[Verona, PA] With his surprise showing in the Iowa caucuses Tuesday, former Sen. Rick Santorum might have won himself a second look from voters in the Florida presidential primary on Jan. 31.

He also may have earned himself key consideration during the Jan. 26 GOP primary debate in Jacksonville.

“Last night we made a statement, a statement for the restoration of the founding values that made our country the greatest nation in the world,” emailed Santorum after the near-win in Iowa. “We spoke directly with the people of Iowa, in coffee shops and living rooms. We held over 370 town hall meetings, in all 99 counties.”

Sure, he did the Hawkeye math, but he also knows how to read a map. And it is a long journey to the White House by any measure, and the veteran campaigner knows it.

“We did not speed date our way through Iowa, we courted her votes and tonight were rewarded,” the politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania said via email. “But this is just the beginning, a beginning of a long journey to a brighter future for all Americans.”

A “long journey” is right. Plus, there is that whole Google-his-name mess (it is not pretty).

Santorum starts out behind and likely needing more than the momentum of a strong showing in Iowa – he essentially tied with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won by eight votes – to be a factor in the Florida presidential primary.

And, political observers note, the Iowa vote was the first of three contests before the Florida presidential primary at the end of the month, with primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina likely to shake up the field again before the Sunshine State votes.

Photo: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate Images

 Mitt Romney is still the frontrunner in Florida as hr gears up for the Florida presidential primary

According to a poll by Tel Opinion Research in the middle of December, Santorum was tied with former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman for last in Florida with 1%. Frontrunner Romney and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who came in a disappointing fourth in Iowa, were far ahead with 27% and 26% of the vote, respectively.

But 31% of Republican voters in Florida said they hadn’t decided who to back, meaning the race remained volatile.

Santorum did do slightly better in a straw poll of party activists in Orlando in September, coming in fourth behind pizza magnate Herman Cain, who has since dropped out, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Romney.

In any case, Santorum had fewer resources available to him than competitors like Romney, Gingrich and Perry – something that could come into play when the candidates move to Florida, the most expensive state among the first four contests.

“With 10 media markets, it’s not Iowa,” said John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council.

Stemberger has endorsed Perry but admitted that the Texas governor “does not seem to be resonating.”

But money is not the only thing that could trip up Santorum in Florida, observers say.

Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida, said Republicans in the state are more concerned about electability and less worried about the cultural issues credited with helping Santorum vault to the front in Iowa.

Photo: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate Images

Texas Gov. Rick Perry “does not seem to be resonating” with Florida voters

“Without question, the Florida Republicans are more about fiscal conservatism than social conservatism,” she said.

At the same time, Romney excels in money and organization but is still fighting the nagging perception that Republicans haven’t accepted him. Almost three-fourths of Republicans in Iowa voted for another candidate, and Romney’s share of the vote was almost the same as he drew in 2008.

“Romney has challenges too,” said Matthew Corrigan, a political science professor at the University of North Florida. “He’s got all the weapons, but he doesn’t have the passion.”

The intervening contests will begin to shake some of that out. Efforts to consolidate conservatives behind one anti-Romney candidate might be stronger as the results prompt some candidates to drop their campaigns.

“The biggest thing that’s brought clarity for social conservatives is Michele Bachmann dropping out,” Stemberger said.

Other candidates have staked their campaigns on other states. After beginning his campaign with an Orlando headquarters, Huntsman has since staked his success on what happens in New Hampshire next Tuesday, though polls have shown Romney with a strong lead in the state.

“If he does well, then I think that he leapfrogs South Carolina and does hit Florida,” MacManus said.

Photo: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate Images

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich seems to be fading down the stretch

At the same time, Perry is preparing for something approaching a last stand in South Carolina, where he is expected to do well among rural and Southern voters that shape much of that state’s GOP electorate.

“He has to do well in South Carolina,” Stemberger said. “If he doesn’t, it’s over for him.”

But Perry also faces obstacles among the conservative base in Florida, Stemberger said. The Texas governor’s stock plummeted at the Orlando straw poll in part because he questioned the “heart” of those who didn’t share his views on illegal immigration – which many interpreted as a swipe at conservatives.

“The question is, can the tea party forgive him for what they feel might have been an insult in the Florida debate?” Stemberger said.

