Notes from Republican Debate in S.C.

Republicans duked it out in Myrtle Beach last night with the biggest surprise being Fred Thompson actually participating in the debate. Here are my notes:

---Romney solid on his answer to the recession question, but either he's looking over South Carolina (READ: conceding) or he almost forgot he's there, not Michigan.

---McCain must already be senile if he doesn't believe we're heading to recession, only Huckabee and Romney seem to think the possibility of a recession is real.

---I've already lost count of how many times Ronald Reagan has been mentioned.

---Mitt isn't alone; others are also obviously looking beyond S.C. to Michigan.

---Ron Paul is weird.

---Thompson must've gotten a good night's sleep; he's actually awake and sharp for this debate. He just pounced Huck, calling him "liberal" on the issues. Those are fighting words, but Huck is cool under pressure. That's for sure. His "gates of hell" comment was the best of the night, with Thompson's "virgins" comment in close second.

---Is it just me or do the other seem troubled by Paul? FOX producers seem to like to show Mitt when Paul is talking. Probably because the troubled, almost condescending look on his face says that he, like the FOX Network, thinks Paul is a joke.

---Everybody picks on Paul, but I think he had a point with allies to enemies comment. I wonder how much he pays those folks to sit in the audience and applaud and scream after his comments.

---McCain's efforts to get in cheap shots often fail.

---Thompson on Pakistan, right on.

Overall, it was a good debate. Giuliani just as well have not been on the stage; his campaign is not only in financial trouble, it's also quickly losing its "umph". Fred Thompson, though, made his presence felt, and he had to; South Carolina is his last stance, and from where I'm sitting he won this one hands down. But is that good enough to get him a win in the South's first primary?

I doubt it, but we'll have to wait to see.