Call this one the stay-on-message debate. 
 
 The candidates stuck to their talking points in Hanover, N.H.. The moderators focused narrowly on the subject of the economy. Herman Cain talked about his “9-9-9” plan – a lot. 
 
 Text Size - 
 
 + 
 
 reset Opponents pile on 9-9-9 plan 1213456468001 POLITICO 44 
 
 In an exceedingly well-mannered debate, it was Cain and his catch phrase-driven campaign that drew much of the attention on stage. 
 
 Cain has thrilled Republican primary voters with his proposal to toss out the U.S. tax code and replace it with 9 percent taxes on business, income and sales. And with the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO riding high in the polls, for the first time, some of his opponents tried to blunt his political momentum. 
 
 “How many people here are for a sales tax in New Hampshire?” Rick Santorum asked the debate audience at Dartmouth College, drawing little response. “There you go, Herman. That’s how many votes you’ll get in New Hampshire.” 
 
 Jon Huntsman was also dismissive of Cain’s plan, jabbing: “I thought it was the price of a pizza.” 
 
 Michele Bachmann even joked that turning the “9-9-9” plan upside down would show that “the devil is in the details” – a crack about the symbolic sign of the symbolic satanic number “666.” 
 
 Cain was unflappable, saying that his opponents were thinking too small. 
 
 “They want to pass what they think they can get passed, rather than what we need, which is a bold solution,” he said. 
 
 Compared to the Republican presidential debate season, however, the Washington Post/Bloomberg News debate was a polite, substantive affair lacking in the kind of moments likely to change the direction of the GOP primary. 
 
 And for all the expectations that Cain would come under a harsher spotlight Tuesday, thanks to his Florida straw poll victory and swift rise in national polls, the businessman did not appear to break a sweat. 
 
 Nor did any of the other presidential candidates, a group rounded out by Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich. 
 
 A placid debate like this one is most helpful to Romney, who has regained his national frontrunner as Perry has stumbled in the polls. The former Massachusetts governor won a high-profile endorsement earlier Tuesday from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie – a development likely to overshadow the low-drama debate. 
 
 After three back-to-back debates featuring harsh attacks between Romney and Perry, the two avoided each other for nearly the entire evening. 
 
 In the only direct exchange between the two, Perry challenged Romney to defend his Massachusetts health care law from charges that it’s identical to the Democratic-backed Affordable Care Act. 
 
 Romney said he was “proud” of his universal health care law and fired back a well prepared jab at Perry’s own health care record. 
 
 “We have the lowest number of kids uninsured … of any state in America,” Romney said. “You have the highest.” 
 
 He continued: “We have less than 1 percent of our kids who are uninsured. You have a million kids.” 
 
 Perry’s performance may have been most notable for the swipe he didn’t take. When one of the moderators pressed Romney to defend the 2008 Wall Street bailouts – which Romney supported and Perry opposed – the Texas governor didn’t jump in. 
 
 Indeed, Perry seemed content to run out the clock on the debate, which was the second to last in the five-debate series that started after Labor Day. 
 
 His campaign has hinted that Perry intends to gain his footing against Romney over a longer period of time and outside the format of debates. The Texas governor, who raised $17 million last quarter, may find paid media to be a more useful campaign tool. 
 
 Even without pressure from Perry, Romney defended the Troubled Assets Relief Program as an imperfect fix for a country “on the precipice [of] a complete meltdown of our entire financial system.” 
 
 “Was it perfect? No,” said Romney, adding: “Should they have used the funds to bail out General Motors and Chrysler? No, that was the wrong source for that funding.” 
 
 That last comment could have resonance in a general election, when Democrats will seek to portray Republicans as hostile to the auto industry on which several Midwestern states depend. 
 
 In the context of the GOP primary, the consequences are likely to be minimal. 
 
 What’s more, Cain stepped in to back up Romney’s position on TARP, which he also supported. 
 
 “The implementation was at fault,” Cain said. ||||| Presidential challenger Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of failing to lead in a time of economic peril but sounded less conservative than his Republican rivals in their debate Tuesday night, defending the 2008-2009 Wall Street bailout and declaring he could work with "good" Democrats. 
 
 Republican presidential candidates businessman Herman Cain answers a question as Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks on during a Republican presidential debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., Tuesday night,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Republican presidential candidate Texas Gov. Rick Perry, left, speaks to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, as businessman Herman Cain, center, listens during a Republican presidential debate... (Associated Press) 
 
 Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, makes a point as Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum listen during a presidential debate at Dartmouth... (Associated Press) 
 
 Romney also gave one of his most spirited defenses of his health care initiative when he was Massachusetts governor, legislation that Obama has called a partial blueprint for his own national overhaul. By positioning himself closer to the political center on several points, Romney sought to underscore his claim that he can draw crucial independent voters in next year's general election. 
 
 His chief rival, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, seemed less sure-footed. He repeated his main talking points about free enterprise but did little to dent Romney. 
 
 Former pizza company executive Herman Cain, who has climbed in polls lately, got more air time than usual. He repeatedly touted his call for replacing the U.S. tax code with a 9 percent national sales tax and a 9 percent levy on personal and corporate income. 
 
 Meanwhile Tuesday, Obama defended his economic policies and criticized his Republican foes in a visit to the general election battleground of Pennsylvania. 
 
 And, hours before the candidates met in Hanover, Romney picked up New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's endorsement. Romney hopes it will help cement his support among the GOP establishment and nurture an image that he's the party's inevitable nominee. 
 
