Sep 25, 2011 5:59pm

Mitt Romney, Rick Perry Called ‘Very Weak Frontrunners’

gty rick perry mitt romney debate jt 110925 wblog Mitt Romney, Rick Perry Called Very Weak Frontrunners

(Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

As the Republican presidential lineup takes shape, party elites are increasingly voicing a common theme: disappointment.

“These are very weak frontrunners,” Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard said today on Fox News.

Former Republican Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee declared frontrunner Texas Gov. Rick Perry “not prepared for the pressure of the presidential stage yet.”

Perry entered this weekend’s Florida straw poll heavily favored and with a Texas-sized swagger, saying, “It’s great to be in the state that picks presidents. That’s what Florida does.”

He left humiliated and humbled — a distant second to Herman Caine, the man from Godfather’s Pizza, who netted 37 percent to Perry’s 15 percent.

That followed Perry’s stumbling debate performance and the hammering rivals gave him over his policy of allowing the children of illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at Texas public colleges.

“There may be slicker candidates and there may be smoother debaters but I know what I believe in, and I’m going to stand on that belief every day,” Perry said. ‘I will guide this country with a deep deep rudder.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the frontrunner until Perry entered the race, took third place, struggling to muster the enthusiasm of GOP voters.

“There are a lot of Republicans out there who want the perfect candidate, the candidate that is going to sweep them off their feet, and right now they don’t see that candidate,” ABC political director Amy Walter said.

The point’s not missed by the comedy writers at “Saturday Night Live,” who showed a faux Romney this weekend, saying, “Mitt Romney might not be the perfect candidate, but he’s the perfect candidate in comparison to the other candidates.”

The Republican disarray is so intense that after Perry’s implosion, those close to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie say there is new pressure from party leaders to recruit him to run — although he told ABC’s Diane Sawyer back in April he’s not interested.

Those close to Christie say he’s been besieged by big-name Republicans urging him to run. The sources say he still insists he will not enter the fray.

This week Christie makes fundraising stops in Missouri, California and Louisiana. That’s a lot of time … a long way from New Jersey.

SHOWS:

User Comments

I agree that Rick Perry is a weak “front runner” although I doubt he still has that title. However, Romney isn’t weak and it looks like he gets stronger and stronger as we go along. These “alternate” front runners give Romney the opportunity to showcase his skills and get his message out. I would love to see Romney debate Obama. Obama would get pummeled.

Posted by: dxlh | September 25, 2011, 6:06 pm 6:06 pm

Paul is the only front-runner that can win. Even with the media ignoring him.

Posted by: GaRy | September 25, 2011, 6:52 pm 6:52 pm

Poor Herman Caine. He wins 2 to 1 and the media still can’t bring themselves to talk about him. I like Herman Caine. Put him on the spot. Let’s see what he is made of. I don’t think he needs the sympathy vote and the cream puff questions.

Posted by: Don H | September 25, 2011, 7:20 pm 7:20 pm

Rick Perry is showing what America needs!

Not a Speech Reader.

A True American. (Yes With a Heart!)

Facts: January 2008 = The start of the E-verify Law, and the Hitler like I.C.E. Deportation/Incarceration Programs, of America’s Hardest, most Devoted Human Workers, even away from their Legal Citizen Children/Families!

January 2008 Also = “the start of the Worst Recession in U.S. History!”

This is No Co incidence!

Tens of thousands of Immigrants vacated dwellings caused the “Foreclosure Crisis”, and caused entire States like Arizona, California, Florida, Ect. to become overbuilt, completely halting all private sector construction/Growth, which in turn cost millions of Americans their construction related jobs.
This also left these now vacated States with matching excesses of Government Services, and State Budget Deficits.

The Federal Government ‘s “Bailing” of these Excesses of Government is what “We the People” now call our new National Deficit.

Please enjoy all Hate Filled Persons.

A very wise 1840′s French Historian said:
“America is great because it is good, when it ceases to be good, it ceases to be great.”
Alex De Tocqueville

Fix America’s Economy?

Realize what really Broke it.

The “Hard Labor” Immigrants proudly did “For” America was the Foundation of our Strong Economy, and it Supported All other American Jobs!

