GOP Candidates to Debate in New Hampshire Tonight; Will GOP Rivals Go After Herman Cain? – 10/11/11

The GOP Presidential Candidates will debate again tonight at 7:00 PM ET (on Bloomberg TV), this time at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The Bloomberg / Washington Post Debate will be moderated by Charlie Rose of Bloomberg, Karen Tumulty of The Washington Post, and Julianna Goldman of Bloomberg. This will be the first debate in 19 days, and the first since Herman Cain’s rise to the top-tier of the GOP Field. Some signs are already appearing that at least some of the candidates will now go after Herman Cain. Rick Santorum has started running a radio ad in Iowa that attacks his GOP rivals – including Herman Cain. The last three debates have seen almost all of the attacks – particularly by Michele Bachmann and Santorum – aimed at Rick Perry, but he is no longer the front-runner:

DAILY CALLER: When Herman Cain takes the debate stage Tuesday night in New Hampshire, it’ll be the first time the Republican presidential candidate will do so as a top tier candidate.

In prior debates, the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO has used his time to introduce himself to primary voters and charm them with memorable one-liners without being attacked by his opponents. He just hasn’t been seen as much of a threat.

But now that many polls show him placing in the top three, will that change? And is Cain ready for such scrutiny?

“Mr. Cain’s debate strategy has always been about just being Mr. Cain, and it’s worked out very well for him,” spokesman J.D. Gordon told The Daily Caller.

Gordon declined to comment on whether the campaign expects to be put on the defensive more so than ever at the debate, instead saying Cain will focus on talking about his 9-9-9 tax reform plan. . . . Read More

The format of this debate will be a little different. For one thing, the candidates will be seated, and they will be given a chance to ask each other questions – in alphabetical order:

NEW YORK TIMES: . . . The event on Tuesday night will be the first time the candidates have debated sitting down — perhaps an effort by the sponsors to encourage a serious discussion. They will be seated according to poll results, and that means Mr. Romney and Herman Cain, the former chief executive of Godfather Pizza, will be seated next to each other.

The candidates have also been told they will be able to ask each other questions, and that the order will go alphabetically, with Mrs. Bachmann starting. That means several of the candidates will get a chance for questions before Mr. Romney or Mr. Perry, who will come near the end. . . . Read More