 Romney seemed happy to play the part of front-runner in the nearly two-hour debate, sponsored by Bloomberg News and The Washington Post. He joked breezily with the moderators, chided Perry for interrupting him and ignored the Texan when quizzing other contenders. 
 
 Romney's strategy might carry some risks in a Republican primary process that's dominated by staunch conservatives, especially in the early voting states of Iowa and South Carolina. The Wall Street bailout is a sore point with many such voters. 
 
 But Romney seemed to sail through the debate largely unscathed, with Cain and Perry scoring few direct hits. The sharpest criticism of his bailout remarks came from former Sen. Rick Santorum, who lags in the polls. 
 
 Romney said no one likes the idea of bailing out big Wall Street firms. However, he said, many of the actions taken in 2008 and 2009 were needed to keep the dollar's value from plummeting and "to make sure that we didn't all lose our jobs." The nation was on a precipice, Romney said, "and we could have had a complete meltdown." 
 
 Romney, however, said he disagreed with Obama's actions to shore up General Motors and Chrysler. The administration says the moves were highly successful and much of the federal money has been repaid. 
 
 Romney said he would work with "good" Democrats to lead the country out of economic crisis. He said that's what he did as Massachusetts governor and what he would do if he wins the White House. 
 
 Perry was not asked about the bailouts, but his campaign distributed his past statements saying "government should not be in the business of using taxpayer dollars to bail out corporate America." 
 
 Perry said the government must open the way for more production of domestic energy sources. The nation must "pull back those regulations that are strangling American entrepreneurship," he said. 
 
 He pressed Romney on his decision as Massachusetts governor to require residents to obtain health insurance, a central component of Obama's federal plan. 
 
 "I'm proud of the fact that we took on a major problem in my state," Romney said. Eight percent of Massachusetts residents were uninsured, he said, and they took advantage of others who covered their costs at emergency rooms. 
 
 Romney said Obama's national plan differed from his state plan because Obama raised taxes and cut Medicare. 
 
 Romney then turned the issue against Perry. "We have the lowest number of kids who are uninsured of any state in America," he said. "You have the highest" in Texas. 
 
 Given a chance to assail Wall Street, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann blamed too much regulation for the sluggish economy. She also said Obama wants to let Medicare collapse, pushing everyone into "Obamacare," the health overhaul passed by congressional Democrats in 2010. 
 
 Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Americans have a right to be angry about the economy. He said the solution is firing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. 
 
 When Cain praised former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan, Rep. Ron Paul retorted that Greenspan was "a disaster." Paul, the most libertarian of the eight candidates, has called for eliminating the Federal Reserve. 
 
 For much of the debate, which focused solely on the economy, the candidates stuck to their economic messages and kept their criticism turned on Obama. The verbal fistfights of the three previous debates didn't occur Tuesday night, even though the first primaries and caucuses are less than 100 days away. 
 
 The question of the candidates' religious affiliations, a hot topic in the past few days, came up only in a light-hearted way. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman joked that he wouldn't raise the issue with Romney, a fellow Mormon. 
 
 "Sorry, Rick," he said to Perry. A Perry supporter last week said that Mormons are not Christians. 
 
 Even when the candidates were given the chance to ask each other questions, the exchanges were cordial. 
 
 Three candidates in a row _ Cain, Gingrich and Huntsman _ directed their questions to Romney, underscoring his perch as the Republican to beat. In each case, Romney avoided appearing defensive or testy. 
 
 Romney directed his question to Bachmann. His choice seemed to suggest that he doesn't see Perry or Cain as dire threats, and it might play well with female voters and with staunch conservatives in Iowa, where Perry needs to do well. ||||| This year, the primary debates have been more important in shaping the race than they have been in past elections, The Wall Street Journal's Fred Barnes writes. Speeches, policy papers, endorsements have been ignored, Barnes writes, but the six debates since May have drawn huge audiences -- 6 million TV viewers for the Fox News debate last month, plus 6 million more online. That means a lot of people will be paying attention to tonight's debate at Dartmouth in New Hampshire, which will offer a struggling Rick Perry a chance to redeem himself and Herman Cain a chance to prove he's not a novelty act. We're liveblogging the event below. 
 
 The Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Weisman reports that the format -- a roundtable led by Charlie Rose and focused on economic issues -- will encourage a deeper look at the details of each candidate's policy proposals. They should be asked how they'll fix the housing market, and what they think about Occupy Wall Street, he writes. Here are some of the things we'll be watching for: 
 
 Can Cain defend his 9-9-9 plan? Cain has a pretty radical plan to overhaul the tax code, and so far, he's deflected questions that it would put a much bigger burden on poor people and increase the deficit. Cain should be pushed to talk about how his plan would really affect the country. 
 
 Can Perry explain how he'd grow jobs nationwide? Perry has a strong jobs record in Texas, but his campaign hasn't yet released an economic plan for how he'd replicate that success for the whole country. 
 
 Will Perry be battered or ignored? Thanks to his drop in many polls, Perry won't be sitting at the center of the stage this time -- he's been pushed to the side in favor of Cain. Cain has said Perry isn't worth attacking -- he's going after Mitt Romney. The Washington Post's Thanks to his drop in many polls, Perry won't be sitting at the center of the stage this time -- he's been pushed to the side in favor of Cain. Cain has said Perry isn't worth attacking -- he's going after Mitt Romney. The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza says this could mean Perry will do better with the pressure off -- or that he won't get enough airtime to be able to explain himself. 
 
