first national debate and first chance millions of voters have had to get to know him. from the get-go he jumped to the top of the polls. from the beginning tonight his opponents jumped on him. here's the portion of the debate starting with former massachusetts governor mitt romney and governor perry squaring off. >> we created more jobs in the last three months in texas than he created in four years in massachusetts. >> texas is a great state. texas has zero income tax. texas has a right to work state. a republican legislature. a republican supreme court. texas has a lot of oil and gas in the ground. those are wonderful things. but governor perry doesn't believe he created those things. if he tried to say that, be like al gore saying he invented the internet. >> michael dukakis created jobs three times faster than you did, mitt. >> as a matter of fact, george bush and his predecessor creates jobs at a faster rate than you did, governor. >> threw out the current tax code. a 9% tax on corporate income. a 9% tax on personal income. a 9% national sales tax. if 10% is good enough for god, 9% ought to be good enough for the fellow government. >> i hate to rain on the parade, the great lone star governor. as governor of utah we were the number one job creator in this country during my years of service. that 5.9% when you were creating jobs at 4.9%. to my good friend, mitt, 47 ain't going to cut it, my friend, not when you can be first. >> one thing i know is that kids need jobs. obama care is clearly leading to job killing regulations, not job relating regulations. >> the fact president obama doesn't come to the reagan library to try to figure out how to create jobs, doesn't talk to any of these three governors to learn how to create jobs, doesn't talk to herman cane to learn how to create jobs, this president is so committed to class warfare and bureaucratic socialism he can't be effective in jobs. >> there's eight of us up here. i'm a physician. you sure weren't going to ask me any medical question. i'd like to address that just a little bit. first off, you know, the governor of texas criticized the governor of massachusetts for romney care. he wrote a really fancy letter supporting hillary care. so we probably ought to ask him about that. >> i kind of feel like the pinata here at the party. >> joining us now, senior political analyst david gergen. cornell bullcher and erick ericks erickson. who came out on top on all this? >> romney and perry. it's a two-man race now. perry sctumbled. he wasn't comfortable with the format. mitt romney has been in this since 2007. i for the longest time hesitated saying he's the front-runner because the polls say so. clearly the pile on tonight by everyone else shows that they all perceive him as the front-runner. i don't think they knocked him off tonight. he needs to get on the game better than tonight. >> cornell, governor perry said he felt like the pinata. were they effective will stemming him? >> perry referred to social security as a giant ponzi scheme and basically, you know, when given opportunity to say, well, dick cheney doesn't think it's a ponzi scheme, thinks it's an important program. he didn't back away from it. he went all in on the idea that social security has been bad from the beginning as a giant ponzi scheme which quite frankly, you know, it's just middle america doesn't think it's a ponzi scheme. i think when you talk about his electability, the romney camp can say, look, this guy is not electable with this sort of thinking that is outside american mainstream. i think that was a major strumming block here. the other part i want to say about michele bachmann, i've been bullish about michele bachmann. she's had a really rough week with ed rollins and others pulling back. she didn't do anything. she did nothing tonight to sort of put herself back into the conversation with mitt romney and perry. i thought she would try to do that tonight. she failed at that this evening. >> i want to play what you heard about the -- from romney that cornell was just referencing. let's play that sound bite. >> i will make sure that we keep the program and we make it financially secure. we save social security and under no circumstances would i ever say by any measure it's a failure. it is working for millions of americans and i'll keep it working for millions of americans. we have to do that as a party. >> thank you, governor. governor perry, a 30 second rebuttal. governor romney said vice president cheney is right and you're wrong about ponzi scheme. >> well, here's, again, we're not trying to pick fights here. >> understood. >> we're about fixing things. you can either have reasons or you can have results. and the american people expect us to put results in place. you cannot keep the status quo in place and not call anything other than a ponzi scheme. it is. that is what it is. americans know that. and regardless of what anyone says, oh, it's not and that's provocative language, maybe it's time to have some provocative language in this country and say things like "let's get america working again and do whatever it takes to make that happen." >> david, what did you think of rick perry in this debate? >> well, he certainly livened things up, didn't he, anderson? i thought that intellectually mitt romney got the better of him. he was more articulate on many occasions. but governor perry brings a muscularity to the debate that i think will appeal to an awful lot of voters. there's sort of a decisive quality about him that i don't think you see so much -- and he doesn't back down easily. i can certainly understand why he appeals to a lot of voters and why this is going to be a very, very interesting race. i thought he was calm and confident for a candidate who hasn't debated in years. they appealed to different kind of voters. romney much more middle of the road tonight in that sense. but perry has that appeal. i also thought jon huntsman had his best debate tonight. he finally got some traction. >> i know erick, you wanted to talk about the ponzi scheme. >> i understand what cornell is saying. i think that works well in a general election but for a republican primary. for mitt romney to say that having millions of americans several generations dependent on the government for their retirement is definitionly a success. maybe that will work in a general elections but for a republican primary i think that hurts him. ultimately what this is about for me when i heard mitt romney say that, it was much more of an articulate answer than what rick perry gave, and probably a stronger