We are trying to “Jump Start” a car that is still stuck in the I.C.E.’d ditch it slid into at the start of the I.C.E. Program in January 2008!

To: Good, and Brotherhood, may my Country once again be Good?

Posted by: DavidNichols | September 25, 2011, 7:47 pm 7:47 pm

Of course they’re weak, their Republicans. What do you expect the MSM to say.

Posted by: andy | September 25, 2011, 7:58 pm 7:58 pm

Romney’s the candidate regardless of his record or lack of Tea Party support. He will win the nomination, then he will win the general election simply because he’s the right man at the right time. It’s still the economy, stupid. Romney will take Obama to school in the debates. You can lock it up.

Posted by: Woody | September 25, 2011, 8:06 pm 8:06 pm

“Mitt Romney, Rick Perry Called ‘Very Weak Frontrunners’” This is news to anyone?

I am surprised that a neocon like Kristol is so disappointed. Both Romney and Perry favor bigger government and endless wars, just like Kristol’s newsletter the Weekly Standard.

Posted by: Jay | September 25, 2011, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm

These “alternate” front runners give Romney the opportunity to showcase his skills and get his
message out. I would love to see Romney debate Obama. Obama would get pummeled.
POSTED BY: DXLH******** Not so fast, they haven’t even touched his weak points, which are quite
a few. He is a flip flop on a majority of issues and once he gets distracted, he develops OCD
characteristics, something the Obama would hone in on quickly and deadly. Right now they
all sound like 3rd graders, telling us something we all know, using fancy catch phases. Pathetic!

Posted by: michael | September 25, 2011, 8:17 pm 8:17 pm

At the last debate Herman Cain and Gary Johnson made great strides why ABC
does not care to admit it is there problem. Romney was okay, but Perry did not come
off very well. ABC should report that polling right now shows Romney beating Obama. And early next month when the jobs report comes out Obama’s numbers
will tumble some more.

Posted by: deadwrestler | September 25, 2011, 8:18 pm 8:18 pm

The republican candidates, and I must say all of them including Romney and Perry scare me to death and should scare all Americans. They are a no caring, death to the old and poor, scary bunch of American haters. PLEASE BEWARE, if you elect one of these clowns, the worst is yet to come and I’m a republican myself. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Posted by: Steve | September 25, 2011, 8:21 pm 8:21 pm

This author is incredibly condescending towards Mr Herman Cain…. First you misspell his name, second just say he is just a guy from a pizza joint…. Excuse me, he has been a very successful CEO in the private sector, something that nobody else in the field can say… Sorry, your buddy Mitt has never managed a business, only threw money at ideas, not done any of the leg work.

The condescending tone that Cain only won the straw poll because Perry and Romney are weak, but did it ever occur to you that Mr Cain is resonating with the voters?

Posted by: Corey | September 25, 2011, 8:27 pm 8:27 pm

More State-run Media nonsense. Mitt’s a class act.

Posted by: doggman | September 25, 2011, 8:32 pm 8:32 pm

Steve here is no republican. He has his Obama bumper sticker all primped on his Prius.

A republican wouldn’t advocate a government stomping on personal responsibility and an individuals right to help themselves.

You see Steve the above comment believes Americans are too stupid to make decision for themselves, and must have government there to wake us up in the morning to clean steves diaper after he goes boom boom.

Only a liberal can think government should solve every last problem, even with the atrocious record of inefficiency and massive cost over runs. What makes it’s worse, he votes for politicians that will give him everything by stealing it from me or by stomping on my RIGHT to solve my own problems.

See Steve here is still a child deep down and needs someone of authority to control his every move and thought process in fear of making a mistake. People like this vote for corrupt, power hungry control freaks.

You have two choices next year… The party of welfare and foodstamps (Obama) or the party of pay checks (Herman Cain)

Posted by: Corey | September 25, 2011, 8:35 pm 8:35 pm

Americans should have all they need to know about Obama and his New World Order policies and desire for so-called European Democracy. His policies are proving to be disastrous for this country. They do not reflect American values. Please do not vote for Obama, and I”M A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT!!!!

