was overthrown with the help of the United States -RRB- and North Korea -LRB- which has tested nuclear weapons and whose government is still in power . -RRB- Another way to maintain credibility is to cite proof for your arguments . Michele Bachmann has said things in previous debates -LRB- President Obama wants Medicare to collapse -RRB- and in last night 's debate -LRB- suggesting that the CIA can not interrogate terrorist suspects any longer because the ACLU is in charge -RRB- that were not very credible . These frequent ATM withdrawals hurt Bachmann because a lack of believability spills over . Her disagreement with Rick Perry about whether to give aid to Pakistan should have been an excellent point for her . She showcased her knowledge of the subject , saying that we exchange intelligence information and the United States must have our interest represented . Bachmann called Pakistan `` too nuclear to fail , '' and chastised Perry for being naÃ ¯ ve when he said he would not give Pakistan one penny until it proved it had America 's best interests in mind . This was a terrific answer that warranted applause because it was thoughtful ,
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As last night 's Republican presidential debate over national security issues demonstrated , credibility is crucial to winning a debate . Think of credibility like money you have in a bank . Each time you stretch it thin , you have less the next time you might need it . It is your own personal bank of believability . Knowing your arguments and facts is one way to gain credibility . Mitt Romney fattened his credibility bank account at the expense of Rick Perry , who supported a no fly zone over Syria . Romney argued that a no fly zone over Syria would be pointless since the Syrian government has 5,000 tanks . Romney jokingly said it would make more sense to impose a `` no drive zone . '' Jon Huntsman made a similar deposit when he stated that sanctions on Iran would not work since `` the Chinese are n't going to play ball and the Russians are n't going to play ball , '' and Iran has already decided to go nuclear . Huntsman 's cited the examples of Libya -LRB- which gave up its nuclear ambition , and later the government