point-by-point answer than what perry gave, but it also was an answer that place it too safe in a republican primary this year. mitt romney strikes me as a candidate for another season, not for this season. >> that's interesting, cornell. do you think romney is playing too safe? >> no, i don't think he's playing too say. i think it's an interesting strategy he's going to try to make with the ponzi scheme is the strategy that, look, this guy is not electable. i agree with david, he uses strong rhetoric but not a lot of specifics. when there's a big six or seven people on the stage i think he can get away with a lot of that rhetoric and no specifics. as it shrinks down he's going to have to get better at specifics. which he didn't do this evening. >> david, it was interesting because romney clearly tried to define himself tonight as the job creator of the candidates. we've heard him say this a lot on the trail. let's listen to what he says tonight. >> the policies that will get us working again as a nation are policies i understand having worked in the private sector. if i'd spent my whole life in government i wouldn't be running for president right now. my experience having started enterprises, having helped other enterprises grow and thrive is what gives me the experience to put together a plan to help restructure the basis of america's economic foundation so we can create jobs again, good jobs and compete with anyone in the world. this country has a bright future. our president doesn't understand how the economy works. i do because i've lived in it. >> i mean, do you think he made that case tonight well? do you think that holds up under scrutiny? because there are those who say, look, for years in campaigns back in massachusetts when he ran against kennedy he was hammered for some of the work he did for baine in private equity which actually ended up in people losing their jobs. >> i think for the purposes of the next few months, anderson, he's now put out his plan. i thought he was stronger tonight as a result of it. he put out an economic plan yesterday. it's quite lengthy. he's composed a very good group of counselors, economic counselors. i think he's going to be well served by. i think -- i have to give him credit for that. i think he's in better shape than he was a few months ago. but it's still true that perry can come after him and say, look, i'm the governor. i'm running for an office where you have to help create jobs, provide an environment where jobs flourish. i've done that in texas. and perry's -- that's what makes him the sort of head on head. i think this thing's probably going to narrow down some. they're going to be going head on head. it's going to make a much more interesting race. >> erick, cornell mentioned michele bachmann saying he didn't think she did anything tonight. i'm going to play some of what she said. >> obama care is killing jobs. we know that from the nonpartisan congressional budget office. i know it firsthand from speaking to people. we see it this summer. there were 47% of african-american youth that are currently without jobs. 36% of hispanic youth. i'm a mom. i've raised five biological kids and 23 foster kids in my home. one thing i know is that kids need jobs. and obama care is clearly leading to job-killing regulations, not job-creating regulations. >> erick, the problem she's had lately in dropping in the polls, is that a michele bachmann problem or a rick perry problem? >> both. michele bachmann has dropped in the polls some because this perception came of the gaffe prone michele bachmann or not doing what she should do on the campaign trail, michele bachmann, the prema donna images the press have put out there. largely it is a product of rick perry entering the race. she didn't start following with a lot of momentum going down until rick perry got into the race because republicans are mindful of her history. the last time someone went from the house of representatives to the white house was in the 1800s. it's very, very hard for someone who's just run in a congressional district to run a national campaign. i mean, perry for all intents and purposes has run in what could be a nation state. >> i want to come back and talk more after the break. before we do, one quick note, the tea party express are going to be hosting a republican party debate monday night in tampa, florida, at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. erick, david, stick around. president obama says americans are getting tired of political game playing but is congress listening? how much bickering both parties are doing and how little it is getting done. will it stand in the way of a jobs package with 14 million americans out of work? we'll talk about that. and breaking news on the plan, itself. keeping them honest, next. 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[ male announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum, ba-da-bum, bum, bum, bum ♪ breaking news tonight. we're learning more about president obama's job creation plan. our sources say it is growing. now about $400 billion of payroll tax cuts, hiring and spending on infrastructure. all to be paid for with offsetting budget cuts. president obama is going to lay the plan out tomorrow night to a joint session of congress. safe to say he chose the location for more than just a good photo on op. trying to send a signal that if something has to be done about the economy congress has to be part of the solution. or get tagged as part of the problem. in other words, he wants people to know congress will have to pass his plan or pass some plan or else pay a political price. keeping them honest, though, can congress even agree on any plan at all? mr. obama seems skeptical. >> people are sick and tired of the nonsense and the political games. we can't afford to play games. put the partisan games aside. we're tired of the games. no more games. we don't have time to play games. it's time for the games to stop. the time for washington games is over. >> most americans go even further. in a recent cnn/orc poll, debt ceiling disaster, 17% said lawmakers acted like responsible adults. 