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Obama, Barack

Republican Presidential Contenders Criticize Obama's Foreign Policy During First Debate of 2012 Cycle

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

During the first Republican debate of the 2012 cycle, five potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination took the stage and criticized President Obama's foreign policy, despite the fact that the death of Osama bin Laden had not stopped Obama's critics. The debate focused on issues such as foreign policy, social issues, and the economy, with the candidates largely refraining from attacking one another. Republican contenders, including former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, criticized Obama's actions in Libya and called for a quick end to the U.S. deployment in Afghanistan.

Key Takeaways:

  • Five potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination took the stage, including former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza Herman Cain, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum.
  • The debate focused on foreign policy, with contenders criticizing Obama's actions in Libya and calling for a quick end to the U.S. deployment in Afghanistan.
  • Republican contenders largely refrained from attacking one another, instead focusing on criticizing Obama's policies.
  • Candidates, including Pawlenty and Paul, called for a lack of involvement in social issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
  • Santorum took a shot at Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who called for a "truce" on social issues, saying that anyone who calls for such a truce doesn't understand what America is all about.
  • Cain explained why he chose to run for president instead of supporting Romney, saying that he had liked Romney because of his background as a business man, but decided to run himself because Romney did not win in 2008.

Statistics:

  • 5 potential contenders for the Republican presidential nomination took the stage, including Pawlenty, Cain, Johnson, Paul, and Santorum.
  • The debate focused on foreign policy issues, including the Middle East and Afghanistan.
  • The candidates largely refrained from attacking one another, with only a few instances of criticism between contenders.
  • 6 Republican contenders were not present for the debate, including Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney.

Sources:

  • Jackie Kucinich, USA TODAY, "Republican presidential contenders criticize Obama's foreign policy during first debate of 2012 cycle."

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