Slugfest in Vegas

Tonight’s CNN debate in Las Vegas was the liveliest one to date. There was no clear winner, but several candidates bloodied each other.

Now a contender, Herman Cain was the first to come under fire, for his 9-9-9 tax plan. The criticisms of the plan from the rest of the field were on target from a policy standpoint. His rivals are right that it would add a new sales tax on top of existing taxes and be a bit more complicated than he lets on. But his broader message of wanting to shake things up and simplify the tax code has clearly been appealing to voters. And his likability and simple message may have cut through tonight’s policy criticisms.