USAToday: "Wow! Ron Paul wins GOP Debate"

"Analysis-Republican Congressman Ron Paul won the GOP debate. Fox News apparently feeling pressure after censoring Ron Paul from the last GOP forum two days prior to the New Hampshire primary, included Paul in tonight’s debate.

Paul was actually given equal time to speak and he embarrassed his opponents on foreign policy, especially John McCain who had said prior to the debate that he would not mind keeping U.S. troops in Iraq for 100 years.

Paul pointed out that the U.S. can’t afford the Iraq war and is borrowing from China to finance it.

Paul was also the only candidate to recognize that the U.S. is already in a recession that could get much worse. He also said that the real estate market was already in a depression.

Paul spoke about monetary policy as the cause of the recession. His opponents did not seem too familiar with the topic.

On fiscal Conservatism Paul shined as well. His defense of the Constitution and Civil Liberties was also passionate.

The audience was also very receptive to Paul’s views applauding often, including foreign policy issues, which seemed to irritate the moderators.

Fox then presented a less than credible focus group that had almost all participants claiming Paul was the loser. Gauging the actual crowd applause, Paul was the winner, although it remains to be seen if that will translate into a victory in the state.

Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, and the Republican delegate leader, Mitt Romney all performed well.

Giuliani was a little redundant

McCain was the big loser. He came off a little unhinged. Paul just made his opponents look uninformed on foreign policy and liberal on economics.

Regardless of who you thought won the debate, it was by far the best. If the networks have had fair and open debates thoughout the campaign, the ratings would have been through the roof."