Let’s Try Four – CNN SCGOP Debate Tweet-By-Tweet

Ron Paul gives an answer durnig the last debate before the primary vote in South Carolina. Image Credit: CNN

Let’s Try Four – CNN SCGOP Debate Tweet-By-Tweet

With three days to go until the first-in-the south primary, Mitt Romney remains in the lead in the Palmetto State, but according to a new poll, his advantage over Newt Gingrich is rapidly shrinking.

A CNN/Time/ORC International poll indicates that 33% of likely South Carolina Republican primary voters say they are backing Romney, with 23% supporting Gingrich. The former Massachusetts governor’s 10 point advantage over the former House speaker is down from a 19 point lead two weeks ago. According to the survey, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania is at 16%, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is at 13%, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry stands at 6%.
(ht: CNN)

The following presidential hopefuls are participating in the event: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

The following audit trail of real-time postings are 140 character (or less) responses and reactions found on Twitter and this is a process of reporting termed “Tweet-By-Tweet”!

BEGIN

AlexPappasDCAlex Pappas – Think Progress, The Other McCain and TPM are only ones in press filing center standing for pledge yfrog.com/kgo4rstj

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LessaTLessa – My thoughts: Marianne #Gingrich behavior is of a bitter,angry women out for revenge & $ #Wicked

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Make sure to watch me on The O’Reilly Factor tonight at 8pm!

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Yeah …. riiiiiiight!

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stix1972Doug Welch – RT @ohconservatism: Prediction for the night. Most people still hate everyone who isn’t their guy. Many end up drunk. Few change their mind.

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kerpenPhil Kerpen – I really can’t take anything Wolf Blitzer says seriously after seeing Andy Richter embarrass him on Jeopardy.

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PolitisitePolitisite – Watch the CNN Debate – Charleston, South Carolina GOP Debate Coverage #CNNDebate tinyurl.com/7zcsxc7 #sctweets

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INTRO With John King

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Say his name 3 times in the mirror …. RT @rsmccain: Jon Huntsman, we miss you. (Just kidding.)

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FlapGregory Flap Cole – Seriously, the CNN intros are laboring at best….get on with it!

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – So wrong. But not. RT @BlameTelford: Question for Gingrich: do you support gay open marriage? #CNNDebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – “The Fight for the South”? Er … #scdebate

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EditMeDavidDavid Martosko – any one getting game-show deja vu as they emerge from between the set pieces?

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kiradavis422Kira Ayn Davis – A year ago I’d have said u were effing crazy if 2 of the last 4 GOP candidates would be Newt and some guy named Santorum #CNNDebate

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – “I’m the only U.S. veteran on this stage tonight.” – Ron Paul

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AKaczynski1Andrew Kaczynski – Shorter Ron Paul : Newt is a draft dodger!

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So, Newt, do you want to comment on comments made by your ex-wife?

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jamiedupreeJamie Dupree – Gingrich gives John KIng the Juan Williams treatment: “I AM APPALLED”

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Newt starts off on in his wheel house — hitting the media.

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DrtySxyPoliticsDirtySex&Politics – NOOOOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAYYYYY!!! They are really effing going there! Assholes. #CNNDebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Well, Newt won this debate. Let’s all watch Knight and Day now.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Wow … this is a smackdown to end all smackdowns. #cnndebate

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – RT @KatiePavlich: “I am frankly astounded that CNN would take trash like that and use it to open a presidential debate” -Gingrich

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – “I am tired of the elite media protecting Barack Obama by attacking Republicans.” – Newt

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TheFixThe Fix – Smart by Romney too. “Let’s get on to the real issues.” #cnndebate

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PolitisitePolitisite – Yeah, What about the corporations that run the media #Paul #cnndebate tinyurl.com/7zcsxc7

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – John King: OK, let’s get started now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself and my network #cnndebate

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SalenaZitoTribSalenaZito – Who knew that Ron Paul would be the first normal part of the debate? #CNNDebate

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Ron Paul on wife of 54 yrs…nice…

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daveweigeldaveweigel – RT @AlexNBCNews: Speaking of Newt… where are his tax returns? They were supposed to come out tonight… #decision2012

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FreedomWorksFreedomWorks – Ron Paul: “what about the corporations that run the media?” #CNNdebate #tcot #teaparty tells “govt. to get outta the way”

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DanRiehlDanRiehl – OK, Newt, now try to not look at John King like u want to chew his nuts off on live TV.

