Michele Bachmann slaps down Rick Perry and trips up Newt Gingrich

It was not a fair fight. The collapsing Rick Perry was reduced to acting like the Slim Pickens character in Dr. Strangelove, who ended the film by ending the world as he sailed to earth on top of an atom bomb. Yahoo!!

In the Republican debate, the atom bomb that landed on Perry was Michele Bachmann, who slapped him down and taunted him about being naive when he opined ignorantly about Pakistan. If Jon Huntsman had Bachmann's killer instinct, he might have a shot.

Did you see Perry's face after Bachmann's taunt? He looked like a little boy being sent to his room with his tail between his legs. But Bachmann didn't rest there. Once she saw Newt Gingrich digging a hole for himself about immigration, she pounced again, maneuvering the former Speaker into repeating his position again and again while she followed up with an attack right after the debate.

Ron Paul performed admirably, was treated with respect, excelled when discussing the Patriot Act. Mitt Romney played it safe (again) and made no mistakes. But it was Bachmann who stole the show, Perry who looked ridiculous, and Gingrich who fell into the trap.

Huntsman did well, very solid, but he lacks the killer instinct. What Huntsman should have done is gone after Romney on issue after issue, picked a fight and kept up the pressure. Huntsman should have forced Romney to discuss his changing positions one by one, reminded voters of his past liberal positions, one by one, and forced Romney onto the defensive all night.

I greatly respect Huntsman, but he acts like he is running for secretary of State.

Bachmann won the debate. She roasted Perry, stuck a fork in him, looked like a stateswoman doing it, and then gobbled him up like a Thanksgiving turkey.

---