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Mark Mardell
North America editor
Perry's time to 'turn Momma's picture to the wall'
Rick Perry's performance was either feisty or flailing - depending on who you ask
As Michele Bachmann wisely remarked, this time what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas.
How the media - from cable TV to tweeters and bloggers - portrays the most recent Republican debate really matters. It matters the most for Rick Perry.
A relatively small number of people watch the debates live, between 3 and 6m on cable news networks.
Many will form a judgment based on subsequent coverage. It's the next few opinion polls that will matter in pointing to who can challenge Romney from the right.
Nearly everyone agrees Romney came out on top.
I thought Rick Perry did himself no favours with his attack on Mitt Romney. The audience booed him.
But many commentators don't share my instinctive reaction. Perry came out punching and many feel he's put himself back in the race.
The Washington Post argues "overall it was by far his best showing. Perry actually seemed like he wanted to be there; he was energetic and feisty".
Newsmax says "Rick Perry snapped out of his sleepy debate style".
The influential Tea Party-flavoured blog, Redstate, praises Perry's "from-the-gut" style and concludes: "I suspect Perry saved himself tonight."
The conservative National Review is lukewarm on Perry, but feels "he showed more energy than in the last debate, and so lived to fight another day".
Turning negativeOne canny Republican strategist told me cable TV would pump Perry up because they want conflict and that's what he gave them.
He added that what Perry was doing was the right strategy.
"It's time to turn Momma's picture to the wall, and get down in the gutter where politics belongs: negative campaigning works," the Republican strategist said.
He said Perry should start hitting Romney with negative ads until his ratings start to drop.
Certainly, if Perry's ratings rise, his team will conclude that it is indeed time to flip Ma's portrait and start blazing away.
The trouble with this strategy is while Republicans bicker and bitch, it gives Obama, facing no Democratic challenge, the chance to talk about jobs, not his opponents' Mexican gardeners, and look generally presidential and above the fray.
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Comment number 1.
JClarkson20th October 2011 - 1:02
Romney may have come on top this time, but parts of the US will have problems with his Mormonism. Perry may have come in second but parts of the US will have problems with his Mexican free education ideas. But Perry can drop the Mexican pandering if it becomes a huge liability. Romney can't really do the same with his religion.
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Comment number 2.
latka20th October 2011 - 1:23
One can only wonder why we end up with the same hacks running for office. In America with a population of over 300 million legal residents, this is the best we can do? God help us!
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Comment number 3.
jack-of-all-thumbs20th October 2011 - 1:39
Those of us who call ourselves progressive moderates, are happy to see this play out in the weeks to come. We have a President who inherited an economic train wreck, and a polarized Congress in bed with the institutions responsible for the wreck. Any advantage he can garner will be welcome.
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Comment number 4.
Chryses20th October 2011 - 1:39
Hey now! We’ve had a peanut farmer and a b-list actor for president. Who’s to say the U.S. has hit bottom?
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Comment number 5.
Curt Carpenter20th October 2011 - 1:44
""It's time ... (to) get down in the gutter where politics belongs: negative campaigning works," the Republican strategist said."
GOP moderates (if there are any left) ought to demand an end to this attitude. But chance of that is about equal to chance of moderate Islam reining in their extremists.
Write the RNC and demand a constructive discussion of policy over
"smackdown" games.
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Comments 5 of 158