Chris Cillizza, smart analyst, looks at the latest debate and singles out three clear losers: Saturday night debates (like, obviously!), Mitt Romney (he’s been looking like a loser for a long time, though) and the GOP. The latter is the most interesting.
For all of those folks predicting (or hoping) that Gingrich would implode, tonight was not their night. Make no mistake: there are genuine concerns within the party about what Gingrich leading the national ticket might mean for downballot race next November. But Gingrich gave his detractors very little reason to think that his collapse is in the offing. …WaPo
But it’s not just about Gingrich’s surge. It’s really more like one of those TV movies in which a nice couple adopt kids who turn out to be parent-killers. This is what’s happening to the old guys who used to run the party. The establishment adopted the tea party. They have been fooling with sharp knives in the kitchen ever since they got into the House.
Out in front, says Cillizza, are Newt (“adjusting nicely to his newfound frontrunner status”), Bachmann, and Perry.
Perry?
…[He] acquitted himself well tonight starting with his first answer on jobs, which was solid and convincing. Perry also landed some of the hardest punches against both Gingrich (“If you cheat on your wife, you will cheat on your business partner”) and Romney (on health care/individual mandate). The Texas governor did occasionally make up a word or appear to get lost when making his point but those were few and far between — particularly when compared to his past debate performances. If Perry is genuinely starting to move up in Iowa, he didn’t hurt that ascent tonight and may have even helped himself a bit. …WaPo
Here in Texas, where the dust is flying every time the winter winds get going, dirt about Rick Perry is being dug up on a daily basis now. Some of it is bound to stick. I’m surprised Perry is still in there, fighting. But seen from down here in the southern plains, he’s looking lame and silly.
Cross posted from Prairie Weather.
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