Debate discord worries GOP

Some Republicans complained of a hangover Wednesday, the lingering effects of a combative presidential debate here in Las Vegas that they worried could hurt the GOP's chances of winning the White House in 2012.

And they wondered, just how long might this headache last?

The smackdown between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry and the pile-up on Herman Cain over his economic plan were the buzz Wednesday in the halls of the Western Republican Leadership Conference, a four-day meeting at The Venetian that kicked off with the CNN debate.

June Downum of Valley Springs, Calif., got up early to hear Texas Gov. Perry speak to the party faithful in the Venetian Showroom, where put-down comic Joan Rivers opens tonight. Downum and her friends, all Cain supporters, shook their heads and crossed their arms in disapproval at Perry's personal attack against Romney on illegal immigration and his dismissal of Cain's 9-9-9 economic plan.

The Republican women also thought Romney's behavior unbecoming as he appeared to lose his cool with Perry. The two contenders interrupted and talked over one another several times.

"They knocked themselves off the platform with this bickering," Downum said. "I wouldn't vote for Romney or Perry after that."

Her friend Margie Handley of Willits, Calif., said she began to like Cain with the first GOP presidential debate and that he had grown on her and other Republicans, rising to the top of polls with Romney.

"He's different than the rest. He's not your typical politician," Hadley said, adding, "I just don't like all that fighting."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, another candidate in the CNN debate, echoed the rank-and-file Republicans' concern when he addressed about 200 people an hour after Perry. He decried the negative tone of the debate, saying such open warfare could hurt Republicans.

"I think we have to get away from the bickering," Gingrich said, repeating what he told the CNN audience at the end of the two-hour event. "The bickering does not help the Republican Party."

Frank Luntz, a noted GOP pollster, agreed, warning the conference that if Republican hopefuls continue to beat up one another in debates and in negative ads, President Barack Obama will win re-election.

"What happened last night was horrific," said Luntz, telling the Republicans they should ask a question of each contender: "Do you really think you're helping your cause by destroying someone else?"

Ryan Erwin, a Nevada adviser to Romney, said the reality is that debates are supposed to be sharp as candidates battle to win the GOP nomination with the strongest one emerging to face Obama.

"It always gets rough," Erwin said. "Debates are rough. I think you'll see people trying to get attention by getting more aggressive."

In 2008, Obama and Hillary Clinton competed fiercely in Nevada and nationwide for the Democratic nomination, and their debates got testy, too. In the end, Clinton campaigned for nominee Obama as the party came together to defeat the GOP nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Now, the loyal Clinton is secretary of state.

Sharon Day, co-chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said she expects the same thing to happen in the GOP field once a nominee is chosen. Until then, the gloves are off.

"It's hard on the rank and file, but primaries make better candidates," Day said. "It's kind of like it's hard on families when they fight. But when it's over, I can guarantee that every one on that stage will be united behind our candidate."

The Democratic National Committee, however, is already using some debate footage to highlight GOP candidates' infighting, flip-flopping, misstatements and anything else that might make a good campaign commercial in the general election.

On Wednesday, the DNC released a YouTube video titled "Did Mitt Forget" to highlight his answers on immigration, health care and housing.

Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and considered the man to beat in the GOP race, was the main target during the debate. In the most combative encounter, Perry said Romney had no right to criticize the Texas governor on illegal immigration when Romney had hired illegal workers. Romney denied it at first, but when Perry persisted, acknowledged that a few years ago he hired a lawn company that had illegal workers and eventually let them go.

The Perry campaign was pleased with his feisty performance after he had turned in four lackluster debates that had cost him support in the polls.

Afterward, GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval, who has endorsed Perry, said his new energy on the stage made it clear it was a two-man race with Romney.

Don't tell that to Cain supporters.

Downum and Handley, the two GOP women who back Cain, were among about 150 Republicans who attended Perry's 15-minute day-after speech. The Texas governor revealed he would introduce an economic plan next week that will include a flat tax -- or one rate for everybody. Perry didn't release details, but the move appears designed to answer Cain's simple idea to set a 9 percent rate for taxes on personal income, corporations and sales.

Nearly all of Cain's GOP opponents who shared the stage with him Tuesday night took a poke at his plan, saying it would hurt the poor and the middle class and help the rich get richer.

Cain, who addressed the GOP conference Wednesday afternoon in the same room as Perry had that morning, laughed off the attacks and seemed to revel in the attention. He got the crowd -- nearly 500 people, or three times Perry's audience -- to chant 9-9-9 to promote his plan.

"Oh, I love you all. I love you all," Cain told the crowd, which gave him a standing ovation when he had finished. "The American people get it."

The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza said he had become a "bull's-eye" for Romney, Perry and a half a dozen other GOP contenders because he has able to communicate his ideas better.

"It's driving them crazy that the public is catching on to it," he said, laughing. "The lobbyists don't want this to pass. The politicians don't want this to pass. The people inside the beltway don't want it to pass. But I get a strange feeling the American people want 9-9-9 to pass when I get to Washington, D.C."

Contact reporter Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919.