77% compared them to spoiled kids. talking about lawmakers who just months earlier couldn't agree on a budget pushing the country close to a government shutdown. then with that debacle he fresh in memory they did it again. one side created a debt limit showdown. both sides bickered over it until the grown-ups took action. why did s&p downgrade the united states credit rating today? >> i think there were two reasons. the first reason is the one that you've outlined being in our view of the political settings in the united states have been altered. we've taken them down a notch, taken the rating down a notch. the political brinkmanship we saw over raising the debt ceiling was something that was really beyond our expectation. >> and within days the stock market tanked, consumer sentiment fell and hiring dried up. very real consequences for americans. and these lawmakers who after all represent americans who got hurt, they learned their lesson, right? no more game playing, no more political posturing, no sniping over trivial things when the fate of the country is at stake, right? >> frankly i'm so tired of his speeches it's going to be hard for me to watch. >> i'm going to be watching from my family room in metry, louisiana, because i have a saints game party there and i'm absolutely going to be there for the big game. >> he wants congress each and every member of congress to be a prop in that 30-minute theater. and i just don't want to be used like that. >> well, congressman joe walsh there, he can't even bring himself to be in the same room with president obama tomorrow night, nor can congressman paul brown. he'll be watching from his office. louisiana senator david vitter as you saw there on fox news will be a-wol watching the saints game. senator demint said he isn't going. gop probably won't even be giving a televised response. in case you think the republicans have a lock on partisan or childishness, house minority leader, listen to what house minority leader pelosi said yesterday. "the republicans' refusel to respond to the president's proposal and jobs is not only disrespectful to him but to the american people." that's hardly the point. the point is nothing now is too trivial not to pick up and sling at the other side. the end result, nothing gets done. we did some checking. the current congress is on track to be the least productive on record. lawmakers only managing to pass 28 bills so far. 28 bills. the last three congresses with the house under both democratic and republican control doesn't matter, all averaged three times that number. nothing's getting done. nobody seems to like it. a new "wall street journal"/nbc poll puts the job approval rating for congress at 13%. 13%. not 30%, 13%. 1-3%. record low job approval. but vital job to do. back now with our panel, david gergen, cornell belcher, erick erickson. is there any way, david, the president can get any kind of jobs bill through congress? or is the atmosphere so poisoned right now that any plan is basically dead on arrival? >> you wonder, anderson, whether those 13%, what in the world are they seeing that they like? it's hard to know, isn't it? they just didn't get the word, i guess. look, anderson, i do think there is some prospect of getting a jobs bill through. i think that should be the name of the game tomorrow night and with the republicans. the republicans are paying a price in congress for all the shenanigans that went on before. their popularity, of course, is lower than the president's. so it's in their interest to do something. but i think it's up to the president to in effect invite them, challenge them if you'd like say, look, here are my ideas. come up in ten days with your ideas, let's sit down, let's see if we can't work this out. i think there is that possibility. i think that should be easier than getting the supercommittee on the deficits to pass something. i think that's going to be a very, very tough set of negotiations. but on jobs i think there's a prospect of getting that done. >> cornell, it does seem like everybody place games. is it enough for the president to put a plan out there knowing it probably won't go anywhere? is that all about having something to beat republicans up with next year? >> no. that's about the president showing leadership in trying to move the country forward. i mean, the opposite of that would be for him what, not to put a jobs bill out there and not try to move the country forward? the other thing here i've got to push back on is in the press we try to play this equal sides. democrats and the republicans. it is not the democrats are not equally as blame to this. no one watching the congress over the last several months could possibly say that the democrats have been holding up progress. there's a reason why they're the least productive congress right now. over 240 days and this republican congress has not put forth one jobs plan. they are unproductive. >> erick, eric cantor just made comments calling for more civilians in washington. is that just talk or are republicans willing to compromise? it does seem like it's still a dirty word. >> i love it when the democrats say the republicans are to blame. that they're not all equal. all politicians behave the same way regardless of party. independent voters know it if the republican and democrats don't. the republicans came out with their research with public poll today which shockingly shows the democrats blame the republics and the republicans blame the democrats. the independents, guess what, they blame everybody on both sides of the aisle. equal time for both of them. the stakes are so high right now for both side, though. and both sides feel that this election is going to be very high. it's very hard to get something done. they will get a compromise plan put through. my concern is that it's a plan that will look good for both sides but ultimately do nothing to create jobs. >> david, do you think both sides are to blame or do you blame republicans more? >> i think the debt ceiling fight was something the republicans brought on more than anybody else. they wanted the fight. and they paid a price for it. but i think the democrats have played plenty of games. president played a game last week when he wanted to put the speech on wednesday night. threw it in the face of the republicans who were having this big debate tonight. so i do think the republicans are more responsible for the debt fight. but i want to come back to something erick said. i think this is a big, big question. will this jobs plan and will whatever they come up with as an agreement actually create jobs, or is it more about politics? and i think that's a hard question. too much of what's being proposed now, anderson, is really about sort of short-term things. little modest things on the edges. what's really needed, of course, is something much more fundamental to pave the way for a much better environment for growth in the future. and neither party, frankly, has yet tackling that. >> cornell, you would say that pr