Posted by: s | September 25, 2011, 8:35 pm 8:35 pm

Who’s calling them `weak’ and why aren’t *they* running? Its easy to be an armchair quarterback.

Posted by: Paul | September 25, 2011, 8:46 pm 8:46 pm

You know it’s still over a year away and it’s a little soon for the Pea Brains in the press to be writing anyone off. They were completely wrong about Obama and what kind of man he is. Do we want to listen to any advice they might have now about anyone??? Not me for one.

Posted by: Kala | September 25, 2011, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm

I think Perry, Romney or Cain will do a great job so I’ll be pleased with any of the three just as long as we get the current fat headed self centered jackass out of office!

Posted by: Doodlebugs | September 25, 2011, 8:54 pm 8:54 pm

Perry and Romney and most of the polititians are Bilderberg members or attendees. Obama and most of his cabinet are Bilderbergers. Google a polititians name followed by Bilderberger, Council on Foreign Relations or Tri-lateral Commission. No wonder nothing changes for the better.

Posted by: socialchange | September 25, 2011, 8:55 pm 8:55 pm

Perry’s weak; Romney’s strong. But, hey, have it your way and consider them both weak: Obama’s weaker.

Posted by: Declan | September 25, 2011, 9:14 pm 9:14 pm

It’s Ron Paul or Bust!!! The only way to defeat 1984 is 1776. You have to think past the sound bytes in order to understand some of Ron Paul’s more “controversial statements”. It’s like the difference between playing chess with someone who is only thinking about the next move verses someone who is thinking four or five moves deep. Ron Paul + US Constitution will put America back on a course that the founding fathers would be proud of!!!!

Posted by: Dave | September 25, 2011, 9:16 pm 9:16 pm

Perry and Romney placed a distant second to Paul in California last week and no one made a fuss about it. Caine was nowhere to be seen there. Obama is so much weaker, it wouldn’t make any difference anyway if Perry lost all the debates unless he says something the American people don’t like. The party itself lost face in the question about educating children, I’m sure, not Perry.

Posted by: be serious | September 25, 2011, 9:37 pm 9:37 pm

The party itself lost face in the question about educating children. —– Actually, the party is invigorated by denouncing the indoctrination of our children into the liberal/communist thinking that socialized education provides. Off with their heads!!

Posted by: Dave | September 25, 2011, 9:47 pm 9:47 pm

Dave | September 25, 2011, 9:47 pm:

“Actually, the party is invigorated by denouncing the indoctrination of our children into the liberal/communist thinking that socialized education provides.”
=====================================================
Hmmmm… you mean like that socialized education program that Republicans introduced 10 years ago, i.e., “No Child Left Behind”?

I can tell that your a product of that program, except that you were one of those that got “left behind”.

LOL!

Posted by: Georgie_Bushie | September 25, 2011, 10:51 pm 10:51 pm

MUNSTER42 | September 25, 2011, 10:38 PM:

“Obama assumed the air of a media star and that is what motivated the voters to elect him.”
===================================================
LOL! ….. Oh, I don’t know. It was an additional $4.9 trillion in debt, coming from a so-called ‘fiscal conservative’ (LOL!) Republican named G.W. Bush that led me to vote for Obama…had nothing to do with this “media star air” that you talk about.

In fact, after ‘fiscal conservative’ (LOL!) Republican Reagan jumped us up from his predecessors’ debt increases of approximately “300 billion per president” (Carter’s increase to the debt was $280 billion), to debt increases of “2 trillion per president” (Reagan’s added debt equaled $1.7 trillion), and then so-called ‘fiscal conservative’ (LOL!) Republican Bush-2 brought us up from the “2 trillion per president” Reagan standard, to his new standard of “$5 Trillion per president”…. I’m sort of afraid to vote for another so-called ‘fiscal conservative’ Republican now… LOL!… the next one might bring us up to a new standard of “$20 trillion per president”.

…hehehehehe!

Posted by: Forrest Gump is a Republican | September 25, 2011, 11:05 pm 11:05 pm

ABCNEWS and the rest of the media make me laugh. Mitt Romney, Rick Perry Called ‘Very Weak Frontrunners’ of course these are the people the media picked to succeed Obama not the people nominated by the GOP or the people the voters have any stake in. Its still way too early to tell. The qualified people who really have answers or plans like Dr. Ron Paul are barely even mentioned.

