The FL polls are all over the show at the moment, some showing this week’s reputed frontrunner Newt ahead, some favoring Mitt, so it may be a bumpy night, to contrast with the rather subdued atmosphere at Monday’s debate.

I’. Mrs. Polly, and my phone’s about to die, but I have a 90 year old mother who came to this country in a goatskin coracle, so I wish to announce my self-deportation tonight. Farewellll…....

Fare thee well, Mrs. P. You’ll be riveted to hear we’re into immigration.

Anyone who had “Mastercard/American Express to run immigration,” charge your glass now.

Ron Paul reprising his line from the previous debate about the need for free trade with Cuba.

Santorum is more worried about the growth of Islam in South America.

Santorum dings Paul for not listening to him and rambling.

Way to beat up on the old ‘un, Rick.

Ooohs from the crowd as Mitt’s insouciance on the dirt that’s being dished in his name in super PAC ads comes into focus. “It says at the end, ‘I’m Mitt Romney and I approve of this ad.’”

Newt asks the audience: “How many of you know somebody who’s had a house foreclosed?”

Mitt puts his hand up, then hurriedly lowers it again as he remembers that Ted Kennedy didn’t have to actually sell his house.

We’re now into the long grass of whose investments are shadier, Mitt’s or Newt’s.

Should Newt and Mitt give back the money they made out of investing in Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, Ron Paul?

Paul sidesteps it, but Santorum’s all “Leave Mitt and Newt ALOOOOOONE!!!!”

I will use this break in transmission to digest the fact that Mitt’s mother-in-law was born in Wales. They should have asked him where. A quick burst of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch could have cleared the front ten rows.

Blitzer is desperately trying to get Newt and Mitt to have at it like men.

Newt’s game. Mitt’s answer is pretty aggressive and says his investments are in a blind trust blah proud of being successful blah.

Mitt’s stepping up his game tonight. Maybe those sessions with Bachmann’s debate coach?

In contrast, Newt is sounding whiny about Mitt’s pals’ attack ads.

Now we’re onto Newt’s pander to FL’s hi-tech sector, his plan to send Mitt Romney to the moon. Mitt’s not too sure.

All this space investment talk strikes Santorum as too socialisty.

Surprisingly, Paul doesn’t think we should go to the moon, but should send some politicians up there. Mitt looks nervous.

Ron thinks space technology should be developed for defense purposes. Against the Ferengi.

Newt:  Six or seven flights a day to the moon!

Mitt says “you’re fired” with relish again. This time to anybody who comes into his office wanting to spend billions of dollars to go to the moon.

Mitt calls out Newt for his pandering to local states. Mitt may not have grasped this whole primary thing. Newt hurriedly changes the subject.

Santorum blames the debt downgrade on Obama. This is a radical departure that makes you wonder why nobody else has thought of doing that.

Although the crowd is in reasonably noisy evidence at some points tonight—Mitt just provoked a few whoops, which can’t be something he hears that often—Newt’s not really playing them. Yet?

Santorum very impassioned about no mandate for health insurance. Mitt explains it to him like he was a moderately bright four-year-old. Rick picks up the baton and responds in the same vein.

Mitt yet again pledges to stop Obamacare if elected. Even Wolf is bored and wants to move on. Santorum isn’t having it, goes after Mitt for fines he imposed for not complying with the mandate in NH.

Then Paul comes in from whereverfeld and gives the libertarian line, which takes the temperature down a bit till he pledges to cut $1 trillion in the first year. Audience applauds. Pavlov would be proud.

Santorum expresses his man love for Marco Rubio. A smattering of applause at another pander, but everyone moves quickly on in embarrassment.

Here we go. Whose wife would make the best first lady?

Ron Paul starts us off by saying that his wife would.

Mitt shares more about his wife’s health than we know about his yet.

Newt says, “First of all having had a chance to get to know them ...” he thinks any/all of the candidates’ wives would be just dandy. Coming from anyone but Newt, that would sound like an innocent remark. Puts forward Callista’s prowess on wind instruments as a selling point. She must be so proud.

Rick has a wife and eight children, lost one, one has a disability. He focuses on the one that died, then segues into his wife’s book on manners.

Key topic in FL: Israel—Palestine.

Romney blaming Obama for throwing Israel “under the bus,” calls Netanyahu “Bibi” to emphasize their intimacy.

Newt goes on to discuss two invented states full of invented people.

Question from the audience: Should Puerto Rico become the 51st state?

Santorum has this issue pretty well prepared, but refuses to endorse statehood. Nobody else chips in.

Open audience question about how their religion would influence the candidates’ presidency.

Paul and Mitt waffle. Newt goes for the deep and thoughtful approach, but veers dangerously close to sounding like a fundy. Praises religious freedom, decries religious suppression by the state, whatever that means, but gets a ripple for sounding critical of federalism just because.

