Writing for the Weekly Standard Dean Barnett ranked the Republican candidates performance in the South Carolina debate, giving top seed to Mike Huckabee:

Mike Huckabee’s an exceptional politician whose package of skills is often sold short. He’s a lot more than an affable dispenser of one-liners who only knows how to play to the home crowd. For people who might be inclined to dismiss Huckabee, compare his response to Thompson’s adroit offensive with McCain’s blundering into the climate warming thicket. These two are the likely finalists, and one of them is much better at politics than the other.

Here’s what I said on November 28, the night of the YouTube debate, the night that catapulted Huckabee to his huge lead in Iowa: “Was this a seismic night? I’ll give that one a big yes. Tonight heralded the arrival of Mike Huckabee as a force in this race. Not a spoiler, not a wildcard, but a force.”

Although fewer people watched last evening’s festivities, tonight was even bigger for Huckabee. For the first time, it was not only possible but easy to imagine Huckabee as the leader of 300 million people. He combined this newfound authority with his old standbys of off-the-charts likability and a deft way of tapping into aspirational politics.

In the race for the Republican nomination, Mike Huckabee is going to be tough to beat.