My takes:
Tanc and Fed came across as the most well spoken. Fred is the most thoughtful and deliberative of the bunch, and has a very good sense of humor.
Rudy and Romney tried to sell themselves; they are carefully polished simulacra of some abstract notion of class president. Rudy did a better job of pitching his own image. Romney seems to want to be president worse than anybody up there. His flip-floppy nature was exposed a few times.
Huckabee was a lightweight - he could barely win the congeniality runner up prize, but not much more. I would not even buy a car from him. He was not impressive.
Duncan did not get enough air time, but what he did get he generally filled with non-provactive though solid statements. He lacks stature, but he did show some fine humility and a human face a time or two. He is obviously a proud father and patriot.
McCain would be a contender but he looks ill and he still gives off a Queg-like vibe. He was and is right about the surge, about projecting the force to finish the job expediently.
Ron Paul is the best source of messages for fiscal restraint, but he too looked ill. He is, perhaps, not the best messenger of his own message, but he is the thorn of Republicans past promises of fiscal restraint and smaller government, and he needs to stay in the sandal of the party until they start shrinking government and spending less.
Thompson is the clear winner, to me. He is thoughtful, well spoken, smart, and does not seem over eager to fix every human problem with more government benevolence. He is like a basset hound.
I saw the “circus” last night, so just now catching up with comments on FR.
Agree that Fred T. is the adult in the whole bunch, and has thoughtfully laid out plans on several issues. Seems he does not get the chance to express them. CNN just wanted to play games with stupid videos of kids asking dumb questions.
The whole situation is pretty discouraging when the subject of this whole mess is electing the President of the USA.