MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – A slightly smaller field of Republican presidential candidates, with little time left to take down front-runner Mitt Romney, sharpened their attacks against the former Massachusetts governor Monday just days before South Carolinians turn out for the first-in-the-south primary.
Eager to claim the mantle as the viable alternative to Romney, former Pennsylvania Rick Santorum ripped Romney for a wave of negative advertising in South Carolina. Texas Gov. Rick Perry demanded that Romney release his tax records and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich — who earned the most consistent applause from an animated audience — said Romney’s corporate background required further vetting.
Gingrich has ripped Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital, a venture capital firm that frequently bought and restructured companies at a profit. A political action committee run by a long-time Gingrich advocate seized on that message to portray Romney as a corporate raider out of touch with voters in a down economy. Perry joined the attack, citing a steel plant in South Carolina bought by Bain and ultimately shut down.
Based on audience response, one of the biggest scores of the evening came in an exchange between Fox commentator Juan Williams and Gingrich. Asked if his reference to President Obama as the “food stamp president” wasn’t belittling to the poor, Gingrich responded, “The fact is that more people have been put on food stamps by President Obama than any president in American history. I know among the politically correct you are not supposed to use facts that are uncomfortable.”
Political advertising has become a point of contention for the candidates as outside groups, so-called super PACs, pump millions of dollars into a state known for particularly nasty nominating contests. Santorum called on Romney to rein in his super PAC’s attacks on Santorum’s conservative credentials and record.
But for Santorum and Gingrich the Fox News/Wall Street Journal debate was an opportunity to demonstrate that they could go head-to-head with Romney after underwhelming performances in New Hampshire.
It was also the biggest debate test for Romney in months. He largely skated during previous forums in which his rivals saved their best shots for each other. But after former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman on Monday dropped out of the race and endorsed Romney, leaving just five candidates on the debate stage at the convention center here, much of the night was spent questioning Romney’s authenticity.
And despite his absence, Huntsman’s claim that Romney was a “perfectly lubricated weathervane” became fodder for debate moderators who homed in Romney’s vulnerabilities.
Romney used his evolving position on abortion rights to present his changing views on social issues as a heartfelt transformation and added, “I’ve always opposed gay marriage.”
For conservatives fighting to prevent Romney from winning a third consecutive nominating contest, the Palmetto State is seen as their last stand. A victory here would amount to a knock-out punch for Romney, according to most political observers.
With polls showing that six in 10 South Carolina voters are evangelical Christians, Romney’s rivals view South Carolina as ripe opportunity to expand their support. At this point, Gingrich and Santorum — and to a lesser extent Perry — are splitting those conservative voters.
The GOP White House contenders will debate again Thursday night before voters go to the polls Saturday.
