Florida CNN Republican Debate

8:00 - The opening intros feel like they could be the opening credits for the next X-Men movie.

8:04 - A local choir sings the National Anthem. Mitt & Rick sing along. Newt looks around confused. Ron looks like he's sucking on a cough drop.

8:07 - Wolf Blitzer feels the need to remind candidates how to introduce themselves. Rick starts, points out his 93-year-old mother's in attendance. She stands to applause. Rick wisely decides to just end on that note.

8:08 - Newt is thrilled to be in Jacksonville, site of the "next new nuclear aircraft carrier battle group." Mitt points out he has 16 grandkids. Ron introduces himself as a champion of the gold standard and rejects the notion of nation building.

QUESTION FROM AUDIENCE: Illegal immigration.

8:09 - Rick says we need to obey the laws in this country, says his grandpa was an immigrant. He has this way of looking like his teeth are clenched when he speaks, but his tone sounds sincere. "Immigrants bring a vitality and a love of this country."

8:11 - Newt says he's pledged to control the border by January 2014. Wants citizenship to be easier, but deportation easier too. Rick & Newt support Mitt's option of "self-deportation." Newt points out he wouldn't deport grandmothers and grandfathers here, proposes a panel to determine if they can at least have residency.

8:12 - Mitt: I don't think anyone's interested in deporting 11 million Americans, excuse me, 11 million illegal immigrants. We have a responsibility to those millions waiting to become legal citizens.

8:14 - Ron: the weaker the economy, the more resentment against illegal immigrants. The way we're handling our borders is hurting our economy. We worry too much about the obrder of Afghanistan and Pakistan; we should worry more about our own.

8:16 - Wolf asks Newt about his comment that Mitt was "anit-immigrant." Newt says "you need to be realistic in your indignation." Yes, Newt said that about someone else. Would make some exceptions for some humanity. Wolf asks if he still views Mitt as anti-immigrant. "Of the four of us, yes."

8:17 - Mitt launches into the most awesome take-down of any debate that's ever been televised. He calls Newt's comment "inexcusable." "My father was born in Mexico." Says the idea is repulsive, goes off on Newt's "over the top rhetoric", says he should apologize for it. Thunderous applause from audience.

8:19 - Newt says what would you call it when you want to deport a grandmother? Mitt says he's pro-immigrant, he wants immigrants to come who have vitality and something to contribute, and to indicate that someone willing to follow the law is anti-immigrant is wrong. Newt goes on to categorize Mitt's heartless view toward grandmothers. Mitt counters "our problem is not 11 million grandmothers." ((Laughs from crowd.))

8:20 - Wolf asks about a Romney ad that says Gingrich called Spanish "the language of the ghetto." Mitt says he hasn't seen the ad; is it true Newt said it? Newt said no, he didn't say Spanish, he meant any language from the ghetto and that Dade Community College has 94 languages on its campus. ((I've seen the full quote. He didn't say the word "Spanish" but that's definitely what he meant. And on Twitter, someone pointed out Newt said Dade had 86 languages on campus last week.))

8:21 - Mitt says he doubts it's his ad, but he'll look, but he gives his stance on English as official language, says he and Newt agree on English immersion.

QUESTION FROM HISPANIC LEADERSHIP COUNCILWOMAN: Trade policy with Latin America?

8:22 - Ron: Free trade is the answer, including Cuba. Handful of claps, one "Woo!"

8:24 - Rick: I'm not with Ron Paul or Barack Obama on this. The US govt let down Honduras, Obama sided with Chavez and Castro against the people of Honduras. We didn't stand up for Colombia. Obama sides with the leftist, terrorists, Jihadits, etc. (I'm struck by the notion that I never would've predicted Rick Santorum would've made the final four.)

8:25 - Ron: You're talking about force, we can't be bullies to the world.

8:26 - Rick: I don't know what you're responding to, it wasn't my answer. I'm not talking about force in dealing with military socialists, narco-terrorists.

8:27 - Wolf says we just double-checked and the radio ad has you at the end saying "I'm Mitt Romney and I approved this message." Mitt: Okay, did he say it? Newt: I said in general. Period. Mitt: We'll see.

