Round 9: GOP debate on the surface

It was ninth Republican debate of the fall season. Herman Cain wasn't there, but there were still some news bits.

1. Many were wondering if frontrunners Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney would mud fight on stage. There was some of that, but fortunately they kept their clothes on. Romney likes to say he isn't a "career politician" and Gingrich slammed him for it early in the debate.

"Let’s be candid. The only reason you didn’t become a career politician is you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994,” Gingrich said. Romney got defensive, yet owned up to it. Gingrich finished sweetly, "I'm just saying."

2. The set backdrop looked like an Atari game.

2. Jon Huntsman wasn't there, but I can only recall one person asking why he was absent during THE BLAZE's live chat. That says it all.

If you're wondering, it's because Huntsman's low poll numbers disqualified him from participating.

3. I just realized who Rick Santorumreminds me of.

4. Michele Bachmann had a great bit where she repeated the similarites between "Newt-Romney." It was good. But I was left wondering if "Newt-Romney" was an amphibian or a cup of noodles.

5. Romney bet Rick Perry $10,000 on what, exactly, Romney said in his own book about health care:

The exchange via Mediaite:

“I’m hearing you say all the right things. But I read your first book and it said in there that your mandate in Massachusetts, which should be the model for the country — I know it came out of the reprint of the book, but, you know, I’m just saying, you were for individual mandates, my friend.”

“You know what, you’ve raised that before, Rick. and you’re wrong,” a testy Romney replied.

It was true then, it’s true now…” Perry said.

“Rick, I’ll tell you what, 10,000 bucks, $10,000 bet,” Romney said, extending a hand.

Perry hesitated, left Romney hanging. “I’m not in the betting business.”

That's a lot of money. But, as Romney told the world later on in the debate, he didn't "grow up poor."