Former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson.
Delivered clever barbs all night in his Southern deadpan, which made him the apparent crowd favorite. Took on Huckabee — finally — with a litany of alleged liberal positions, but the governor coolly sloughed it off without fireworks. Went after McCain on immigration, but failed to wound. Not yet fired up and ready to go, but launched a vivid flare nonetheless.
— by Mark Halperin