GOP Debate!

Finally saw my first GOP candidate debate last night, sponsored by Fox News. Got to admit, it was nothing like I expected. This has got to be the strangest election season I’ve ever seen. The front runners seem to exchange places every day!

Prior to last night, I had felt that Romney and McCain were established as the leaders in the race. However, during the course of the show, Fred Thompson came out of nowhere and took command of the event, with Ron Paul posing as some sort of odd background character, spewing strange remarks from time to time. During the post-debate on-air analysis, however, Paul was shown by audience poll as the winner. Where did that come from?

During the course of the season, I had grown to respect and even like Mike Huckabee, appreciating his candor and forthrightness. I had even begun to consider him a truly viable candidate for the nomination. What was difficult was trying to ascertain his positions on immigration and taxes.

This morning, on yet another analysis sequence on Fox News, Huckabee was described by a pundit as charlatan -- likened to the snake oil salesmen of old. The argument being that he is posing as a conservative, while actually being a liberal at heart when it comes to my key issues of illegal immigration and taxation.

Anyone else as perplexed as I am right now?