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Newt needs to drop Bain Capital attacks…counterproductive for conservatives.

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – RT @StevenErtelt: Crony capitalism? Someone was listening at #BlogCon in Denver…

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thebookguyPeter Marx – #CNNdebate I give John King credit for letting Gingrich clear the deck right off the bat

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GottahrdtKarl – @@Politisite @alexwagner What a pile of crap #departed

#CNNDebate

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DonIrvineDonIrvine – It is capitalism and freedom that makes America strong. @MittRomney #cnndebate

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TPMTalking Points Memo – Romney on capitalism: “We’re going to stuff it down [Obama's] throat.”

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Santorum goes populist and says he’s for capitalism for working people but not “high finance.”#CNNdebate

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DonIrvineDonIrvine – Keep the focus on Obama. #cnndebate

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – Good rhetoric by Santorum. People are living in obama-caused economic squalor. #hhrs

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Role Of Government

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lesliecarbonelesliecarbone – Aren’t most of the Reagan Democrats dead by now?

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DickMorrisTweetDick Morris - #cnndebate #hannity #tcot #gop #talkmaster Romney really scored with his answer and Newt made it an anti-Newt answer by his own attacks

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Good answer from Santorum, who also chooses to attack Obama rather than Romney. #CNNDebate

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DanRiehlDanRiehl – RT @ktumulty: Ron Paul says they dnt need any “special programs” 4 military returning from WWII. Has he not hrd of the GI bill?

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – RT @JazzShaw: Nobody has boo’d Ron Paul yet. We must still be talking domestic policy. #cnndebate

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Ron Paul uses question about unemployed veterans to brag about military support. #CNNDebate

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BeregondTom Reynolds – Mitt is almost right, then he says “bundle it and send it to the state level.” That leaves DC in charge via strings. #CNNDebate

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DailyCallerThe Daily Caller – SC treasurer on Romney endorsement: ‘There were some problems’ – thedc.com/yIsziy

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BlameTelfordErik Telford – The American People, fresh off their Herman Cain endorsement, are really killin’ it in this debate tonight.

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prismsincRic = AmSpec: Newt Gets Two Standing Ovations bit.ly/zAkinT #tcot

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DickMorrisTweetDick Morris - #cnndebate #hannity #tcot #gop #talkmaster Romney is winning. Newt is so smart, but somehow it seems a sidebar to Romney’s focus on today

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sanuzisSaul Anuzis – #cnndebate Santorum goes on the offensive – attacks both Romney & Gingrich – about to get womped back I’m sure:)

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Romney – “Thank You.”

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RichLowryRich Lowry – “playing footsies w/ the left”–rick s came ready to play on health care

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DLoeschDana Loesch – This is a fantastic answer from Santorum. The best attack on Romneycare of the debates. If only the rest of his record matched.

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Just tuned in. Who is the new guy? He looks like Rick Santorum, but he’s also an effective speaker. I’m confused.

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Mitt as good as possible on Romneycare…but Rick scored a few pts…

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Santorum’s point about how Obama will attack Romney is right. Strong moment for Santorum. #CNNDebate

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mboyle1Matthew Boyle – Romney just took Santorum to school on healthcare. If you wanna be gov of MA, fine. I wanna be president.

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foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics – Gingrich: I’ll have Lincoln-Douglas debate with Obama. He can use teleprompter, I’ll just use knowledge

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – Newt finds it amazing that Santorum thinks he would have trouble debating Obama. DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, RICK?

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ColorMeRedOpionionated – Woo Woo #Newt! Let Obama use a teleprompter…I’ll rely on knowledge #CNNdebate

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BREAK – Tease: Gingrich released tax returns online … we will ask what is in there!

