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It's All Politics
6:38 pm
Thu January 26, 2012

In A Campaign Defined By Debates, Some Moments That Really Mattered

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Credit Paul Sancya / AP
Texas Gov. Rick Perry was searching for the words "Department of Energy" during the CNBC debate Nov. 9, 2011 in Auburn Hills, Mich.
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Credit Charles Dharapak / AP
The GOP presidential debate held Jan. 16 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. was Rick Perry's last debate appearance. From left, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul pose for a photo at the start of the debate.
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Credit Charles Krupa / ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, left to right, listen to a question from NBC moderator David Gregory during a Republican presidential candidate debate in Concord, N.H., Sun. Jan. 8. This was Huntsman's last major debate.
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Credit Charlie Neibergall / AP
A large field of GOP presidential contenders debated each other at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. From left, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty,Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich.
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Credit Charlie Neibergall / AP
Republican presidential candidates participate in one of the campaign's earliest debates, Aug. 11, 2011, in Ames, Iowa.

On All Things Considered, NPR's Don Gonyea prepares for tonight's Republican presidential debate — by some counts the 19th of the campaign season — by taking a quick look back at debate highlights, and some lowlights, so far.

From its earliest days last summer, the 2012 campaign has defied prediction. Three states have voted so far, producing three different winners in the early battle for the GOP presidential nomination.

Gonyea notes that this cycle, one factor does stand above all others in driving the dynamics of the race for the GOP nomination — televised debates.

Tonight's debate in Florida is the last before that state's Jan. 31 primary. NPR's Mark Memmott will be live blogging the debate here.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.