Republicans debating

I happened to watch the Republican debate last night. I wasn't intending to, but I came across it and decided it was high time I sit down and take stock of the field of candidates.

It's not pretty.

Here are my random thoughts on the candidates:

Rudy Giuliani: Saying that the biblical story of Jonah in the belly of a whale was purely allegorical (along with saying that much of the rest of the Bible is allegorical) couldn't have helped him with evangelicals. Neither did his statement that Islam is a "great religion".

Mitt Romney: polished and cool, he owned up to having been wrong on the abortion issue in the past and even said he believes in the Bible. I'm still not a fan.

Fred Thompson: the slow-talker from Tennessee fell flat. He was scattered and as one commentator put it, he looked like he was missing his cue card.

John McCain: he looked more sad than anything, but the 70-some-year-old has a ton of experience in war and in office to draw from, and he did so masterfully. I like that he speaks from his heart and says what he believes is right. I trust him as much as (or more than) any candidate. While I like him a lot more now than I used to, I don't think I'll be supporting him.

Mike Huckabee: I've liked him the more I've seen him, and this debate was no different. I'm not always on the same page with the Baptist minister-turned-governor, but he's typically pretty straightforward and more often than not, we're on the same page. I also liked this quote: "No finite mind can understand an infinite God, and if we think we can, then our God is too small."

Duncan Hunter: Um, Duncan who? Yeah, I know...and he performed about as well. The few meager shots he had at saying something didn't go too badly, but his argument regarding the "don't ask don't tell" military policy was horrendous.

Tom Tancredo: interesting quote: "everyone's trying to out-Tancredo Tancredo." Yeah, okay. You're still not a threat. For the most part he's right on immigration and a number of other issues, but the Colorado congressman just doesn't have the gusto to get it done.

Ron Paul: The 1988 Libertarian presidential candidate - now a Republican Congressman from Texas - has raised a ton of money and has a ton of support. Unfortunately for him, he's a thin, wiry 71-year-old whose support is largely online. We saw how much good internet support did for Howard Dean a few years ago. Ron Paul is absolutely right in his "less government" schtick, but it's not likely to stick with the hardcore Republicans. He's also very anti-war and, if you listen to John McCain, he's pro-isolationism (McCain actually has a great point on this). I tend to agree with a number of his positions and, while he's entirely un-presidential in stature and presence, he could be the next Ross Perot. Or maybe just a Ralph Nader.

My vote at this point goes to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Other candidates I could see supporting are Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, and even John McCain.