 Can Bachmann steal some attention? Bachmann did very well in her first debate performances, but hasn't been able to keep the momentum going. Her aides Bachmann did very well in her first debate performances, but hasn't been able to keep the momentum going. Her aides say she performs best when she can contrast her conservatism with whatever's going on in Washington -- and lack of action on President Obama's jobs bill has made it harder for her to do that. The Senate's vote on the bill tonight could give her something to talk about. 
 
 Will Mitt Romney shine? The economy is suppose to be his issue. Romney's put out a The economy is suppose to be his issue. Romney's put out a 59-point economic plan -- that's way more points than everyone else's plan, but it's definitely not as catchy. If Romney can't win over skeptical Republican voters on this issue, how can he ever get them on his side? 
 
 We'll be back at 7p.m. to liveblog the event. 
 
 Updates: 
 
 10:31p.m.: What did we learn? Cain found out that being the hottest new Not Mitt Romney candidate is What did we learn? Cain found out that being the hottest new Not Mitt Romney candidate is not so easy . He also loves secrets. Perry, who entered the race with so much swag, is easily forgotten now that he's not in the top two in polls. Mitt Romney is learning how to act natural but only sometimes succeeding. Newt Gingrich wants to lock up Sen. Chris Dodd for his role in financial regulatory reform, instead of bankers for their role in the financial crisis, as the Occupy Wall Street protesters are demanding. Hunstman is still running to be President of Media. His daughters are hoping their prolific tweeting will get them some kind of cabinet-level appointment 
 
 As for the pre-debate questions we posed, the answers are: Yes, Cain was asked to get specific about his 9-9-9 plan, but no, he was not willing to go into those details. No, Perry didn't explain his economic plan -- he only promised that one was coming. And the lack of attention hurt him -- the Texan was basically ignored. Yes, Bachmann was able to steal some of the spotlight from the guys, and she seemed more serious -- no mention of vaccines causing retardation. Romney performed well, as expected. 
 
 10:20p.m.: Debate commentary has been overloaded with Debate commentary has been overloaded with references to Animal House, which was supposedly based on college life at Dartmouth, the site of the debate. Remarkably, Rick Perry's post-debate party at a frat house is not a joke. As The Atlantic's Garance Franke-Ruta pointed out, "The Rick Perry Debate watch party at Beta Theta Pi" is a real thing. The Weekly Standard's John McCormack reports that the Beta boys are loving the governor. "Too bad there are only 75 people here," he notes. 
 
 10:11p.m.: Quick reactions: 
 
 Politico's Jonathan Martin: "Did Paul use Richard Nixon's make-up guy tonite?" 
 
 The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza: "Now that Perry is mortally wounded, the next week will be about the complete destruction of Herman Cain by Romney and press. Won't be hard." Also: "Wonder what time slot Cain will get for his Fox show after the election." 
 
 Republican strategist Mike Murphy: "Scorecard: Strong Mitt, weak Perry. Good format, but Charlie wobbled. Hunts better, Newt too. But nobody saw it. Nothing changes." 
 
 The Washington Post's Ezra Klein: "Debate wrap: Romney won. Not-Romney, not-Romney, not-Romney, not-Romney, not-Romney, not-Romney and not-Romney didn't." 
 
 The New York Times' Nate Silver: "My debate grades FWIW: Romney B+, Cain B, Huntsman B-, Gingrich B-, Bachmann C+, Paul C+, Santorum C, Perry C" 
 
 Univserity of Virginia's Larry Sabato: "Cain's 9-9-9 will be only thing most people remember. Double-edged sword, because now it is going to be analyzed as more than a slogan." 
 
 9:51p.m.: Perry promises to "make America America again." What does that mean? Charlie Rose says he believes in tables. That makes more sense. 
 
 9:50p.m.: Look at this funny picture of Romney. In fairness, it would be really hard to sit through things like this if rolling your eyes was basically illegal. Look at this funny picture of Romney. In fairness, it would be really hard to sit through things like this if rolling your eyes was basically illegal. 
 
 9:48p.m.: Cain says he can relate to Americans suffering in this economy because "I was 'po'' before I was 'poor.'" He's funny. 
 
 Answering the same question, Gingrich says he grew up as a military brat, but... well, likeability is not so important. 
 
 9:47p.m.: Santorum and Rose are interrupted by a shouting person in the audience. What did he say? 
 
 9:43p.m.: Gingrich says Obama wants America to fail. There is a stream of American thought that wants America to fail so the government can share in the misery, he says. You can see it in Jimmy Carter's malaise speech, and in Obama's "apologias disguised as press conferences." 
 
 9:35p.m.: Romney talks to a New Hampshire voter about the regulatory burdens that small banks face. He seems more compassionate and better at connecting with this regular person than usual. Maybe Romney's just better at empathizing with fellow business people. The emotion on his face looks more genuine than usual: Romney talks to a New Hampshire voter about the regulatory burdens that small banks face. He seems more compassionate and better at connecting with this regular person than usual. Maybe Romney's just better at empathizing with fellow business people. The emotion on his face looks more genuine than usual: 
 
 9:32p.m.: What Fed chair did Cain actually like? Alan Greenspan, Cain says, because he worked with him, and coordinated well with him in the early 1990s. "I have already given two candidates -- which I cannot name their names -- to replace Mr. Bernanke." Cain loves anonymity! Secret Fed candidates, secret economic advisers. The moderator asks for a hint, but Cain demurs: "I gotta keep them confidential." What Fed chair did Cain actually like? Alan Greenspan, Cain says, because he worked with him, and coordinated well with him in the early 1990s. "I have already given two candidates -- which I cannot name their names -- to replace Mr. Bernanke." Cain loves anonymity! Secret Fed candidates, secret economic advisers. The moderator asks for a hint, but Cain demurs: "I gotta keep them confidential." 
 
