The expectation going into the second Republican presidential debate Wednesday was the candidates would broaden their field of attack and put frontrunner Texas governor Rick Perry alongside President Obama as a public punching bag.

There were a few bites here and there, notably Perry's decision as governor to require women to take a cervical cancer drug, but the target of attacks in the Reagan Library remained squarely on the incumbent. 

Candidate after candidate slammed Obama's economic, healthcare and energy policies, including a nearly unanimous sentiment that the president's health care overhaul had to go.

"You want to puff this up into some giant thing," said former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. "Whoever the nominee is we are all for defeating Barack Obama."

That didn't mean the moderators didn't try.  NBC News anchor Brian Williams and Politico's John Harris posed questions about Perry's education record, his criticisms of social security and his early support of Hillary Clinton's healthcare reform.

"I'm offended the government would tell me by executive order what to do," former Senator Rick Santorum said. "I would expect this from President Obama not someone who calls himself a conservative governor."

"I feel like a piñata at a party here," Perry grimaced.

The predicted face-off between the Texas governor and the former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney occasionally reared its head.

When Romney, currently the second place challenger, cast doubt on Perry's job creation record, the Texas governor was prepared.

"Michael Dukakis created jobs three times faster than you did, Mitt," Perry said.

Romney was ready with a rejoinder: "Well, as a matter of fact, George Bush and his predecessor created jobs at a faster rate than you did, Governor."

With the president set to deliver a speech on jobs Thursday evening, the emphasis through the debate was on the faltering economy and the proposals of creating new jobs.

Romney emphasized his credentials as a business owner in contrast to Perry's time as a career politician.

And on policies for struggling Americans, the two differed greatly on social security; Perry continuing to refer to it as a "Ponzi Scheme" whereas Romney was more deferential.

"Our nominee has to be someone who isn't committed to abolishing Social Security, but who is committed to saving Social Security," Romney said.

After falling behind significantly in the polls, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann was looking for a strong showing to catapult her back into the top tier of candidates.

Her efforts, however, seemed to turn away from any direct confrontation with fellow candidates and instead criticized Obama and his health care reforms.

"One thing I know is that [we] need jobs." Bachmann said.  "And ObamaCare is clearly leading to job-killing regulations, not job-creating regulations."