Posted by: Paulie | September 25, 2011, 11:06 pm 11:06 pm

The 2012 race is tailor-made for the libertarians, should they nominate a candidate that is both libertarian and capable of articulating libertarian positions in a nonthreatening way.

However, from the communiques I receive from the LP, I doubt this will happen. Too bad.

Posted by: Renard | September 25, 2011, 11:13 pm 11:13 pm

Perry is highly flawed and ill-equipped for the bigtime. It seems though that Romney is still rolling along. The Republican nomination and the presidency is Romney’s to lose. I would prefer a Dem, but if Obama remains the nominee I can’t in good conscience vote to leave him at the hlm for another 4 years. American has already lost 11 years – we desperately need to get back on track.

Posted by: hopesprings52 | September 25, 2011, 11:42 pm 11:42 pm

The 2012 race is tailor-made for the libertarians—- I’m sorry but the whole “Just do nothing, it will all work out, every man for himself” idealized utopia that is Libertarian is just so childish, so ridiculous in a nation with a population density as large as ours, with such huge masses of needs, food, safety, engery needs, infrastructure. I mean, it’s so niave (to be kind) to imagine that anyone can play Daniel Boon or Smith Family Robinson in today’s world! Where is your food going to come from? Most likely, HUGE mega farms, that if they have bacterial infections, will wipe out huge swaths of the populatoin, mostly children who are most vulnerable to poisons and bacterias. Medicines, education. We have 300 million people and the unemployment rate of college grads is 4%. In some place, with large uneducated populace, the unemployment rate is 17%!!!!! How do poor people educate their children and go to college???? It is in EVERYONE”S best interest for more kids to get a college, be able to support themselves WHILE being able to pay some taxes to pay back what they cost to raise, the roads they drive on, the food that is protected by the FDA, the medicines monitored, the police force and army that protects them. I’m real sorry you are living in a society, but grow up for God’s sake!!! We have way too many people for this “Everyone do your own thing, it will all work out” theory. Do you realize that as little as 6 banks in this country hold over 70% of ALL our wealth????? what happens if just six banks screw around with derivatives again and let their asset to liability ratios sink again?????? vast Depression! WE NEED regulations when so few have SO much power, over our monetary system, our trade, our food, our medicine, etc. It’s not about NOT managing this stuff, it’s about managing it BETTER. NOT managing it would only make matters MUCH MUCH MUCH worse.

Posted by: Johnnyboy | September 26, 2011, 12:04 am 12:04 am

January 2008 Also = “the start of the Worst Recession in U.S. History!”

—- When did the recession start?

Posted by: overandover | September 26, 2011, 12:30 am 12:30 am

Rick Perry started out ahead in the polls because voters weren’t satisfied with the candidates we had. Now we’re back to square one. Cain has some good ideas for the economy but he needs to study some on other issues. Ron Paul has a good knowledge of all the issues and favorable positions on most issues. I would like to see a Paul – Cain ticket. That would give Cain a few years to get up to speed on all the issues before he runs for the White House again. …. Paul wants to close our military bases on foreign soil. How much money would that save us every month?

Posted by: oonogil | September 26, 2011, 12:30 am 12:30 am

Paul wants to close our military bases on foreign soil. How much money would that save us every month?
– Wish we could do that, but you know that will NEVER happen no matter what Ron Paul wants or if he is President.

