CNN/YouTube Republican Debate: The Winners, the Losers

The first ever CNN-YouTube Republican debate started in a heated fashion, as America's Mayor and the Mormon Governor came to blows over the immigration issue. In what many have perceived as something of a cheap shot, Rudy Giuliani accused Mitt Romney of not taking illegal immigration seriously, citing his home life as proof of this point, accusing him of using illegal immigrants without regard there. Mitt Romney was successful in defending himself and warding off the attack, that appeared to have done more harm to both candidates than good, but the initial, spark-filled hurdle was quickly overcome, and the debate reverted to a more conventional tone.

Not much was changed with this debate, few of the candidates' positions were changed or clarified beyond their current point, though perhaps the biggest surprise was the way Mike Huckabee really shown above all the other presidential candidates. Although still a far flung candidate with little hope of receiving the nomination, and presenting little in the way of appeal as a president, the clarity of his arguments and the absence of bickering caused him to stand out in a way that made him appear to be among the winners of tonight's debate.

Naturally, because of the lack of decorum that comes with free form internet question submissions, many of the YouTube questions demonstrated a contributor that thought that their own particular video was a bit more hard-hitting than it really was, such as the gentleman who attempted to make a point to ask if any of the candidates felt that "every word in this book was true" while holding a copy of the King James Version of the Bible. Most candidates answered the question candidly, though the question asker's true intent appeared to be an inquiry about the King James Version specifically, and each of the presidential hopefuls instead treated it as their chance to re-affirm their Christian values.