The GOP field gathered again tonight for another debate - this time at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. In reality, this was a debate between two candidates: Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. The other candidates helped to illuminate the factions within the GOP today but Romney and Perry are clearly, at this point, the front runners.
All things being equal, it seems almost obvious at this point that barring a personal scandal of some sort that Perry will be the GOP's nominee in 2012. But plenty of front-runners have faltered... Still, he would be the most far-right, extremest nominee in U.S. history. Perhaps he would be the only major party nominee who has threatened to succeed from the union.
None of the candidates could provide an answer for how to fix the economy. In fact, they all endorsed the basic economic philosophy of George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, which led to massive deficits and increased poverty.
It is, of course, disheartening to hear the candidates bash President Obama's health care reform efforts, which will expand health care to over 30 million Americans. Perry presides over a state in which 25% of the people have no coverage and yet he could offer no real ideas for how to resolve the problem. Under President Obama, Texans won't be forgotten. Health care reform has been strongly supported by religious leaders.
It was also frustrating to hear the GOP field play politics with the issue of immigration reform. Their answer for how to solve the problem: do nothing. The American people strongly support President Obama's immigration reform plans - even the conservative Southern Baptist Convention has endorsed the president's plans - and we're all tired of politicians trying to divide people along regional, cultural and racial lines.
Perry is one of those politicians who preach a "pro-life" platform but abandon children at birth. "Facing a $27 billion budget deficit this year, Perry decided to gut child support services, despite a report from the Center for Public Policy Priorities that found nearly one in four Texas children lived beneath the poverty line," notes Think Progress.
The Texas governor also tonight defended his belief that Social Security never should have been implemented. He called the program a "monstrous lie" that he would transition away from. To do so would leave the elderly once again at the whim of the markets and trapped in poverty - as they were before the New Deal.
Even Romney found fault with Perry over Social Security. But with Romney - who was for universal health care before he was against it - it is unclear what his core principles are.
