The purpose of this paper is to determine whether Grice`s Cooperative Principle (1975) can be observed to be in operation in the context of a political debate. Eight candidates for the Republican Party`s (USA) presidential nomination met and debated prior to the 1996 New Hampshire primary election. Examination of the transcript reveals that though the candidates were in competition with one another, they can be observed to be "cooperating" with the debate moderators and, by implication, with the viewing public. Generally speaking, the debaters` language reflected an adherence to Grice`s maxims and in instances when a debater was perceived as having violated those rules, he was attacked for that violation. In other words, the politicians criticized one another not only on policy positions, but also for failing to observe the Cooperative Principle.