Candidates Set to Go for Tonight’s CNBC GOP Presidential Debate in Michigan – Video Preview 11/9/11

The GOP Presidential Candidates will gather in Michigan tonight for a Presidential Debate on CNBC. The debate will be moderated by CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo and John Harwood. Other CNBC contributors will help with the questioning, including Jim Cramer and Rick Santelli. The debate will begin at 8:00 PM ET, on CNBC.

Herman Cain’s problems with harassment accusations are hanging over the debate, and even though this 90-minute debate will focus on the U.S. Economy, Cain’s situation very well may come up in some fashion.

Mitt Romney will be trying to come across as the most reasonable, most electable candidate to go up against Barack Obama. Rick Perry will trying to turn in a strong debate performance to leave viewers with the thought – “Maybe I should give him another look.”

Newt Gingrich comes into this debate as the candidate with real upward momentum. He will try to add to that by standing out as the most competent, most solutions-oriented candidate on the stage. Newt has done very well in the debates, but now must convince GOP voters he not only could be the nominee, but could actually defeat Barack Obama.

CNBC: The economy is supposed to be the focus when Republican presidential contenders share a debate stage for the first time since allegations of sexual impropriety rocked Republican Herman Cain’s presidential bid.

But as the candidates gather Wednesday night in ailing Michigan, Cain’s troubles are certain to loom large over the Oakland University debate hall, whether or not the rivals address the accusations directly during the two-hour face off.

With voting in the GOP nomination race set to begin in fewer than 60 days, Republican officials and presidential contenders alike are growing increasingly frustrated that the political conversation has been hijacked by the furor surrounding Cain.

“Only Herman Cain can address the issues before him. In the meantime it’s sucking all the oxygen out of the room, depriving the people of this country from a conversation about the issues that really do matter,” Republican contender and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman told The Associated Press Tuesday. “That’s the price we pay when these things happen.”

Like the rest of Cain’s opponents, Huntsman did not call for him to leave the presidential contest or rush to his defense, illustrating the sensitivity — and the unpredictability — of the escalating situation.

In a multi-candidate field, there’s no guarantee that one candidate’s demise will be any single candidate’s gain.

Even so, some of Cain rivals — namely fellow conservatives who are struggling to gain ground against better-known, better-funded rivals — sense an opportunity to steal support away from the former businessman should he implode after recently emerging as the strongest challenger to former Massachusetts Gov.Mitt Romney in some polls. . . . Read More