Tonight at 7PM EST, I will begin liveblogging the Republican debate. If you're going to be watching the debate and online, make sure to tune in and refresh regularly to see new comments.

7:01: Here we go!

7:03: Funny --Tommy Thompson line about not being Fred Thompson -- not that funny, but funny.

7:04: Huckabee got the best line off although Duncan did a good job of getting his big issues in.

7:07: Good answer from Rudy on Iraq and security.

7:08: How do you make a 3 state solution in Iraq when the Iraqis aren't in a 3 neat block? It won't work.

7:11: It is America's war, not just Bush's war. Also, it isn't whether Petraeus says significant progress has happened, it's whether he says that it can work. If he says there's no hope, we should probably pull out. If he says that it will work, but hasn't yet, we should stay in there until it does.

7:13: I like Thompson's idea about having them vote on whether they want us to stay.

7:14: Ron Paul -- Surrender! Surrender! Surrender!

7:16: I don't agree with Tanc's stance, but I at least respect the fact that he says he hopes it works. That's more than the Democrats do.

7:18 I love Duncan's answer on Iran. He would stop the Iranians from getting nukes, no matter what it takes, even if he had no other choice but to use tactical nukes.

7:20: I gotta give Rudy his due -- he's great when it comes to talking about the war on terror. I wish W. could talk about the war that way.

7:22: I love the fact that every guy they've asked has had the guts to say, "Yes, we're not taking any options off the table, including tactical nukes, and we will stop Iran from getting nukes."

7:23: Now it's Tanc's time to shine on illegal immigration. We are testing our ability to hang on to the English language. Heavy applause.

7:26: Rudy is so-so on this, probably because he's a comprehensive immigration guy.

7:27: Every illegal alien, almost everyone, gets to stay here." Right, it's not fair. The Z visa stinks." Applause.

7:28: McCain agreed with Gregg that Tanc is a know-nothing? Rude. Does anyone have a better idea -- hands going up everywhere. Hahahaha! People applauded McCain for that crap? They must have some libs in there.

7:30: Mitt: Enforce the laws! Applause.

7:31: This is a disastrous bill. Where are our 854 miles of fence? They've done 11 miles. They have a case of the slows (He used that line last debate). Heavy applause. Good answer for Dunc.

7:33: No new paths to citizenship -- but Brownback supports the bill? That doesn't make any sense. Boooooooooooo!

7:34: If you subsidize illegal immigration, you get more of it. Wow, good answer from Ron Paul for once or...wait...a free market economy. Is he saying we should have open borders? What?

7:35: McCain opposes having English as a national language. Big surprise there -- 2 million of 12 million have committed serious crimes? So, according to McCain, 1 in 6 illegals is a criminal and we're going to give them Z visas?

7:39: Tommy Thompson says "Jump in, Fred, the water's warm." Better answer than Gilmore at least.

7:40: Now that was funny -- and it got them off of the Pontius Pilot comparison, which, if you ask me, is pretty accurate.

7:42: Huckabee is giving a good answer on evolution. He did a magnificent job of spin on this issue by turning it around and talking about his faith.

7:48: It's refreshing to hear these candidates talking about their faith so openly, honestly, and sincerely. The Democrats always sound so phony when they talk about these issues.

7:49: I thought there were some liberals that snuck in, but they're obviously Ron Paul fans because they clap for everything he says, no matter how blase it is.

7:51: Romney is for energy independence. Reducing energy dependence is a good idea, but energy independence isn't feasible with the technology we have or probably even with the technology that is around the corner.

7:54: Well, maybe not on the Ron Paul fans. They didn't clap for that answer about the Middle-East.

7:55: Geeze -- how many questions are they going to ask Paul? Wait, they applauded again. Yeah, they're Paul fans....again, pretty blase answer and applause.

7:57: Rudy, I don't think we should raise this issue. That's sort of a dodge.

7:58: Boy, Mitt is even flip flopping on gays in the military.

8:00: All Republicans support don't ask, don't tell.

8:00: Tommy Thompson, no George Bush at the UN. Good answer. But, what would they use him for? Public service? How about he goes home and retires.

8:02: Great answer, Sam. One President at a time. Clinton should stay out of the limelight.

8:02: Tanc -- I would have to tell George Bush, don't darken the door of the White House again. Applause for that. Can't disagree.

8:03: Huckabee: We deserved to get beat in 2006. Yes, we did.

8:04: Duncan Hunter. I would pardon Compean and Ramos. We gotta bring back Reagan Democrats to this party. Good trade bill. Build jobs. Good answer again.