 Moderator: "Congressman Paul?" 
 
 Paul: "Spoken like a true insider... Greenspan was a disaster." 
 
 9:25p.m.: And Santorum's question goes to Cain, and the feasibility of his tax plan. Politico's And Santorum's question goes to Cain, and the feasibility of his tax plan. Politico's Ben Smith says, "Everyone's gunning for Cain because Cain is sitting on a big pile of soft poll." 
 
 9:22p.m.: Romney asks Bachmann how she'll create jobs, aside from lowering taxes. It's not really a tough question -- maybe Romney just wanted to have some of the attention off him for a minute. 
 
 9:18p.m.: Surprise, surprise: Perry asks Romeny about Romneycare being the founding idea behind Obamacare. Romney defends his plan, saying it didn't affect people who already had health insurance. Then he tries to turn the question around, saying Texas has tons of uninsured kids. 
 
 9:15p.m.: Finally a question for someone other than Romney. Ron Paul asks Cain about his work for the Federal Reserve in Kansas City. The Fed causes depressions, Paul says. It bails out companies and foreign government, he says, and accuses Cain of being dismissive of his desire to audit the Fed. Cain denies he called "you or any of your people 'ignorant.'" He says he did nothing like this when he served at the Fed. 
 
 9:12p.m.: Huntsman promises his question to Romney won't be about religion -- "Sorry about that, Rick." Huntsman says Romney fired a bunch of people when he worked for Bain Capital. Romney counters he started Staples, a steel mill -- "We began businesses... created tens of thousands of new jobs." 
 
 9:10p.m.: Gingrich refers to President Obama's "class warfare approach," in asking Romney, essentially, why his tax increases are even class warfar-ier. Romney is probably going to get the most of these questions. 
 
 9:08p.m.: The candidates are now going to ask each other questions. Republican strategist The candidates are now going to ask each other questions. Republican strategist Mike Murphy says, "Now for the excruciating, staff written, awkward, too clever by half 'questions' they will ask each other." Bachmann opens by asking Perry about his endorsement of Al Gore in 1988. (ABC News' Rick Klein notes Bachmann once backed Jimmy Carter.) Cain asks Romney if he can name all 59 points in his economic plan. Cain's question is cleverer. 
 
 8:58p.m.: Rick Santorum uses audience participation to show that Cain's 9-9-9 plan wouldn't pass. How many New Hampshire residents want a national sales tax? The audience, not ready for that kind of interaction, does not move. Santorum sparks the most interesting exchange of the night on health care. He also says, "I want to go to war with China." A trade war, he means. A man of the people, he is the only candidate wearing a button-down collar. 
 
 8:50p.m.: Huntsman says on China, Romney is taking a page from Donald Trump. Will that actually hurt Romney with Republican voters? Huntsman says on China, Romney is taking a page from Donald Trump. Will that actually hurt Romney with Republican voters? 
 
 8:48p.m.: The moderators keep pushing Cain on his 9-9-9 plan. Asked about economic analysts that his plan wouldn't bring in enough money to fund the government, Cain says, "The problem with that analysis is that it is incorrect." Bachmann is asked what she thinks of the plan, since she's a former tax lawyer. "The last thing you would do is give Congress another a pipeline of a revenue stream," Bachmann says. A national sales tax would do that, she continues, and once Congress was given that money it would never let go. "When you take the 9-9-9 plan and you turn it upside down, I think the devil's in the details." The moderators keep pushing Cain on his 9-9-9 plan. Asked about economic analysts that his plan wouldn't bring in enough money to fund the government, Cain says, "The problem with that analysis is that it is incorrect." Bachmann is asked what she thinks of the plan, since she's a former tax lawyer. "The last thing you would do is give Congress another a pipeline of a revenue stream," Bachmann says. A national sales tax would do that, she continues, and once Congress was given that money it would never let go. "When you take the 9-9-9 plan and you turn it upside down, I think the devil's in the details." 
 
 8:46p.m.: Jon Huntsman's daughters Jon Huntsman's daughters tweet : "Romney arguing w/ Charlie Rose during break. Guess they didn't stick to the questions given earlier." 
 
 8:41p.m.: Political reporters love sports metaphors, but they are usually inappropriate, because sports represent the heights to which humanity can soar and politics represents the lows to which we can sink. But The New Yorker's Political reporters love sports metaphors, but they are usually inappropriate, because sports represent the heights to which humanity can soar and politics represents the lows to which we can sink. But The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza offers one that seems appropriate: "Romney just wants it more than anyone else up there." 
 
 8:38p.m.: Perry struggles answering a question prompted by a clip of Ronald Reagan urging passing a bill that mixed tax increases with spending cuts. He finally spits out his desire to pass a federal balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, and the crowd cheers. 
 
 8:38p.m.: Bloomberg's Bloomberg's Jonathan Alter tweets, "Cain just said they didn't bail out every big bank. That's totally inaccurate. Paulson made them all accept bailouts." 
 
 8:35p.m.: Texas Public Policy Foundation's Texas Public Policy Foundation's Joshua Treviño tweets, "Man, too bad Rick Perry couldn't be here for this debate." Likewise, Republican strategist Mike Murphy jokes, "Is Perry still in the building?" Looks like the answer to one of our pre-debate questions -- how will being pushed aside by Cain affect Perry? -- has been answered. He's getting very little attention. 
 
