Big Night Michele Bachmann

Big Night Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney ran so sure he wants to be a pioneer, and Tim Pawlenty seems to lack the courage to go home an attack against Romney.

The discussions are very subjective matter and often much less than the journalists think - and certainly, with eight months before the first primary election, nothing that happened tonight will be a critical distance. For most candidates (Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich were the major exceptions), it was dark induction.

But the debate tonight in New Hampshire is subtly change the shape of the race.

So far, Bachmann has been a Palin-lite character and has often been portrayed as a loon fixing tea party in the ultra-conservative issues and able to shoot his mouth off. Tonight, he has tirelessly promoted his experience as a tax attorney, a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence of the House, the decision maker is not afraid of money from his own party in the TARP and a leader of the charge against Obamacare - let alone be a mother of five children and the adoptive mother of 23 years.

There is often a herd mentality in the debates. But I have never seen such unanimity when there was this time. In the spin room afterward, almost all originally flocked to the Bachmann team to hear what they had to say. Their game plan was simple: first headlines by announcing she was running for president. It was gadget, but effective. All lines led to this "new" - I use quotes because we all knew she was running, and she still has not fixed a date for the announcement. 2. Push the details of his vast experience and political know-how.

Bachmann unspoken part of the strategy, Sarah Palin. His aides understand that the saliva of two campaigns last week was bad news for Bachmann. It was observed that the trigger of the murder, that the new manager of his campaign of Ed Rollins, was conspicuous by his absence from the area of ​​spin.

But it is clear that Bachmann is necessary to contrast with Palin and the emphasis was on policy and experience. I would say that after tonight Palin Bachmann performance is less likely to work.

Mitt Romney was comfortable and relaxed throughout. He misspoke when he talked about the release of Afghanistan, "the Taliban militarily," but it does not seem to matter. Romney's emphasis seemed to be on the general election against Obama, and he rose above the fray as a front runner should. His candidacy still has major challenges, but his aides clearly felt well at night.

Pawlenty received a golden opportunity for Romney, but only reluctantly confirmed their derision is "Obamneycare" that received great coverage on Sunday. It seems that the campaign has made a decision that Romney has been hit the GOP may backfire. Pawlenty ran but lack the courage of your convictions. He meant what he said on Sunday? Or was it coming from? E 'was difficult to say.

As Rich Galen puts it:

Tim Pawlenty was given a chance by John King to land a punch by repeating his “ObmaneyCare” line from last Sunday. He didn’t have the guts to do it and tried to turn it into an attack on Obama. I would have thought his team would have anticipated that question and come up with a better answer. In fact, given what he had on the line, I think Pawlenty was the loser of this debate.

I doubt we’ll hear the Obamneycare line used again. Come to think of it, maybe that’s for the best – no one could work out how to spell it.