Parade of Candidates on "Hannity & Colmes"

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: And welcome to "Hannity & Colmes," I'm Sean Hannity. We're coming to you live from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And you just saw the Republican presidential rivals square off in the first debate since the New Hampshire primary. And you are going to hear from the candidates and all their campaigns throughout the show.

But, first, we want to give you a chance to be heard. So, who do you think won the debate? You can text your vote from your mobile phone to FNCTV--that's 36288--and make your choice. And you can watch the voting in real time right there on your screen. And text your pick to FNCTV, 36288. We're going to have results coming up later in the show.

But first we turn to pollster, our good friend Frank Luntz. He's standing by with the focus group tonight. He is at the Citadel in Charleston. Frank, what's going on?

FRANK LUNTZ, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: It's very interesting, Sean. We gathered 28 people who are likely to vote in the Republican primary. They watched for 90 minutes. They used their dials to indicate whether they liked or disliked each response. And they did have a clear winner.

How many of you walked in here supporting Fred Thompson 90 minutes ago? Three of you. How many of you thought Fred Thompson won the debate? I have got to tell you something: we have been waiting a long time to see Fred Thompson do really well. Glen, what was it that you thought Fred won?

VOICE: Fred stepped up with clear ideas, a very strong approach in comments that he was making to some of the other candidates and comments that they had had previously.

VOICE: You know, I think Fred really came out of the shadows tonight. He really showed that he had a passion for the military. He has a passion for the American people. He has a passion for solving the illegal immigration problem.

VOICE: Fred not only came out with specifics, but he came out in such a way that the people would remember. He maybe was sarcastic to some degree, but the sarcasm brought out the humor, and the humor made people listen to what he was saying.

LUNTZ: By show of hands, how many of you liked that humor?

So you are saying to the candidates, in order to get your attention, you want them not only to be factual but also humorous?

VOICE: Absolutely.

VOICE: More personable.

VOICE: He was articulate, and he knew his facts.

VOICE: He was personable, he was engaging. Up until this time he just kind of stayed in the shadows. And the last debate he just spewed a lot of rhetoric. This time he was on point. He knew what he was saying, and he made us feel--made me feel that I could trust him as a candidate.

VOICE: He was humorous. He was amusing. He was entertaining. But I also felt him to be a little flippant, and I don't like that in my candidate. I want him to be a little more serious and upstanding.

VOICE: I thought it made him personable, but I agree with Amanda; he was a little flip.

VOICE: I thought, to expand on the point, he knew his facts, he knew what he wanted to say. His competition in the fall, they are fast and loose with the facts. Fred will challenge them.

VOICE: I think he was one of the most negative people in the debate. And he was particularly critical earlier in the debate. And I like people who show their records. I don't mind people debating records, but I think when they bring in the personal, it's not necessary.

LUNTZ: Marilynn, did he attack too much?

VOICE: No. I was going to comment on--he gave the shock--that's what got the momentum going, I think, in the debate, when he shocked me. Like everybody was telling me, Mr. Thompson is passive. And I know I have looked at him in the past, and I like him.

When they say he is passive, and then all of a sudden he jumps out there and goes after huckabee. It was great.

VOICE: He showed that he could a leader tonight and actually step up and show--he had a basis behind it and he showed that he was a human being, and he actually stepped up to bat and hit a home run tonight.

VOICE: I don't think it was negative. I think there is a distinction between the candidates and his record. And that's what I came in expecting Fred Thompson to do. I was delighted that he lived up to my expectation.

LUNTZ: Who disappointed you the most of all of them?

VOICES: Ron Paul.

LUNTZ: How many of you have said Ron Paul was the loser tonight?

There you go, Sean. You have got a winner--Fred Thompson; loser--Ron Paul. We will be talking to our focus group people a little later on this evening.

HANNITY: All right, our good friend, Fred Luntz.

He was the big winner out of New Hampshire for the Republicans, and we are joined now by presidential candidate, Arizona Senator John McCain. Senator, how are you?

JOHN MCCAIN, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: I think you are liking those debates out there. Are you having a good time.

MCCAIN: Yes. It's fun. It is a lot of tension, but I meant what I said. I respect those people that were there. I respect all of them, and I think that this was a pretty good debate. And I think people were able to get a good view of the candidates.

HANNITY: Senator, a lot of people are looking at your comeback in New Hampshire. The polls are very favorable for you here in South Carolina. The latest poll that I saw showed you up by almost 10 points now.

And a lot of people thought it was McCain-Kennedy, it was that Bill that you are debating with Governor Romney about amnesty and non-amnesty. But you have said something at one point, you said "I have heard the people."

MCCAIN: Yes.

HANNITY: And immigration has been such a big part of the debates. What did you mean when you say you heard people?

MCCAIN: They want the border secured first. They are willing to look at a temporary worker program, which I think we need, particularly in agriculture. They are willing to address in a humane fashion, not the 2 million who have committed crimes, but the others. But never reward them for illegal behavior.

But they want the border secured. As you and I discussed earlier and I said tonight, in 1986, we all love Ronald Reagan, but we did pass a law, and that was--and our borders are broken. We have got to fix them.

HANNITY: Would it be fair to say that now you are willing to change your position; secure the borders first?

MCCAIN: No, it's not a change in position. We said secure the borders.

HANNITY: McCain-Kennedy--

MCCAIN: Look, we went on with this debate and how we want to secure the borders. And, look, I come from the state with broken borders, and we have horrendous problems with it. And I felt as a senator from that state I ought to try and resolve this issue. We failed. We failed. So, we got to go back at it again with secure borders.

You think that it isn't status quo de facto amnesty right now? And that's not acceptable in America.

ALAN COLMES, FOX NEWS HOST: Senator, welcome. Good to see you.

MCCAIN: Thank you, Alan. Good to see you again. I'm always glad to be with you, jerks.

COLMES: You used to come on our show and say good to see two homeless guys.

MCCAIN: Then you got to be so successful.

COLMES: Thanks for your appearance on our show.

Independents like you. You've been a maverick among conservatives. You're here with the conservatives. I'm asking you this as a liberal. I don't have a dog in the Republican hunt, but--

Sure.

COLMES: --do you have to do something to convince those people on the--conservatives who criticize you on immigration, who criticize you on working with Feingold and Kennedy, do you have to do something to bridge the gap with those people to go forward with the campaign?

MCCAIN: Actually, Alan, the major concern of conservatives is this nation's security. The war in Iraq, the struggle against radical Islamic extremism--they respect my positions and they know that I have been involved in every major national security issue that's faced this country for the last 20 years. They trust me.

Our evangelicals fear more than anything else this rise of radical Islamic extremism. The word isn't "fear," they're deeply concerned about it. They know I can lead.

And, by the way, in New Hampshire we got the majority of the Republican vote, too. That's the broad spectrum.

COLMES: You put out a press release about the surge is working, it came up in the debate as well. And yet you still have key laws on power sharing which has not been solved, the status of Kirkuk among Kurds and Sunnis not solved. The very bench marks the administration said had to happen, only nine of 18 a year later.

How do you say the surge is working when half the bench marks that they said they needed to prove the surge was working have not been met?

