Another intense night unfolded as the GOP presidential candidates continued to battle for the lead — which means knocking Rick Perry out of first place. The candidates might not agree on anything, but they seemed to have the same opinion on the President’s performance. In Tampa, Florida on Monday night the eight presidential candidates showed similar behavior as they did the previous week.

Perry continues as the front-runner in the race thus far and it was obvious that all other contenders were relentlessly trying to shake him. Michele Bachmann targeted Perry on his bill that requires teen girls to have the HPV shot in the state of Texas. She questioned if the drug company’s donations were the initiative behind the mandatory vaccinations or if it was actually about “protecting life.”

Mitt Romney challenged Perry by telling him how he really felt about his job creation, saying, “look I think governor Perry would agree with me that if your dealt four aces, that doesn’t make you necessarily a great poker player.” Romney and Perry continued their one-on-one battle throughout the night, as seen the week before. They still remain the top two candidates in the race.

Ron Paul also chimed in on Rick Perry’s job record and mentioned that as a taxpayer in Texas, and with Rick Perry as his governor, his taxes have doubled alongside spending since he came to office. Rick Perry was not the only candidate faced with criticism. Ron Paul also dealt with confrontation from Santorum and sustained booing from the audience.

The cause was an article posted on Paul’s website that stated the 9/11 attacks were America’s fault. Michele Bachmann had a strong night and was seen as a bit more aggressive in Tampa than she was the week before in California. This was essential for her position as one of the top three front-runners and secured her stay in the race.

Many viewers believe that Bachman performed the best out of every candidate. Bachmann said she had “wonderful positive feedback and comments from it, so we’re delighted.” Candidate Herman Cain chimed in from time to time with his policies and said, “he would bring a sense of humor to the white house, because America is too uptight,” which added some humor to the debate.

No matter what stance each candidate took throughout the night, it was made clear across the stage that President Obama had to be replaced in 2012, amid a sense of humor. Newt Gringrich said, “I’m not particularly worried about Governor Perry and Governor Romney frightening the American people when President Obama scares them everyday.”

Santorum stated, “Some people say that Barack Obama’s economy is a disaster, my feeling is it would have to make a dramatic improvement just to be a disaster.” With a few more debates left to go, it will be interesting to see if Perry will continue to be the target for other candidates and if candidates will continue to clobber the President in hope of republican support.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.facebook.com/GovernorPerry

Share This

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

About the author

Samantha Steinberg
A Junior at Rutgers University studying political science and communication. Interests include writing, international affairs, and travel. I hope to make a difference in the world and raise awareness through my writing.

Related Posts

Romney and Perry Battle for the Lead

The debate that took place at the infamous Ronald Reagan Library gave those who tuned in the opportunity to formally see where the eight GOP presidential candidates stand on some of the most burning issues facing the country....

Rick Perry’s HPV Decision Alienates Conservatives

Rick Perry's decision to mandate HPV vaccines for sixth-grade girls back in 2007 has become a bone of contention on the campaign trail. Under the terms of Perry's executive order, 12 year old girls in Texas were supposed...

Rick Perry’s HPV Problem

After two Republican debates, Texas governor Rick Perry is having some difficulty. Other candidates have attacked Perry for his stance on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Perry issued an executive order in 2007 to mandate...