Romney lost badly in his exchange with Perry on Social Security. He sounds a lot like a Democrat, and Perry rightly called him out on “scaring” seniors. It is not clear why Romney thinks this is a winning approach for him. There is a reasonable attack on Perry’s position, but Romney is taking what sounds like a left-of-center politician when he accuses Perry of rolling back the clock. No one is trying to un-do Social Security, but having a reasonable conversation about how to reform Social Security should be a part of the Republican primaries. But Romney wants instead to re-litigate the founding of the program. And most tea-party supporters — and this debate is co-sponsored by the tea party — are going to be more sympathetic to Perry’s approach than Romney’s.