So, who won the debate today ?

[Torie]

Romney: Was the adult in the room, and very focused and composed. Helped himself.

Bachmann: Finished off Pawlenty with a couple of nice twists of the knife who was already bleeding to death from self inflicted wounds, but it was a distraction for her. Came off smart and focused, and a cool customer, so she should solidify her position.  But really, her just sitting there saying we can slash spending by 40% right now, and no debt ceiling increase (said the latter, which means the former), which means this is yet another reason why in the end she will be shredded and tossed into the dust pin.

Gingrich: Sounded like he really knew what he was talking about better than usual (no he doesn't, and when pressed like he wasn't here, he can fall apart in a hurry), and the crowd enjoyed his media bashing,  so he won the debate award for the most entertaining (nosing out Paul). But nobody wants him to be president except the deranged, so he's irrelevant.

Pawlenty: Reinforced his image as an ineffectual nebbish, who can't talk his way out of a paper bag, but got out of the boring box and into the nasty box surprisingly. Insensitive cuss really. Destroyed himself. His money will dry up. Romney will probably get the biggest chunk of his supporters, but not a majority of it.

Huntsman: Missed opportunity for John.  He needed to take more risks explaining just why he favored civil unions, and distinguish himself on another matter or two from the crowd that some of the GOP mantra these days at its extremes is just unrealistic, and not really where this nation wants to go, or can go. He was pretty invisible in a word. He needs to be more specific. Say why John you did such a great job in Utah. Be more specific. Pick something that was tough to deal with, and how you did it, showing how problem solving and creative you are, and how you bring folks together, blah, blah, blah. Yes, you don't have much time, and need to learn from Mitt how to be really pithy and get it all out, which Mitt has become quite good it (Mitt's handling of the question that he loved as the Bain Capital boy to ship jobs to China was just outstanding). John can't miss many more opportunities. Not fatal, but it won't be long until he's moved to the critical condition ward, if he doesn't find the right prescription.

Cain: Reinforced  his image as a clown full of inane and silly generalities. Yes, he wants to slash spending by 40% immediately too, but he said something else that I can't remember now that was just ludicrous. His support will fade. He wasn't going anywhere anyway, although he was not in quite the same category as Newt (Newt being well known damaged and personally grating goods, while Cain was a fresh face and charming).

Santorum: Got a lot of attention as the most angry and extreme sounding of the lot, and added gay marriage to his existing chew toy abortion as an issue where ala Keyes, natural rights and The Declaration trumps all, and it means that its evil baby, and needs to be stopped by any means necessary really.  That is how he came across. So he may last forever and ever ala Keyes, with his loyal following of maybe 5% of the GOP voters. He's really become quite a frightening character; odd for a guy I once thought was quite charming and ingratiating. Things have changed baby!

Paul: The winner really of the debate in accomplishing the most. He did a great job of adding to his existing gold bug/economic kook base the now expanding remerging GOP isolationist vote. He will probably hang on forever too, and might get his chunk of the GOP up to 20%,, and those folks won't be going anywhere soon.  But you need a majority of delegates to win, and about 60% of the GOP voters are not going to vote for him ever, even for POTUS if he is the nominee. So he is becoming to the GOP perhaps what George Wallace once was to the Dems.