Grab the popcorn - it?s Fight Night, round three.
The Republican presidential candidates will once again take the stage for a debate tonight, this time in the crucial battleground of Florida, a state rife with voters for whom issues likes Social Security, immigration and Israel are dominant.
Continue ReadingHere are five things to watch as the same eight candidates - plus a semi-fresh face, Gary Johnson - duke it out for the third time this month:
Which Rick Perry will show up?
The frontrunner said he felt a bit ?like a pinata? during the Sept. 7 POLITICO/MSNBC debate, his first of the 2012 race, even as he lobbed plenty of his own shots.
But a week later, Perry was pummeled again by his rivals for two solid hours during the CNN/Tea Party Express event in Tampa, barely putting up a fight as Michele Bachmann ripped him over his mandate of an HPV vaccine for young girls.
He seemed ill-prepared, and something close to fatigued, especially during the second half, underscoring existing questions for Republicans on the sidelines about whether the Texas governor is prepared for the rigors of the presidential nominating process.
Veteran GOP strategist Alex Castellanos suggested going on offense Thursday won?t be a problem for Perry.
?One thing we?ve learned about Rick Perry is that if you say ?hello? to him he?ll knock your block off,? Castellanos said. ?He?s got one gear and that is ?attack.? So I think we?re going to see the gunfight at the Austin Corral here. This is going to be a pretty spirited debate this time.?
Perry needs to put Romney on his heels, and quick ? in order to stave off the expected attacks on Social Security, and on immigration, an area where the Texas governor is not as aligned with the right as some others on stage. Perry needs to show more polished responses on Social Security and the HPV vaccine, not to mention avoid quips like the one in which he suggested $5,000 was too low a price to purchase him.
?One of the tests for his job is, can people see you not just as the candidate they like, but the president they need,? Castellanos said. ?And you would think one of the things he has to [prove] is that he?s not only strong, but that he?s steady.?
Does Romney pin Perry down on Social Security and illegal immigration?
They are the two hot topics in Florida, and Romney previewed on Wednesday that he?ll be hitting at least one of those issues hard at the Orlando debate.
The former Massachusetts governor showed no sign that he?ll let up on his Social Security slams on Perry, as he read aloud at a town hall meeting six questions his campaign had prepared about the Texas governor?s thoughts on the topic. Already the best debater on the stage, Romney will have his lines teed up.
Perry knows it?s coming and is poised to push back hard - his campaign has introduced a line about Romney ?sounding like a Democrat? in defense of the status quo.
?My guess is that Perry will have some offense in store for Mitt simply because they don?t want to be a punching bag on Social Security all night,? said longtime GOP strategist Mike Murphy.
But Romney may also have something else in store for Perry. The likeliest topics are Medicare or illegal immigration, both of which are fertile territory against Perry.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.