 8:28p.m.: Romney defends his support for the bank bailout by saying, "No one likes the idea of a Wall Street bailout." Says the actions of then-President Bush in the 2008 financial crisis kept the dollar from collapsing. The Washington Post's Romney defends his support for the bank bailout by saying, "No one likes the idea of a Wall Street bailout." Says the actions of then-President Bush in the 2008 financial crisis kept the dollar from collapsing. The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza notes that while Romney says that while he wouldn't "keep" Ben Bernanke, Gingrich says he should be thrown in jail. "Romney playing for general," Cillizza says. 
 
 8:24p.m.: Cain defends his plan, saying it will pass "because the American people want it to pass." It has been well studied and well developed, Cain says. I will have some experts, he says. He mentions one staffer -- "Rich Lowrie out of Celeveland, Texas." The rest remain anonymous, despite repeated questions. Lowrie is a "wealth management consultant." 
 
 8:22p.m.: Huntsman gets a questions that seems designed for Herman Cain: who are your economic advisers? Cain has Huntsman gets a questions that seems designed for Herman Cain: who are your economic advisers? Cain has refused to say which of the "best-known economists in this country" are working for him. 
 
 Huntsman is asked about Cain's 9-9-9- plan sounds catchy, and offers his second date joke -- "I thought it was the price of his pizza." 
 
 8:21p.m.: Bachmann makes quite an accusation: "President Obama plans for Medicare to collapse so that everyone will be pushed into Obamacare." 
 
 8:17p.m.: Just as Gingrich waited just 10 minutes to get in his signature move, a shot at the press, Jon Huntsman does his favorite trick on his first question: a dad joke. He tells Perry that Texas isn't the gas capital of the country, "the gas capital of America is Washington!" Ho ho ho. It seems like he just can't help looking like a dork: 
 
 Kind of amazing he was initially sold as the cool candidate 
 
 8:13p.m.: On Occupy Wall Street, Newt Gingrich says of the protesters talking about prosecuting bankers that they should be looking at politicians instead. Charlie Rose asks, clearly you're not saying they should be put in jail? Gingrich says look at former Sen. Chris Dodd's mortgage deal with Countrywide. On Occupy Wall Street, Newt Gingrich says of the protesters talking about prosecuting bankers that they should be looking at politicians instead. Charlie Rose asks, clearly you're not saying they should be put in jail? Gingrich says look at former Sen. Chris Dodd's mortgage deal with Countrywide. 
 
 Then, as he has in every debate, Gingrich takes a shot at the media. 
 
 8:10p.m.: The federal government is to blame for the 2008 financial crisis, Michele Bachmann says. Moderator Karen Tumulty says deregulation allowed speculation on housing -- but Bachmann strongly pushes back that federal programs pushed for that speculation, especially Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. "The fault goes back to the federal goverment." She sounds serious, her voice commanding. 
 
 8:06p.m.: Charlie Rose asks Perry why he's been in the race so long but hasn't come up with an economic plan. Perry says he'd cut regulations that are "strangling American entrepreneurship." He promises the plan is coming -- and says Romney has had six years to come up with a plan. 
 
 8:00p.m.: The candidates are introduced. Jon Huntsman is breaking from a two-debate streak of yellow ties. Herman Cain is sticking to yellow. 
 
 7:56p.m.: The candidates have The candidates have taken their seats at Charlie Rose's somber wooden roundtable.Businessweek's Joshua Green says Perry walked out on stage 40 minutes ago, mid-debate prep, looking " 
 
 7:50p.m.: Debate prep we can relate to: The Washington Post's Debate prep we can relate to: The Washington Post's Amy Gardner tweets, "Newt Gingrich has drunk his debate-prepping Diet Coke, his spokesman has just informed us. He's ready." 
 
 7:31p.m.: The Washington Post's The Washington Post's Amy Gardner reports that the Bloomberg VIP tent is serving lobster rolls. Lucky! And The New York Times' Michael D. Shear reports that reporters are also being served "an early Thanksgiving meal of turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pie." How is the mainstream media supposed understand the struggling working people of America when they're eating so many delicious treats? 
 
 7:27p.m.: It will be interesting to see how directly Romney and Perry attack each other. When Texas preacher Robert Jeffress endorsed Perry by saying he was a better Christian than Romney -- and that Romney's Mormonism made him a "cult" member -- Romney demanded Perry repudiate Jeffress. Perry demanded, via press release, that Romney repudiate Romneycare instead. But the Weekly Standard's It will be interesting to see how directly Romney and Perry attack each other. When Texas preacher Robert Jeffress endorsed Perry by saying he was a better Christian than Romney -- and that Romney's Mormonism made him a "cult" member -- Romney demanded Perry repudiate Jeffress. Perry demanded, via press release, that Romney repudiate Romneycare instead. But the Weekly Standard's John McCormack reports that the Texan's son, Griffin Perry, says he doesn't agree with Jeffress. "Mitt Romney has come out and said that he believes Jesus Christ is his savior. That makes him a Christian," the younger Perry says. Now that we've got that out of the way... 
 
 7:10p.m.: Bloomberg cut away from its pre-debate punditry mid-sentence once the collegiate activists got do loud the analysts were drowned out. This doesn't bode well for the college's attempts to avoid Bloomberg cut away from its pre-debate punditry mid-sentence once the collegiate activists got do loud the analysts were drowned out. This doesn't bode well for the college's attempts to avoid embarrassing outbursts during the debate. 
 
