VEGAS DEBATE: LET THE SPIN BEGIN

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LAS VEGAS, Nevada
We’re here at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, where the CNN Republican debate in Las Vegas just ended. Now the action shifts to the “spin room,” where candidates and their proxies try to convince reporters that their candidate scored a crushing victory in the debate.

UPDATE: I actually got started early on the spin, interviewing Herman Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon during the last commercial break during the debate:

UPDATE II: CNN’s Peter Hamby’s takeaway:

Former Godfather’s Pizza executive Herman Cain was at the center of a pile-on Tuesday night at the presidential debate hosted by CNN and the Western Republican Leadership Conference, as his GOP rivals took turns picking apart his “9-9-9” plan to reform the United States tax code. . . .
The other six Republicans on stage at the Venetian resort in Las Vegas, who have watched Cain soar to the top of the polls in recent weeks thanks to his straightforward message and outsider image, were united in calling the tax plan simplistic and risky.
“There are much more complexities than Herman let’s on,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Texas Rep. Ron Paul called the plan “dangerous” and said it would increase taxes on low-income citizens.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry turned to Cain directly and told him that voters “are not interested in 9-9-9, what they are interested in is flatter and fairer.”
“I will bump plans with you brother, and we will see who has the best idea about getting this country working again,” Perry said. “It’s not going to fly.”

That story was obviously written based on the first 20 minutes of the debate. After that, Herman Cain got a lot less of the spotlight, as it became the Mitt Romney vs. Rick Perry show. This was clearly Perry’s best debate performance yet — but considering how bad he previously sucked, that’s not saying much.

UPDATE III: You’ll never believe who I bumped into in the spin room:

My good friend Wayne Newton. I’d love to go hang out with my buddy Wayne but . . . . well, I’m kind of busy right now.

EXPECT FURTHER UPDATES . . .


24 comments

  2. Rick Perry’s “I will bump plans with you brother” may well prove to be his high-water mark where the wave finally broke and rolled back. Who did he think he was debating, Cornell West?

  6. Relying on Ace to get there.

    The fence one was a joke.  Lighten up.  The terrorist trade was troublesome (although he did correct himself).  Now I disagree with Allah’s massive downer, but I have to ask: Is anyone prepping Herman on this stuff, because he is hurting himself with this sort of thing. 

  12. Bachmann wins and Santorum a close second, again. This was Newt’s worse debate performance so far. Score one for Romney for calling bullshit on Newt’s denial of advocating for a public option based on RomneyCare. Perry better, but still a stumbler and bumbler.

    My suggestion-somebody in the next debate should, when the opportunity presents itself, and you know it will, tell him, “come on Rick, spit it out”.

    I still think Perry is basically right on the border issues, and I give him high marks for not caving.

    Paul should not discuss foreign policy. He just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t seem to understand that when you’re dealing with Islamic radicals, which makes up a bare minimum of 20% of the Muslim population, you are not dealing with civilized human beings.

    Bachmann needs to go after Romney more, in fact everybody there should make it a contest of knocking Romney off his perch. The person who can most succeed in getting him on the defensive and keeping him there is likely to win. Tonight, that prize went to Santorum.

    But Bachmann still won overall, she just needs to drop this crap about the fence. But she did do the best job of getting Cain on the defensive about 9-9-9.

  16. In the battle to be the last man standing when it gets down to three, two of them will be Romney and Perry at least until people start voting.
    The biggest threat to Perry at the moment isn’t Romney it’s Herman Cain. None of the also got some contributions can eliminate a rival with over ten million in the bank based on debate performance.

  20. Agree re: VDH – but he doesn’t say Cain is “done.”  Instead, he points out areas that need substantial improvement, and does so from the perspective of a bona fide conservative.

  23. VDH, like most people, don’t know the meaning of the word “isolationist.” As the word is used no, it just a smear made by Neocons who are nothing more than warmed over Wilsonians and immigration amnesticrats.

    As I’ve said before, Paul is the only conservative running. The rest are in the historical GOP mainstream – center-left. All, except Paul, are statists.

  24. I like Ron Paul’s fiscal policy.  It makes a lot of sense.  Aruging for less intervention overseas (to a point) also is a legitimate position.  But unfortunately when you dig into Dr. Paul’s policies they quickly go from what I could support to nuttier than a room full of Scientologists and Lyndon LaRouche supporters. 

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