8:29 - Wolf shifts it to the foreclosure crisis in the country. Mitt uses the opportunity to criticize Newt's $1.6 million he pocketed from Freddie Mac. Newt rolls up his sleeves and say he was shocked - SHOCKED! - to find out Mitt owns shares in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and he owns shares of Goldman Sachs, who is foreclosing homes in Florida, so maybe Mitt should disclose how much money he's made off of home foreclosures. Crowd responses with some boos and some applause.

8:30 - Mitt says "I know something you don't. I'm not left-handed either." First of all, his finances are handled by a blind trust so he can't have conflicts of interest. Second, he doesn't own any stocks, he owns bonds and mutual funds. "But, Mr. Speaker, have you checked your own investments?" And the suspense is palpable for that two-second pause before Romney drops the bombshell. Newt also owns mutual funds that invest in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

I notice here that Newt Gingrich uses the high-school / college debate-team style of looking at your judges / audience when attacking your opponent. Mitt Romney looks you in the eye.

Mitt keeps going, piles on further about Newt's $1.6 million.

8:34 - Newt looks uncomfortable in his defensive response.

8:35 - Ron Paul - "That subject really doesn't interest me a whole lot." Loud applause!

8:36 - Rick S: "Can we just concede that Newt was a member of Congress and Mitt's a rich guy and move on?" Loud applause!

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8:39 - Wolf comes back with a quote that Newt said about Mitt, and Newt says it's a silly question, let's talk about real issues. Wolf Blitzer sticks with it, gets booed, Mitt says "Hey, I'm standing right here, say it to my face." Newt says okay, rattles off his critique of Mitt's Swiss bank account, Mitt comes back explaining it in more detail, says Republicans really shouldn't attack people for being successful.

8:42 - Wolf brings it back to taxes. Newt wants a flat-tax, wants to shrink the government to match revenue, not raise revenue to catch up to government. Rick says he wants the 28% tax rate Reagan had (*cough!* for one year *cough!*) but thinks the ultra-rich should still pay some taxes. Ron Paul says get rid of the 16th amendment, cut taxes, restore sound monetary policy. So bottom line, they all want Romney to pay less taxes.

8:48 - Wolf now asks Ron Paul about his age. Ron Paul has sweetheart response about challenging any candidate to a 25-mile bike ride through Texas. Also jokes about age discrimination laws. Wolf has a chilling aside of "I look forward to seeing those medical records."

8:50 - The moon! The moon comes up!

8:57 - Phew, losing steam watching this. Mitt, Rick, Ron all pokes holes in Newt's claim he'll have a moon base by 2020. With this economy and the spending they all plan to cut, how could Newt push for a lunar base?

8:58 - Mitt slams Newt's style of promising projects for whatever state he's campaigning in, which gets big cheers. Newt says we can set priorities with spending and get things done, touts his balancing the budget four years in a row. Ron Paul points out the national debt went up a trillion in those four years.

9:00 - Rick laments how Obama won't get our fiscal house in order. We need to quit promising projects and special spending when we had a $1.2 trillion budget deficit last year.

QUESTION FROM AN UNEMPLOYED WOMAN WEARING A FUR COAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS MADE FROM THE MUPPETS' RALPH THE DOG - Health care.

9:02 - Ron Paul: Medical care insurance should be individual, not tied to your job. When govt gets involved, costs go up. Govt has inflated cost of health care.

9:03 - Newt: repeal Obamacare, repeal Dodd-Frank, repeal Sarbanes-Oxley. Reform insurance system, grow economy.

9:04 - Mitt talks about how Obama's promised a lot of things but he'll actually do them.

9:07 - Rick S says that all sounds great, but Mitt created RomneyCare, predecessor for ObamaCare, and Newt was for individual mandate. Newt defends it at the state level. Mitt stands by RomneyCare, says it's flawed but it has a lot of benefits. Rick S passionately protests any version of individual mandate at federal or state level. Mitt calmly responds by explaining it in more detail. Rick S slams it more.

9:10 - Mitt: "It's not worth getting angry about." Lead balloon in this room. Mitt goes on to explain how his plan is different than Obama's. Rick: "What he said is factually incorrect!"

9:13 - Wolf asks Ron Paul who's right. "I think they're all wrong."

QUESTION FROM SPOUSE OF MARINE - Which Hispanic leaders would you consider in your Cabinet?

Rick: Marco Rubio.