If the first three states splinter among various GOP contenders, it could set up the Florida presidential primary as “the great decider,” MacManus said. But there is a flip side of that.

“The problem for Florida is, if Romney wins big in New Hampshire and somehow pulls something out in South Carolina, then Florida becomes less important,” Corrigan said.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott didn’t seem to be too concerned about that possibility when interviewed Wednesday morning on CNBC.

“The place is going to be Florida,” Scott said of what will make or break the primary.

He noted the state has 4 million Republicans and he said the Florida presidential primary turnout is expected to be high, based on a large absentee ballot request.

“It’s going to be a tough place to play, but you’re going to have to play here. … You have to win Florida to win the White House. I don’t know how you can do it without it,” Scott said.

By: Brandon Larrabee/The News Service of Florida. With additional reporting by Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Images: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate Images

Florida presidential primary

[Tallahassee, FL] As the state’s voters begin to focus on the pivotal Florida Republican presidential primary at the end of January, the leading contenders are former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, according to a poll by Tel Opinion Research.

Romney and Gingrich are essentially in a statistical dead heat, with Romney leading with 27% of the vote to Gingrich’s 26%, according to the telephone survey of 780 Republican voters, conducted from Dec. 15-19.

Bill Lee, a Republican pollster who co-founded Tel Opinion, said that matches the national pattern, with Romney and Gingrich drawing most of the media attention.

“Leading into Iowa, this is essentially a tie ball game between those two,” Lee said.

The trend also matches an ideological split that appears to have hampered Romney’s drive to the nomination: Doubts remain about him among the most conservative elements of the Republican Party and religious conservatives.

Among self-identified members of the tea-party movement, Gingrich leads by eight points, 28-16. The two men almost evenly divide other voters, 28-26 in favor of Romney.

Gingrich also leads by 14% among very conservative voters, while Romney holds a 15-point edge among those who call themselves “somewhat conservative.” The two are essentially tied among moderates, with Gingrich holding a 20-17 advantage.

Photo: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate Images

Ron Paul is polling a distant third in Florida Prior to the Florida Republican Presidential Primary

Gingrich also leads Romney among those who attend church more than once a week, with those who go to church weekly about evenly split. Voters who attend less frequently favor Romney, often strongly.

The poll was conducted just as Gingrich, who surged to the front of the pack on the strength of debate performances, saw his numbers begin to slip in Iowa and elsewhere under a barrage of attacks from his competitors and so-called Super PACs supporting them.

And 31% of Republican voters in Florida said they hadn’t decided who to back, meaning the race remains volatile with about a month to go before the Jan. 31 primary.

None of their other competitors hit double digits. Texas Congressman Ron Paul, whose libertarian streak has vaulted him into contention in Iowa, holds just 5% of the votes of those surveyed by Tel Opinion. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Texas Gov. Rick Perry – who had hoped to perform strongly in the Florida Republican Presidential Primary – were next, tied at 4%.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who had initially based his campaign in Florida before shifting his focus to New Hampshire, was tied with former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum with 1%.

Brian Graham, a Republican consultant in Florida not aligned with any of the candidates, said he wasn’t surprised that the candidates drawing the most coverage are getting the highest numbers.

“They are the candidates with the most name ID,” said Graham, who works with Dixie Strategies. “This is a big state. … Most candidates haven’t paid much attention to Florida right now.”

Photo: Mark Foley/House Photo

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon

As votes roll in from early states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and candidates ramp up their efforts for the Florida Republican Presidential Primary, Graham said the situation could change, even beyond the voters who call themselves undecided.

“I would highly doubt that any of the voters are truly, truly firmly decided on their candidates,” he said.

The poll was another dose of bad news for Perry, who had taken a lead in the state shortly after announcing his candidacy but before a series of debate gaffes undermined his candidacy.

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon (R-35/Winter Park), one of Perry’s earliest supporters, brushed aside a question earlier this month about whether he was surprised that the governor’s campaign had failed to gain traction.

“I think if anything, I’m surprised at the overall ups and downs of all of the candidates,” Cannon said.

Graham said Perry’s gaffes had badly hurt him among Republican voters who are concerned chiefly with defeating President Barack Obama in the November elections.

