government spending? 9-9-9. How would you balance the playing field with China? 9-9-9. What did you have for dinner last night? 9-9-9. There needs to be more substance to him that a bold new tax plan in order to become a more viable candidate. His best line of the night: "The other two things wrong with Dodd-Frank is Dodd and Frank."
* On many of the issues, the candidates seemed to be mostly in agreement. Whether Rick Santorum was the first to recognize the problem and propose a solution or not, there was very little difference: cut regulations, simplify taxes, repeal Obamacare, allow markets to settle housing prices, get out of student loans. The only difference is how this would be accomplished.
* While most of the candidates agreed government must reduce spending, it took 35 minutes before Ron Paul was able to point it out. After this, it seemed to become a focus of the night. Romney went so far as to say it is a "moral imperative." The only difference, again, was how they would accomplish the cuts. Paul has presented a specific plan that would include cutting five departments. Rick Perry would cut three federal departments. Most voiced support for eliminating government subsidies and bailouts. Again, they all seemed to agree that much of what the federal government is currently doing should be delegated to the states for better control and more appropriate solutions.
So, who won? I don't believe I saw enough difference to say one way or another. I can say Cain fell some in my view. He needs to have a broader view of what must happen if he were to be elected.
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