Newt: Susanna Martinez, Rubio.

Mitt: Sandoval, Martinez, Diaz, Mel Martinez, Rubio, Gutierrez....

Ron: I won't name names, but Hispanics are attune to non-intervention foreign policy.

9:17 - Before going to break, Wolf says his next QUESTION will be about why your wife would make a great First Lady. And Newt has the break to sweat.

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9:23 - Ron: We've been married 54 years, author of a cookbook.

9:24 - Mitt: We've been married 42 years, she survived MS and breast cancer.

9:25 - Newt: These 3 women would make great First Ladies. (He's referring to the other candidates wives, not his 3 wives.) But Callista would bring music appreciation and patriotism.

9:26 - Rick's wife was not in attendance, but he gave a heartfelt tribute to her.

9:28 - Back and forth with Newt & Mitt about the mantle of Reagan. Yawwwwn.

QUESTION FROM CUBAN IMMIGRANT - How should US handle Cuba?

9:32 - Rick: Obama's encouraged the cancer in Cuba and it's spread to Venezuela. We're rewarding this thuggery, this Marxism, these jihadists in central and south America.

9:34 - Ron: Sanctions help Castro, don't hurt him. Sanctions help the dictators. The Cold War is over. I don't think people see jihadists under the bed at night.

9:36 - Mitt: Obama's ignored Latin America. Also mistake to give in to Putin or Castro or Chavez or Achmadinejad with what they want. Dictators look for weakness. Newt: We need to help Cuba move to freedom once Castro dies.

QUESTION FROM PALESTINIAN REPUBLICAN - How will you help bring peace between Israel and Palestine?

9:38 - Mitt and Newt respond with pro-Israel views, and the questioner looks like the loneliest man in the room.

QUESTION FROM PUERTO RICAN WOMAN - Where do you stand on Puerto Rico becoming a state?

9:42 - Rick: Me and the governor of Puerto Rico used to go to church together. Puerto Rico has high unemployment and we need to help them. I take no stand on them becoming a state; it's up to them.

QUESTION FROM ATTORNEY - How would your religious beliefs impact your decisions as president?

9:45 - Ron: My religious beliefs affect my character and the way I live.

9:46 - Mitt: The Creator endowed us with unalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

9:47 - Newt: If you're "truly faithful" it should affect your life. Then slams anti-Christian bias of secular media and religious oppression of the state.

9:48 - Rick: The Constitution is the How of America, the Declaration of the Independence is the Why of America. We have God-given rights. If rights come from the state, then everything the govt gives you, they can take away.

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QUESTION FROM WOLF - Tell us why you are the one person on this stage to most likely beat Pres. Obama.

9:53 - Ron: My appeal to freedom and the Constitution crosses party lines. I do well against Obama in national polls.

9:54 - Mitt: To change DC dramatically, you need someone from the outside. Pretty much gives a mini stump speech.

9:55 - Newt: I was there in 1994 and now I'm running for my two grandkids.

9:56 - Rick: I was against govt bailouts, both bought into cap-and-trade, both bought into global warming hoax.

Some great entertaining clashes in there. Other dull spots, and I'd attribute that to the questions.  Seriously, we've had several debates, and look at the selection of questions.  So how'd they do?


NEWT GINGRICH - His big selling point was he could out-debate Obama.  Well, he wilted tonight.  Romney disemboweled him early and he never recovered.  Even the First Lady question, Mitt was able to point out his wife had MS and cancer.  The unspoken point was to Gingrich, who left wife #1 when she got cancer, and left wife #2 when she got MS.  Newt lost.  He'll lose in Florida, and he'll shrivel up.

RON PAUL - I don't think he'll win any states, but he'll get a percentage in every state.  He was good tonight.  I think his response on his age was great.

MITT ROMNEY - He tore Newt Gingrich apart.  Had the debate ended at the half-hour mark, I'd say he was going to coast to the nomination now.  He had a couple flounders in there, like backing away from an ad that was actually his, but he rolled with the punches and found ways to flip them back on his opponents.

RICK SANTORUM - One of his best debate performances.  His earnestness had an "I'll fight for the little guy" populism to it, especially when talking about manufacturing, or the clear love he has for his wife.  I think the anti-Romneys will wake up from their Newt stupor and some will shift back to Rick Santorum.