Until John Hinderaker and Paul Mirengoff can weigh in, I offer my assessment of the CNN Youtube debate's highs and lows tonight.

Best performance: Mitt Romney.

Runner up: Mike Huckabee ("Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office," offset by Huckabee's dancing around on tuition tax breaks for illegals).

Lowest blow: Rudy Giuliani, on Romney's "sanctuary mansion." Mayor Giuliani is apparently a proponent of mutual assured destruction. I would count him the close runner up to Romney if the referee hadn't instructed me to dock him for the blow.

Most likely to give authenticity a bad name: Ron Paul.

Best sense of humor: Fred Thompson.

Most misdirected question: On Martian exploration, should have gone to Dennis Kucinich.

Most demagogic: John McCain, condemning Romney's support of "torture."

Best line of the night: Mitt Romney, on abortion ("I was wrong").

Best answer of the night: Mike Huckabee, on capital punishment.

Best reminder of why he's fallen to second tier: John McCain, denying he supported "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. See also "Most demagogic."

Worst ambush: CNN planting the general disputing "don't ask don't tell."

Most compelling theme: John McCain, on Vietnam.

Most wrongly slighted public figure: Vice President Cheney.

Most irritatingly cited public figure: Colin Powell.

Most obvious insinuation: Ron Paul, citing Paul Wolfowitz in support of the proposition that "they came here because we're occupying their country."

UPDATE: Jim Vicevich reminds me of another worst: Worst pretense to an impartial news organization:

This was a classic CNN con job.

They chose the questions so once again we get the liberal's perspective of conservatism.

"What would Jesus do?"
"Do you believe this book"
Lock and loaded gun prop question.
Confederate Flag.

And of course...Should women go to jail if they have an abortion.

If the Republicans agree to one more debate on CNN I will begin question if they have the intelligence to lead this country.

Posted by Scott at 9:11 PM  |    |