Charlie Gibson is a class act–it was a nice touch having all the candidates, Democrats and Republicans, come on stage following the first segment of tonight’s debate. And if there’s cause to complain about any aspect of this first portion of the debate, I must have missed it. The discussion was substantive, it flowed smoothly, and everyone was given ample opportunity to attack and counterattack–even Ron Paul, who was tonight far less angry and combative than he’s been in the past. Key to all of this, of course, was the fact that we’ve finally winnowed down the number of participants. But Dr. Paul should be allowed to participate in tomorrow night’s debate on Fox. He can be entertaining at times, and I think his presence often brings out the best in his fellow candidates. There was only one moment when Gibson made me nervous: when he said that he was going to break the rules of the debate to allow a question by video. But the video was of the president discussing what he believed to be the primary qualification for a presidential aspirant–a coherent governing philosophy guided by a set of core principles. And this question spurred one of the evening’s best exchanges. Very impressive over all, but I won’t be watching the Democrats debate, at least not tonight. It’s Miller Time. PS: I’m not sure who won, but it wasn’t Romney.