8:06: It really is too early to ask whether Scooter should be pardoned. The appeal isn't even done.

8:07: Tommy Thompson -- great comparison between Bill Clinton and Scooter Libby.

8:12: Hopefully, the audience questions part of the debate will be better than the Democrat debate which became brutally dull once we got to this point.

8:15: This is a good question for Duncan because of his son Duncan D.'s service over there and, yes, it was worth it. What we need to do is stand up the Iraqi army. He hammers this point every chance he gets.

8:17: Brownback needs to realize that splitting Kurds, Shias, and Sunnis in Iraq would be like splitting California into 3 different states of conservatives, liberals, and moderates. They're mixed in everywhere. You just can't neatly partition them into 3 states.

8:19: Ron Paul on Iraq -- run, run, run! Let the whole thing blow up! Not our problem. Typical big "L" Libertarian who only thinks in terms on theory and can't cut it in the real world.

8:23: Rudy is just better than any of the other candidates when it comes to talking about war on terrorism issues and he proved it again on that issue.

8:26: I am a big fan of health savings accounts and Rudy is right about socialized medicine would ruin our health care.

8:28: Duncan wants to let people buy health insurance across state lines. I am a big fan of that, too.

8:29: Tommy Thompson: I get suspicious about people talking about "wellness" systems. It sounds good, but it never works. Thompson sounded forceful, but I am not sure I buy what he's saying.

8:32: Mitt should kill this question. Anything the government takes over gets better, not worse. Mitt is all platitudes. He should get more in depth on what he actually did. He's off his game in this debate.

8:33: I am not sold on Huckabee as a candidate, but he oozes charisma. Huckabee sounds like a good preacher when it comes to life, but I am not sure he really said anything of substance.

8:36: The most pressing moral issue to Ron Paul is pre-emptive war, which is unique. Really? He doesn't know much about American history, does he?

8:37: Sam Brownback is strong on pro-life issues and I appreciate that -- and he's right that we are a party of principle. He hit Rudy hard there and I think he scored points.

8:39: Mitt flip flopping again. How can you believe someone who says English should be our national language when they're putting lots of things out in Spanish? Answer -- you can't.

8:41: Tanc: No, I would not advertise in Spanish. The English language is the glue that holds us together. Bilingual countries don't work. We shouldn't be ashamed that English is our language. Applause.

8:42: Geeze, McCain is cranky and irritating. Oh, this is insulting. You bigots need to look at the Vietnam memorial to see the Hispanic names so you people will learn not to hate Hispanics. Ugh!

8:46: Brownback will end deaths by cancer in 10 years? Really? Seems kind of unlikely to me.

8:47: Great answer from Tommy Thompson on spending.

8:47: Tanc nailed it on Bush. He ran as a conservative and governed as a liberal.

8:48: Gilmore -- we're a party of principle and we're not acting on it. Immigration and spending are killing us. Good answer.

8:48: Huckabee: "A tax system that literally steps on their heads." Literally?

8:50: Tanc is right that we're not assimilating people and he's right that we shouldn't have to press 1 for Spanish and 2 for English. That is a sign that people are not assimilating.

8:53: McCain -- no barriers and fences? Yeah, believe that guy wants to stop illegal immigration.

8:55: Woah, Duncan is roughing up McCain, Romney, and Rudy. Great line about Ted Kennedy. That's usually not his style, but it worked.

Summary: As per usual, I will not include Duncan Hunter in my analysis because I consult for him, beyond saying that I was very happy with his performance.

Winner: Rudy, because he's just magnificent when it comes to the war on terror.

Loser: McCain, who came off as cranky, mean spirited, championed a wildly unpopular bill, and because he essentially accused everyone who opposed it of being a racist (Go look at the Vietnam Memorial and you'll see the Hispanic names on there: Translation: You bigots need to learn that Hispanics are good people).

Other thoughts: Tanc was very passionate and did pretty well, but he stepped in it a bit on his big slow down of legal immigration. That's a position that most Americans support, but most Republicans won't cop to it and since we can't even seem to slow illegal immigration, I can't imagine how we could possibly slow legal immigration even if it is a good idea.

Huckabee and Brownback are competing for the same social conservative demographic, but Huckabee is so much more charismatic than Brownback, it's not a fair fight. On the other hand, Huckabee really doesn't have much to offer beyond charisma, but the likability factor is big.

Romney was really off his game tonight. Paul was sort of cranky and off kilter, as per usual. Thompson had a few flashes, but he just doesn't have it.

Nobody else made much of an impression, positive or negative.