GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Most of the expected field did not take part in the first debate of the 2012 Republican presidential race in Greenville Thursday, but South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley sure did.
Just five candidates -- in a GOP field expected to grow to twice that size -- took part in the debate, the first official event of the 2012 campaign season. The debaters were former Godfather's Pizza chief executive Herman Cain, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.
With so few candidates at the debate, Haley played a supporting role as the Fox News moderators took up her challenge to presidential candidates to weigh in on a National Labor Relations Board complaint against Boeing Charleston's plant.
