Newt Gingrich was brilliant and gets better all the time. His knowledge of our country, how it works, his experience with foreign affairs, and his no-nonsense/straightforward approach make him probably the best qualified of the contenders. I don't know if his past will haunt him, but I don't think he can sway the independent voters. Cain, I believe, can. Those two are my top picks for tonight and for the WH together, either for either position.
I feel the same way too, but I also recognize that Cain has been a top-tier candidate for all of a week at this point and most primary voters have not yet heard about his 999 plan. He made it simple and repeats it over and over again for a reason. He can't stop when we political junkies are sick of hearing his introduction. He has to keep repeating himself until almost everyone has heard it.