The candidate who’s having a surprising surge got all the attention at the GOP Bloomberg/Washington Post debate—and that’s why he won. Mark McKinnon on why we can expect more surprises from Cain.
When a debate spends about a third of the time debating your plan, you win.
Score this one a knockout for Herman Cain and his 9-9-9 plan. Yes, Mitt Romney had another solid performance. Michele Bachmann was focused and strong. Newt Gingrich came off as the smartest guy in the room as usual. Rick Santorum was solid. Jon Huntsman was improved. Rick Perry got stronger rather than weaker throughout the night, reversing his usual debate trend. And, Ron Paul was Ron Paul.
But the guy who is in the spotlight right now, the guy who has launched himself to the top tier of most polls, the guy who got most of the questions, the guy who spent most of the night talking about his plan or answering questions or attacks on his plan, is the guy who won.
Most people keep wanting to put a caveat or an asterisk by Herman Cain. There’s a general view of Cain that is dismissive. Well, sure he’s up in the polls, but that won’t last for long. Sure his plan sounds good, but it would never happen.
Herman Cain has been surprising people all his life. And he surprised more people tonight. He was poised. He was confident. And he made his 9-9-9 plan sound like a lot more substantive than some cheap rhetorical trick he pulled off the shelf.
Herman Cain has been surprising people all his life.
Jon Huntsman, former governor of Utah, left, listens to Herman Cain, former chairman and chief executive officer of Godfather's Pizza, center, during a presidential debate sponsored by Bloomberg and The Washington Post at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The event, moderated by talk-show host Charlie Rose and featuring eight Republican candidates, presents the first debate of the 2012 political season focused solely on the economy. , Scott Eells / Getty Images
Herman Cain is going to be around for a while, and people should start taking him seriously. If he’s not president, he could be vice president. Or bet the under and just start calling him Mr. Secretary.
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