Who won South Carolina CNN Debate

[Keystone Phil]

Why is it that watching the closing arguments I didn't see a Reagan let alone either Bush... I saw Goldwater in 1964...

That's definitely Gingrich in 2012. I'll take it even further: Gingrich would lose more states than Goldwater. Yes, it would be that bad.

That's almost impossible, dude. Gingrich at least starts out with Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, West Virginia, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. Even in an Obama Fantasyland (which would include him winning the Dakotas, Texas, Georgia and Montana), Newt starts out with more than Goldwater.

[Politico]

Why is it that watching the closing arguments I didn't see a Reagan let alone either Bush... I saw Goldwater in 1964...

That's definitely Gingrich in 2012. I'll take it even further: Gingrich would lose more states than Goldwater. Yes, it would be that bad.

That's almost impossible, dude. Gingrich at least starts out with Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, West Virginia, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. Even in an Obama Fantasyland (which would include him winning the Dakotas, Texas, Georgia and Montana), Newt starts out with more than Goldwater.

Here's a thought experiment: Thomas Eagleton at the top of the 1976 ticket after not being vetted in 1972 (assume McGovern chose somebody else). What happens to that ticket once Eagleton's doctors feel obligated to "leak" his medical records?

I wish I could say these were the scribblings of Thomas Eagleton: http://www.slate.com/slideshows/news_and_politics/gingrichs-doodles.html

People should take a long look at those scribbles, and then just honestly admit to them self, "this is not a fully healthy man in some way, shape or form," or however you want to put it.

I know you are not supporting him, but it boggles me that some are...

[CLARENCE 2015!]

I think of that line in Amazing Grace- Was blind, but now I see.

Newt was blind in morality in the past but he regrets it and has shown that he has found God...he is a loving husband to Callista and a loving father and grandfather

I have always backed Newt but tonight made me support him more then I ever have...he is a true conservative warrior and there is a reason he has been at the top ofnational politics for a generation now

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I think of that line in Amazing Grace- Was blind, but now I see.

Newt was blind in morality in the past but he regrets it and has shown that he has found God...he is a loving husband to Callista and a loving father and grandfather

I have always backed Newt but tonight made me support him more then I ever have...he is a true conservative warrior and there is a reason he has been at the top ofnational politics for a generation now

Ah... ha, It's nice you actually believe that.

[Politico]

I think of that line in Amazing Grace- Was blind, but now I see.

Newt was blind in morality in the past but he regrets it and has shown that he has found God...he is a loving husband to Callista and a loving father and grandfather

I have always backed Newt but tonight made me support him more then I ever have...he is a true conservative warrior and there is a reason he has been at the top ofnational politics for a generation now

He's a total scumbag, Clarence. It is the only word to describe somebody who would leave their first wife on her cancer bed, ask his second wife for an "open marriage," and then marry a third wife who is younger than his own daughters, for Pete's sake. Oh, and he has a gay sister whose relationship he refuses to acknowledge.

You want THAT to be the next First Family? Really? And have you seen his wife? No offense to her...but....well, she makes Teresa Heinz Kerry look like Jackie Kennedy.

Well, those characters being the next First Family is NOT going to happen, but here is what is going to happen: Obama being handed a HUGE, I am talking 1984-style HUGE, mandate after THUMPING Gingrich BIG TIME. You will regret it, especially if you thought ObamaCare was bad. That will just be a start because not only will a Gingrich nomination lead to Obama getting a massive re-election, it will probably get the Democrats back in control of Congress.  Gingrich is down 11 points right now, and that was before the whole "open marriage" fiasco started. I can only imagine what would happen if Obama started airing anti-Gingrich ads like Paul and Romney did in Iowa.

Hint: There's a reason why every Obama supporter on here is rooting for Gingrich.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I think of that line in Amazing Grace- Was blind, but now I see.

Newt was blind in morality in the past but he regrets it and has shown that he has found God...he is a loving husband to Callista and a loving father and grandfather

I have always backed Newt but tonight made me support him more then I ever have...he is a true conservative warrior and there is a reason he has been at the top ofnational politics for a generation now

He's a total scumbag, Clarence. It is the only word to describe somebody who would leave their first wife on her cancer bed, ask his second wife for an "open marriage," and then marry a third wife who is younger this daughters. Oh, and he has a gay sister whose relationship he refuses to acknowledge.

You want THAT to be the next First Family? Well, that is not going to happen, but here is what is going to happen: Obama being handed a HUGE, I am talking 1984-style HUGE, mandate after THUMPING Gingrich BIG TIME. He's down 11 points right now, and that was before the whole "open marriage" fiasco started. I can only imagine what would happen if Obama started airing anti-Gingrich ads like Paul and Romney did in Iowa.

Hint: There's a reason why every Obama supporter on here is rooting for Gingrich.

I'm certainly not... I think he'd be an absolute disaster. He doesn't have any discipline, is a 'big-picture' person (which I respect) but big picture thinkers are nothing without detail to implement them, is blatantly using the race-card and using dangerous generalisations to get attention...

[Ⓐnarchy in the ☭☭☭P!]

Everyone but Romney. Gingrich hit it out of the park in the beginning, but his answers slowly degenerated as the debate went on (though he never really floundered). Romney did quite poorly, but not as poorly as last time. Santorum varied a lot (his response on SOPA was kind of silly; "I oppose SOPA, but I support basically every individual part of it and just happen to know that it's political suicide to back it", but the rest was okay), and attacked Gingrich more than Romney really (understandable, since Romney's establishment/moderate crowd wouldn't got to him were he to collapse while he might be able to steal Newt's thunder). Paul wasn't absolutely exceptional, but he didn't have any disasters and had a handful of good moments.

[Volrath50]

Gingrich won the debate in the first five minutes, though he actually did worse than he usually does for the rest. His first five minutes, however, were so incredibly strong, he won right off the bat.

I think Santorum actually did the best for the majority of the debate, but was overshadowed by Newt's first answer.

Paul put in a decent performance, but it was sub-par for Ron Paul.

Mitt Romney really **** the bed, his worst debate so far. He acted as if he were the nominee, when he's only won one state. His "maybe" answer on tax returns only made his bad news cycle worse.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Santorum. He ripped into all the candidates, and Newt was weak on most of the questions. Sadly, the GOP audience ate up the "the media is being unfair asking me about my shady past" line, so he set the tone for the debate early on.

[angus]

I thought Santorum looked smartest and most consistent, overall.  Actually, he didn't do or say anything different than he has been doing, but with only four candidates and equal time, he finally got a chance to be heard.  They all had some rocky moments, but I don't think any of them really blew his chances, and I'm not sure how many undecided voters are still left anyway. 

[TheGlobalizer]

Paul
Santorum
Gingrich
Romney

[Lief 🗽]

It looks like Gingrich was the pretty clear winner, in retrospect. Santorum hasn't really been mentioned at all.