MCCAIN: I say I'm sorry that you were not in Baghdad on New Year's Eve when thousands of people were out in the streets celebrating the new year for the first time in years. I'm sorry you haven't been to Fallujah, where they had a 5k run.

There is no Thomas Jeffersons in Iraq, my friend. Saddam Hussein killed them all. But they are making progress politically, and I think very soon you are going to see some more political progress. It's hard. It's very hard.

And, by the way, the toughest part: rule of law, my dear friend.

COLMES: Thank you very much for being here.

HANNITY: Thank you very much.

COLMES: Governor Mitt Romney will be here coming up next. We are doing a special version of "Hannity & Colmes" from South Carolina, Myrtle Beach.

And don't forget, you can text us who you think won the vote, won the debate here tonight. Plenty of time to make your pick for tonight's debate winner. Text us at FNCTV and watch your votes come across the screen in real time.

Lots still to come from South Carolina on "Hannity & Colmes."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLMES: Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney now joins us post- debate. Have you given up on South Carolina, because there is word today that you have pulled out of this state in terms of your redeploying and waiting for Michigan now?

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's a sequence here. You start off, and we are in Michigan. We will be battling in Michigan. I'm planning on winning in Michigan.

Then we're going to come heavy into South Carolina and Nevada, and then we're going to go on to Florida, heavy there. And I probably have done more advertising in South Carolina and more events here than anybody else.

COLMES: The story here you are pulling back here is that true? Is that not true?

ROMNEY: From time to time we go up with ads, we go down with ads. Don't read the tea leaves too closely, I'm planning on doing real well here.

COLMES: That's why we're asking you directly.

You talked about the Reagan issue. Ronald Reagan's name comes up in almost all these debates. You talked about the shining city on the hill. "The Boston Globe" reported back this year, actually January of '07, that you once distanced yourself from Reagan. You said you were independent during Reagan-Bush, you are not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.

It sounds like, listening to these debates here, everybody is always talking about Ronald Reagan--

ROMNEY: Back in 1994 I was making it very clear that I was my own man. And I am my own man, and I'm different than anybody else.

But I have to tell you, the older I get, the smarter Ronald Reagan gets. I have to tell you, I went to his Florida. There were people out there who got in lines to see Ronald Reagan's funeral and be part of that because that man brought optimism back.

And his policies of holding down taxes, reducing taxes, even though Congress--

COLMES: So you are changing from what you said back then and now you are embracing Reagan-Bush.

ROMNEY: I'm strongly endorsing Reagan and Bush. President Reagan and President George Herbert Walker Bush led our party in a time of need, and what they have done has changed America positively.

HANNITY: Governor, I want to ask you: you ran off a line tonight about Ron Paul reading off Ahmadinejad's press releases. And I wonder if you would relate that to maybe the Democratic candidates and some of their positions on war, specifically in Iraq, and the war on terror in general.

ROMNEY: I think they have badly miscalculated. I think Democrats have been so anxious to get out of Iraq and were so certain that it was going to be a failure, that they said--as a matter of fact Harry Reid says it is a failure, we have lost--

HANNITY: Right.

ROMNEY: I think it's hurt them very badly. I think the American people recognize that the surge is working, that it is critically important that we not allow Al-Qaeda to have safe havens from which they can launch attacks against us.

So this is an issue that is going to hurt them very badly in the general election.

HANNITY: You had a little exchange with Senator McCain over his comments about the jobs in Michigan and South Carolina, that they are not coming back. And he answered that. What do you feel about the answer?

ROMNEY: I continue to feel that you cannot write off jobs. You can't say that the automobile industry is not coming back. Yes it is. The U.S. auto industry is going to be strong.

Investing in technology and innovation and drawing on the innovative spirit of the American people will bring that industry to more growth in Michigan and around the country.

I'm going to fight for every single job. I spent my life in the economic sector. I know how to bring jobs, and I will fight for jobs in Michigan and South Carolina.

HANNITY: A growing theme in your campaign, and came up again tonight, Washington is broken. And, going back to Alan's question, if Washington is broken, how do you use the Reagan conservative principles to make it start working again?

ROMNEY: Well, it's more than just fixing a Bill here or there, or a new deal in the Senate cloak room. Washington is so fundamentally broken that we're going to have to have people who go there and a president who goes there who says, you know what? We will deal with these problems one by one. We will work Republican and Democrat. We will go to the American people and get their support on issues such as immigration.

And instead of bills being hammered out in the cloak room, we will do what's right for the American people.

HANNITY: We have got Michigan, South Carolina, Florida Super Tuesday. You are in through Super Tuesday?

ROMNEY: Look--

HANNITY: It's about delegates--one gold and two silvers.

ROMNEY: Full speed ahead. I have one gold two silvers. I have more votes for president than anybody else on the Republican side so far, and that's a good sign.

HANNITY: Governor, thank you for being with us.

And, coming up, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, he will join us live on the set.

Plus, keep those votes coming. You can text your pick to FNCTV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: And joining us now is presidential candidate Rudy giuliani, former mayor of New York. Mr. Mayor, how are you doing?

RUDY GIULIANI, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm doing great. How are you?

HANNITY: Largest tax increase in the history of America.

GIULIANI: Largest tax decrease. The Democrats are proposing the largest tax increase, and we thought we should push the ball in the other direction by supporting and putting forward the largest tax decrease in American history, if all of them happen.

But also the part that wasn't mentioned as much tonight, the one-page form--so you can file your taxes on a one-page form, simple form, if you want to, as an option.

You still have the home mortgage deduction, the charitable deduction, health care deduction. You have some of the basic ones; a lot of others one's would be gone. And there would be three rates: 10, 15, and 30 percent.

HANNITY: A little bit of a battle that has been going on in terms of the debate between you and McCain over supporting the surge and when and where. You took a very strong position tonight saying I supported it.

GIULIANI: It really isn't a battle. I supported the surge. I was on your show supporting the surge. The night the president spoke, I was on television, asked by the White House to do it, and I supported the surge.

HANNITY: You talked about a 50 state--

GIULIANI: And the senator keeps saying that none of us on the state supported the surge. I supported the surge--I won't speak for the other candidates. I think Mitt Romney did. I don't remember any Republican not supporting the surge, candidates for president.

HANNITY: You talked about 50 states, and you mentioned the other states that are coming up here: Florida, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Washington, Oregon, and how those states for many years now have not been in play in terms of presidential elections for Republicans.

GIULIANI: It is really critical that we put those states in play to win the presidency and have any chance of winning back the House or the Senate this time or next time. Those states are the states where we lost our congressional seats, where we lost some of our Senate seats.

Take a state like Minnesota, Norm Coleman is up for re-election. That's going to be a tough one. We have a presidential candidate that can't run in Minnesota, we're going to be in trouble.

COLMES: Mayor, we only have a short time, unfortunately, but even your surrogates that come on the show supporting you say you have a very risky strategy. And now the word is that you're pulling out of South Carolina. Is that true?

GIULIANI: Unconventional strategy.

You covered me from the time I was U.S. Attorney. Have I ever done anything conventional?

COLMES: I'm using the word "risky," not just "unconventional."

GIULIANI: OK, whatever you want to call it. I make tough decisions.

