May 15, 2007

PALMETTO SCOOP will be liveblogging tonight's debate.

UPDATE: Some people have already declared a winner.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Sister Toldjah will be on the job, too. And there'll be more at Heading Right.

So will TigerHawk.

MORE: I'm watching, but not liveblogging. InstaDaughter's take: "They're all wearing the same suit."

The only one she liked was Romney, though she was grading them on presentation, not substance.

STILL MORE: Debate drunkblogging, from Stephen Green.

Two gems: "Already I don't miss Chris Matthews. I bet I'm not the only person to say that - tonight or any night."

"Ron Paul was just asked if he was running for the nomination of the wrong party. Why didn't he just say 'Maybe,' then smile at the camera for the rest of his time? It would've been perfect."

Plus, good news/bad news for Mike Huckabee: "Best line of the night so far: 'Spending money like John Edwards at a beauty shop.' It's from one of those interchangeable guys wearing a dark suit and red (or maybe blue-ish) tie."

More liveblogging here.

QUICK REACTION AWARD: The McCain people have already -- 5 minutes after the debate ended -- sent me this YouTube video of McCain's response on Campaign Finance "Reform." Nice effort, but my use of quotation marks demonstrates that I remain unconvinced.

MY PICK for winner tonight: Rudy, with an assist from Ron Paul.

Plus, what went unnoticed in the coverage. (But not entirely).

ALMOST AS QUICK: The Giuliani people with this YouTube video of Giuliani's response to Ron Paul.

The Hotline blog gives it to McCain, says Rudy did well, says Romney didn't.

Stephen Green comes back with this wrap: "Rudy won tonight, if for no other reason than the well-deserved bitch-slapping he administered to Ron Paul. Everybody else lost, Paul doubly so."

And reader Amit Singh emails: "No offense, but the libertarian movement is going nowhere with Ron Paul as the face. His comments about 9/11 are comparable to Rosie O'Donnell."

Well, maybe not quite. But they did reveal a cluelessness about what the terrorists' actual thinking and motives are that is distinguishable from his philosophical position.

And Second Amendment scholar Don Kates emails that Romney "blew it" with this statement: "I support the Second Amendment, but I also support a ban on assault weapons."

I agree.

Best post-debate line tonight: "You know what ethanol is? The chemical compound that results when you mix corn and tax dollars."