Live Blog Transcript

1:08- HDTV! Sweeeet.

1:10- It is dark in the IPTV studios isn't it? Also weird to not have an audience. Is this the first non-audience debate?

1:11- Mitt definitely colors his hair.

1:13- Alan Keyes. LMFAO. (Side note. Doesn't calling your TV show "Alan Keyes is making sense" in some way tacitly acknowledge that people think you're crazy.)

1:14 Carolyn Washburn colors her hair much more drastically than Mitt.

1:21- If you don't like our live blog, check out Jonathan Martin's.

1:22- Changed our mind. Alan Keyes is an important addition to this debate. His swaying, ducking questions, oratory. It's all perfect.

1:23- SLAM from Fred. "You're getting to be a pretty good actor actually" to Mitt

1:26- Bored by the "free statement" section. Check out what Carolyn Washburn looked like then. And then look at the TV screen. She's found the fountain of youth!! She's also the meanest moderator we've had to date.

1:29- Half an hour in. Only Fred's line stands out. So we're going to analyze ties. Huckabee, a Bushian solid light blue. McCain, Notre Dame solid gold.

1:30- Giuliani, an awful maroon and navy stripe. Who dressed him this morning? Get on that Comella! Fred with an almost as ugly blue, silver, and black stripe. Tancredo, a very preppy solid maroon. Hunter, a lighter maroon with a thin white stripe. Ron Paul with an absurdly shiny silver tie and some sort of blue/black thin stripes. Very ugly.

1:35- Whoa there is an audience. They've been quiet.

1:36- The global warming question is a total cluster. The candidates are bargaining for time!! Get a hold of your people Carolyn!

1:38- Good answer from Mitt on global warming. He's wearing a light blue tie with dots. Keyes is wearing a brown tie.

1:39- Final tie rankings, 1. Huckabee 2. McCain 3. Tancredo 4. Hunter 5. Keyes 6. Romney. 7. Thompson 8. Giuliani

1:40- Huckabee claims that its hard to believe in global warming when its cold out. Then says we need to be stewards of the earth. Trying to cut that pretty thin.

1:46- School choice, will Huckabee come clean that he opposed this in Arkansas?

1:50- Nearly an hour in. Not a single person has even tried to draw a contrast with Huckabee, the Iowa favorite, or Giuliani, the national favorite. You're running out of time fellas.

1:52- Everybody knows that Alan Keyes daughter is a lesbian and he disowned her right?

1:56- First shot at Huckabee. From Tancredo. On school curricula. zzz

2:02- Romney's going to end entitlements and illegal immigration year one. Ha.

2:04- McCain says we have a "cyberspace challenge." Too many snarky bloggers, Senator?

2:09- Martin brings up a good point. Nobody dinged Huckabee for for the NEA endorsing him.

2:12- Keyes is speaking in rhyme now

2:13- Romney makes a funny. When asked if he wants to respond to Keyes he deadpans "I'm not sure." Mitt also has a little verbal tick, he always says "Thank you" at the end of every question. Who is he thanking?

2:14- Who has bigger bags under their eyes. Ambinder thinks McCain. We think Fred. Not get a lot of sleep last night fellas?

2:15- Is Huckabee religious? Haven't noticed.

2:17- Huckabee is winning this debate right now by default.

2:18- Is it more important to be a social or fiscal conservative? Here's Mitt's chance to take a shot at Rudy or Huckabee. Will he use it??

2:19- No.

2:21- Why was Tancredo whispering in the video?

2:24- The McCain argument in a nutshell, "I can never think of a time where I have compromised my principals and I hope I never will"

2:24- Resolutions for an opponent!! Somebody take a shot!

2:26- Everybody is wimping out. Predictable.

2:30- Cooler Analysis:

Winner- Huckabee. He stayed on his religious, compassionate messaging. He didn't have to rebut any tough challenges from his opponents or from the moderator. He's the favorite.

Loser- The Des Moines Register. What a terrible debate format. Kudos to them for asking about issues besides God and gays, but besides that they get a thumbs down from the Cooler.

Other Notes- McCain was strong as he has been for a couple debates. Rudy didn't make any mistakes and handled the toughest question (disclosure) well. Romney gave some great answers, but didn't distinguish himself from Huckabee, so that's a loss for him. Keyes is a lunatic.

Thanks for joining us.

And special thanks to Andrew Sullivan and others who have linked to us. The Cooler will surpass 5000 unique visitors today alone.