▁had ▁refused ▁to ▁contest ▁Iowa , ▁instead ▁foc using ▁his ▁efforts ▁on ▁winning ▁the ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁primary , ▁was ▁not ▁invited ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁debate , ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁meet ▁the ▁debate ▁organ izer ' s ▁criteria ▁of ▁participation . ▁ ▁The ▁debate ▁was ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁occur ▁following ▁G ing rich ' s ▁sur ge ▁in ▁the ▁state wide ▁pol ls ▁in ▁Iowa , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁nation wide . ▁It ▁was ▁focused ▁on ▁various ▁economic , ▁foreign , ▁and ▁domestic ▁issues , ▁with ▁G ing rich ▁facing ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁criticism ▁from ▁his ▁fellow ▁compet itors . ▁Rom ney ▁mock ed ▁G ing rich ' s ▁plan ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁lun ar ▁col ony ▁to ▁mine ▁min er als ▁from ▁the ▁moon , ▁saying ▁that ▁the ▁real ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁of ▁them ▁was ▁their ▁background s , ▁saying ▁" I ▁spent ▁my ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁private ▁sector . ▁I ▁know ▁how ▁the ▁economy ▁works ." ▁ ▁G ing rich ▁replied , ▁" Let ' s ▁be ▁candid . ▁The ▁only ▁reason ▁you ▁didn ' t ▁become ▁a ▁career ▁politician ▁is ▁you ▁lost ▁to ▁Ted dy ▁Kennedy ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 ", ▁which ▁drew ▁bo os ▁and ▁laugh ter ▁from ▁the ▁audience . ▁Rom ney ▁replied ▁" If ▁I ' d ▁have ▁be aten ▁Ted ▁Kennedy ▁I ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁career ▁politician , ▁that ' s ▁probably ▁true . ▁If ▁I ▁would ' ve ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁get ▁in ▁the ▁NFL ▁like