GOP Presidential Candidates - round 2

10 candidates, 90 minutes, 3 questioners... a recipe for some exciting television and that it was...

Eight months before the first ballot is cast, the GOP hopefuls battled it out on the second republican debate. This time around the tone harder and the attacks were flying.

Rudy Giuliani was the nights big winner showing all his strengths on national security and trying to prove his conservative credentials, not on social issues, but fiscal and security issues. His biggest shinning moment of the night came after a statement from Ron Paul insinuating that America invited the attacks of 9/11. Giuliani rose quickly to call out Ron Paul in a "no you didn't" moment, asking Congressman Paul how he dared make that sort of statement. Giuliani said, he had heard some extraordinary statements in his time but that was one of the most extraordinary thing he has ever heard. The viewers in the audience and those at home could see the resolve in Giuliani's face and how personal he took the issue. Giuliani received roaring applause from the audience and asked Ron Paul to apologize for his statement.

Giuliani also won by switching the debate in his favor, he tried to deflect his position on abortion as ask the public to see the big picture, if the Republicans loose, we get Hillary, and that is truly a scary America.

Senator John McCain did amazing will as well, proving himself as a constant leaders and American patriot. The Senator showed to be a proven national leader, someone who worked with both sides of the aisle to get results and even came off funny with his drunken sailor joke. (though he has given it a few times, much of America hadn't seen it yet.) McCain was able to attack his fellow top tier candidates, including Mitt Rommney for being a flip flopper on issues, saying he did not change his "position on even-numbered years" or "because of the different offices that I may be running for." McCain tried to strengthen the publics view of his conservative credentials talking about immigration, taxes and the war. The Senator started the night saying he would be the last man standing supporting the war.

This was not Gov. Mitt Rommney's debate. He won the first but fell flat this time around. He did get quite a few hard questions (5 I think). He had to defend his abortion position throughout the night and his conservative credentials. Rommney did give a few jabs himself, attacking McCain saying "McCain-Kennedy would do to immigration what McCain-Fiengold did to campaigns," yet McCain came back strong. Romney did win with his comments on keeping Gitmo open, which got huge applause from the crowd.

The debate was truly a battle of the big three with the rest of the field trying to show America they were the "real conservative" candidate. Tom Tancredo missed some opportunities. Gov. Jim Gilmore personally attacked some candidates, after the prodding of questioner Mike Wallace, but it was "ehh". Mike Huckabee came off funny, likable and defiantly stood out from the lower tier candidates, but wasn't the overall winner. (He had a very funny line about Edwards.) Ron Paul clearly was remembered by the end of the debate, but less for his positions, and more on his situation with Rudy Giuliani during the debate.

Early in the night Fox News was showing Ron Paul as the debates winner, which is ludicrous. Maybe it was joke, as Rudy was the nights real winner.

Read more about the debate:
- Politico's Jonathan Martin's Republican Blog
- Washington Post: Analysis of Second GOP Debate
- Giuliani Scores Big Debate Moment