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DavidLimbaughDavid Limbaugh – Romney says he wants the federal government out of healthcare but he just said he wants to impose pre-existing coverage.

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EditMeDavidDavid Martosko – NOTE: Newt’s 2010 tax return shows $19,800 for alimony. #cheap thedc.com/yNEEBV

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SooperMexicanel SOOPer – ROn paul is a one trick pony.. he could turn a question about his favorite color into a slam against zionism #CNNDebate

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Back From BREAK – Asked to get out of race

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – RT @freddoso: SANTORUM: “Grandiosity has never been a problem with Newt Gingrich.”

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Santorum – I’m steady, I’m solid, I’m here

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WSJWall Street Journal – New filings: Gingrich and wife earned adjusted gross income of $3.1 million in 2010 and owed $994,708 in federal taxes

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No Question By CNN On Newt’s Taxes

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Margaret Thatcher was also pushed out by her own party. I’m always surprised Gingrich the historian never mentions that.

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jeff_poorJeff Poor – Here’s where Newt can win it all by saying he is on par with Churchill, Thatcher, Julius Caesar… #CNNdebate

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – Newt: I invented the airplane and I wasn’t even born yet, Rick. How do you like them apples?

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Santorum slams Gingrich

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foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics – Gingrich: Long before Rick came to Congress I was a rebel. For 16 years — those are facts even if inconvenient for his campaign

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ZekeJMillerZeke Miller – Yep RT @GarrettNBCNews: This battle between Santorum and Gingrich is Romney’s best moment of the night so far. #cnndebate

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lesliecarbonelesliecarbone – Gingrich has ditched two wives. Of course he’s unreliable. Duh.

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – Santorum is having a really good night. First time I haven’t loathed his presence.

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Dean_LDean_L – #cnndebate Mitt Romney’s holier than thou moment. He should have let Newt and Rick bash each other. But he couldn’t resist the face time.

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EditMeDavidDavid Martosko – Mitt says he’s lived “in the real streets of America” — the ones paved with gold, perhaps?

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – GREAT line by Mitt: I don’t recall a single day when I said Oh thank heaven for Washington. #CNNdebate

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mboyle1Matthew Boyle – Romney to Newt: You’re mentioned ONCE in Ronald Reagan’s diary. My dad was even mentioned once!

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – This is a losing argument for Gingrich methinks

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OHCONSERVATISMAndrew Staroska – Who gives a crap about the damn tax returns. FFS!

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Romney: A president who has played 90 rounds of golf….Keystone again… #hhrs #tcot

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robertcostaNRORobert Costa – Noooooooo. As an avid golfer, who respects the prez’s bad lefty swing, i must object to this attack on O.

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prismsincRic – RT @MicahSquires: So now @NewtGingrich is taking credit for his work in govt making the business environment better? PALEEEZE! #cnndebate

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TPMTalking Points Memo – Newt on Mitt’s tax returns: “If there’s nothing in there, why not release it?”

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foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics – Santorum: I do my own taxes and they are at my computer at home. No one is there to get them. I will when I get home

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SaveJerseyThe Save Jersey Blog – I really like Santorum’s tax return answer! Three cheers for #turbotax. #cnndebate

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sanuzisSaul Anuzis – #cnndebate “I am not going to apologize for being successful.” — Mitt

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andreamsaulAndrea Saul – .@MittRomney: I’m going to be able to talk to @BarackObama in a way no one else can #WorkedInRealWorld #CNNDebate

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – RT @JonahNRO: Really, John. Apple’s success takes your breath away? Really?

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ZillaStevensonZilla Stevenson – Tax returns? How about releasing the docs relating to Obama’s name change from Soetoro? Was he ever repatriated from Indonesian citizenship?

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – santorum going on too long about this china issue. clouding it rather than concise and with clarity. #hhrs

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michaelemlongmichaelemlong – bit.ly/yQSlH8 Rush: ABC’s Goal Was To ‘Take Mitt Out This Week,’ Newt Next Week – But Drudge ‘Messed Them Up’ #tcot #tcot_talk #right

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SOPA & PIPA Question

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Gingrich: You are asking me, a conservative, to weigh in on protecting the rights of Big Hollywood!

