Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich debuted as the front-runner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday in a debate over foreign policy in which Gingrich and seven other contenders differentiated themselves on the Afghan war, illegal immigration and the Patriot Act.
Gingrich appeared unfazed by his elevated status in the first debate held in Washington, D.C., in 50 years., articulating a strong foreign policy acumen and chiming in with lengthy, explanatory responses as if schooling other candidates on whether the Patriot Act should be continued or aid to Pakistan suspended.
But Gingrich engaged in one of the more compelling disagreements in the debate over immigration that could cost him support among conservative voters critical to a primary victory. Gingrich said he supports a “humane” immigration policy that allows those who are here illegally but have strong ties to this country to remain legally. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, whose front-runner status has been usurped by Gingrich, called the plan a magnet that will attract more illegal immigrants.
“People respond to incentives,” Romney said. “And if you can become a permanent resident of the United States by coming here illegally, you’ll do so.”
Gingrich refused to back down.
“I don’t see how the party that says it’s the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter-century,” he said. “And I’m prepared to take the heat for saying let’s be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship but by finding a way to create legality so that they are not separated from their families.”
Immigration is a thorny issue in the race already. Texas Gov. Rick Perry saw his support among once-enthusiastic conservative supporters evaporate after he defended a program in Texas that gives college tuition breaks to illegal immigrants. Republicans, in general, have called for tighter border security and denounced any pathway to citizenship as amnesty for lawbreakers.
Gingrich is the latest to challenge Romney’s standing at the top of the polls. Perry, businessman Herman Cain and Rep. Michele Bachmann all surged to the top only to sink again in the polls.
Just hours before the eight Republican candidates took to the stage in Constitution Hall in a debate sponsored by CNN, the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute, a Quinnipiac poll was released showing that Gingrich has more than doubled his share of the GOP vote and is now leading Romney 39 percent to 29 percent. The poll shows Cain in third place with 14 percent of the vote, followed by Perry and Bachmann.
Cain’s apparent lack of foreign policy knowledge was evident several times during the debate and he continually gave answers vague enough to suggest he simply lacked enough information to answer in any detail.
When former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz asked whether America should continue to spend billions of dollars helping Africa combat AIDS, malaria and other diseases, Cain gave this answer: “It depends upon looking at the program and asking the question, has that program been a success? It may be worthwhile to continue the program. It may not.”
Romney and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman fought over when and how to bring troops home from Afghanistan, with Huntsman calling for just 10,000 troops to remain.
Romney said such a move puts at risk the progress already made in securing Afghanistan and ridding it of terrorists bent on destroying America.
“This is not time for America to cut and run,” Romney said.
