Rick Perry: Main target at Tampa GOP debate?

Just 30 days into his candidacy, Rick Perry is the unabashed front-runner for the GOP nomination for president, which, coupled with his controversial remarks about Social Security, should make him the target of attacks from some of the other candidates vying for the nomination at tonight's CNN-Tea Party Express debate from the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa.

By other candidates, we mean Mitt Romney and Michelle Bachmann, both trailing the Texas governor by double digits. That's according to a spanking new CNN poll released approximately 12 hours before the debate.

The survey has Perry at 30 percent, Romney at 18 percent, non candidate Sarah Palin at 15 percent, Ron Paul at 13 points.

And Michelle Bachmann? She's at a lowly 4 percent.

This article appears in Sep 8-14, 2011.