Bachmann Makes a Strong Debut

Bachmann was well prepped. She used the forum to announce she was formally running for President -- a blatant attempt to get more media attention, but it worked.

So how did the substance of the Republican candidates debate relate to what we were on the lookout for?

No one attacked Romney. Surprisingly, Mitt Romney's position as putative GOP front runner was not directly attacked or challenged by anyone. CNN's moderator John King tried to goad Pawlenty into explaining why he characterized the Obama healthcare law as "Obamaneycare" and Pawlenty was not eager to take the bait. There were also no direct attacks on Romney's abortion record. Perhaps the candidates think its too early to go negative.

Ron Paul Was the Biggest Sideshow. More than any other candidate, Ron Paul's answers were characterized by meandering rambles. This was facilitated by a New Hampshire political reporter who kept asking him questions which elicited predictable answers. Why would you ask Ron Paul: "Do you support eminent domain?" Of course Ron Paul does not, and his answer about eminent domain turned into a digression on the housing bubble.

A Hint of Pawlenty's Medicare Plan. We did not get any firm details from Tim Pawlenty, but we did get a small peak at his Medicare proposal. It sounds like it will keep the Ryan-budget model of having different care options for people 55 and younger. It might be different by keeping Medicare as an option for those 55 and under while also introducing some sort of competition with a private insurance scheme. It's still not clear how this would work in practice.

Unexpected Standout: Michele Bachmann. Bachmann was well prepped for this debate. She used the forum to announce she was formally running for President -- a blatant attempt to get more media attention, but it worked.

Most importantly, she gave answers that were clear and -- in some instances -- even memorable.Perhaps her best line was her description of the President's handling of Libya: "All we need to know is that the President deferred leadership on Libya to France". It managed to touch on both Obama's apparent lack of engagement on the issue while still getting a jab in at France. A very crafty response.