 7:05p.m.: The protesters are out at Dartmouth. They're so loud you can't really hear Bloomberg's analysts: 
 
 Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ereeve at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire. 
 
 Elspeth Reeve ||||| 10.57 pm. My take: a horrible night for Perry. Therefore another great night for Romney. Now I want to go somewhere dark and slit my wrists. 
 
 10.55 pm. Another whopper from Bachmann: plenty of presidents have had lower approval ratings than Obama. Ronald Reagan for one. But reality really isn't these people's specialty, isn't it? Hunstman panders with a hug for Cain. 
 
 10.50 pm. Johnson-Paul! Surely better than Santorum-Gingrich. Great answer from Ron Paul, insisting on the relevance of his candidacy. Perry wants a genetic splicing of Cain and Gingrich, which makes me somewhat nauseated. Romney's answer is easily the best. 
 
 10.45 pm. Santorum just called president Obama King George III. The enemy of the American people. And Gary Johnson gets the best line of the night on his neighbor's dog and shovel-ready jobs. What I've noticed about the crowd is their strongest responses come not when a policy is backed or ecplained. It's when someone is attacking Obama or predicting his losing the next election. It's a team sport. 
 
 10.40 pm. Some reader reaction: 
 
 By the way, that gay soldier looked like an animal. Did you see the pipes on him? He was a pretty strong case for why I don't care a lick for what your sexual orientation is (or, to be honest, much else about you personally) -- and, I'd like to see some of the armchair soldiers in that room tell that guy to his face that he is somehow unfit to fight. He is likely too honorable to do so, but he could clearly break 'em like a twig. This is really something. Jesus. 
 
 Another: 
 
 That quaalude Perry took before debate finally kicked in with that Romney flip flop "jibe". 
 
 Another: 
 
 A soldier booed at a Republican debate. Must be a first. 
 
 10.36 pm. Now we have a commercial for a treatment for gout. Ah, the Florida Republicans. 
 
 10.33 pm. Romney is defending the principles of the ACA. He's defending the private sector as the basis for universal insurance! Just like Obamacare. Perry's parry on Romney's flip-flopping was teribly framed. Surely he had time to practise that line. But he seems lost and adrift. Almost too bored or too tired or too lazy. And Romney, rather than simply let Perry wallow in his incoherence, he punces again and destroys him. This will surely be the takehome from this debate: Perry is not ready for prime-time against Obama and he is not doctrinare enough by Tea Party standards (on immigration, say) to be the purist candidate. Romney is cleaning up. And Palin is grinning somewhere. 
 
 10.30 pm. Perry effectively defends his support for the HPV vaccine. But it's so weird to hear a man who has signed the death warrants of over 200 people say he will always side with "life." The Catholic church, for one, would differ. Then he crumbles on the appalling lack of health insurance in his own state. An awful answer. A dreadful performance. He surely will sink further after this. 
 
 10.27 pm. Finally, an actual real human being with a health problem who benefits from the ACA. Huntsman's policy offer is catastrophic health insurance - but it's not clear that would help the kid at all. The growing number of young people able to get health insurance through their parents' policy could be a real factor in this election. As someone with a pre-existing condition, it matters to me that if I were to lose my job, there is no way I could ever get a health insurance policy without the ACA. That matters. 
 
 10.25 pm. And now we have a total invention about the health insurance reform frm Herman Cain. Does he not realize the public option was defeated? Does he not understand that the entire system remains private? Does he not know that someone as rich as he could under any Obamacare procedure be able to buy whatever medical care he wants? 
 
 10.18 pm. Santorum claims bizarrely that repealing DADT means permission for sexual activity for gays in the military. This is a lie. The same rules of sexual misconduct apply to gays and straights alike. And a gay servicemember is booed by this foul crowd. Santorum keeps saying "sex is not an issue." But that's the current policy! This has nothing to do with sex, as Santorum surely knows. And again, the crowd reveals itself as hateful - even when it comes to those serving their country in uniform. This is one core reason why I cannot be a Republican. So many are bigots - and no one - no one - stands up against them. They're a bunch of bullies congratulating themselves on rooting out the queers.. 
 
 10. 16 pm. A fascinating exchange between Santorum and Huntsman on foreign policy. About the best exchange of the evening. And Santorum's unreconstructed neoconservatism is not working with this crowd. Ten years of war is enough. And Santorum's Dolchstoss moment about Obama and the generals was a low point. 
 
 10.13 pm. Gary Johnson wants a 43 percent cut in military spending! Wow. And an immediate balanced budget. Can you imagine what would happen if the US government sucked that amount of money out of the economy in twelve months? Jesus. 
 
 10.11 pm. A classic base position from Butch: no foreign aid (except, of course, for Israel). 
 
 10.09 pm. Perry seems to think that Obama has not engaged Pakistan or India. Really? He went to India and Indonesia to check Chinese influence. 
 
 10.05 pm. And all foreign policy is dominated by a country of 8 million people. Watch the panderthon begin! Romney is now disgustingly lying about Obama's alleged "apology" tour. There must be no daylight between what Netanyahu wants and what the US does. None. We are the same country, apparently. And notice too that Romney is all but saying that he would allow Israel to launch a pre-emptive war against Iran. That may well become a defining issue. 
 
 The Judeo-Christian war against Islam is what the GOP base wants. For Biblical reasons. They know only war. And the one thing that is totally absent from this discussion - it doesn't even come up - is the settlements on the West Bank. 
 
 10 pm. A reader shares his view of Perry, who is struggling badly tonight: 
 
 Who does he remind me of? Let's see. A 'yell leader' for Texas A&M and a male cheerleader from Mississippi. Perry is a slightly dumber, but more ruggedly handsome version of Trent Lott. 
 
