The Official Fox News/Google Debate Discussion Thread

[Tender Branson]

...

When: Thursday, September 22, 2011 @ 9 p.m. ET

Where: Orlando, Florida

Host: Bret Baier of Fox News' 'Special Report'

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The Candidates


Michele Bachmann

Bachmann is a three-term congresswoman and founder of the House Tea Party Caucus. She is a former attorney known for fiery attacks on President Obama and her formidable fundraising

Herman Cain

Cain is the former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He lost the Georgia Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in 2004. He was recently the host of Atlanta-based radio show

Newt Gingrich

Gingrich served nearly four years as Speaker of the House after leading the 1994 Republican Revolution. He was first elected to Congress in 1978 and served through 1998. He has authored more than a dozen books

Jon Huntsman

Huntsman is a former U.S. ambassador to China and a former two-term governor of Utah. His father is billionaire businessman and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr.

Ron Paul

Paul is serving his 11th full term in the U.S. House.  He’s an obstetrician-gynecologist and was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988.  He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president in 2008

Gary Johnson

Johnson served as governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2002. He founded what would become one of the largest construction companies in New Mexico. He has competed in several triathlons and climbed Mount Everest

Mitt Romney

Romney is the former governor of Massachusetts. He was the head of a private equity firm and is credited with rescuing the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He unsuccessfully ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008

Rick Santorum

Santorum served two terms in the U.S. House and two terms in the U.S. Senate. He became the Senate's third-ranking Republican in 2001. He was defeated for reelection in 2006

Rick Perry

James Richard 'Rick' Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-debates/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/foxnews

[I Am Feeblepizza.]

I'll be watching a debate live for the first time tonight, though not all of it. I'm interested to see Perry and Romney go at it again.

[Bull Moose Base]

Can't watch it but think it'll have some fireworks.  Romney has begun to explicitly say he's more electable and Perry is calling Romney "Obama-lite".  I also think each of the big two will get hit more from similar candidates.  Santorum is likely close to being out if Perry doesn't falter soon and I'd think he's ready to leave Paul alone and take big swings at Perry.  Bachmann too obviously.  Same dynamic probably applies to Huntsman vis-a-vis Romney where I assume he's going to start focusing most of his attacks.

[Likely Voter]

This debate is critical for Perry. According to Chuck Todd/NBC Perry's debate performances so far have hurt his fundraising and being that he got in late he has to bring in big money to catch up to Romney. If he has another bad performance he could end up losing the GOP money primary, and being that this race looks like a Clinton v Obama like long slog all the way to the end, the guy who runs low on money first could be the one that loses.

[Phony Moderate]

You know, if Romney or Perry is nominated, and Jindal is chosen as the running mate, there will be a ticket with two people on who don't use their first names as their first names.

[angus]

 True.  Maybe she'll address him by his full name.

[angus]

[Iosif]

I don't think that blonde is Rick Perry's type.

[angus]

That blonde, I'll have you know, is Fox News anchorwoman Megyn Marie Kelly, attorney at law.  She's a Syracuse political science graduate, a J.D. from Albany Law School, the Editor of the Albany Law Journal, successful litigator, and all-around girl Friday.  She's smart, she's incisive and aggressive with her interviews, and she's also totally hot.  She's one of my favorite newschicks.

She's a modern woman.  Powerful yet ticklish.  She can bring home the bacon, and fry it up in a pan.  She likes to be taken seriously as a journalist, but she doesn't mind posing in an alluring way for fanzines, just for fun.  She looks as soft as a rose petal yearning to be plucked, but she's been known to kill adversaries with only a well-sharpened Number 2 pencil.  

This may be one of the best debates ever.  

[Iosif]

Still, too many X chromosomes for ol' boy Rick.

[angus]

Still, too many X chromosomes for ol' boy Rick.

are we still on that?

Okay, then, maybe they should let that young, muscular Bill Hemmer co-moderate.

Something for everybody!

[Iosif]

Every anchor on FOX News looks like they belong in a Don Henley song.

[The_Texas_Libertarian]

"Governor Perry, you stated in Texas has the right to secede from the United States.  If during your presidency Texas secedes can Texas residents retain their American citizenship?  If not what would be the punishment for Texas residents illegal immigrating to the United States?"

[Averroës Nix]

Pre-debate coverage is casting this as a big Romney-Perry confrontation and barely mentioning the other candidates, and after the chaotic free-for-all that was the CNN/Tea Party debate, I hope that this expectation is accurate.

[Thomas D]

Can't wait to see what awful thing the audience cheers for tonight.

[Simfan34]

"Should all Democrats be killed?"

YEAAHH!

[cavalcade]

Can't wait to see what awful thing the audience cheers for tonight.

Would not be surprised to see the death penalty make a comeback given current events.

[Simfan34]

Can't wait to see what awful thing the audience cheers for tonight.

Would not be surprised to see the death penalty make a comeback given current events.

"Troy Davis ought to have been beheaded!"

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Can't wait to see what awful thing the audience cheers for tonight.

Would not be surprised to see the death penalty make a comeback given current events.

"Troy Davis ought to have been beheaded!"

I would think the term "lynched" would resonate as more familiar with Republicans

[Simfan34]

Can't wait to see what awful thing the audience cheers for tonight.

Would not be surprised to see the death penalty make a comeback given current events.

"Troy Davis ought to have been beheaded!"

I would think the term "lynched" would resonate as more familiar with Republicans

But beheaded brings back memories of our Saudi Arabian allies.

[NVGonzalez]

I can almost bet that Perry tonight will say something outrageously stupid. Yet the base will love it and his primary numbers will get a boost.

[cavalcade]

Can't wait to see what awful thing the audience cheers for tonight.

Would not be surprised to see the death penalty make a comeback given current events.

"Troy Davis ought to have been beheaded!"

I would think the term "lynched" would resonate as more familiar with Republicans

Well, Perry will be more likely to bring up the other convicted murderer executed yesterday, since that guy was executed in Texas.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I can almost bet that Perry tonight will say something outrageously stupid. Yet the base will love it and his primary numbers will get a boost.

No, tonights Romneys night. Perry wont be able to withstand three outrageously awful debate performances. Hence, Romney and Bachmann will gain in the polls, Perry will decrease by a margin so narrow it wont be noticeable, and Paul, Cain, Gingrich etc will stay where they were last time. Tonight's winner is Gary Johnson, just for being able to get there.

[Thomas D]

I can almost bet that Perry tonight will say something outrageously stupid. Yet the base will love it and his primary numbers will get a boost.

Also, the sun will rise in the east.

[NVGonzalez]

I can almost bet that Perry tonight will say something outrageously stupid. Yet the base will love it and his primary numbers will get a boost.

Also, the sun will rise in the east.

And the sky is blue