COLMES: You say the buzz from Iowa and New Hampshire and the focus on some of the other candidates--any second thoughts about your strategy, waiting for Florida?

GIULIANI: I think it is working out great for us. What we need is a couple of different candidates winning here, there, and other places. We are in a very strong position in Florida. People don't realize how close my connection is to Florida, how much work I've done.

COLMES: You have to win, is that a must-win for you?

GIULIANI: It's very important. No candidate will ever say it's a must-win. Do you want me to tell you it's real important? It's real important.

COLMES: Let's talk about the debate tonight. You invoked Ronald Reagan, and you talked about what happened 20 years ago. The Democrats are talking about the future. Is that a clear divide, where you're just looking to the past, where Democrats are looking forward.

GIULIANI: No way. We're looking toward the future, a different future. The Democrats are looking toward a future of much higher taxes.

COLMES: No, rescinding the tax cuts on the high income people.

GIULIANI: That becomes higher taxes. We're looking for a future with lower taxes. They're looking for a future with a bigger central government. We're looking for a--

COLMES: A bigger central government with Bush is what we have had with the Homeland Security Department.

GIULIANI: They want to do socialized medicine. We would rather--

COLMES: Health care for everybody.

GIULIANI: --they want to pull out of Iraq precipitously, which would create the risk of a headquarters for terrorism in Iraq. We want a win in Iraq. We want a stable Iraq that is an alley of ours in the terrorists war against us.

We are both looking toward the future. They want change, we want change, and American people have to decide which kind they want.

COLMES: The more you invoke Ronald Reagan, the more the perception is you're looking toward the past, not the future.

GIULIANI: I talk about Ronald Reagan because he embodies some of the core principles of our party that apply to our future. The same way Democrats embrace Franklin Roosevelt or John Kennedy--

COLMES: Mayor, we're just out of time for this thing. But thanks for being with us, nice to see you.

GIULIANI: Thank you.

COLMES: And Senator Fred Thompson is coming up next on this special live edition of "Hannity and Colmes," plus the early results of your text polling, and we'll give you what you're saying about who won this debate, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLMES: Welcome back to a special edition of HANNITY & COLMES. We're live from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and it's time to announce you think won tonight's Republican debate as of right now. We'll continue throughout the night. Ron Paul with 35 percent, followed by Mike Huckabee with 18 percent, in third place Fred Thompson with 17 percent of your vote. We're going to reveal the final results at the close of the show.

And now joining us fresh off the debate, Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson. Senator, what is your reaction to those results that we got?

FRED THOMPSON, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Sounds like I need to do a little lobbying here while I'm on the set.

COLMES: Actually, you had some biting comments, you had some good one- liners tonight.

THOMPSON: I don't consider them biting, they kind of played into my wheelhouse, they talked about the Reagan coalition, I feel very strongly about that, I feel like the fate of the Republican Party is going to be decided this year for some years to come, whether or not we believe in that or whether or not we feel like, you know, we need to go in a totally different direction, which I do not believe.

COLMES: You really went after at one point Mike Huckabee and you basically said something about him being part of the blame America first crowd. Is that something you feel about him? Is he a blame America firster, Mike Huckabee?

THOMPSON: When he says our administration has a bunker mentality and that we have an arrogant policy. We went into Iraq with 16 countries. I wonder if they were arrogant, things are turning out well there. He said that he wasn't sure he supported the surge, so he hasn't been totally on board.

COLMES: Is he blame America firster?

THOMPSON: I think that reflects a blame America first attitude that is reminiscent of the Democratic Party.

COLMES: We were told by the president there were about 18 benchmarks and nine of them have been met, a year later. Wasn't the idea that if we haven't met these benchmarks we have to talk about rejiggering our policy in Iraq and they haven't been met?

THOMPSON: The only benchmark is success.

COLMES: They mentioned specific things.

THOMPSON: I didn't. By any measure, whether you're talking about reduction in violence. Whether you're talking about Anbar Province, we're talking about turning Anbar Province over to our allies there, we thought that was lost. Do you remember Harry Reid when he said the war was lost?

The question is, what are the Democrats going to say about this?

COLMES: Wasn't the idea of the surge to give time for there to be conciliation among the various parties. There is no evidence we'd believe there'd be any ability for Iraq to govern and the security forces would be able to do what we were told they would have to do a year after the surge took place?

THOMPSON: That's like saying there's no progress in America if it is not happening in Washington, DC, there's lots of cooperation going on outside in the various provinces. Shia and Sunni are coming together, Shia are coming to us that haven't been with us before. Take yes for an answer, Alan. We've had some success there. You have to live with it.

COLMES: We had the nine out of 18. Not the 18 that we thought we would need before we were going to ...

THOMPSON: I don't know about Washington criteria, all I know is that we're winning in large part due to the surge and the new strategy that we've got and being carried out so effectively. And we can start bringing people home later this year according to our plan as part of our success scenario, that America will be safer because of it.

COLMES: I want to ask you about the National Intelligence Estimate that also came up in tonight's debate. Do we believe the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran or do we say we don't trust our intelligence agencies and we don't listen to what they tell us?

THOMPSON: People like you were critical of our intelligence agencies when they were coming up with invasions you didn't like, you were very critical of them yourself. They are sacrosanct when they say something you agree.

COLMES: I was critical of cherry picking. But 18 different agencies.

THOMPSON: Maybe they are still cherry picking.

COLMES: But 18 different intelligence agencies say the same thing.

THOMPSON: It's not 18 different intelligence agencies, there's some representatives from various places, including the State Department. Let's assume that they're correct, what happened in 2003, when they say that the Iraqis decided to abandon their nuclear plans? 2003. And we invaded Iraq, that's what happened.

COLMES: You don't want to believe them now.

HANNITY: Let me bring you to the right side here.

THOMPSON: You're the man.

HANNITY: One of the big lines of the night, we were talking about these speed boats going around the naval ships and you used a line, one more step and they would have been introduced to the virgins they talk so much about, that got applause tonight, a big line tonight, how close do you think we came to that happening?

THOMPSON: Sounds pretty close. Sounds pretty close, I think that it was correct to leave that in the hands of the man on the job there, who saw what was going on, and pointed out, these guys go through a lot of training, you can't micromanage something like that from a distance. We got to trust our people and I think they made the right decision, and I think the Iranians knew probably how far they could go and the fact they couldn't go any further.

HANNITY: Right.

THOMPSON: We've got to be strong but we got to remember that a lot of wars have been started just that way, with something happening to one of our vessels, both military and civilian over the years.

HANNITY: Our own Frank Luntz has a focus group over at the Citadel tonight and by far when people were asked who they thought won this debate, the overwhelming winner they said in that focus group was Senator Fred Thompson.

You've said, this is it, this an important state for you. How well do you have to do in South Carolina to continue this campaign?

THOMPSON: I have to do very well. I have to do very well. This is home territory, and this is the debate now and things have kind of coalesced and positions have been stated and so forth. Time to compare positions.

And I think my strong consistent conservative positions over the years. I'm the same man I was then, I'm the same man I am today, and will be in the future. A lot of these other guys can't say that, they've had to fit a square peg into a round hole as far as their issues are concerned and there are changes.