 Another notes: 
 
 Clearly, Romney is continuing his Obama made it worse mantra, but interestingly, he is co-opting Obama's middle class message. I want to see how that works for him in the primaries. 
 
 And suddenly my DVR switches to South Park. I know, TV, I know. But they pay me to do this. 
 
 9.50 pm. Ouch. Romney describes Perry's program for in-state tuition as a $100,000 discount for 16,000 illegal aliens attending Texas state colleges. Perry stands by his decision to back in-state tuition for the children of illegal aliens and gets booed. Santorum puts a bigger boot in - describing "preferential treatment" for illegal immigrant children. It's a brutal pile-on, and Perry is reeling. He doesn't support a fence for every inch of the border - for perfectly sane reasons, but it sure isn't playing well with this crowd. 
 
 9. 45 pm. Now it's getting silly. Bachmann wants a fence on "every inch" of the border with Mexico and jabs at Perry for allowing the children of illegal immigrants to get a college education. At least Gingrich favors making legal immigration less onerous and cumbersome. But the reason tourism is off is the police state at US borders. 
 
 9.43 pm. Perry attacks the program, "Race To The Top", widely viewed as reformist even by leading conservatives. Wasn't it Murdoch's favorite Obama policy? But anything that can have the name "Obama" attached to it is ipso facto not conservative. Even tax cuts. And tax reform. And Medicare cuts. 
 
 9.41 pm. Gingrich has now upped the ante to "very profound" changes in education policy. And we just lost the Department of Education as well as the EPA. 
 
 9.39 pm. Oh man. Gingrich is going to announce something profound next week, if he says so himself. And 21st Century! 
 
 9.37 pm. Now we're abolishing the EPA. And supporting total Chilean privatization of social security - based on the stock market (which today sank 4 percent). 
 
 9.35 pm. I love Huntsman's support for serious tax reform. But Obama supports that too, doesn't he? 
 
 9.30 pm. Obama is a European, big-spending liberal, according to Romney. But not a socialist. He's poised and aggressive - and currently outclassing his competition. 
 
 9.26 pm. The first Perry-Romney spat ... and it seems to me that Perry's answer was confusing and addled. And Romney is actually accusing someone else of switching positions. Perry looks like a grinning bobblehed up there: inarticulate and easily bested by the Massachusetts governor. 
 
 9.25 pm. A shout-out to the Tea Party beards above. And to Bachmann's slightly less rigid hair helmet. The crowd looks immense - like a football stadium and kinda rowdy as well. 
 
 9.23 pm. 44 percent of Republicans who voted think you're not "rich" if you earn less than a million bucks a year. And now we're getting a commercial opposed to legal immigration. Sigh. 
 
 9.22 pm. Gary Johnson loves the veto power, wants to abolish the income tax, and shows why it has been absurd to exclude him from these debates when a loon like Bachmann is allowed in. 
 
 9.18 pm. The most popular question is about the tenth amendment. Ron Paul's answer is pitch-perfect: he'd just veto every bill that he believes violates the Tenth Amendment, just as he votes against every single bill that violates that principle. Then a rousing defense of a de facto abolition of the federal government. 
 
 9.16 pm. There is a logic to Cain's equal rates for all tax rates; and he rouses the crowd. Romney, I notice, is now blaming the entire recession on Obama. 
 
 9.14 pm. Huntsman wants a short-term subsidy for natural gas production. Okay. Then he blames the polarization in this country on the Great Recession. Does he not remember the 2000 election? 
 
 9.12 pm. Santorum wants to abolish all public sector unions. There's a whole lot of abolishing going on tonight. And now Gingrich wants to abolish unemployment compensation as well. "People should not get money for doing nothing." 
 
 9.09 pm Rick Santorum appears to be gazing into heaven for inspiration. 
 
 9.08 pm. Bachmann favors the abolition of all income taxes. Or not. More Manichean blather that could be clipped from a Mark Levin book. 
 
 9.06 pm. Romney's proposals sounds extremely familiar as well. Along with a bunch of blather. But confident blather. 
 
 9.04 pm. Perry proposes tax cuts and tort reform as a cure for unemployment. Really? That all you got? Haven't we just had a decade of tax cuts? 
 
 9.03 pm. "Incent" is a transitive verb? 
 
 9.02 pm. Once more unto the breach, dear readers ... Megyn Kelly might add some camp value, I suppose. But I may be hoping for too much. ||||| Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Rep. Ron Paul (Texas), businessman Herman Cain and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman.(AP Photo/Chris Carlson) (Chris Carlson/AP) 
 
 Here are five key things to look for in tonight’s debate: 
 
 1. Is Herman Cain a contender or a pretender? In previous debates, Cain was the genial candidate-without-a-prayer on the very end of the stage, talking up his 9-9-9 tax plan and his preference for the Chilean model of social security. Tuesday night, because of his rapid rise in national polls, the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO will have Mitt Romney to his left and Texas Governor Rick Perry to his right. 
 
 So how do they treat him when he is at their elbows and nipping at their heels in polls? 
 
 Romney has praised Cain’s business background, suggesting that he doesn’t see Cain as a threat. In fact, Cain’s continued presence and strong showing only help Romney. Perry, on the other hand, has the most to gain by going after Cain. But he must weigh whether tangling with Cain is actually punching down. 
 
 Regardless of whether he is attacked, to sustain his rise, Cain must get more specific about his economic plan, and show that he is more than a flash- in-the-pan candidate with a catchy slogan. 
 
