Republican Debate

All in all, I thought it was a great debate. Not sure there's much else to add right now. Let the spin begin. I see from my in-box, it already has.

9:50 Uh, since when do questioners get to give speeches? Come on.

9:40 Last break - I want to clarify my remarks on Huckabee. I'm not saying he won this thing going away by any means. But I think he did himself a lot of good with the people he needs in the primary. That and the media that loves a narrative will likely make him part of the top tier after tonight. Whether he can carry that into Iowa and beyond is an open question.

9:30 McCain isn't doing himself any favors with the Right on the torture debate. He's demagoging the issue from the other side. Romney had the right answer.

9:20 I think all of then are having a good debate but so far I still see Huckabee as the big winner, especially in terms of the primaries, and so far Rudy could be having a better night, but he isn't having a terrible one, either.

8:50 Thompson goes on the attack with his 30 sec. ad. Great come back to Cooper. Rudy handled the Politico story well. Romney seems to have handled the Pro-Life question well. Based on what I've seen so far, Huckabee is going to come out of this debate in the top tier. If nothing changes, that may be "the" story of this debate.

8:30 PM - Quick impressions - Romney and Huckabee up, Rudy down. Paul still crazy.

Update: A song? How utterly special and completely stupid.

Michelle is liveblogging.

Streaming at Hot Air.

PJM usually offers coverage.

I'll update if there's anything seriously interesting, otherwise I'll just recap at end.

Comments

[seekeronos]

Brig Gen. McFruity Pants sure was an expected surprise.

[FRcom]

You were asking for digial certificates before reading you blog.

Ace is broken.

[old trooper]

CNN again proves it's credibility is circling the bowl.

What a shameless farce!

[seekeronos]

"--- CNN again proves it's credibility is circling the bowl. ---"

No surprise there. Although, whoever did the vetting of the YouTuber questions sure did skunk out by letting the Christian guy (Joe Dearing of Texas, YT alias "calciumboy") get through with this question:

"Do you believe in *this* book?" (as he holds up a King James Bible).

A treasure indeed (especially seeing Rudy waffle a bit on it).

[bobup500]

Rudy is such a flake, that's all we need, from a texas mobster to a NY mobster

[seekeronos]

And Huckabee... I only wish that Fred could play the crowd as well as the Huckananny.

Huck's got some good ideas sprinkled amongst the overpowered "compassionate conservatism" which really = Giganto-Nanny-Statism.

I just don't think I will be able to afford the tax bill, much less the guaranteed influx of more Mexicans and OTMs guaranteed to take the huck up on his offer to educate them all at the expense of American citizens. For all the invective traded back and forth last night about sanctuary cities and sanctuary mansions... Huck will turn us into a "sanctuary nation" whilst the middle class disappears into third world poverty.