And I think people are looking for leadership. I think people are looking for folks that will tell the American people the truth. Whether or not it is always easy to hear.

HANNITY: In particular, you went after Mike Huckabee's record, perhaps maybe you think he's your strongest opponent here in South Carolina, you said he had a liberal economic and foreign policy, basically talking about Guantanamo model of the Democratic Party.

THOMPSON: Mike is a great guy, and he would, without a doubt be a Christian leader, we all share a lot of the same values. But he's got some liberal policies and would take us in a liberal direction in terms of economic policy and in terms of foreign policy, talking about closing down Guantanamo because we would curry favor with other people around the world and bring those people and wind up giving them habeas corpus rights and put them in our court system, is -- you got your priorities wrong.

And talking about our arrogant foreign policy, you know, Bush has made mistakes. We made mistakes as the way we went into Iraq and the strategy that we had there for a long time. But now we're succeeding with a different strategy, and it is going to make for a safer America, and we all need to be on board thon thing. And not as I say, you know, mimic the Democrats who so many of them blame America first.

HANNITY: Go back. One last question, you brought up General Musharraf in Pakistan and you made a line about polls and -- not necessarily trusting the polls here.

How important is that we, we not have instability in Pakistan, considering they have those nuclear weapons, if an Iranian style theocracy would take over with nuclear weapons, what danger that would be to the world?

THOMPSON: It's of utmost importance to us. It is of overriding importance, we have got various interests there, we need to make sure they do what is necessary to take the point, take the lead and in terms of the Taliban which is still there, Osama bin Laden is probably still in the mountains in western Pakistan, democratic institutions are going to be required for a long-term stability.

But in the meantime, they've got nuclear weapons, and there's some radical elements signed, or friendly to, the radical elements, inside their government. Got to be very concerned about it.

HANNITY: All right, senator. We're going back to Frank Luntz focus group which is very favorable to you, we be appreciate it.

THOMPSON: Appreciate it. Good to see you.

COLMES: Thanks.

HANNITY: Mike Huckabee, he got buzz out of Iowa but is his star status fading. We're going to hear for Governor Huckabee coming up next straight ahead from Myrtle Beach.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For us to give the world the impression that we would stand by if it were under attack and simply say it is not our problem, would be recklessly irresponsible on our part, if I were president you can rest assured that we would not let an ally be annihilated by those enemies around it who have openly stated, it is their direct intention to destroy that nation. It would not happen under my presidency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: That was presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee earlier tonight. And he joins us now here in Myrtle Beach. Governor, thank you for being with us. Good to see you.

HUCKABEE: Great to be back with you, Sean.

HANNITY: All right. We just had Senator Fred Thompson on, he says you're liberal on economic and foreign policy, a model of the Democratic Party, you want Guantanamo closed. I guess that's part of winning Iowa.

HUCKABEE: I'm ahead, he's behind, what else is he going to do. But he's wrong to call me a liberal, I believe in a strong national defense. I believe in cutting taxes, I signed a tax pledge, we cut the marginal tax rates, look I have the most radical tax plan of all. The most conservative, and that is to get rid of taxes on productivity, and the fair tax.

And because he mentioned Guantanamo, once the Supreme Court ruled and he missed this in the debate the other night. Fred misspoke, he said there's a difference between Guantanamo and Fort Leavenworth, that was true before the Rasoul (ph) case in the Supreme Court and now that is settled. So frankly it doesn't matter geographically.

Let me tell you why I'm against Guantanamo continuing. I've been there. I went and toured it with my prison director, I've also been to every single Arkansas prison. When I left there, I told my prison director, said if our guys saw this place, every one of them would want to be here.

HANNITY: I guess this goes with frontrunner status that you've now achieved, especially after your Iowa victory here. There is an ad out tonight about this Dumont case.

HUCKABEE: Yeah.

HANNITY: We've discussed it before, 527 group put it out there, the mother of this, this, Dumont was released under parole, and it says if not for Mike Huckabee, my daughter would be alive.

HUCKABEE: Terrible tragic situation.

And obviously we wish we could bring that woman back. We can't. The tragedy is that, misstating the facts of that case, and insinuating that I went out and let him go when the parole is not the purview of a governor. But here is what's tragic.

When candidates in these 527 anonymous groups, funded by some candidate's supporter, when they get so desperate, they will exploit the victim of a crime and put their families through that, how low does politics have to go before we finally say enough?

HANNITY: Let me ask you this. How important is South Carolina to your candidacy? How important is this state for Mike Huckabee. Obviously a southern state, first in the South primary.

HUCKABEE: Well, it is very important to us. Clearly South Carolina is a bellwether state. And people look to see, if you can't win in the South, you can't win in the general election. Because the Republican base is the South.

HANNITY: How do you define success in South Carolina.

HUCKABEE: Obviously we hope to win it, but if we come out in the top three slots. You always say there are three slots out of each state. But our goal is to win South Carolina, we're not here to place or show, we're here to win it and we're still running first in Florida. The Gallup poll has us up five nationally. So we're not a one state campaign. But South Carolina is critical to us.

HANNITY: What Super Tuesday states do you think you will be able win? We go with some of the northeastern states and California, New York, New Jersey Connecticut.

HUCKABEE: We're running second in California, we're running first in Delaware, we're first in many southern states, if you look at Texas and Georgia and Alabama, those states, Arkansas, so we're going to do, we're going to have a great day on February 5th.

HANNITY: If you have a problem in Arkansas, that's not good. That would not be a good sign.

HUCKABEE: We don't have a problem there. In fact recent polls shows it was off the charts.

HANNITY: Let's talk a little bit -- Ronald Reagan's name came up a lot tonight. And Alan has been asking a lot of the candidates about that. Certainly the principles remain the same, but the issues are different, and the application of the Reagan principles on taxes and a strong foreign policy and confronting evil in your time, is that what that message is about really more than anything?

HUCKABEE: The Reagan message was certainly saying America would be strong and never apologize for it, I subscribe to that. I did when I supported Ronald Reagan.

Some of the guys on that stage, by the way, did not support Ronald Reagan back in 1979, Sean, a lot of people don't know, I was a part of helping to put together the summit in Dallas, Texas that brought together the evangelical community for Ronald Reagan in late 1979 and early 1980. The National Religious Affairs Briefing, I was actually doing communications when that was going on.

That's how far it goes back with me.

COLMES: Governor welcome back to our show.

HUCKABEE: Thank you.

COLMES: Let me get back to Wayne Dumont. I wasn't trying to bring it up, but since you mentioned Wayne Dumont .

HUCKABEE: I didn't. You guys did.

COLMES: He did, well, Sean did.

HANNITY: The ad came out today.

COLMES: I interviewed Gene Lyons (ph) of the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette" recently. He says he had documentation that you were writing to the parole board beseeching them to release Wayne Dumont.

HUCKABEE: That is not telling the truth.

COLMES: Ask that he be released.

HUCKABEE: No, I wrote one letter. And if you read the whole letter, the first part says it's my desire to be released, the very next sentence said, but I am denying your commutation. And everybody only quotes that first line.

