Other Candidates May Target Romney in Debate

The Republican candidates opposing front-runner Mitt Romney for the presidency haven’t been shy about attacking him on the campaign trail — mainly for his flip-flops on the issues and the healthcare reform he implemented as governor of Massachusetts. But attacks on Romney have been few and far between in the candidate debates that have been held so far, Politico reports.

That may change Tuesday night. “From here on out, people realize that you’re fighting for that second spot, but the way you get that spot is by beating him,” ace GOP strategist Ed Rollins told Politico.

“Beating up Obama has got them all so far, and at this point in time they have to chop up the front-runner,” said Rollins, the former campaign manager for Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Of course, even the one debate attack against Romney that carried some sting proved to be a double-edged sword. Texas Gov. Rick Perry put Romney on the defensive for hiring undocumented immigrants at his home. But spectators cheered on Romney as he defended himself.

Attacks risk backfiring on the attacker. “An overly aggressive approach toward opponents has not been successful this year,” Steve Grubbs, Herman Cain’s campaign chairman in Iowa, told Politico. “One of the great stories that’s being missed this cycle is that Americans are very tired of negative campaigns.”