The gang teed it up in the Palmetto State on Saturday Night.  What nothing better to do fellas?

Yeah we just did this 3 days ago, what’s it to you.  CBS gets a chance tonight.  Should be big fun.  I’m slightly late to the party.  Frank decided to give back his lunch and possibly part of his breakfast.  I’m still checking my sweatshirt for biscuit fragments.  But we’re all cleaned up, drugged up, temp coming down and sleeping comfortably at the Embassy Suites in Raleigh North Carolina, so let the show go on.

Same cast of characters but cast in a different light.  Newt has moved into a statistical dead heat at the top of the polling along side Mitt and The Herm.  Expect Newt to start catching some flack.  And since he’s an egotistical jerk-weed his return fire should be awesome.

Like I said I came late, but not too late to see Newt schooling the moderator on the judicial disposition of captured terrorists in the American legal system.  The moderator, whoever this dude is, looks like a geriatric ken doll.  Scott Pelley is his name and anchoring CBS news is his game.

Michelle Bachman got a few questions and regardless of topic her answers consisted of a noun, a verb, and Obamacare.

Rick Perry said he would stop all federal aid to foreign countries.  Mitt agreed.  That can’t be good.  All countries would start at zero and then have to make their case to get money from us.  Sounds reasonable, but moderator was quick to add, “does that mean all aid would stop to Israel as well?”  That brought a mental grimace from Perry because he realized the size of the can of worms he just opened.  Instead of changing his tune he just decided to eat the worm and said “everybody has to start at zero and make a case.  It can’t work any other way.”  Good for him.  It will raise a lot of questions on the Sunday morning political shows but at least he didn’t back off.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina asks a three part question and wonders out loud if he’ll be able to remember all three parts.  ZING! Perry style.

Senator Graham does ask a good question about water boarding.  For the first time in 11nty billion debates the candidates are answering from the gut and not the “elect me president” play book.  How can you tell?  None of them are saying the same thing.  Perry gave the best answer, in favor of water boarding.  Leans on his time as an Air Force pilot when discussing the value of information, no matter how it’s obtained, to troops in the field.  Not sure I agree but it was a solid, well thought out answer that came from somewhere outside the politics first reflex.

Ron Paul stays true to his libertarian philosophy and is opposed to water boarding and the assassination of people by the U.S. government.  This is in line with his opposition to the death penalty.  His feeling is the government should not be in the business of killing anyone.  This is the bedrock of Libertarian politics.

Mitt and Cain are in favor of water boarding or “enhanced interrogation techniques” as it is currently called.  Neither were asked directly but had staff members put out statements to the effect in the spin room during the debate.

Bachman tried to answer but was completely ignored by moderator Scott “Ken Doll” Pelley.    Pelley then gave her a softball on the economy as it relates to national security and she blamed the President.  No, not Obama, Michelle blamed Lyndon Johnson for the condition were are in today.  I’ll say it, what the @#c% is she talking about?  Why is she still in the debates?

Newt has been quiet since schooling Pelley on the American Judicial system versus military law during war.  He was right, Pelley knew it and now won’t ask Newt a question.

Wow some serious questions tonight.  Serious Commander-in-Chief stuff.  Cain going with the “I don’t know” but “I’ll consult with my  military commanders.”  He used that for a few questions.  Not sure that’s going to help him.  But foreign policy is one of his weakness’ and that’s common knowledge.  Staying quiet for the most part is his only hope.

Really only Newt and Jon Huntsman have a foreign policy cred.  Both of them gave great answers on dealing with Pakistan and our own debt as national security threats.

Most startling answers of the night, Newt and Mitt favor war with Iran to keep them from building a nuclear arsenal.  Equally startling is Ron Paul, believing soverign countries should be allowed to develop how they want with out imperial intervention from the U.S. or any one else.  Which means he might not favor Iran getting nuclear weapons, but he does not believe it’s the job or the right of the U.S. to stop them.  A lot to debate in all three answers, but this is CBS so we get more single camera shots of moderator Scott Pelley and then an idiot grenade thrown to Bachman, which explodes in her face.  Well played Pelley, well played.

And out of no where Scott Pelley ends the debate in the middle of Rick Perry’s answer.  Holy crap that was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen.  No joke, Perry was literally still talking about foreign policy, Pelley interrupted and said thanks for watching we have to go.  As if the debate was not irrelevant enough.  What a joke.  Hey Pelley, this isn’t a sideline interview during the Orange Bowl, you half a dope. (he’s not smart enough to be a whole dope)

The shame of it was, the questions were coming from South Carolina’s two Senators, DeMint and Graham, and they were great questions.  The key indicator the questions were thought provoking? For the most part the candidates were saying what they thought, not what they thought would get them elected.  So great job CBS, an by that I mean go play in oncoming traffic.

Ladies and gentleman this is why CBS is third among the big three networks.  If we had 8 networks they would be 8th in the ratings.  The network of Captain Kangaroo, Captain Noah and His Magical Ark, and Chief Halftown has gone to hell in a hand basket.  Now all we get is Captain Haircut and his band of half wits.  (Chief Halftown is a Jersey Thing.  Captain Noah might be too. see them here: Captain Noah & Chief Halftown)

Ok, well that was interesting.  Winner was once again Mitt Romney because once again no one challenged him.  Newt also upped his street cred.  Look for him to be in first place all by himself in Monday polling.

The big loser, and this is by consensus, was Herman Cain.  He clearly has no idea when it comes to foreign policy or economics.  His “I’ll ask qualified people” line was cute when he was a scrappy insurgent, polling in 4th or eve 3rd place at times.  Now, it just seems like he’s ignorant to foreign matters.  In other words I think his shtick is wearing thin.

Next up, Des Moines Iowa on the 19th.  It’s on-line streaming video so only the hard core folks, or geeks like me will be watching.  I’ll tell you this much, if the debate on the 19th is being run by some obese kid sitting in his mom’s basement, muckling pizza pockets, with World of War Craft on one monitor and  the debate production on the other monitor, it will still be better than the dumpster fire we witnessed tonight.  But have no fear.  If you can’t watch it on-line then you can read about it right here, and as usual same great price, same great blog site.