The second line, I denied his commutation, Alan, four times. But I think what we've got to do is look at this. Anybody who thinks I'm soft on crime needs to look at the facts, that we reduced meth labs 48 percent during my tenure as governor. And I did something that no one else on that stage has ever done. I carried out the death penalty.

There's no soft on crime, when you make the decision and give that order on the telephone, when the man is laying there with the I.V. drip and you tell your prison director to carry it out, you better be right and you better have some courage to get that done.

COLMES: You've got conservatives doing the same thing to you they are doing to John McCain, saying you're too liberal. You're liberal on immigration. You know the litany of issues.

HUCKABEE: Sure. Ronald Reagan would have been called a liberal if he were running for president.

COLMES: Richard Nixon was a liberal domestically.

HUCKABEE: When Ronald Reagan was first governor of California, he raised taxes by a billion dollars after pledging he wouldn't. Ronald Reagan was a person who is just pilloried for some of his early decisions.

COLMES: Fred Thompson said it and he said it here tonight again sitting on this chair.

HUCKABEE: This chair.

COLMES: That's an amazing chair. We have great DNA on it tonight. He accused you of being part of the blame America first crowd, basically because of the things he's claiming that you have positions that are liberal positions.

HUCKABEE: When you don't have a record, and you don't have a message, all you are left to do and reduced to doing is attacking somebody else.

I'd like to see, is there Fred Thompson bill that reformed immigration when he was in the Senate? He had eight years in the Senate. What bills did he point that dealt with immigration and what bills can he point to have his name on it that effectively took care of the unfair tax burden in this country, that helped education improve. Any of those bills, I don't think he's talking about.

COLMES: One of the other issues today is the surge because we're on the first anniversary of the surge, that came up a lot during the debate.

You said back when it was introduced, you said I'm not sure if I support the troop surge, if the surge is to come from our guard and reserve troops that have really been overly stretched. That's where they did come from.

So that's where the incident, the statement that you made that people referred to where they claim you didn't support the surge.

HUCKABEE: The problem with January of last year, it's the old classic, if a tree falls in the forest and nobody was there to hear it did it make a sound? Well, here is the reality. A lot of people weren't listening. The one thing I said that questioned the surge was how we used our guard and support services but I did support the surge.

COLMES: But that's where it came from.

HUCKABEE: And there are a lot of other reports that indicate that, so it's not a matter of me not supporting the surge. I did and I do now and it's working. Anbar Province will go to Iraqi control.

COLMES: (inaudible). Governor, nice to see you.

HUCKABEE: Good to be here.

COLMES: We've got to take a break.

HANNITY: Good to see you, governor.

HUCKABEE: Thanks for being on the program. And Frank Luntz will be back in just a moment, with more analysis of tonight's debate and then our political panel will take a look, look ahead at the South Carolina and Michigan primaries, don't forget about our Texas voting, there's time to text us, at FNC TV, we'll give you the results later on this special edition of HANNITY & COLMES.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLMES: And welcome back to our special post game edition of HANNITY & COLMES. Let's go back now to pollster Frank Luntz. He watched the debate at the Citadel in Charleston with a group of South Carolina voters.

Frank, let's update what you told us earlier tonight.

FRANK LUNTZ, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: Well, let's get to the specifics, clearly it was Fred Thompson who won the debate. Hopefully can I get this through this with my voice. I want to know a word or phrase to describe Fred Thompson. What was it that stood out to you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say nice awakening but too little, too late.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The big bear in Fred Thompson awoke.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Entertaining but not convincing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was very prepared, and -- it showed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His charisma finally surfaced.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He showed he was intelligent, well-organized and prepared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a minority, sarcastic and curt with no substance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was surprising but I think it's a little too late.

UNIDENTFIIED MALE: Began to contrast himself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe it is very strong and passionate, ready to go now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Very dynamic, great, but late.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very serious on conservative issues, very strong on immigration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Presidential, and very convincing.

LUTZ: Well, here's the question, because you guys brought it up. Is it too late for Fred Thompson, how many switched their vote to Fred, because of what you saw tonight? I want to know specifically why did you switch your vote? What was it about what Fred said?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He showed us a turnaround, he has let us hear his voice and he has show us seriousness on a lot of issues that were wavering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe he was sincere, he showed real true wisdom and candor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Found out where he really stands.

LUNTZ: What was it? Why do you think they waited this long? You complain he was too late, what was going on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he chose the perfect state to do this in. South Carolina is very conservative, they're looking for a conservative candidate, I think he played to it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think South Carolina, is the Dixville Notch of the country.

LUNTZ: Dixville Notch. John, you know much too much about politics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he simply had a good day and it actually concerns me that he has not been consistent throughout his entire came campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He made it clear, when he brought everybody in his campaign in South Carolina, this was his last stand, this is where he's got to make it or break it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I agree, he came into South Carolina, a strong state for him, he felt confident, it showed, he looked presidential. I think he's a tough opponent.

UNIDENTFIIED MALE: Nice candor and wit, but I don't think he has the youthful dynamism to represent the country for the long haul.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fred Thompson's smarter than anyone thinks. They said earlier in the beginning of this whole talk, that no president has ever lost, if he's won South Carolina, he's coming to South Carolina because that's where the winner is going to be found.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And Mr. Thompson made sacrifices to get here. He didn't -- didn't he have a career in Hollywood and he gave up things to get here. He's not just going to lay down and get out.

LUNTZ: Let me get this straight. He sacrificed Hollywood for the White House?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, this is a man that has passion about what he believes is right to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's funny. I never thought he was very passionate at all. Up until tonight, when he was forceful, that he really just was in because people talked him into it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I agree, I think he didn't have enough passion, I think he came off tonight wonderfully, I think he was very aggressive, but I just think it was a little too late and to be honest, we have to think who -- who is electable, who is going to put up a fight with the Democrats.

LUNTZ: Does electability matter?

CROWD: Yes.

LUNTZ: Who do you think is going to be the Democratic nominee?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary.

LUNTZ: How many think Hillary will be the Democratic nominee? And how many think Barack Obama is going to be the Democratic - So more of you think Obama. Who is the best candidate against Barack Obama?

CROWD: Fred Thompson.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: McCain.

LUNTZ: We don't have consensus there, tell me about John McCain tonight, you dialed him hundred in a lot places. Sean, let me go back to you, you have got a question for these guys.

HANNITY: Frank, I'm fascinated but what everyone is saying more specifically about Senator Fred Thompson and his showing here tonight, but for those that thought he won the debate, but then would be reluctant to vote for him, I really want you to ask them why, if they thought he was that strong, but yet, they're not so sure he would be the guy.

LUNTZ: Excellent question, if you thought Fred Thompson won the debate, but you're nervous about voting for him because he may not be a strong enough candidate, he may not win, why? What is holding you back?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's start right here in South Carolina.

LUNTZ: What do you mean by that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's show the rest of the country, we're not afraid to elect the best candidate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, I don't think the outcome in any of the previous campaigns really makes any difference to South Carolina. I think we're an independent state, we've shown it many times before.

LUNTZ: You guys said you weren't sure, this may have been too little too late. That's what I want to understand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lack of experience.

LUNTZ: What experience?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just been in the government in the legislature.