“I think that a lot of Republicans were uncomfortable with Rick Perry’s inability to perform well with public speaking and the debates,” he said.

But Lee said the 31% undecided bloc could still make room for one more candidate with the necessary resources if it moves beyond Iowa and the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire. Perry raised millions before his troubles began.

“The third player might be Governor Perry,” Lee said.

By: Brandon Larrabee/The News Service of Florida

Lead images: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate Images

Florida Republican presidential primary

[Orlando, FL] Orlando’s other big Republican hob-nobber – the Presidency 5 (P5) conference, debate and straw poll – that wrapped on Saturday ended with a surprise finish, according to The Hill. The event, which took place at the Orange County Convention Center alongside CPAC FL, was sponsored by the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) and the Florida Realtors.

The winner? None other than Herman Cain. Yep, the “pizza guy” as he is being called due to his former gig as CEO of the Godfather’s Pizza chain.

Cain absolutely crushed all comers by getting a whopping 37% of the vote. Perceived front-runners Rick Perry (15%) and Mitt Romney (14%) will be scratching their heads after this outcome.

Michele Bachmann’s campaign took another big hit with a pathetic single-digit outcome at P5 that landed her in the basement along with morbid curiosities such as Newt Gingrich and Jon Huntsman.

“Mamma B” was bested by Ron Paul - no surprise there – and Rick Santorum. That’s gotta hurt, especially getting beat by Santorum, who has virtually no chance of winning the nomination.

Perhaps the outcome was due to the voting process, as the participants were hand-picked by the event’s sponsors.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Related reading:

Reinhard & Kaplan: GOP to Perry: Honeymoon over His lame second-place finish Saturday to the charismatic but little-known corporate executive Herman Cain in a straw poll of Florida Republicans, preceded by an equally lame appearance here in Thursday’s GOP presidential candidates’ debate, …

Mitt Romney outshines GOP rivals in Michigan straw poll Former Godfather’s Pizza Chief Executive Herman Cain, who scored a surprise victory in a Florida straw poll Saturday, was third with 9 percent Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, finished fourth with 8 percent; followed by Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., …

Romney wins Michigan straw poll Romney placed first in the poll with 51 percent of the 681 ballots cast at the Republican Leadership Conference followed by Perry with 17 percent and businessman Herman Cain with 9 percent. Tea Party star Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., placed the highest …

For The Candidates, A Make-Or-Break Gathering Of The Tea Party-Influenced Conservative Movement

Words & Photos By: Mark Christopher

[Orlando, FL] The one-day Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC FL) was quite an extravaganza featuring the who’s-who of the Republican-GOP-conservative establishment and their various support systems, all gleefully packed into the Orange County Convention Center on Friday.

Some 3,000 like-minded attendees basked in the glory of their staunchly conservative heroes throughout a day filled with speeches, straw polls, panel discussions and autograph sessions.

You want heavy hitters? How about all ten of the Republican contenders for the 2012 Presidential race: Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Gary Johnson and even Thaddeus McCotter.

Who’s Thaddeus McCotter? Exactly.

Each gave a 12-minute speech making their case as to why those in in the expansive hall should consider them to be the best candidate to beat Obama come 2012. The crowd seemed to favor Paul, Gingrich, Cain and Santorum but were surprisingly cool to perceived front-runner Perry’s W-esque Texas charm.

Perhaps he should have better-memorized his speech instead of reading it like a high-school oral report. Has he already lost interest?

Gov. Rick Scott also made an appearance, and gave a well-received talk to the crowd, soliciting roars of approval for each of his stated conservative achievements and jabs at the other side of the aisle.

Unfortunately, scheduled speaker U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was unable to make it as a pressing matter on the Senate floor was taking place in Washington D.C.

Gov. Rick Scott soars in front of a room full of friendlies

The biggest draw of the day was neither a candidate or a current office holder. That honor went to author and provocateur Ann Coulter, the sharp-tongued princess of the conservative movement. She insulted just about everybody – including many of the candidates themselves – but spent a majority of her 15 minutes on stage rallying the troops against President Obama, Liberals and Democrats via her trademark witticisms and insults.

The crowd loved every minute of it (there were a smattering of boos when she attacked Paul, however). They also got in a very long line for her book signing afterward.

