A Gingrich triumph

Zeke Miller argues that Gingrich won in the first five minutes:

Newt Gingrich scored an early victory in tonight's Republican Presidential Debate with an indignant response to moderator John King's question about his ex-wife. "I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic such as this," Gingrich said to huge applause. Gingrich is paying the victim card and media critic with aplomb. This is the only thing anyone will be talking about tonight, and he won the moment.

Sullivan seems to agree:

His only concern must be how well Santorum did tonight. Paul performed well, but remains peripheral to the struggle for the orthodox "conservative" candidate. I think Romney is in serious trouble now, and the bottom fell out tonight. He died with that glib response - "maybe" - to the question of whether he'd follow his father's example.

Ron Fournier:

learly, though, the story Thursday night was Gingrich's mistress. King asked the former speaker's rivals if the story was fair game. Santorum seemed to suggest it was -- such stories "are issues of character for people to consider" -- but Romney punted. Gingrich had boxed Romney in: Attack the former speaker and look like a tool of the liberal media, or essentially give Gingrich cover by supporting his blame-the-media defense. "John, let's get to the real issues," Romney told King. "That's all I've got to say." Which is exactly what Gingrich wanted him to say.