Tonight's GOP debate: 5 things to watch

CBS

It's being billed as the first major Republican debate, with two front runners with very different styles going head-to-head -- and a third contender struggling to keep her footing. So when you're getting out the popcorn and heading for the couch to watch the Big Event, here are five things to be on the lookout for:

1. America, meet Rick Perry. It's already a clich? to say "all eyes will be on Perry tonight," but in this case (well in most cases) the clich? is true. As we like to say in Alabama, folks will be taking the measure of the man. This is his debut on a national stage. But don't expect a razzle-dazzle offense or heroics in the end zone, which we don't expect from Texas A&M, Perry's alma mater, anyway. All he needs to do is hang onto the ball and deliver a solid performance.

His advisers are saying they see this as a chance to introduce him to the nation, and they're planning to save the punches for subsequent debates. They're also are trying to lower expectations by insisting Perry doesn't enjoy debating, hasn't participated in many debates and that it's not a natural forum for him. That's a good political strategy, since short of a complete offensive and defensive breakdown, he will clear that low bar.

GOP presidential battle enters crucial period

2. Will Mitt Romney engage? The day after introducing his economic plan, with mixed reviews, the former front-runner needs to make the case tonight that he is the best-qualified candidate to create jobs -- and be believable. He has to get off the economics lectures and convince voters he is working for THEM, not corporate America--that he understands Big Business, but isn't in its back pocket.

That's historically a problem for Republicans who push for more a favorable business environment as a way to create jobs -- an approach that's a heck of a lot harder to sell than stimulus plans, spending packages and construction projects favored by Democrats. Can Romney make his case and find some kind of connection with voters? And will Perry and Jon Huntsman try to throw him off by continuing to bash his record in Massachusetts? Probably not in Perry's case, but look for Huntsman to continue his attacks (assuming his just-announced sinus infection isn't debilitating), as he courts adoring media coverage to get his poll numbers above 1 percent.

Obama, Romney jobs plans reveal deep philosophical divide
Romney's Rick Perry problem

3. Conventional wisdom that Perry has the most to lose tonight is wrong. With Perry's advisers craftily setting a low bar, he should be able to meet or surpass expectations. You could instead argue that it's Michele Bachmann who has the most to lose. If she doesn't have a strong performance tonight, she's in trouble. She's seen her support plummet since Perry got in the race, and with this week's shake up in her campaign, she has to show she still belongs in the top tier.

How will she carve out space in a race that her former campaign manager Ed Rollins already has said is a two-person, Perry-Romney matchup? She needs to demonstrate that tonight. But I'm told not to expect her to attack the man who's stealing her support.

Patrick Semansky

4. So if Romney and Bachmann don't go after Perry, who will? Or will anyone? My money is on Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. Both already are calling into question his conservative credentials. And Santorum just told me, in a long chat before he was heading to the Reagan Library, that "there's a lot there" to attack -- and that he intends to do it tonight (assuming he can get a word in from his expected post "at the end of the stage"). He then proceeded to tick off so many issues I had trouble keeping up: Excess spending in Texas. Immigration policy. The HPV vaccine for teens.

And don't even get Santorum started about Perry's prior support for Jimmy Carter and Al Gore. "Who is this guy?" Santorum asked of Perry. "He's not a Reagan Republican." In fact, Santorum said, Perry only became a Republican because he felt the political climate shifting to the Right.

As for Ron Paul, he has said flatly that Perry isn't a conservative--and if he and Santorum pursue that tonight, this debate could be fun--especially if Perry decides to shoots back.

5. Will immigration emerge as an issue? This is an area where Rick Perry is vulnerable with the base and is perhaps the best way for other conservatives to discredit him. His opposition to the border fence and his insistence that the children of illegal immigrants get in-state tuition may play well in the general (and with a key demographic), but it could give him problems in the primary. As one Republican strategist told me, look for opponents to frame the issue of immigration as both a burden on government spending AND on economic growth--so that without a proper solution, turning the economy around will be even more difficult.

CBSNews.com special report: Election 2012

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On the trail in Iowa, N.H. and beyond

[PWinPhotos]

The Vice President Town hall is Not Productive.... because the mediator stinks, She is not keeping to the rules, and They keep talking over each other....As well as the mediator... At this Point, I want to focus on the Presidential Canidates. And the moderator keeps changing the questions, and interupting! This is worst Debate I have ever watched.

Peace
P.win

zen

[2012RBD]

During the Debate I think that we as a people need to consider these candidates carefully,
1. Newt has too many ties to many lobbyist and owes to many favors so he should be out.

2. Ron Paul stated that he doesn't really care one way or other so he is out

3. Romney has too many issues and just does not seem to really connect with Mid-Lower class people, so he is out

4. Rick Santourm seems to be the only candidate that is not getting involved with the petty feud with Newt and Mitt and at least appears to have some kind of handle on things.

Also on the banking issue that the government bailed out the banks and absolved them of debt, but the banks never passed on the same "Bail out" to the the individual people - home owners who lost thousands and can't have the loses acknowledged or mortgages refinanced at the loss value.

This GOP debate is really showing how disconnected the party really is from the people.

[whoisgaryjohnson]

How do you think former two term Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson feels? He was the first Republican to announce his candidacy.

The statuos quo media supports the statuos quo candidates to give you more of the same results.

[bajajohn1]

All the Republican candidates are losers.

[trippotomus]

Reading the comments here would lead one to think the only people even remotely interested in the Republican debates are interested in Ron Paul.

[Resin-Smoker]

The raw self interest and social elitism these three exude is sickening. How these candidates supposedly represent the American public is what I'd like to know.

[Decim4t3]

Yeah, I'm wondering what happened to Ron Paul being mentioned here. I mean I know he got garbage questions, but someone whose ballot support has been ON THE RISE, sticks to his guns as a conservative, and supports the Constitution and freedom really should be mentioned. Mainstream media, WHY ARE YOU IGNORING A VIABLE CANDIDATE IN FAVOR OF MORE OF THE SAME? Romney and Perry are essentially the same guy - moral conservatives that would legislate away other peoples' rights (Ron Paul is a more conservative, but understands that you can't legislate human rights) and military interventionists whose imperialistic stance is at odds with solving our economic problems, despite what they say is the solution.

[Ikari2015]

Ron Paul 2012 or kiss america good bye.

[cbs5091]

Isn't Ron Paul in the debate? I don't see his picture on this silly website. Oh it's not a real news site. You must think I'm too stupid to make up my own mind, so you're going to do it for me. Good luck with that.

[IndianRiverMan]

Go RON PAUL!!! Ignored by the lame-stream media but getting recognition via internet and those who really look deeply for SOLUTIONS to US ills...