The College Fix

Gov. Mitt Romney entered into the debate with the glow of a Chris Christie endorsement and polling that, if it’s not quite a runaway victory, is suggesting he’s the frontrunner anew. Could he solidify it in tonight’s economics debate at Dartmouth? Could Herman Cain capitalize on his recent momentum? Would children narrate a seemingly endless series of commercials about how everything’s going to hell? Let’s gather round a comically small table and discuss it!

Matt Berry, Tulane College Republicans

Gov. Rick Perry had a great opportunity tonight. After a few weak debate performances, the governor had a chance to make waves by unveiling a bold, conservative plan for growing the economy and reviving American industry. He could have been tomorrow’s headlines by coming out with a blockbuster jobs plan, to get the private sector hiring again and give small business confidence.

But when offered the opportunity to put forth new ideas, Perry demurred, saying he’d get around to an economics plan one of these days. He made it clear to night that he’d rather talk about other candidates’ plans, and other candidates’ records, than his own. This is not a good place for a former frontrunner to be. And there’s the other part of his problem: nobody bothered to attack him tonight. The soon-to-be also-rans were all ganging up on Herman Cain, who despite oozing charm and affability is not a candidate who will hold up well to scrutiny.

Gov. Romney was in his element tonight. Despite his considerable flaws as a candidate, Romney comes across as competent on economic issues. He can talk about banking and finance at a level the other candidates (except maybe Bachmann, oddly) are unable to do. He very expertly cast Dodd/Frank as legislation that helps out big banks and hurts community banks, small businesses looking for capital, and, ultimately, consumers. Channeling financial populism was a smart move from the technocrat.

Winner: Romney

Cameron Parker, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

This is my third time weighing in on a debate this year. I’m starting to feel really lame consistently saying that Romney is owning these things.

It’s just that he keeps delivering.

This cycle has seen more peaks and troughs than a Ron Paul nightmare about the Federal Reserve. The Bachmann wave is over. That was clear tonight. Romney reaching out to her tonight during the one-on-one questioning was throwing her a bone. He knew it was safe.

The Perry wave is over too. He again botched his words, couldn’t get out a coherent thought, was vague about his apparent energy plan and was soundly routed in his attempts to challenge Romney.

Now, it’s the Herman Cain train. I like Herman Cain. He’s got charisma. Contrary to most on the Left, I believe he is intelligent and capable. He’s the most worthy of the would-be front-runners. But his only offering is his 9-9-9 plan, and he often speaks foolishly and without nuance. Romney is a stark contrast.

Romney is within striking distance of winning Iowa — something no one would have expected a month ago. Tonight was the best debate of the season — I loved the table format and Bloomberg and Charlie Rose did great at moderating. But I can’t help but think deliberation time is almost over.

Winner: Romney

Vishal Ganesan, SFPA fellow at the Daily Caller

Surely we will be soon be inundated with articles celebrating Romney’s victory in tonight’s debate. Finally, they’ll say,  the preordained front-runner claims his rightful place! Story after story will tell how the former Massachusetts Governer came into the debate brimming with confidence having recently won the cherished endorsement of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (wait, so he’s not running, right?).

Or perhaps they’ll say that the debate’s focus on jobs simply played to Romney’s strengths. He has, after all, always been confident when talking about the economy.

Both are fair arguments, but the real story here is Herman Cain. Fresh off a brief soujourn spent promoting his latest book titled “This is Herman Cain,” the former Godfather Pizza CEO and burgeoning gospel singer was the star of the show. Indeed, his now infamous 9-9-9 tax plan was the most discussed topic of the night. The moderators, instead of badgering a subdued Perry who was clearly intent to just get through the debate with a claim to competency intact, suddenly had to deal with another “contender.” How winning a Florida straw poll in which approximately 2,500 people voted makes one a “contender” is a thing I will never understand, but that is beside the point. While still considered by many to be a “second-tier” candidate, Cain’s rise has been a blessing for Romney. Whether the Florida straw poll was taken too seriously or not (it was), the fact of the matter is that the polls have followed suit, and if Perry and, to a lesser extent, Bachmann want a shot at Romney, they’ll have to take on the Cain train first.

Winners: Romney, Cain

Jeremy Rozansky, University of Chicago

Mitt Romney is the greatest debater I have ever witnessed (insofar as these are debates). I cannot think of anyone in the three previous elections I paid attention to who could find the floatation device in every question and sound cool, calm, and even a little interesting. His answer on Romneycare remains sophistry, but it is masterful, untouchable sophistry. He was given a doozy on bailouts, forcing him to reassure moderates that he is no ideologue, confirm his previous comments, and not enrage the base, and satisfied all three with his combined denial of the hypothetical, reassertion of conservative principle, and pivot to criticizing Obama for having “to call Timothy Geithner to find out how the economy works.” Stellar work, then he had the boon of Herman Cain’s agreement.

Speaking of Cain, most assumed that tonight would be when the Herman Cain bubble begins to deflate. It probably will happen (the 9-9-9 plan is vulnerable to critiques of a national sales tax), but it won’t happen this week. He remained the “bold” “outsider” with the attractive plan with all the nines in it. Sure he’s naive, but that hasn’t stopped voters before (see: 2008, presidential election). Cain right now seems most likely to inhabit the Robertson-Buchanan-Huckabee role of slightly-nuts Iowa winner who will be the second-to-last man standing. It’s a credit to today’s Republican Party that that man is Cain, who would make a far better president than the previous residents of that role.

Bachmann is the next-most-likely runner-up. She actually mattered in this debate and was more fluent than at any point since Ames. Unlike Perry, you have to believe she would have slammed Romney on the health-insurance mandates if given such a softball by Karen Tumulty, who must have really enjoyed her martinis yesterday evening at the weekly meeting of the Committee for the Re-Election of the President.

Perry, who had one comment in the first thirty minutes and now seems more passive than Fred Thompson, in his most incoherent answer of the night, remarked, “We don’t need to be focused on this policy or that policy. We need to focus on getting America working again.” Perry has this idea in part because his policies haven’t had much to do with the Texas Miracle.

Gingrich continued his practice of setting up everyone else to utter the arguments that will beat Barack Obama, knowing he will not. Huntsman, by virtue of a sanctimonious and insufferable personality, no longer matters; Santorum and Ron Paul never did.

 Winner: Romney

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