[Huck]

I despise Romney and I like Newt, but Romney got the better of Newt in that immigration debate. Not because Romney came across well, but because he successfully pointed out that Newt supported the individual mandate... something I didn’t know and it dropped Newt down a few notches in my mind.

Totally agree. And he didn't just assert it. He got Newt to confirm it. I was amazed how Romney ended up on offense on the topic of health care. He's the one who scored the body blow in that exchange.

[Praxeologue]

he successfully pointed out that Newt supported the individual mandate... something I didn’t know and it dropped Newt down a few notches in my mind.

Newt proposed mandatory premiums for taxpayers reporting over $75,000 of income, or in the alternative posting a bond. Newt said it is not fair that an uninsured individual of means can just show up at an emergency room without arranging payment for the services.

I don't know whether this is actually an "individual mandate", but it is certainly not what is embodied in RomneyCare and ObamaCare.

Unfortunately Newt agreed to Mitt's characterization of his previous plan as an "individual mandate".