I am seriously going to have to reevaluate my past hatred for McCain.
I didn't identify a clear winner last night, primarily because the questions were horrible. FYI--before the debate started, an audience member asked, "How many questions has Hillary Clinton planted here tonight?" Cooper chuckled.
I believe Huckabee gained points last night for those who are mostly unfamiliar with him. That includes the couple sitting next to me. They had been McCain fans from 2000, but were having doubts this time around. They didn't know Huckabee was from Arkansas, had never heard of Tancredo, Hunter, or Paul.
Using them as a gauge, they found Romney to be arrogant last night, Tancredo and Paul off their rockers. They knew absolutely nothing about Duncan Hunter, but were impressed with a couple of his responses. Thompson was underwhelming, particularly when he didn't answer the question about three programs needing to be cut. However, they were pleased by his dry wit. Several of McCain's answers reminded them why they supported him in the past. They didn't like Giuliani to start with, and he did nothing last night to improve their outlook. Huckabee time and again made them applaud, laugh, and say, "He looks presidential." Huckabee is definitely connecting with viewers.