Expect More Ganging Up on Rick Perry at Tonight’s Fox News/Google GOP Presidential Debate; Look for Newt Gingrich to Shine – 9/22/11

Tonight’s GOP Presidential Debate in Orlando, Florida will be broadcast on Fox News, as they partner with Google in putting on the event. it will air tonight on Fox News Channel from 9-11 PM ET.

Nine candidates are slated to be on the stage tonight. Libertarian-leaning Gov. Gary Johnson will reportedly be on the stage in Orlando, Florida, after being excluded from the last several debates.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry comes into the third debate in as many weeks still the frontrunner, but having lost some of his steam. He has faced three weeks of relentless attacks from Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and others. That is likely to continue tonight, because it’s the only way (they think) the lower-tier candidates can move up. Of course, what Bachmann and Santorum are actually doing is helping Mitt Romney out by being the attack dogs while he stands by looking above the fray. Bachmann and Santorum’s numbers are not improving against Perry – but Romney’s numbers have improved. But you can be sure these three will continue their assault on Perry.

Rick Perry somehow has to deal with the questions from moderators focused on his difficult issues, fend off attacks by the other candidates, but not come across as being on the defensive. He needs to press the attack on Mitt Romney – but most especially on Barack Obama. If Perry can come across as in control and calm despite the carping against him, and project strength in going after Obama, he can do well even though he is in a very difficult position.

I have felt for several weeks that the other candidate who still has a chance to emerge as a strong contender along with Romney and Perry is Newt Gingrich. He has been very impressive in every debate, and has done it by going after Barack Obama – not the other GOP Candidates. I would not be surprised to see him do extremely well again tonight, and continue his climb in the polls. Gingrich has a chance to be the comeback guy in this election cycle, just as John McCain’s campaign came back from the dead in the 2008 GOP Primary Campaign.