CNN / Tea Party Express Debate Turns into “Pile on Rick Perry Night” – 9/12/11

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The CNN/Tea Party Express Debate just finished, and it was unmistakably “pile on Rick Perry night.”

The desperation of several of the candidates was very obvious, as they launched one attack after another at the Texas Governor. Michele Bachmann attacked Perry on the HPV vaccine that Perry issued an Executive Order for in Texas, although she repeatedly misstated that girls were forced to receive the vaccine, ignoring that an “opt out” was given as a choice to parents. Perry has made clear he regrets using an Executive Order, but said he does not regret siding with “life” in wanting young women to be protected from Cervical Cancer – which the vaccine prevents.

Rick Santorum also mentioned Rick Perry’s name almost every time he spoke, even when he wasn’t asked about Rick Perry. He attacked Perry on the HPV issue as well as on immigration issues.

Mitt Romney attacked Rick Perry on Social Security right at the beginning of the debate, but Perry got the best of the exchange by pointing out that Mitt Romney is trying to “scare seniors” for political gain, and has himself called the way Social Security is being managed a “fraud.”

Newt Gingrich did very well once again, having perhaps the statement of the night when he said that Barack Obama “scares Americans every day.”

What I take away from the debate is that Rick Perry came in as the frontrunner, and the attacks on him, particularly by Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum won’t change the dynamics of the race. It is a Rick Perry – Mitt Romney race. For all their piling on Perry, I can’t see more than a handful of people deciding to move from Perry to Bachmann or Santorum because of their electability issues. The Social Security issue actually helps Rick Perry and hurts Mitt Romney. Perry stood his ground, and while having some tough moments, did well in the debate.

It was not an easy night for Perry because he was constantly the focus of attacks. But what the other candidates actually do when they repeatedly focus on Perry is to build him up as the frontrunner. They are desperate, and they don’t have a choice, because he has sucked up all the oxygen in the race the last several weeks.