Republican Debate Open Thread / Live Blog

Welcome to the Large Primate House at the Simi Valley Zoological Gardens.  No pointing at, or making eye contact with, the candidates.  No flash photography.  No feeding the candidates.

Use this as an open thread to discuss the preening, posing, grooming, and feces flinging.

UPDATE 1:  In the running contest for Stupidest Statement of the Night (SSOTN), Howard Fineman takes an early lead, gushing about "the regality of the event."

UPDATE 2:  Interesting.  Fineman definitely states that Fred Thompson is getting in the race in July.  More talk about the non-candidates than the candidates in the pre-game show.

UPDATE 3:  No opening/closing statements.  Too bad -- that would've been a great place to spot SSOTN candidates.

RUDY:  Only 28% of Americans support the Bush Admin?  You gotta have hoooope!  Optimism!  That's the ticket!  (And it does take a strange breed of optimism to say that American has "the greatest health-care system in the world.")

McCAIN:  "War has been terribly mismanaged."

TOMMY THOMPSON:  Nothing much to say other than that he sounds like a heavy breather.  Icky.

MITT:  God, he's got a terrific tan/hair combo.  Unforgettable, unremarkable, but well-modulated answer.  If he loses (and he will), he ought to bump Brit Hume at Fox News.  He really is an anchorman.

HUCK:  Would've fired Rummy before the midterms.  Should listen to soldiers rather than "civilians in silk ties."  I note that Huck has a nice red Perry Ellis on tonight.

RON PAUL:  You have to imagine that he's been spending the entire night wondering what the hell he's doing in a Republican presidential debate.  Arguing for a non-interventionist foreign policy.  Somewhere in the dirt in Ohio, Bob Taft is applauding.  No one in Simi Valley is, though.

McCAIN:  Should have decided against wearing the candy cane tie.  Looks awful.

TANCREDO: Manages to answer a question without mentioning "Mexico,"  "a wall," or "immigration."  Stutters a lot, not ready for prime time.

REAGAN UPDATE:  Giuliani has the most references so far.

MITT:  Apparently just read Thomas Friedman Presents Bernard Lewis For Dummies.

NEW THREAD OPEN!