Thoughts/Observations on the GOP Debate Last Night

I was engrossed in a work problem durnig the debate, so my attention was not completely on it.  Hence just the bullet-point things that come to my mind as I listened last night.  More to come later.

• Caliphate was a term in Rudy's debate prep book.  He used it twice, both in explaining the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims and in a more generic description of the Middle East.  First time I recall hearing this term being used to a wide audience like that.
  
• Some push for the sainthood of John Paul, I may just be in favor of candidacy for Dr. Ron Paul.  Is this guy a true conservative's dream candidate or what?  And, if all else fails, why not Rupaul?
• I would like to think I follow these things somewhat closely.  I have to admit that I was caught off-guard to see Jim Gilmore up there last night.  I knew he had been toying with the idea of running, but they've not been making his candidacy too exciting.  And a little helpful advice to the candidate...get a SEO person working on your campaign website!  I can't find you and had to  link to Wikipedia!
• I'm torn on the idea of whether I like the "gotcha!" quiz questions.  Tommy Thompson was asked about the death and injury count in Iraq and Rudy was asked to explain the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims.  I don't need to have it explained to me why it's important that they know that, but something about the way in which they're asked (and the repurcussions for failing to be able to recall facts on a dime) turns me off.
• Did John McCain put on shoulder pads in that jacket or what?  Compare his Reaganesque physique with a jacket on to the comparatively-slumped Rudy!

   

Sorry about the size of these photos.  I'm not dedicated or smart enough to snip them down.

• It was rather embarassing, but predictable, when they did a show of hands for candidates who don't believe in evolution.
• Unless I missed it, they did not push Governor Romney on the issue of his lifetime NRA membership.  In case you haven't heard this one, it's a real hoot.  I bet he drummed up this one from Dick Morris or called in a favor from Bubba.  He's a lifetime member not because he's been a member his whole life, but because within the last year or so he bought a lifetime membership.
• While he's still a bit too close to the morality-regulators, Sen. Sam Brownback did come off as more reasonable than he could have.  I'm not counting him completely out of the horserace yet, although I dread having to decide between Rudy and John Wayne next year.  One area where Brownback signaled he's ready to play the game is when he conceded that he would be able to run with or support a pro-choice candidate were they to become the party nominee.