LUNTZ: But he played the president of the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's entertaining man by all means but the consistency has not been there, that makes me nervous. I don't know if he's going to consistently handle things in a forthright manner.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Strong, to end strong. He hasn't had a very strong start.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I also think you have all of these situations in the world that is going to take somebody that has experience about thinking about it before they just react to the situation.

LUNTZ: I'm going to make your bosses nervous. Was it right to include Ron Paul in the debate, yes or no? How many say yes? Raise your hands if you say yes?

Sean, great debate they enjoyed it, they laughed a number of times during the 90 minutes. They appreciated it, but they've gone home believing that Fred Thompson was the winner of tonight's debate.

HANNITY: I got to tell you a great focus group as usual. Coming up next, our political panel next, joins us next to analyze the most compelling moments of tonight's debate from Myrtle Beach. Straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm called the sheriff by my friends in the Senate who are the appropriators. And I didn't win Miss Congeniality. As president I won't win Miss Congeniality either. I'll stop the outrage of spending, and that will be the best thing that can happen to America's economy.

FRED THOMPSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And you have the director that Governor Huckabee would take us in. He would be a Christian leader, but he would also bring about liberal economic policies, liberal foreign policies.

He believes we have an arrogant foreign policy in the tradition of blame America first. He believes that Guantanamo should be closed down and those enemy combatants brought here.

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Air Force have a saying. It says that if you're not catching flak you're not over the target. I'm taking the flak; I must be over the target. Fred, I want to tell you, I appreciate the analysis of my record.

RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Would you ask them to cease that rhetoric tonight on your behalf? Well, it doesn't do me any good. If they care about me, they should.

The only thing I have control over is what I believe and what I say. I can't tell them what to do, so I don't endorse what they say, and I don't believe that, so please could I participate in the current debate rather than this (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please do. Please do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANNITY: And there you have it. That was some of the more contentious moment from tonight's debate. And here with analysis, former Democratic pollster Pat Caddell, FOX News political analyst Kirsten Powers.

I want to go back to the line Fred Thompson used tonight, and our Frank Luntz focus group said that he won the debate for this reason. Looking at Mike Huckabee, arrogant bunker mentality, liberal on economic and foreign policies. Blame America first. Guantanamo closed. Model of the Democratic Party. Then he had the line about virgins that he used later in the thing.

Good night for Fred?

PAT CADDELL, FORMER DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: I thought Fred had a really good night. I thought he got a lot of good moments in tonight, although I do think Huckabee had a great line in response to religion.

HANNITY: I thought that was a good answer, too.

CADDELL: It was a terrific answer, but you know what? I don't think anybody changed a lot of minds tonight. I don't think -- I think -- I think Thompson -- if this were earlier and Fred had done this earlier, I think it would be better.

But I think that nobody made any big mistakes, but you know -- but Fred got some shots off tonight he hadn't gotten off at all.

But you know what? Let me tell you something. John McCain did not hurt himself tonight, and neither did Rudy Giuliani, for where it matters, for his campaign. And nobody was really hurt tonight.

HANNITY: Why wouldn't it matter if all of a sudden another candidate? Because, look, a lot of people had written off Senator McCain early on, Kirsten, in this -- in this whole process when he was supporting the immigration bill. Look at not only his win in New Hampshire but numbers here in South Carolina. He's competitive in Michigan. His numbers have come up nationally dramatically.

So you can't really count anybody out, can you?

KIRSTEN POWERS, FOX NEWS ANALYST: Well, you can't count anybody out, but McCain now does have a little bit of momentum.

But I think that other thing to remember about Thompson is I agree. If he'd done it earlier, this would have been really good, because everybody was looking for this conservative candidate, and here's somebody standing up for conservative values, taking Mike Huckabee to task, and basically calling him a Democrat, which is the worst thing you can possibly say.

HANNITY: That's the worst thing you can say to a Republican.

POWERS: But what you've got to remember is the first thing that's really helping right now is McCain. You know, it's not -- I don't know how much it's helping Fred Thompson.

HANNITY: Senator Thompson had said -- we just had him on, and he said South Carolina is important, and I'm reading between the lines here. He has got to do first and second...

CADDELL: Let me tell you one thing. South Carolina always is for Republicans. It is big traditionally. It will make a bet tonight. I'll bet you because the Democrats don't have a contest in Michigan, independents can vote. John McCain, I bet you, will win Michigan. I may be wrong but I don't think so.

They'll come here. This is always -- this is always where it works out. For three elections, the Republicans have been resolved here in South Carolina, so this is a tradition. I think he's right.

One thing you said about Fred Thompson that's interesting is he finished third in Iowa, and we said this on the show. We forget about campaigning. He went in there full time, and Huckabee ought to be the conservative. We might be having a different election.

HANNITY: Let me ask -- Alan asked Senator McCain this question earlier tonight, and that is, you know, Senator McCain has had this rocky relationship with conservatives. McCain-Feingold. They didn't support the tax cuts. Immigration, McCain-Kennedy. The gang of 14.

Is he going to be able to navigate through some of these other states where you don't have the independent factor, like you had in New Hampshire?

POWERS: I think it's going to be a huge challenge for him, except for what is to his advantage that the Republicans have not coalesced around any candidate. They're not happy with this field. And so within that setup.

HANNITY: I disagree with that interpretation.

POWERS: I'm looking at the polls, for the most part, and you don't see what you saw in the Democratic side. Which is you saw three people emerged. People were around them, and it's now being...

COLMES: What I want to know is were any minds changed tonight?

CADDELL: I don't think so. That's what we're seeing in the focus groups. A lot of people are saying Fred Thompson won, but he didn't change their minds. This is what happens. Debates are also about what you like in a debate, not necessarily how you're going to be changed by it. We're much down -- the road, down the process.

Let me just say that the other thing with McCain, though, is the other thing for Republicans is -- is that they're going to have to face the fact is that McCain and these polls show so strongly in a general election. This guy is running away with independents, and he's got a favorable rating or even rating with Democrats.

COLMES: They still get that problem with conservatives of winning the primary.

CADDELL: He did in New Hampshire. That's the one thing about Republicans.

COLMES: That was unique, wasn't it, in terms of...

CADDELL: Yankees Republican. No, I'm saying take the independents out. Just look at the Republican registers. He ran ahead of Romney there. Those are Yankee Republicans.

COLMES: Is New Hampshire Republican the same thing as South Carolina?

CADDELL: We're about to find that out, Alan.

COLMES: The FOX News/Opinion Dynamic poll, Kirsten, has McCain 25 percent, Huckabee 18, Romney 17.

CADDELL: Is this new or is this after...?

COLMES: So I mean, McCain is still doing well. Would he not be the toughest for us Democrats?

POWERS: I think he absolutely would be the toughest. And I think for a lot of reasons, conservatives don't like him. For example, immigration, because this is an area where someone like me likes John McCain.

COLMES: But you're not going to vote for John McCain.

POWERS: I'm not going to vote for John McCain. But if I was a person who was a swing voter, which I'm in not, it is very possible I would look at him.