Hi! I’m home on the big computer!

What’d I miss?

Another break.

The concensus looking round seems to be that Newt’s off his game again.

Some punches landed squarely on Mitt over immigration (from Newt), and what will probably be the chief kneeslapper of the night, when Mitt denied all knowledge of an ad his closing voiceover endorsed (from Blitzer!), and Santorum fairly roasted him on Romneycare.

Oop. We’re back, and last question. “How would you like to insult Barack Obama?”

Welcome back, Mrs. P! I’ve kept your seat warm. Cocktail umbrella?

Newt: Reagan! You’ll need that cocktail.

Newt very magnanimously says that anybody and everybody is welcome to vote for him.

Santorum tonight sounds like he’s narrating a 50s film noir. Shades of Elliot Mess.

Last question:

Dr. Paul: I can beat Obama because Goldbuggery.

Mitt: I can beat Obama because I’m not a career politician, I’m a career ender.

Newt: I can beat Obama because Reagan, the 80’s, BIGNESS, and frrrrp! Frrrrp! Here Fido!

Santorum: Santorum doesn’t come from the top down. Santorum isn’t about hoaxes like science.
Santorum is about being earthy.

Thank you and good night!

WE’RE DONE!!!!!

Thank fuck there’s a longish break before the next one.

The rapturous audience reaction may reflect that view.

Not really, and thanks, a paper parasol would be lovely, if only to fend off Mitt Spittle. He’s no shrinking violet, you know.

We did watch part of the debate at my host’s house tonight~~~disappointed that nobody jumped on Mitt’s palpable desire to fire somebody, anybody. I bet he makes his wife wear a pink slip over her Mormonwear.

Brit, this was a heroic act on your part. I salute your endurance.

It was a subtler debate tonight, and I think there’ll be plenty of bones for the pundits (and us—I guess we’re ALL pundits now? WHEEEEE) to pick over in the next day or so.

Newt didn’t flare, I think people are so used to Mitt getting hammered by now that the shots landed may just serve to amuse rather than being gamechangers, but he didn’t let Newt dominate him, and nor did Wolf Blitzer, Santorum gave his usual “competent” performance but he’s so lacking in charisma that it’s hard to believe he’d ever build up much of a following beyond his immediate family, or the base if they had their arms twisted and the specter of the Kenyan in the White House was dangled before their noses every day, and Ron Paul was ... there.

I salute your endurance.

My indefatigability is also intact.

We did watch part of the debate at my host’s house tonight

Interesting. Was there a concensus in the room, missiles volleyed at the telly, conjecture over Ron Paul’s face furniture, fistfights?

I bet he makes his wife wear a pink slip over her Mormonwear.

I just wanted you to know I saw what you did there.

There may be brief radio silence from me while I go get rid of some of this beer. BRB.

Oh, and thanks to the Guardian liveblog. I missed this from the closing remarks (I have enormous problems focusing when Santorum speaks for any length of time):

Rick Santorum mentions that Gingrich and Romney “fell for the global warming hoax”. Finally someone says it!

Which is par for the course for Santorum. He projects dignitas in the same way as a funeral usher. He lands some good punches, but you’re left wondering whether it makes any difference except for annoying the other candidates—which is, of course, worth it in itself.

He projects dignitas in the same way as a funeral usher

That may be my favorite line of the night.

Our company tonight consisted of Mr. P, a fairly radical former priest (but still quite Catholic), our non-dogmatic liberal host, and his confirmed Obot betrothed. We thought Newt was getting the worst of it, and the BJ commenter you quoted made sense; I bet Newt was non-plussed to hear actual enthusiasm for…Romney?

And btw, that Separated At Birth image up top? Glorious!

the BJ commenter you quoted made sense

The Guardian adds fuel to that conspiracy theory:

@LarrySabato I heard that 900 of the seats were selected by GOP party of FL. Don’t know if that has anything to do w/ it.

Whatever the truth, and whatever the polls say, all the evidence is that Newt has no FL ground game to compare to the Romney “machine.” I fear ole Newtie’s time in the sun may be numbered and it’s into the meatgrinder with him.

Oh, and meanwhile, the C4Pers are still insisting that Sarah copyrighted the entire English language while nobody was looking:

Sorry if this was mentioned downthread, but was I hearing things or did Romney say ” Spot On ” ? WTF ! Let me get this straight , in three differant debates he’s said he “HUNTED MOOSE ” , was against ” CRONY CAPITALISM ” and now agrees with positions by using the term ” SPOT ON ” . I think next debate if asked about an energy policy, he can say ” Drill Baby Drill” and wrap up the last debate in heals. This is really pathetic.

YAFB - it is always fun to see that sort of thing from people who have apparently never heard any cliches (though I’ll allow that “hunted moose” does sound like a Palinism.)