October 18th CNN Republican Debate [Full Video & Poll]

Overview

At 8pm on Tuesday October 18th, CNN and the Western Republican Leadership Conference hested the most recent in a line of GOP Presidential debates.

Many of the early front-runners have struggled in the most recent debates. Mitt Romney has seen his once-formidable lead become second pace to a rotating cadre of new blood. Rick Perry stumbled in the last two debates and Michele Bachmann never recovered from her Gaurdasil/autism claim. Herman Cain now enjoys front-runner status and seemed to hold up to the increased scrutiny in the debate on October 11th.

Tuesday night’s debate promised to focus on Herman Cain and Mitt Romney – the two front-runners. Herman Cain defended his 9-9-9 plan using fruit analogies and Romney fumbled on everything from illegal immigration to Romneycare.

This was by far the most argumentative and least informative debate of the season. CNN’s Anderson Cooper was out to get the candidates to wrestle – informing voters wasn’t in CNN’s interest.

Jon Huntsman chose to boycott the debate due to Nevada’s primary scheduling battle with New Hampshire. Huntsman will instead hold a campaign event Tuesday morning.

Participants

Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum

Video/Streaming

The debate was held at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada and aired on CNN.

Full Video of the Debate (from RCP):

The Debate in 100 seconds (TPM):

Cain and Romney in a fruit fight over 9-9-9:

Perry and Romney Spar on Illegal Immigration:

Ron Paul on Obamacare:

Santorum and Romney on Romneycare:

Herman Cain Negotiates With Terrrorists:
Wanting Cain to do well, this and the fruit exchange blew it. Listen as Herman Cain tells us that he wouldn’t negotiate with terrorists, except in certain cases. No negotiating with terrorists.. except?

and here’s the transcript:

Herman Cain, let me ask this to you. A few hours ago you were asked by Wolf Blitzer, if al Qaeda had an American soldier in captivity, and they demanded the release of everyone at Guantanamo Bay, would you release them? And you said, quote: “I can see myself authorizing that kind of a transfer. Can you explain?

HERMAN CAIN, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The rest of the statement was quite simply, you would have to consider the entire situation. But let me say this first, I would have a policy that we do not negotiate with terrorists. We have to lay that principle down first.

Now being that you have to look at each individual situation and consider all the facts. The point that I made about this particular situation is that I’m sure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to consider a lot of things before he made that.

So on the surface, I don’t think we can say he did the right thing or not. A responsible decision-maker would have considered everything.

Bachmann on Obama’s Illegal Immigrant Family:

Ron Paul on the 9-9-9 Plan:

Other stuff:

CNN’s full transcript of the debate

Debate Poll:

[poll id=”32″]