Posted by: overandover | September 26, 2011, 12:39 am 12:39 am

Paul has a good knowledge of all the issues—his views are INFANTILE. He’s an imbecile. Close the depart of education. Lovely. Genius. The unemployment rate for college educated is 4%. At a time when we have TOO MUCH uneducated labor in this country, to which there are NO JOBS and will NOT BE, he wants to gutt education. States that make educaiton a PRIORITY, have FABULOUS public education. There is a REASON that Mass has LOWER unemployment than Texas…..a better educated populace. And the jobs in mass are VERY high paying and all have full benefits, dental, gym memberships. Two interesting points come out today (1) mass has the highest number of citizens under full health coverage (2) mass has the highest number of gym memberships in the country (3) mass has lower unemployment than Texas (4) Texas has the WORST level of uninsured IN THE COUNTRY, bar none, 25% of their populace is uninsured. Doctors were interviewed who had kids dying, DYING because of ear infections!!! that went into their brains. That has childhood cancers that were never caught, they die of the flu, of pneumonia, they have the biggest infant mortality rate in the country. When you say “just let people sink or swim” a HUGE swath WILL DIE. period. Children, Innocent children who just happen to be born into poverty will suffer and die . Their only way out is education, and grants, and scholarships and GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS!!! If you can’t educate them well in public schools they have NO SHOT of ever escaping their poverty. It can be done. it IS done, VERY WELL in northern states. Mass has the best schools, best educated kids, best SATs scores in the country, Texas has the near worse. With all their money, they just let the poor suffer, die and have no way out. IT is a SIN!!!! Christ would NEVER say “oh that’s fine. Let the children of the poor suffer and die”. The right wing needs to take a serious look at their LACK OF SOUL and their naivete that Libertarian idiocy is nothing more than just trying to justify that you’re really a heartless selfish ^(&(*&(*&.

Posted by: whoopstheydiditagain | September 26, 2011, 1:17 am 1:17 am

I can assure you neither Romney nor Perry will spend us into oblivion. 4.1 billion a day…500 million down the tubes with Solyndra…no budget, even with a super majority. Raising taxes without major cuts in spending will be of no help because if you give them more money, they will just squander it.
Most people I know…both democrats and independents… are for Romney. They feel he has the best chance to get us out of this mess.

Posted by: Mrs YD | September 26, 2011, 1:18 am 1:18 am

Solyndra went bankrupt. The gov’t was the largest investor and now, pretty much, owns the company and it’s assets – which include a state of the art robotic manufacturing facility. We should figure that either Solyndra’s payments will be renegotiated or the gov’t will take over that nice new facility. Not really a political issue in my opinion, just a bit embarrassing. Let’s move on to something real.

Posted by: RSchure | September 26, 2011, 1:54 am 1:54 am

Sure Romney and Perry are weak “frontrunners”. That’s why the corporate-controlled media keeps pushing them into the public’s attention. That’s it, pay no attention to independent thinker and champion of liberty Ron Paul. He may have the only solution to our budget and diplomatic problems: get the heck out of other countries’ business, but that policy would be a disaster to the blood-soaked military-industrial complex. They really want a weak Republican so their “boy” Barack Obama can continue to play the game their way: more debt, more drone strikes, more surveillance…

Posted by: futhark | September 26, 2011, 3:57 am 3:57 am

All of this Christie nonsense needs to stop. The man is obese and possibly morbidly obese and I don’t think he is healthy enough for the pressures of the presidency. Romney is the only option…and he is more than capable.

Posted by: Lex | September 26, 2011, 4:40 am 4:40 am

“Government is not the solution. They are the problem.” – Ronald Reagan. Ron Paul has voted and stuck to his guns over the past 30 years. No other politician can say that in washington DC. He believes that free markets can run things better than the government and I agree. Education was much better before Lyndon Johnson created the department of education. Ron Paul believes in a great education, but one that the states have control over, not the federal government! And what does the department of Energy do? They have done a great job solving our oil dependency problems when they were created in the 70s.

There should be a separation between economy and state similar to church and state. Yes, there were problems when we first did this a few hundred years ago with church and state, but let things work out and you will have a much healthier system in the long run.

It is in human nature to take advantage of the situation. People are getting food stamps and other entitlements which discourage the natural tendency to try to find a job and make ends meet by doing something constructive. There are plenty of jobs out there, but they may not be as attractive as a few years ago. Let the market handle these things. Let the banks go bankrupt. Let things work themselves out naturally. No government intervention! It is MUCH MUCH worse than trying to let “the smart people” try to solve all our problems for us.

I believe I should have the right to not choose health care if I don’t want it and others should have that right also. This is america for gods sake! Our founders built this country with freedom at it’s core. We are broke! and our biggest security risk as reported by the Pentagon is our economy. Bush/Obama types have run this country into the ground for the past 12 years. Give Ron Paul, someone who is supported by more military than any other candidate and will immediately bring home all our troops fighting wars HOME!

