GOP Set For Fla. Presidential Debate
ORLANDO (CBSMiami.com) – After spending Wednesday in Miami, 2012 Republican presidential front-runners Mitt Romney and Texas Governor Rick Perry will travel north to Orlando Thursday, site of a debate between all of the presidential hopefuls.
Romney held a town hall meeting Wednesday in Miami where he focused part of his talk on Social Security. The nearly 80-year-old program that has helped generations of Americans has recently become the cause du jour for the GOP.
Romney spent much of Wednesday telling Miamians that he wants to protect Social Security in the way former President Ronald Reagan did in the 1980's working in conjunction with Democrats in Congress.
Perry has written a book where he called Social Security a "Ponzi scheme" and that states could better handle the program than that federal government.
Focusing on states is a popular theme for Perry who has threatened to secede Texas from the union and advocates a minimal role for the federal government.
Perry has also said Romney's acting like a democrat for in Perry's words "trying to scare seniors" with talk of Perry wanting to fundamentally change Social Security.
Perry has become the punching bag of the GOP candidates since he entered into the race. Perry initially saw a jump to the lead in the polling when he entered the race. But even though he continues to lead the polls, Romney has been closing on him.
In head-to-head polls, the only GOP candidate who is polling tied or better than President Barack Obama is Romney.
That has put Perry on the offensive targeting Romney's record as governor of Massachusetts. Perry has targeted Romney's job creation record and his health care plan that helped provide insurance to the uninsured.
Perry has called it "Romneycare" to play off the term "Obamacare," which the GOP labeled the health care law passed by Congress in 2010.
The Thursday night debate will have fireworks between the candidates, but most of the pundits will be watching the interaction between Perry and Romney due to their front-runner status.
Other candidates set to appear at the debate sponsored by Fox News and Google include; Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Jon Huntsman, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.
The debate will start at 9 p.m.
