TONIGHT'S ABC NEWS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL - SPECIFICALLY GINGRICH VERSUS ROMNEY...........

With Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos moderating, ABC News sponsored with their internet partner, Yahoo News, an Iowa Republican Presidential Debate tonight.  Going in it was thought to be a Romney-Gingrich face-off, giving Gingrich's surge into the lead in the polls, and Romney declining in support of late.  The debate opened in a genteel manner, but getting into the meat of the debate, it became highly focused on Romney and Gingrich, with former Governor Mitt Romney, mounting a four point attack on some the issue stands of former Speaker Newt Gingrich.  The vast majority of the first forty minutes of the debate was focused on Gingrich and Romney; taking issue with each other's positions or being critiqued and differed with, by the other four aspirants on stage, Representative Ron Paul of Texas, Representative Michelle Bachman of Minnesota, former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and Governor Rick Perry of Texas.  Former Governor Jon Huntsman of Utah, did not take part in tonight's debate.  Gingrich and Romney had most of the time of the debate devoted to them and their responses to the night's questions.  Paul was the next most focused on and asertive of the other candidates, although Bachman, Santorum, and Perry, also inserted themselves into various facets of the debate.  If the Romney campaign plan was to ruffle or cause Gingrich to lash out, he failed.  On one of the four points Romney early on nailed Gingrich for, was being a career Wsshington politician.  Gingrich shot back effectively, "Mitt, the only reason you are not a career politician, is because you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994".  Gingrich reiterated his illegal immigration proposal, for those in the U.S. twenty five years, and Romney repeated his illegal immigration registration and then return to their country of origin and the back of the line proposal.  Initial ABC News analysis is Gingrich solidified his current frontrunning position; while Romney did nothing substantive to stem the tide towards Gingrich; and that Bachman may have helped herself somewhat; although perhaps making too many references to Herman Cain.  Among my observations, Rick Perry made no obvious lapses or mistakes; and Rick Santorum maintained a firm enough presence, to be a strong running mate for any of the other candidates than Gingrich............"Your Voice Your Vote 2012"...........This Is My Latest Update Election 2012 Blog Report,   Fr.  Troy