 2. Can Romney take a punch? Romney has come out of every debate with hardly a hair out of place, able to keep focused on his anti-Obama message, and deflect and dismiss his rivals with a simple turn of phrase. 
 
 With New Hampshire polls showing Romney with a strong lead, and national polls also indicating that he is at the top of the field and considered strong on the economy, the six men and one woman sitting around the table tonight could see a pile-on-Romney moment. 
 
 And there’s no better opportunity to try to knock Romney off his front-runner stride than over the economy, his perceived strength. He has yet to face sustained criticism for his record in the private sector or as governor of Massachusetts. With possible attacks coming from all sides, it will be difficult to ignore everyone. Romney will have to have more than a “nice try” response at the ready to defend himself. 
 
 3. Rick Perry rebound? Perry’s individual debate performances have been very much like the trajectory of his candidacy so far: he starts strong, then fades down the stretch. His Saturday Night Live-worthy showing in the last debate triggered his downward spiral in the polls, and his statements on military intervention in Mexico and the revelations about his family’s hunting camp further damaged him. 
 
 While it’s true that many voters haven’t begun to tune in to the debates (available for your viewing pleasure tonight on PostPolitics.com and on Bloomberg TV), party bigwigs are paying attention. They are looking for a reason to either give the $17 million man another chance, or write him off as not sharp enough for the job. 
 
 In Florida, Perry seemed like the kid who crammed the night before and had memorized most of the material, but didn’t really know it. Over the last few days, his team has set up a debate study hall complete with a faux Romney to spar with. Aides also ordered Perry to get more sleep. With three debates behind him, he knows what’s coming — jobs, taxes, immigration, health care etc. He has to act steady, confident, prepared, and comfortable tonight--or risk a sustained slide. 
 
 4. Will the debate veer off topic? Although debates are among the most planned, haggled-over events of a campaign season, they are also the most unpredictable. The format of this debate will be tighter than previous ones, with a focus on the economy. Yet, much has happened on the stump since the last debate that has nothing to do with the candidates’ economic plans. 
 
 In the week leading up to the debate, two crucial things happened. First, there was the revelation of a Perry family hunting camp with a racially charged name. Second, a Perry supporter called Mormonism a cult, a charge that Perry disavowed. Yes, the debate is supposed to be about the economy, but with two Mormons — Romney and Jon Huntsman — and a black man (Cain) around the table, can the moderators and candidates avoid talking about race and religion? Or will there be a clear-the-air moment? Whatever happens tonight, with a black president in the White House, and a black conservative and a Mormon front-runner in the Republican contest, race and religion are sure remain hot-button issues. 
 
 5. Who will debate his or her way into a Saturday Night Live skit? Admit it. Part of the appeal of watching presidential candidates debate each other is looking for a misstep or odd moment that leads straight to the writing table of the SNL cast. 
 
 Did George W. Bush really use the word “strategery” to sum up his candidacy or was that Will Ferrell? And did Sarah Palin really ask Joe Biden in a debate, “Can I call you Joe?” Or was that Tina Fey? The point is that Saturday Night Live has a knack for framing candidates and all their tics and weaknesses early on, in a way that isn’t easy to shake. 
 
 While Alec Baldwin’s take on Rick Perry’s debate performance missed the mark on Perry’s accent (it was more Mississippi than Texas), Baldwin nailed Perry’s sleepwalker approach to attacking Romney. Baldwin could have skipped the yawn and the falling asleep at the podium, and simply read what Perry said, and still scored big laughs. It shouldn’t be that easy.
– The latest Republican debate has wrapped up, this one focused mostly on the economy and on the newest darling of the polls, Herman Cain. If Rick Perry was hoping to land a knockout punch on Mitt Romney, it never arrived. In fact, the night was "exceedingly well-mannered," notes Politico. (Click for analysis on who won and lost). Snippets of coverage: "As expected, Mr. Romney has become the focus of the questions from his rivals. But so far, they have had little luck knocking the Massachusetts governor off his stride." Michael D. Shear, New York Times. Laugh line: "I thought it was the price of a pizza when I first heard it," said Jon Huntsman of Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan. Cain fires back: "Nine-nine-nine will pass and it is not the price of a pizza. It starts with, unlike your proposals, throwing out the current tax code." Cain-Romney: "Can you name all 59 points in your 160-page economic plan?" Cain asked him. "Simple answers are often very helpful, but oftentimes inadequate," Romney replied. Perry-Romney: "Surprise, surprise: Perry asks Romney about Romneycare being the founding idea behind Obamacare. Romney defends his plan, saying it didn't affect people who already had health insurance. Then he tries to turn the question around, saying Texas has tons of uninsured kids." Elspeth Reeve, AtlanticWire. Bachmann-Romney: (Romney surprisingly addressed his one allowed question to Michele Bachmann.) He "wants to put Bachmann on the spot about how she would revive the economy. Why didn't he ask Perry? Maybe he doesn't want to give Perry any air time?" Patrick O'Connor, Wall Street Journal. Occupy Wall Street: "Newt Gingrich got visibly worked up in response to a question about the Occupy Wall Street protests. He attacked the idea that Wall Street bankers should go to jail for the economic crisis, calling out D.C. regulators—including former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank by name." Alexander Burns, Politico. AP's first paragraph: "Presidential challenger Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of failing to lead in a time of economic peril but sounded less conservative than his Republican rivals in their debate Tuesday night, defending the 2008-2009 Wall Street bailout and declaring he could work with 'good' Democrats."