Republicans who attended Tuesday’s debate in Las Vegas said they observed Romney’s raised voice, patronizing tone and belittling body language — he planted his hand on rival Rick Perry’s shoulder at one point in an attempt to shush the Texas governor.

And, by getting under Romney’s skin, his rivals offered a playbook for the Obama team on how to rile the man the president could face on the debate stage.

The infighting also gives Democrats an opportunity to stockpile arguments against Romney and the others that Obama will be able to say came from Republicans themselves.

“What’s particularly devastating about these attacks on Romney yesterday is they aren’t just damaging in the primary. These are attacks that would be damaging in a general election campaign,” a senior Democratic official told The Hill.