I am 85% of my way through last nights Republican debate. The remainder is sitting on my TIVO ready to be watched. I did just want to toss in a few thoughts for those who missed it.

#1 - It Was Indeed a Show
FOX News knows how to put on an event. With blinking lights, digital flags, chimes for those who go over their times and a choir the channel knows how to produce television.

#2 - It Was Lively
FOX also knows how to just get to the point and not duck difficult questions. The moderators would go right to the heart of an issue, tear down a persons position and then make them defend it. The moderators never shy away from confrontation, openly courting it and unlike Democratic debates there is no “can’t we all just get along” moments.

#3 - Fred Thompson Woke Up
Thompson is always a mystery to me but he obviously likes being on a stage more than he likes being on the campaign trail. There was no two ways about it, he had Mike Huckabee in his sights and he took every moment he could to trash the guy.

#4 - Huckabee is Darn Likable
Both Thompson and Huckabee put out pretty strong performances. For every long diatribe Thompson would hit Huckabee with, the man always had a response that would warm the crowd back up to him.

#5 - Ronald Reagan
This, like all of the Republican debates thus far was not so much an audition for president as it was a chance to audition for the part of Ronald Reagan. I give credit to John McCain and Ron Paul, they were the only people to mention Republican presidents other than Ronald Reagan that I recall. McCain talked about Teddy Roosevelt, Paul mentioned Taft.