1. The Dog-Poop Debate?

Perhaps it wasn't the best Republican debate so far. Apparently the new guy, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, used a line from Rush Limbaugh: "My dogs have created more shovel-ready work than Obama has. In this week alone." The line was a hit. But the fact that he's using Rush's material may not be. (Dave Weigel reported afterwards that Johnson said he did not know Rush used the same joke today.)

"If @GovGaryJohnson's dog-poop crack was the line of the night, that shows how impoverished the debates are by @ThadMcCotter's absence," concludes James Taranto.

"That Gary Johnson's line is most discussed tells you how badly some of the other candidates performed," concludes Dana Loesch.

Perry had what appeared to be a rough night. After the debate, the Frank Luntz focus group unanimously loathed his comments on the DREAM Act, in part because Perry appeared to be accusing critics of the act of being heartless. Meanwhile, Romney's past flaws seemed to wash away gradually. As one member of Luntz's focus group said, "I'll forgive Romneycare if he'll repeal Obamacare." The boss marveled, "It's amazing that people are buying the Romney health care answer."

"Perry deteriorating C, Romney steady B, Huntsman B, Santorum new Bachmann," assesses GOP ad and message man Alex Castellanos. "Perry is vacating the vacuum he filled. Romney filling it by default, not by earning it."

Michael Medved concluded, "In debate everyone did well except Gary Johnson (despite his one good line about neighbor's dogs)& Perry (frontrunner?!!) who looked worst of all."

"Romney is solid and steady — & he keeps getting better. Perry not such a good night. Santorum up. Bachmann fades. Cain shines," declares Ari Fleischer.

One of my favorite local lawmakers, South Carolina state senator Tom Davis: "Debate impressions: Newt smart; Paul concise; Perry reeling; Mitt confident; Santorum solid; Huntsman smooth; Cain likeable; Bachmann fading."

Jordan Gehrke scored it, "Romney was great again, Perry struggled, Bachmann was invisible, nothing else mattered as far as trajectory of the race. Mitt's frontrunner."

John Ellis asks, "Is it really possible that we went through an entire two hours of debate and the subject of the imminent (possible) collapse of the global financial system never arose? Answer: Yes!"

Still, the dominant mood on Twitter was that no candidate has hit it out of the park yet. Kathleen McKinley: "Maybe it's a good thing that we are the only ones who watched this debate."

Rick Perry 

Ramesh: "Rick Perry will always err on the side of life. Get ready for federal speed limit of 25 mph." (I dunno, I figure the ensuing road rage would drive up the murder rate.)

"By third debate, Perry's now got his HPV response down," noted Chuck Todd.

Actually, he may not have. ABC News's Jonathan Karl noted, "Key point: Perry says he was lobbied by 31-year-old woman with cervical cancer on the HPV exec order. But Perry met her after he signed it."

But perhaps the most memorable moment for Perry came late, probably his worst answer, when he tried to argue that Mitt Romney's policy changes were confusing, and seemed to get confused himself. To those who have followed Romney's moderate-sounding 2002 gubernatorial-campaign pledges to his conservative-wooing rhetoric in the 2008 race, this is an easy lay-up. I'm sure you can come up with a couple of Romney flip-flops off the top of your head right now. But for some reason, Perry seemed to lose track of his words, and his whole answer came out tentative and rambling and unfocused.

And no, it wasn't just me reacting that way. 

"Rick Perry entered tonight's Republican presidential debate with an opportunity to reverse the image of him as a poor speaker that had slowed the momentum of his campaign. Instead, he reinforced it," concluded Jonathan Tobin at Commentary:

Perry may have started out strong but once again his energy and focus seemed to leave him in the second hour of the debate. He clearly flubbed a chance to nail Romney on health care as well as his other changes of position.

Even worse for Perry, immigration emerged as an issue in which the Texas governor has taken a position that, however justified, allows his main rival Mitt Romney to outflank him on the right. That's a potentially crippling blow to Perry since it could serve to distract conservatives from Romney's sponsorship of the law that inspired Obamacare and the other flip-flops that have defined his political career.

