The CNN stream doesn't work from outside the US

I guess I stayed up for nothing.

Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR): B. Huckabee’s strategy in this race is clear: win evangelicals; then win more evangelicals. Last night, he did heavy work on that area in his extremely limited time. (He had the second-least time of any candidate). His answer about Kim Davis got religious Americans out of their seats:

I am here to fight for somebody who is a county clerk elected under the Kentucky Constitution that 75 percent of the people of that state had voted for that said that marriage was between a man and a woman. … I thought that everybody here passed ninth-grade civics. The courts cannot legislate. That’s what Roberts said. But heck, it’s what we learned in civics. The courts can’t make a law. They can interpret one. They can review one. They can’t implement it. They can’t force it. But here’s what happened: because the courts just decided that something was going to be and people relinquished it and the other two branches of government sat by silently. I thought we had three branches of government, they were all equal to each other, we have separation of powers, and we have checks and balances. If the court can just make a decision and we just all surrender to it, we have what Jefferson said was judicial tyranny. … We made accommodation to the Fort Hood shooter to let him grow a beard. We made accommodations to the detainees at Gitmo. I’ve been to Gitmo, and I’ve seen the accommodations that we made to the Muslim detainees who killed Americans. You’re telling me that you cannot make an accommodation for an elected Democrat county clerk from Rowan County, Kentucky? What else is it other than the criminalization of her faith and the exaltation of the faith of everyone else who might be a Fort Hood shooter or a detainee at Gitmo?

Huckabee for the win here. Ted Cruz, who is also vying for the evangelical vote, got hit with Huckabee’s truck on this one. Huckabee may not move in national polls, but he will move in Iowa.

Mike Huckabee once again showed how skilled of a communicator he is. He avoided the invitation to tangle with others and instead used the opportunity to speak in depth about issues that are central to his Iowa campaign. Even though he didn’t get much time, Huckabee was able to weigh in on the Middle East, the religious liberty issue involving Kim Davis, his conservative litmus test for Supreme Court justices, and why he supports the Fair Tax. Huckabee might not make anybody’s debate winners list, but he used his time to talk about his platform. Those four subjects make up the core of his message.

I think Mark Steyn's analysis on Hannity's show last night was right on the mark. Those watching this as simply a performance art will think Fiorina and Rubio will rise in the polls. Truth is, most people aren't voting for who does the best powerpoint presentation, but on who they view as likeable, which is why Carson is doing so well. I don't expect this debate change much in the polls.

Am I crazy or is Fiorina not as impressive as the hype makes her out to be? Just standard Republican boilerplate and reconstituted stump speeches, as far as I can tell. "My friend Bibi..." yeah yeah.