The stakes will be high tonight as the five remaining GOP Presidential Candidates face-off in a Presidential Debate on the Fox News Channel at 9:00 PM ET. Mitt Romney has a clear lead in the polls with just five days to before the South Carolina GOP Primary on January 21.

His rivals must find a way to create doubts about Romney if they are to defeat him. But, they have an even more fundamental problem. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are fighting it out to become the “anti-Romney” choice in the race, with Rick Perry way behind them. Neither can really hope to defeat Romney as long as the other remains in the race. So, each needs to find a way to win in South Carolina, and hope the other will drop out for the good of the party. However, there’s no indication either will be willing to do so regardless of the outcome in South Carolina The task for Rick Santorum tonight is huge:

FOX NEWS: . . . So Santorum has to make a triple play in the debate if he hopes to be the top Not Romney in South Carolina, a task on which his hopes depend. He bested both Gingrich and Perry in Iowa and New Hampshire, and must defeat them both again here if he wants to endure to be the surviving Romney alternative. But beating the other two Not Romneys isn’t enough. Santorum needs a clear second-place finish to Romney, and so must derail Paul.

Here’s the Santorum triple play for tonight: disqualify Paul as a protest vote, explain why he would be a better Not Romney than Gingrich and then explain why a Not Romney candidate is really necessary.

Santorum must, as he did in Iowa, convince voters here that Paul is an unacceptable protest vote. Santorum hit hard at Paul for undercutting the federal role on social issues, calling himself the “Jesus candidate” on Sunday as compared to others who “don’t understand” Washington’s role in keeping moral order. Santorum can also be expected to hit Paul hard on foreign policy in tonight’s debate and throughout the week.

Santorum can’t hit so hard with Gingrich. Santorum seemed to be hoping that Gingrich’s attacks on Romney’s record at Bain Capital would damage the frontrunner but also blow up the former speaker in the process, living Santorum set for a South Carolina upset. Instead, Romney got a sympathy boost and Gingrich firmed up his support. Remember that Gingrich’s appeal is more attitudinal than ideological. A lot of Republicans want an attack dog, and the Bain stuff has let Gingrich show off his bark.

Gingrich and Santorum have mostly abided by a non-aggression pact, but since Santorum’s Iowa surprise, that has been bound to eventually expire. Tonight, Santorum must start to draw contrasts with Gingrich or South Carolinians may go with the better-known candidate from the neighboring state. . . . Read More