CADDELL: But look what he said about -- I know you're going to hate this. What he said about global warming tonight, what he said about people in trouble, and so forth. I'm listening to the Democratic, independents, and they're saying I could vote for that man.

COLMES: Conservatives don't want -- you and I -- I've sat next to you watching this debate here. We were talking about this. Conservatives don't want to -- they don't want to hear that.

CADDELL: They want to -- a lot of them on the loose.

COLMES: They don't want to hear about -- talk about global warming. They don't want to hear...

POWERS: Except for, you have to remember, though, Alan, that a lot of evangelicals care about global warming. And it's an issue.

COLMES: We're guardians of the environment.

CADDELL: Right. Also, economically.

POWERS: And the earth. And that actually is something.

CADDELL: These social conservatives, the Republicans are winning because they're bringing in a lot of lower middle class social conservatives who are not just social conservatives, relatively economic (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They're hurting now.

COLMES: John McCain went after the evangelicals, went after Falwell, went after Robertson, basically denounced them. He tried to make amends then. Are they going to remember that from 2000?

CADDELL: No, if he's running against Hillary Clinton, that will not bother them at all.

COLMES: All right. We're going to pick it up in just a moment. More with our all-star panel. Plus, Frank Luntz will be back with his focus group. Much more from South Carolina. Stay with us on this special edition of "Hannity & Colmes."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HUCKABEE: If you think you're going to engage the United States military, be prepared not simply to have a battle. Be prepared, first, to put your sights on the American vessel. And then be prepared that the next thing you will see is the gates of hell, for that is exactly what you will see after that.

BRIT HUME, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: All of these people I've asked this question to so far have said they supported the decision to be passive. What are you responding to?

RON PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL: I'm very sorry. I can't hear a word you said.

ROMNEY: I think Congressman Paul should not be reading as many Ahmadinejad's press releases. But let's...

THOMPSON: Maybe you can't tell that the news is good coming out of Iraq, because you read so little about it in the New York Times.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COLMES: Let's look at some of the livelier moments of the debate. And considering what they were just talking about, we have a real divide here. And Sean often brings this up too, because the surge is not working according to a lot of analysis. Nine out of 18 benchmarks have been met, not anywhere near the 18.

What happened in Iran was not the confrontation that we were told three days ago. The Pentagon ha backed off about what sound came from what source. And so we have a real race here, Pat.

CADDELL: Of course.

COLMES: Because as a Democrat, I mean, there really is a divide between what these people on the stage are saying and who can be more forceful with Iran and what actually happened two days ago, and what Democrats are saying, which is very, very...

CADDELL: There's a real division in this country. Right now the Republicans have a problem. It doesn't bother me about foreign policy. They're going to worry about the economy, because the argument that the economy is doing great, at a time when voters, including a lot of Republicans or mainstreamers say it's getting worse and hurting, is going to be a real issue. And right now, that's definitely not helping matters.

POWERS: And that's why Huckabee is doing well. You know, he didn't get the memo from the Republican Party that the economy is booming. And so he's going out and actually talking about jobs and things.

COLMES: And then he gets thrown down the stairs by Romney, who says, "You're a liberal, and you're part of a hate America first crowd."

But we haven't talked that much about Romney here in this little part of the show. And Giuliani, did they score any points here tonight?

POWERS: I thought Romney was very weak. I really didn't think that he...

COLMES: They didn't advance his case.

POWERS: And Giuliani was very much just -- he's just like Johnny One Note. It's just the same stuff over and over again. It's nothing fresh. He was asked a question about foreign policy and started talking about change and explaining what change meant and didn't really...

CADDELL: ... you said Romney. I thought it was about -- I thought it was just among the Democrats. You see that word change every other sentence.

COLMES: So they got the memo on change. You didn't see those candidates doing anything tonight.

CADDELL: I think Romney. And I think Giuliani's question is my God can you come out from not campaigning and emerge in Florida or in the big states. And that's the question for him.

COLMES: By the way, another FOX News-Opinion poll -- a part of the FOX News-Opinion Dynamics poll I mentioned earlier. When asked the best way to handle illegal immigrants, 47 percent favor setting up a system for some of them to become legal residents. Forty-seven percent.

That plays into what Huckabee talks about. It plays into what McCain has talked about. It helps those particular candidates who were doing particularly well in the polls.

CADDELL: But also understand, people are tough on this issue. And the sense that amnesty is on the table, sends American voters up the wall. And Democrats...

COLMES: Forty-seven percent say they want to pass it.

CADDELL: They want some -- that's different -- that's different, Alan, than being presented, as virtue de facto amnesty. That's been the problem.

HANNITY: Let me disagree with my friend Alan. First of all, because the surge is working by every objective measure that anyone...

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Let me agree with you. Mayor Giuliani came out with the biggest tax cut proposal in the history of the country, and he explained some of that tonight.

I think maybe the bigger point here is the pundits, those of us that are observing I think all of us could make the case for anyone, maybe except -- with the exception of Ron Paul. We can make the case that any Republican right now can win this race, and similarly on the Democratic side, I think a case can be made for any of the Democrats to win.

CADDELL: And let me say this, because I want to get this in. It's important. I listen to all the pundits, all the polls. And she cried, you know. There is a certain logic here. Anybody can win this.

But there are certain dynamics. And in the Democratic contest, the reason that Obama lost New Hampshire was Obama and the media. This man has emerged on the scene in one week.

I went through this with Jimmy Carter. I paid the price. I have the bullet holes and Carter and Gary Hart. When you get up and say, "I'm going to win. You elect me, and I'm elected," and you're just fresh on the scene, voters are going, "Wait a minute, who are you?" And they pull back on this.

And so in a way it was Obama's own fault. And so the dynamics here, just like...

HANNITY: There are other factors here, and I think a lot was at play. Some people say the polling was faulty in this particular case. Also people do say that other side of Hillary, the cry, the emotion was effective.

POWERS: And it wasn't just a cry. I mean, if you're going to look at emotion, I think that it's much a matter of the debate on Saturday night when she was asked the question about likeability, and she gave this very funny, lighthearted answer. I know you don't agree with that analysis. But I think there are other good things going on.

HANNITY: It was a good answer. Karl Rove had a piece in the Journal today.

POWERS: Right.

HANNITY: And he mentioned that as well.

CADDELL: And she just lost Iowa. She is a woman candidate. She just got her clock cleaned in Iowa. It tells you something about women.

HANNITY: One more thing. She was -- just four or five or six weeks ago, she was 20 points up in New Hampshire. She wins by three and people are claiming a big victory.

CADDELL: That's why I said Obama. Once they have their doubts, who are they going to?

HANNITY: But if Obama wins Michigan and then South Carolina.

POWERS: Michigan doesn't matter.

CADDELL: And Nevada.

HANNITY: Nevada. I'm sorry.

CADDELL: South Carolina may also serve two weeks out...

HANNITY: She has Harry Reid's son running the campaign in Nevada.

CADDELL: She's going to win.

POWERS: Yes, she's probably going to win Nevada. He has the edge in South Carolina.

HANNITY: South Carolina?

POWERS: He has the edge in South Carolina.

CADDELL: South Carolina...