Several high profile panel discussions also took place. National conservative front-line soldier Dick Armey paired up with the behind-the-scenes architect-wizard of the conservative platform – the one, the only Grover Norquist – to team-slam Obama and the entire Democratic-progressive-liberal way of thinking.

An outmatched Jeff Atwater – you know, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer – could only watch as these two captains of the conservative industry took shot after shot at the left.

Another star-studded panel on defeating “Obamacare” featured Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and State Senate President Mike Haridopolos. The packed-to-the-gills Meeting Room 1 was the place to be at 3:45 p.m., for sure.

Overall, the event was very, very white – I’d say about 99% Caucasian, in fact. The folks were dressed in their Sunday best and proudly displaying the button of their chosen cause (Pink Slip Debbie, Fair Tax, etc).

There was lots and lots of anti-government talk, bashing our current system – yet plenty of flag-waving, which seems at odds with each other.

Mostly they were there to listen to Ann Coulter and to see which one of these presidential show ponies were made of the right stuff. There was also a straw poll for the Republican nominee for the challenger to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson – but they basically had to beg to get anyone to participate.

For the record, Adam Hasner won the poll.

She looks like she’d rather be in school

Ron Paul got a hero’s welcome

Dozens of booths offered all kinds of free information

Jon Huntsman offered an alternative to hard-nosed conservatism. He got nowhere

Presidential hopeful/pizza guy Herman Cain signed autographs

The view from the photographer’s pit

Michele Bachmann’s speaking style still sounds rushed

Decided against wearing a costume and just went with what he had on

Mitt Romney is as polished as they get

Ann Coulter brings the house down with the power of teal

Newt Gingrich grinning like the Cheshire Cat during his autograph session

OMG this guy is taking a picture of me

(L-R) Dick Armey soldiers on with Grover Norquist, who is making a point

A “gotcha” journalist in action

Mike Haridopolos prepares for a panel discussion. That’s Bill McCollum to his right

There was plenty of red, white and blue merchandise for sale

Rick Perry failed to fire up the crowd

The Mitt Romney booth offered free stickers and candy

Rick Santorum respectfully asks that you DO NOT GOOGLE HIS LAST NAME

[Orlando, FL] All eyes will be on Orlando tonight and tomorrow as most of the major conservative political figures will be in town to attend the CPAC FL Conference and its satellite offerings.

How often do you get to rub elbows with presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Rick Santorum, Gary Johnson or Rick Perry? Or hang with the likes of conservative superstars Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist, Bill Kristol, Dick Armey and Ann Coulter?

And all in the same day? And for only $45!!

That’s the god, guns and glory of the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) Conference sponsored by the American Conservative Union, the oldest members-only conservative organization in the United States.

CPAC FL is being held at the Orange County Convention Center’s South Concourse on Friday, September 23rd from 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., but its impact will be felt across the nation for some time. Numerous speeches, panel discussions and meet-and-greets bookend the matter at hand: a poll to determine the convention’s choice for Republican presidential nominee.

It is all about “celebrating the shared principles of limited government, a strong national defense and traditional values,” according to the website.

With Florida playing such a crucial role in determining the nominee this year – its choice is the earliest barometer of a candidate who can win in a state with a population as large, varied and difficult as Florida – the stakes are high and the bragging rights worth millions in campaign donations.

And with all of the national heavy hitters in town, Florida’s Republican top dogs are taking the opportunity to bathe  in the spotlight as well, with speaking engagements, strategic appearances and home-turf posturing.

Those Sunshine Staters making the rounds include Gov. Rick Scott, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Adam Putnam, State Senate President Mike Haridopolis and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The Presidency 5 event starts tonight and runs through Saturday. The similar political shindig, featuring a debate, straw poll and various discussions, will also take place in and around CPAC. It’s in the same building, in fact. Tonight there will be a debate and Saturday there’s a straw poll.

Presidency 5 is organized by the Republican Party of Florida and the Florida Realtors and is not affiliated in any way with CPAC.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Second Debate Reveals More Mediocrity

Opinion from the desk of Jim Smith

There has been a second debate, Monday, Sept. 12  in Tampa, among the eight candidates who aspire to become the Republican nominee for President of the United States.

