With the 2012 Republican presidential primaries quickly turning into a two-man race, lesser known candidates are struggling for attention. This was reflected in the Sept. 12 GOP primary debate, where Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney went after the frontrunner, Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Since none of the attacks caused major damage to his campaign, Perry won the debate if only by default.
The debate was held in Tampa, the site of the Republican National Convention next August. With Florida’s position as a key state in the primaries as well as the general election, Republican candidates struggled to make a good impression in the sunshine state. The debate was co-hosted by the Tea Party Express, whose support will be needed for the eventual nominee.
After losing his frontrunner status to Perry, Romney has shed his above-the-fray approach in favor of more confrontation. He attacked Perry over calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme and giving instate tuition to illegal immigrants. He also successfully avoided talking about his controversial universal health care plan in Massachusetts.
Overall, Romney had an impressive debate performance and maintained calm even when asked about Perry’s gubernatorial accomplishments. When pressed about Perry’s success in Texas compared to his modest record in Massachusetts, Romney remarked that he had a more difficult time due to the lack of political capital.
He counters that the Texas economic miracle was not entirely Perry’s doing, and is the result of massive natural resources, saying that, “having four aces doesn’t make someone a good poker player.”
Yet GOP primary voters continue to have concerns about Romney’s authenticity and whether he will adequately represent conservatives. Furthermore, his fierce attacks on Perry for his Social Security comments may tie his hands when it comes to implementing entitlement reform. Romney continues to depict himself as the most electable candidate.
Bachmann had a less-than-stellar performance at the debate. Struggling to gain attention after Perry announced his bid, Bachmann resorted to criticizing his executive order mandating HPV vaccines for 12-year-old girls.
Her attacks seemed petty at best, especially after Perry apologized for signing the order. In addition, since the Texas State Legislature overruled his executive order before it took place, Bachmann seemed superfluous in her attacks. Her campaign has lost its status as a viable contender for the nomination.
Perry’s performance was impressive near the beginning but progressively weakened afterwards. He was able to deflect Romney’s attacks on his referring to social security as a Ponzi scheme, however, was caught off guard by the criticisms of the HPV vaccine mandate, and received boos from the audience over his moderate record on immigration.
The good news for Perry is that very few primary voters watch the beginning debates, giving him time to polish his responses. GOP voters are endeared to his candor and tough-guy image. Maintaining this persona while learning to address any criticism is crucial to his campaign.
