CNBC Republican Debate from Michigan tonight at 8pm ET

Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, will be hosting eight GOP candidates tonight for the CNBC “Your Money, Your Vote” debate focusing on the economy and jobs. Tonight’s event is only 90 minutes compared to previous GOP debates, featuring eight candidates, which have been 2 hours in length.

Air Time: Wednesday, November 9 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on CNBC (channel finder)

Participants: Bachmann, Cain, Gingrich, Huntsman, Paul, Perry, Romney, Santorum

Watch Entire Debate: CNBC GOP Debate

Report from the Oakland County Daily Tribune:

ROCHESTER HILLS — Oakland University is drawing national attention as the host of the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, when eight candidates will argue their positions with hopes of being the nominee in 2012 to run against President Barack Obama.

The debate, hosted by CNBC, the Michigan Republican Party and Oakland University, will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. from the university’s O’rena on the 19,400-student campus that stretches over 1,500 acres in Auburn Hills and Rochester Hills.

The number of calls coming in from the press around the United States and beyond was increasing five-fold last week as the debate coordinated by CNBC and the Michigan GOP party drew nearer, said Ted Montgomery, OU spokesman.

Professor David Dulio, chairman of the Political Science Department, said the debate is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for OU, students and faculty to experience a major political event.

“This is one of the most important events of the 2012 election cycle,” said Dulio, who is a member of the university’s debate planning committee.

“This is great national exposure,” said Dulio, who noted there are relatively few national debates leading up to presidential elections. The committee has been working since early September on the logistics of holding a debate that will not only bring the candidates and their entourages, but an onslaught of media.

Confirmed candidates are U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann from Minnesota, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain, former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., U.S. Rep. Ron Paul from Texas, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania.

The debate will focus on key issues facing voters — jobs, taxes, the deficit and the health of the national economy.

The shorter length of this debate can be good and bad. It could force more pertinent questions from moderators regarding the topic at hand. Ultimately, I think it will mean that the peripheral candidates will have less time while the “front runner” candidates get the bulk of the questions.


Nate Ashworth

The Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Election Central. He's been blogging elections and politics for over a decade. He started covering the 2008 Presidential Election which turned into a full-time political blog in 2012 and 2016 that continues today.

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