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SueDTweetsSueDTweets – #CNNDebate Newt favors freedom and won’t let gov’t censor the internet!! He gets points!! #tcot —-

RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – Romney understands SOPA, too. Very reassuring to me as an Internet guy. #hhrs

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foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics – Santorum on #SOPA: I’m all for free, but our products made in USA being stolen and sold back here … there oughtta be a law or something

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BREAK

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DLoeschDana Loesch – Poor, more big government answer from Santorum. Again, this is why I question him.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis -Disappointed so little time has been devoted to gay marriage and contraception.

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daveweigeldaveweigel – Weird. Santorum doesn’t like the idea of “anything goes” on the Internet. I’ll google his name and figure out why

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – New debate horror movie: I Know What You Did Last Marriage.

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – santorum gave an answer about individual liberties vs ip rights circa 1999 and napster. time machine response. geez. zzZZzzz..

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christinakbchristinakb – yikes – it sounds like Santorum is quitting “to be here in the final four…” #cnndebate #tcot

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Back From BREAK – Audience – Immigration

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Gingrich – FIRST, control the border | English as official language | etc., etc.

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DrtySxyPoliticsDirtySex&Politics – It’s really difficult watching the GOP debates and NOT use the following words..crazy, pussies, anger issues, certifiable

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mmshowalter1Monica Showalter – Love Newt’s response on illegals, making it easier to immigrate legally than illegally! #cnndebate

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – How would Newt deal with an illegal grandfather or grandmother who is apart of a El Salvadorian gang?

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JonahNROJonah Goldberg – These local draft-immigration boards wouldn’t attract bribes at all.

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RMA_DougDoug Winegardner – No bueno pic.twitter.com/BmD43lif

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – my family came here via lord balitimore’s commission in 1633. we didn’t sneak across the border. we just pushed indians aside. #CNNDebate

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mboyle1Matthew Boyle – Santorum: Romney has flip-flopped on immigration/amnesty for illegal ALIENS. Just like other issues.

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prismsincRic – SANTORUM great answer on immigration! #tcot

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – santorum trying to pick nits w/mitt over immigration, when mitt is very clear what his position is, & it’s near identical to rick’s. #hhrs

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kirstenpowers10kirsten powers – Romney always says that illegal immigrants shouldn’t get ‘preference.’ TOTAL STRAW MAN. Ted Kennedy agreed they shld go to back of line.

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – ron paul has no lips. #CNNDebate #importantissues

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Ron Paul doesn’t like laws that prosecute illegal immigration, wants more legal immigration, but tighter borders to prevent immigration.

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DickMorrisTweetDick Morris – #cnndebate #hannity #tcot #gop #talkmaster Ron Paul is wrong. Texas does not have to provide medicaid to illegals

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JasonBWhitmanNatl Policy Chairman – There is a reason why I have been calling Santorum the Angry Candidate. Can’t hide it forever… #cnndebate

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dmataconisDoug Mataconis – RT @Tom1247: Santorum has less than 27 minutes to keep this from being a 3-man race in Florida. My bet is he doesn’t make it. #ByeByeRick

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MySecondEmpireChris Jones – I haven’t seen four white dudes with less stage presence since Bread.–

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – #hhrs #tcot #CNNdebate Romney should bring up Mary Ann Glendot -

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @sethamandel: Santorum whispers into microphone. Not creepy, not creepy at all. #CNNDebate

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benshapirobenshapiro – Mitt Romney’s attempt to run from his pro-abortion record in MA is weak in the extreme.

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HowardKurtzHowardKurtz – Rick says Newt downplayed social issues as speaker. Problem is that most voters don’t care about internal House battles of the ’90s

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SooperMexicanel SOOPer – Ron Paul is being marginalized at the kiddie table.. where he belongs. #CNNDebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Haha. Audience reminds John King that Dr. Ron Paul is also on stage. How hard can this be? There are only four

of them now.