HANNITY: Good to see you. We've got to take a break. You heard from the pundits. Now we're going to be here. You're going to show you -- and you get to hear from the voters next. Frank Luntz is coming back. He has more from the focus groups. That's coming up next.

And we're also coming up with the final moments of our text voting. Your last chance to pick your winner just text us from your mobile phone at FNCTV. Straight ahead from Myrtle.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: There, of course, our FOX News car. And welcome back to South Carolina and our post debate coverage. And our friend and pollster Frank Luntz is standing by. He's at the Citadel in Charleston, where he watched the debate with a group of South Carolina voters. And he joins us once again from Charleston with much more.

Frank, interesting observations tonight. What's the latest now?

FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER: Well, Sean, you could have used some of these cadets when you were walking up in New Hampshire after -- after leaving the diner a few nights ago. These are big kids that are down here.

We sat down with 28 Republican-leaning voters, and we asked them to react on a second-by-second basis to the entire debate. There were two clips in particular that scored incredibly well, and I want to show the viewers them.

The first one is Mike Huckabee, and what's interesting is that foreign policy in this debate matters to South Carolina voters, and it matters a lot. Remember that the line started 50. The higher that you see the lines go, the more favorable the reaction.

Watch how high the conservative, the orange line and the blue moderate line, watch how high they climb. And Mike Huckabee delivers one of the best lines of the evening about what should be done in Iran. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUCKABEE: I think we should make it clear to the Iranians but to anybody, that if you think you're going to engage the United States military, be prepared not simply to have a battle, be prepared first to put your sights on the American vessel. And then be prepared that the next thing you see will be the gates of hell, because that is exactly what you'll see after that.

BRIT HUME, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: But sir in this instance, in this instance, the American...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUNTZ: Absolutely, absolutely amazing. One of the most positive responses that we've tested.

Now, it's interesting, because some of the Huckabee people, apparently, on the Web have got my e-mail. They've been complaining about the results for tonight. I like to tell them that they should have stayed put and watched the responses just like that.

But Mike Huckabee wasn't the only one who delivered a very positive response. Fred Thompson also had his humorous line when talking about Iran and Iraq. Let's take a look at how effective Fred Thompson was in the language of foreign policy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMPSON: All right. I think I agree with the governor on this. You can't take the judgment like that out of the hands of the officers on the ground there. I think one more step, you know, and they would have been introduced to those virgins that they're looking forward to seeing.

Iran was clearly testing us. They took British hostages under similar circumstances, and they proceeded obviously much past what happened to us. But they're testing our resolve. They know that they're dealing with a nation that's not going to put up with that sort of thing. And, but...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUNTZ: Again, Fred Thompson, he was loose; he was at ease; he was passionate. And he was funny, and voters like to see that.

But not every candidate scored well when it came to foreign policy. In fact, the most negative thing that we have tested so far in all of these debates was Ron Paul talking about Iran. You've seen the positive reactions. Let's see what Republican voters don't agree with.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LUNTZ: I would certainly urge a lot more caution than I'm hearing here tonight. It reminds me of what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin. We went to war there, then later on found out there was a lot of false information.

So here we have -- let me put it in perspective -- we have five small speedboats attacking U.S. Navy with a destroyer. They could take the speed boats in about five seconds. And here we're ready to start World War III over this?

And now, guess what? Today, today, the Navy commander of the 5th Fleet was on ABC and announced that, you know, that voice might not have come from those vessels, so what does that mean? Was there a rush to judgment on this, ready to go to war?

And you know there are people in this administration and in Washington D.C. That are looking for the chance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LUTZ: We have never had, in all the time that we've been testing, such a negative response by any candidate to any statement. That's what Ron Paul had to say about Iran.

We've got one bit of focus group sound, and we'll go back and forth. Republicans voters have a different definition of change than Democrats. We keep hearing that this is a change election. But when Republicans talk about change, their definition is not the same. Let's listen to our focus group respondents.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't even pay attention to the word "change," because I can sit here and I can tell you, all the live-long day, "Hey, guess what? If you elect me, I'm going to change global warming. It's not going to happen anymore." Prove it. No one does.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think change is actually an empty slogan in this campaign. Obviously, we're going to have a change, because we're going to have a new president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It appears that special interest groups have been running Washington for a long time. That would be a sweet change to have those bumped out of the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Change means one thing to me. That means for a Republican to become a conservative.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the thing that I want to see change especially is conservatives apologizing for being conservatives. It seems like there's been a trend in the past couple of years, where it just carries a negative connotation in certain circles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LUNTZ: Guys, these Republicans in South Carolina, want a true-blue conservative. They're not squish. They want somebody who's going to be passionate, intense about being a conservative Republican.

COLMES: All right. Very quickly, frank, we only have a second here. I'm just curious. They all seem to like Thompson in the debate but said they wouldn't vote for him, necessarily, because they don't know if he could win. That's an interesting dynamic there. They like what he said, they think he might have won, but that doesn't mean they change their vote.

LUNTZ: Well, a whole lot of them did change their vote, based on this debate. But what they're asking of Fred Thompson is you'd better have the passion; you'd better have the staying power; and you'd better be absolutely committed to this race. And I got to see it from you for me to vote for you.

COLMES: All right, frank, we thank you very much for bringing us your focus group here tonight.

And final results from our text message poll and our closing thoughts coming up on this special late edition, from South Carolina, of "Hannity & Colmes," coming up in just a moment. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLMES: And finally tonight, time to announce who you think won tonight's Republican debate. The winner is Ron Paul with 32 percent, followed by Fred Thompson with 22 percent. In third place, Mike Huckabee, with 18 percent.

By the way, we invited Ron Paul along with the other candidates, all of whom appeared tonight except Ron Paul. He said he had another event to go to and declined our invitation.

HANNITY: By the way, Ron Paul did not, in my opinion, by any means. As a matter of fact, I think he lost the debate tonight.

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: I got chased by the Ron Paul people.

COLMES: I'm going to tell you. I have a snowball here, by the way.

But he was invited to be with us tonight.

HANNITY: What was interesting, I thought Fred Thompson, Frank Luntz's group, has shown Fred Thompson had a big night tonight. Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Senator McCain. I mean, and Mike Huckabee. They said it was a strong debate tonight.

COLMES: I say this to somebody who obviously is on the other side here. But I thought it was one of the better debates tonight. The questions were good. I thought it was a good give and take among the various candidates, and I thought all of them did well.

HANNITY: You know what's great is when we finally get to the general election, as we have been discussing all throughout this campaign. There's such distinct differences that will be highlighted, Republican versus Democrat, and I think that's good for the public. I know these debates begin.

COLMES: And when you lose it'll be a validation of the things I've been saying all along.

HANNITY: I'll take that bet. I won a couple from you over the years.

COLMES: Do you think Republicans will win the presidency?

HANNITY: I think there's a very good chance, yes.

COLMES: Am I going to get a steak dinner at Ruth Chris?

HANNITY: I think you might, yes.

COLMES: All right. Maybe a couple of them, if you want to up the ante.

HANNITY: If you lose.

COLMES: You want to do it that way.

HANNITY: All right. Well, that is -- thank you, ladies and gentlemen. That is all the time we have left, from beautiful Myrtle Beach, just 72 degrees here tonight.