Ruth Anne Adams labels it, "Romney jujitsu."

Dave Weigel summarized Perry's comments as, "Mumble mumble uuuuuuh."

"Perry is stumbling on his attack against Romney as a flip-flopper. This should be a piece of cake. Geez," lamented Michelle Malkin.

"Perry seems like he's running out of batteries. Literally. Yikes," reacted Guy Benson.

"I think Perry almost fell asleep mid-sentence there. I know I did," reacted AlexaShrugged.

"Oh, Rick. You need a Red Bull," groaned Tabitha Hale.

Jeff Greenfield thought of a historical analogy: "I think Rick Perry was channeling Ted Kennedy with Roger Mudd from that 1979 intvw: ('Senator, why do you want to be president?' uh . . . uh . . . uh)"

ABC News's political director Amy Walter suggested, "If I'm Romney, next time I ask for a 3 hr. debate. Perry's stamina wears off at around minute 42."

Molly Ball, soon to leave Politico: "I've watched all of Perry's debates from the last 10 years, and I've never seen him this wobbly."

An interesting metaphor from the great Dana Perino: "This was like a 3rd date with Perry — where you decide if you'll go on a 4^th . . . would you?"

Eh, if he kept talking about "mating" Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich, ladies, it's your call, but I'd be looking elsewhere.

Perry's performance left Tim Williams unnerved: "But to me the big story is that Rick Perry has been incredibly weak in every debate appearance. I think he's done. I'd be shocked if he wins a single primary. Yet somehow, his weakness makes the entire field, which I once defended, seem even weaker than it did before Perry's entry. And that worries me."

"So I take it our love affair with Perry is over?" concludes Keder.

Romney Rebounding?

Stephen Hayes gave Romney the win: "Romney w/a pretty clean debate win. Strong, consistent answers. Seemed confident, poised. Perry struggled. Santorum/Gingrich substantive."

"You can't underestimate the value of Romney having run for president before. It made him slicker, and made his problems seem like old news," declared Matt Lewis.

"I think Romney was a bit more loose tonight. He made some funnies too!" said a cheery  Susan Anne Hiller, a Breitbart contributor.

Patrick Ruffini offers a controversial theory: "Conservatives are willing to forgive someone who can string sentences together. Maybe unfair, but true. A big part of Reagan's appeal."

Perhaps there is such a yearning for a figure who can persuade the public about the value of conservative ideas and policies that they'll forgive past decisions that have not pursued conservative ideas and policies.

But Jim Antle throws cold water on the Rom-mentum talk: "Romney shouldn't get too comfortable, however, because his inadequacies are why conservatives keep looking for flavors of the month."

Michele Bachmann

Delrayser: "Crazy people who want to get their theories on TV: Michele Bachmann will blindly repeat anything you tell her!

Larry Sabato spotted, "A Bachmann goof when she asserted Obama has lowest ratings of any modern POTUS. Correct if you exclude LBJ, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton & Bush."

Frank J: "I agree with Bachmann that probably anyone we nominate will win so let's nominate the biggest right-wing nut we can find."

Herman Cain

"Cain: My Plan 999 from Outer Space will turn this country around," summarized PourMeCoffee.

"I do love that Herman Cain always seems like he's having a great time. Such a nice quality," notes Amanda Carpenter, an assessment I share.

Frank J has a plan: "Can't we all just get together and tell ourselves Cain is electable and make him frontrunner?"

Newt Gingrich

"Newt Gingrich will be a tremendously effective, maybe even profound, Republican National Convention speaker," suggested Rick Klein.

SarahK47: "I'm not a big Newt fan, but I'm pretty sure he's the smartest and best informed of all the candidates. Would destroy Obama in debates."    

2. Addendum

Gary Johnson's neighbor's dogs already have a Twitter feed.