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kathrynlopezKathryn Jean Lopez – that might be romney’s best defense of his record on life as governor ever

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BREAK

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TPMTalking Points Memo – First time Mitt says ‘Romneycare’? tpm.ly/xlnTJP

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DavidMDruckerDavid M. Drucker – “I wasn’t even thinking about you when I was giving my opening statement so you were overly sensitive.” @RonPaul to Santorum #CNNdebate

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HotlineReidReid Wilson – Paul, to Santorum: “Just for the record, I wasn’t even thinking about you when I was giving my statement, so you are overly sensitive.”

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mkhammerMary Katharine Ham -#ronpaulfacts RT @KarolNYC: Ron Paul doesn’t even think of Rick Santorum.

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Back From BREAK – John King: Closing pander comments please

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – OK. Ron Paul should *never* say “my modest proposal”. It frightens me.

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conor64Conor Friedersdorf – Looks like John King won’t ask anything about Iran, contra his comments on Hugh Hewitt’s show. #CNNDebate

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TPMTalking Points Memo – Newt: “I want to thank CNN.”

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christinakbchristinakb – Newt: “… a Saul Alinsky candidate who is incompetent cannot be re-elected …” zzzzzzzing! #teaparty #tcot #cnndebate

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ToniNoBolognyToni Backdahl – Harry Reid makes the trend and Ron Paul doesn’t! That means that they r purposely blocking Ron Paul from trending on Twitter -

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michaelemlongmichaelemlong – bit.ly/Abbe3o Is Newt Gingrich About to Be Herman Cained? #tcot #tcot_talk #teaparty #sgp #right #gop #con

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SooperMexicanel SOOPer – WHo else calls Obama an Alinskyite? NO ONE. thats why i’m #WithNEWT #CNNDebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – #tcot #hhrs #CNNdebate @RickSantorum the question is who is the best person to take on Obama. That is the right question.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Santorum calls himself a “conviction conservative.”

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ToniNoBolognyToni Backdahl – Because the tweets were comparing Harry and Ron Pauls abortion records.. so that means if Harry trended Ron Paul should have too! #CNNDEBATE

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END OF DEBATE

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FlapGregory Flap Cole – Santorum’s debate performance was the best, Newt was OK and held his own, Romney was shaky and if he doesn’t win on Saturday is in trouble

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fivethirtyeightNate Silver – Here are those much loved/hated debate grades: Santorum A-, Gingrich B+, Paul B-, Romney C.

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FoxieNewsDebbie – RT @ReconChesty: Tonight Newt will leave the Debate with John King Strapped to his Truck Hood!!! LMAO!! #CNNDebate #tcot // Heck Yeah!!!

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Winners: Gingrich, Santorum, Paul. Romney fumbled the taxes question again, but otherwise did no harm. #CNNDebate

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – RT @irishspy: Of course, Santorum forgot to mention the race against a Democrat he lost… #CNNdebate

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allahpunditAllah Pundit – Newt should have mooned King at the beginning for emphasis

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sanuzisSaul Anuzis – #cnndebate Santorum had a good night & strong close; Romney perfermed very well under attack; Newt strong start then waned; Paul consistent

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JohnAvlonJohn Avlon – Newt drinking game – “radically” or “fundamentally” -

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DeanClancyDean Clancy – OK, so which guy is the conservative, again?

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JsrRogerRogersdaughter – #cnndebate Newt Gingrich knows how to take on Obama – the others aren’t tough enough…or experienced enough to do it and win.

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jdhenchmanJoe Henchman – Gingrich taxes: chipped into the presidential election campaign fund, lost $74 selling Campbell Soup stock, donated 2.5% to charity.

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DrtySxyPoliticsDirtySex&Politics – Highlights tonight were Mitt using the term “Romneycare” Santorum crying and Newt throwing his shoe at John King #CNNDebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Thought Santorum won the debate. Mitt lost. Newt and Paul were predictable. Anyone else miss Perry?

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ENDS