The Hill News

Heavyweight contenders for the Republican presidential nomination will join longshot candidates Monday night in New Hampshire in what feels like the first real debate of the 2012 cycle.

A fuller cast of Republicans will be onstage Monday night at 8 p.m. in Manchester for the two-hour debate broadcast on CNN -- more than compared to the early-May debate in South Carolina which some frontrunners skipped.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.), Rep. Ron Paul (Texas), former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) and businessman Herman Cain round out the cast of Republicans set to appear at St. Anselm College.

And while several potential candidates -- including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- won't be onstage, the debate will offer clues as to ho! w the race for the 2012 Republican nomination has shaped up.

Here are five things to watch for (after the jump):

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