Newt Gingrich was a tour de force in tonight’s debate. He took a narrative the media hammered at al day, flipped it, and effectively killed it in the span of five minutes. He received another standing O for his rhetorical display thereby insulating himself from further attacks by the other candidates.
No candidate would repeat John King’s remarks after watching the audience’s reaction. He rode the wave for almost the entire debate. Gingrich has repented for his trangressions; as voters we are trying to decide whether he’s genuine. Some will decide that he is; some will decide he’s not.
Santorum bombed on the SOPA question. Internet piracy is a problem but SOPA is akin to shooting goldfish in a bucket with a shotgun. Santorum argues that there should be protections for IP holders on the Internet and says that SOPA goes too far, but I’m not convinced of his resolve. As my friend Derek Hunter notes, tell that to Napster.
He tried and failed to differentiate himself from Romney and Gingrich, with their past health care actions, due to his support of Medicare Part D and the prescription drug benefit. That being said, he railed on Romney for Romneycare and made it impossible for Romney to dig his way out. Santorum cornered him on his checkered abortion past. Romney’s inability to defend his record places him below Santorum in tonight’s finishes.