After the first debate, I wrote that my prior opinion of all eight candidates was a lesson in mediocrity.

After the first debate, if that’s what you want to call it, I thought perhaps three had some moxie, Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry. All others need not apply.

After the second debate in Tampa, my doubts returned. None deserve consideration. Mediocrity returned. Is this the best Republicans can offer voters?

Is there not one Republicans that has the qualities to run the country? Is there not one who can tackle the huge national problems which confront us in the next decade? Anyone? Republican or Democrat?

None come immediately to mind.

And not surprising, a new poll out this week, Monday, Sept. 19, shows a great majority of respondents select “none of the above” and want more choices. They tell us that these eight candidates primarily are attempting to appeal to the Republican fringe, the Tea Party and those who support them. Yet all of us are watching and listening. Waiting.

From both debates, the same rehashed and worn-beaten-to-death issues survive, which have more pomposity than substance. They give us sound bites, political rhetoric, grandstanding, finger pointing — no solutions, no plans. Oh yes, the candidates all say they have a plan, but as one who has watched political campaigns for 30 years or more, there are no plans, just rhetoric that they exist.

We need a new dialogue on better issues which affect our nation. It does not matter which side brings it forth.

Let’s stop fighting Obama care, and let’s talk about the nation’s overall health instead. With millions of baby boomers each day coming into retirement, and living longer, we need a national health care plan that tackles Alzheimers disease, dementia, cardiology issues of heart attacks and stroke, blood diseases, diabetes and other quality of life illnesses which strike predominately the elderly.

Do any of the candidates talk of these issues? No. Only to defund them.

We need to talk about education. All across our country, in legislature after legislature including Florida, education funding from kindergarten programs to graduate school, is seeing cuts, cuts, cuts. The future of America is in our brains, our resourcefulness, our ability to train people to plan, dream, invent, to compete among emerging nations and economies.

It’s not happening now. Do any of our candidates talk of education, the need to train and retain our youth so they can compete and keep their jobs? No.

With millions of baby boomers coming on line, do our candidates talk about shoring up Social Security, so that it will be there for future generations? Economists say it can be easily fixed with a few adjustments. So why don’t we do it?

Are we falling for the solution offered by Ron Paul? In the debate in Tampa, he said we should do away with Social Security and let the churches handle it. How stupid can you get? Go back to Texas, Dr. Paul, and deliver some babies, something for which you know what you are talking about. Take Rick Perry with you.

On Rick Perry, while his state has record high temperatures, serious drought, and now wildfires, he continues to dismiss global warming as a scientific reality. It’s an international issue which must be addressed along with increasing use of declining energy sources from new worldwide demand. Somebody needs to lead on both these issues.

The candidates need to talk about our declining impact on the world stage due to globalization, the impacts of  the internet, cell phones, and all social engineering technologies we will be dealing with for decades. Let’s talk about engineering, education, science, and technology, a rebirth of civility, and finally, let’s stop pandering to voter’s basic instincts, and lets start doing.

Let’s get going. Let’s get smart about the people we send into elective office – local, state and national. We are a country overrun with mediocre people running our affairs.

Our country is in the doldrums. We have lost our competitive edge, we have allowed other countries to do take over and steal our stuff. We have sent our manufacturing, our jobs along with our best minds, and our industries overseas, and have done nothing about it.

Can any of these Republican candidates fix it?

Don’t count on it.

To paraphrase the first George Bush, we are in deep doo doo.

Jim Smith is a retired newspaper executive who has held news-editorial positions in Orlando and Lakeland. He writes a weekly opinion column for media outlets. Contact him through his email at bainbooknook@yahoo.com, his website at www.jimsopinions.com. 

Illustrations: DonkeyHotey

[Tampa, FL] At yesterday’s Republican presidential candidate debate hosted by Tea Party Express and CNN, all of the focus was on Texas governor Rick Perry, who grabbed the poll position mere weeks after announcing that he would seek the highest office in the land.

He would find out what being in the national spotlight means many times throughout the evening.

Held in Tampa at the Florida State Fairgrounds and featuring eight candidates and an enthusiastic crowd made up of representatives of over 100 Tea Party organizations, the debate was seen as a turning point – and possible last chance to gain ground – for some in the crowded field of presidential hopefuls.

