cellar door. we might as well be a symphony.: "Maybe it's time to have provocative language in this country"

With only months left until the caucuses and primaries to choose a Republican to take on Barack Obama for the White House next year, the polite skirmishing that marked the Republican debates before the summer disappeared in the first five minutes as Perry and Romney tore into each other.
The debate confirmed it is now a two-horse race, with Michele Bachmann, who is in third place in the polls, the biggest loser of the night, as she was completely overshadowed by Perry and Romney.
Republican strategists were divided afterwards on Perry's strategy, with some predicting that his refusal to back down from his hard-right positions will win him the party nomination, and others expressing concern that such positions could alienate mainstream voters who will decide the White House race.