GOP debate

(Newser) - Tonight’s New Hampshire debate marks the “informal kickoff” to the 2012 GOP race, with nearly all the major candidates appearing. Joshua Green of the Atlantic breaks down the seven things to watch for:

• Romney in the lead? He’s topping the polls; will he shine in this performance?

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(Newser) - Seven top Republican presidential hopefuls will gather this month for the first New Hampshire 2012 debate. Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, and Rick Santorum will meet at Saint Anselm College for the face-off, hosted by CNN ’s John King. It's the...

(Newser) - And so it begins. The battle for the Republican nomination kicked off in South Carolina last night with the first presidential primary debate. Most high-profile contenders skipped the event, leaving the stage to Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, and Gary Johnson, Politico reports. Some highlights:

• Pawlenty said

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(Newser) - If the GOP held a presidential debate and barely anyone attended, would it still be a debate? The AP and Reuters are the latest to duck out of tonight's South Carolina debate, Politico reports. A number of prospective candidates, including Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mitch Daniels, and...