Posted by: Tom | September 26, 2011, 6:25 am 6:25 am

Caine wins by a 2:1 margin and the story goes to Christie, who has previously made it clear he is not running? Why is there no story about Caine?
Are you reporting or manipulating?
How about more journalism and less slanting.

Posted by: Paul S. | September 26, 2011, 6:41 am 6:41 am

Even a “weak” Republican candidate is more attractive than our current “Disaster” and Chief! Based on his continued “failed” policies he is making anyone attractive!

Posted by: Voice_Reason | September 26, 2011, 6:57 am 6:57 am

Herman Cain IS the best hope for the USA at this point in history. He could reunite the races, return to the best parts of America’s values, and his presence alone would give our economy a quick boost. Can the Republicans see this? Can America understand this? Cain is everything Obama is not. He is a self-made man with a world of leadership and business experience. He is a down-to-earth person who does not rely on condescension, nuance, or flowery speech to impress the listeners. Oh. And Herman Cain is ALL black AND all-American!

Posted by: n'erdowell | September 26, 2011, 7:11 am 7:11 am

I would like to see the media put some attention toward Herman Cane..
I believe that’s what Florida wants….

Posted by: Cachuw | September 26, 2011, 7:14 am 7:14 am

Get on the Cain Train that’s all I have to say!!!

Posted by: Rebecca | September 26, 2011, 9:24 am 9:24 am

Get on the Cain Train that’s all I have to say!!!
Posted by: Rebecca | September 26, 2011, 9:24 am

LOL! Next stop: No-wheres-ville………..

Posted by: Searambler | September 26, 2011, 11:32 am 11:32 am

@ DAVIDNICHOLS ===========Rick Perry is showing what America needs!================ Yes, he is indeed. NO REPUBLICAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!! WHAT A SORRY BUNCH THE GOP HAS UP FOR THE TOP SPOT!!! …. A HOMOPHOBE, A MURDERER, A LIAR, ETC., ETC. THE REPUBLICANS WILL TEAR WHAT IS LEFT OF THIS COUNTRY TO SHREDS AND THE AMERICAN CITIZENS WILL BE SLEEPING IN THE STREET! I DON’T TAKE THESE PEOPLE SERIOUSLY… I’M SURE A LOT OF OTHER AMERICANS FEEL THE SAME.

Posted by: Lorrie | September 26, 2011, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm

It is so clear that the ONLY person who can come in at this late date, court and win over enough Republicans AND independents to beat Obama, and lead this country in the right direction is right unerneath the noses of the FOX pundits who continue to ignore him…..Maybe the pundits can’t see it but the American people can and for once, we would like the chance to elect our guy…Governor Huckabee are you listening???? We need you now….won’t you reconsider???

Posted by: Linda | September 26, 2011, 4:31 pm 4:31 pm

Yes, they are both weak front-runners and will out glare each other while “smiling and grinning”! Perry cratered and burned on stage Thursday as the TEA sponsored gang-bang on Obama whipped the crowd to a frenzy! With gridlock and stalemate in DC and the TEA party lunatic fringe running the Congress there is no wonder nothing nothing has been accomplished! Stock in Rick Perry is like throwing Gasoline on an open fire! Romney on the other hand seemed better prepared but he still cannot rise to the occasion, especially after Cain trounced both Rick and Mitt! Thursday night’s high-flying crash gave rise to Perry’s “Deer in the headlight’s” look which was “Priceless”!

Posted by: Rudy Gonzales | September 26, 2011, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm

Ron Paul polls consistently in a dead heat with President Obama (Rasmussen, Gallup, CNN, Rasmussen).

He consistently places in the top three in major Republican Primary polls.

He is number two in fundraising and number one for individual donations.

He has more military donations than all other GOP candidates combined, as well as President Obama.

He is a twelve-term Congressman and has spent his entire career defending the Constitution.

He is the only candidate to accurately predict the housing bubble, economic crises and the devaluation of the dollar.

He is the ONLY choice!

Posted by: Anonymous | September 27, 2011, 11:45 pm 11:45 pm

Leave a Reply

Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.