The cast included Perry, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Rep Rick Santorum, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The two-hour debate, hosted by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, was the first of two high profile Republican events in the Sunshine State this month. The other is the CPAC convention taking place at the Orange County Convention Center on Sept. 23.

Having a good showing in Florida is seen as crucial to winning the nomination. Which is why the gloves were off last night, with most of the contenders and also-rans spending their precious prime-time moments attacking … Rick Perry.

Michele Bachmann during Jacksonville campaign stop

In fact, it seemed as if everyone was after Perry. Blitzer used every opportunity to take Perry to task for some of the more outlandish statements he has made, specifically those on Social Security and the Federal Reserve. It is an indication of just how much Perry will influence the race from this point forward.

Perry was challenged to explain his comments describing Social Security as a Ponzi scheme, something he has since backtracked on. His answer was clumsy and his word choice and sentence structure surprisingly unsophisticated for the leader of a state the size of Texas.

“Well, first off, the people who are on Social Security today need to understand something.  Slam-dunk guaranteed, that program is going to be there in place for those.  Those individuals that are moving towards being on Social Security, that program’s going to be there for them when they arrive there.”

Yikes. He continued …

“We’re going to transform it for those in those mid-career ages, but we’re going to fix it so that our young Americans that are going out into the workforce today will know without a doubt that there were some people who came along that didn’t lie to them, that didn’t try to go around the edges and told them the truth.”

So who won the debate? Depends on who you ask, or who’s press release you read. I has to be said that the glow around Perry has somewhat diminished as the reality of a blustery governor perhaps not as educated and polished as the rest on the stage, may not be such a good idea for the country right now.

Former candidate Tim Pawlenty, who has already publicly endorsed Mitt Romney, declared (wait for it) Romney the winner, saying that “His experience working in the real economy was evident tonight. No other candidate has the same knowledge of how jobs are created and what it will take for our economy to grow and for businesses to start hiring again.”

Mitt Romney speaking in Nevada earlier this year

Bachmann press released that she was “the clear leader” at the debate, claiming to be “the only candidate who reflects the values and principles of the conservative movement, asserting her positions on economic growth, social security, healthcare mandates and immigration.”

As the Tea Party’s chosen one, she was smartly playing to her home-court advantage during the debate. Bachmann, who has suffered the most since Perry threw his ten-gallon hat into the ring, tried to gain ground – and probably did – but it may not be enough in a state that shows Romney and Perry nearly even at 24% and Bachmann more than a dozen points behind them.

“I think we can do so much better in this country,” said Bachmann during last night’s opening remarks. “That’s why I’m the chief author of the bill to repeal Dodd Frank, the bill to repeal Obamacare. And that’s why I brought the voice of the Tea Party to the United States Congress as the founder of the Tea Party Caucus,” said Bachmann.

The media has pegged Romney the clear winner, the most polished apple in the GOP’s cart. The Washington Post said that “Romney proved yet again that he is the best debater in this field with another solid performance in which he effectively downplayed his liabilities on health care and accentuated his strengths on jobs and the economy.”

The influential paper gives Romney four victories in four debates. A certain guy from Texas will have something to say about that. And he has. Multiple times since last night’s debate wrapped.

The Perry campaign has gone into overdrive, sending no less than seven emails that either lambaste his opponents, tout his achievements or both. The Mouth has to play simultaneous offense and defense, a tricky proposition for someone accustomed to saying just about anything that comes to mind.

Presidents can’t do that, there is too much at stake if you say the wrong thing. But Perry has made it clear that he doesn’t follow conventional wisdom and that just may be his undoing, leaving the nomination to a battered and bruised Romney when it is all said and done.

One thing for sure is that Perry is in it to win it. Romney and Bachmann need to bring their “A” game as Rick is aiming for a fight, and Florida is the battlefield.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Perry photo by Ed Schipul, Bachmann photo from campaign, Romney photo from campaign

[Naples, FL] Two presidential candidates will be in Naples on Thursday.

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, is expected to fly into Naples late Thursday morning before heading to Pazzo Italian Cafe, 853 Fifth Ave. S., for a private event.

Jon Huntsman, former Utah governor, will also be in town Thursday for a private function at an unknown location.

Read more here.

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