2012 Presidential News Reports that the10th debate of the nominating season aired from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The debate was sponsored by CBS News, The National Journal and the South Carolina Republican Party.
The topic of the debate focused primarily on foreign policy.
Original Air Time: Saturday, November 12, 2011 on CBS
Participants: Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Huntsman, Paul, Perry, Romney, Santorum
The Republican presidential rivals took on national security policy in a debate that saw the field splinter over how candidates would deal with Pakistan, foreign aid and waterboarding, united only in their view that President Obama has weakened the nation’s standing in the world.
The topic has received scant attention in a campaign in which the dominant focus has been on the nation’s sputtering economy, and it is an area of weakness for several on stage for the latest debate.
CBS News- Breaking it down by Candidates:
Mitt Romney: The Romney charm was in full effect during the debate. It’s gotten to the point where his charm is no longer something that impresses us, to something we expect. On the topic of economic sanctions and aid to Iranian opponents of the government in Tehran, Romney said that if nothing else worked, he would use the military. “If all else fails, if after all the work we’ve done there’s nothing else we can do besides take military action, then of course you take military action,” he said. That appears to be the toughest language he has used the campaign about Iran’s nuclear program.
Newt Gingrich: Who says knowledge is boring? Gingrich’s depth and command of the issues allowed the former speaker to shine. In previous debates he’s been known to scowl, but his demeanor Saturday was as friendly as a neighbor welcoming you to the neighborhood. He also scored points with conservatives in responding to a question from debate co-host Scott Pelley, who pointed out that al Qaeda recruiter and U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed by U.S. forces without trial, was not convicted in court. You don't get such privileges if you are at war with the United States, Gingrich said. He also offered more red meat to conservative base, who are looking for a consensus non-Romney candidate, when he said he would be willing to attack Iran to prevent the oil rich nation from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Ron Paul: Paul was a yellow in a sea of red when it came to the difference he and his rivals had on his opposition to U.S. military intervention abroad and what he sees as civil liberties violations against U.S. citizens. One issue he opposed was waterboarding: "It's illegal under international law and under our law," he said. He also called it "immoral," as well as the U.S. government killing U.S. citizens who are suspected of terrorism, saying, "I don't think we should give up so easily on our rule of law."
Rick Perry: When expectations are low, it’s easy to surpass them, after all no one loses in the first round of limbo. With that being said Perry exceeded expectations. He touted his military service and spoke passionately on counter-terrorism in way that would appeal to foreign policy hawks. And perhaps even more importantly, his performance was free of the gaffes that he's become known for in debates. On the topic of waterboarding, Gov. Rick Perry launched the most forceful defense, saying that all means possible should be used to extract information from those who would aim to hurt U.S. service personnel.
Michele Bachmann: Armed for battle, Bachmann came to the debate prepared and ready for war. She was well-versed on the ongoing war in Afghanistan and gave specific responses with respect to how she'd handle the war. She was quick to respond to Perry's "start at zero" foreign policy, pointing out that applying that policy to a state like Pakistan -- an unstable country with nuclear capability -- could be risky. When waterboarding came up she defended the practice, President Obama discontinued. Bachmann said: “If I were president I would be willing to use waterboarding. I think it was very effective,” adding, “It is as though we’ve decided we want to lose in the war on terror under President Obama.”
Rick Santorum: Down in polls, down in talk time, Santorum didn't get as many questions as the more popular candidates in the polls, but when he did get a chance to talk, his remarks sounded thoughtful and measured. Presented with a hypothetical scenario of nuclear weapons from Pakistan going missing, the former senator insisted the U.S. would have to cooperate with the country. And while Santorum took an aggressive stance on the issue of Iran attempting to acquire nuclear capabilities, he was able to cite his history of working on the issue in Congress -- an advantage over the other candidates.
Jon Huntsman: The former ambassador to China didn't get to say much, but when he did he was able to articulate his vision clearly. CNBC reports that when Huntsman was asked about his stance on waterboarding he replied: “We diminish our standing in the world and the values that we project, which include liberty, democracy, human rights and open markets, when we torture,” Mr. Huntsman said. “We should not torture. Waterboarding is torture.”
Herman Cain: Cain came into this debate having shown almost no knowledge on foreign policy issues, and the fact that he got through all 90 minutes without any serious gaffes has to be considered something of an accomplishment. But Cain also failed to put to rest concerns that he doesn't have the knowledge to lead on the international stage, often offering vague and unspecific responses when pressed on details. The good news for the former Godfather's Pizza CEO is that the election is almost certainly going to be decided on the economy, an area where he has shown himself to be far more convincing.
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