The presidential debate last night featured a lot of moments that would not come as a surprise to anyone who has watched previous debates. Newt Gingrich wagged his finger at the moderators, Rick Perryâs book was critiqued, Mitt Romney trotted out all 5 Ds of dodgeball in an attempt to avoid discussing Romneycare, and there was, of course, an awkward middle-aged white man moment, this time courtesy of Jon Huntsman, who at the end of the debate reached out tentatively to slap hands with Herman Cain. But there was one new wrinkle in the debate, it was the first time Gary Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico, participated.

Johnson, despite being a relatively successful two term governor, has been given short shrift so far. As a libertarian, albeit a socially liberal one, heâs been dismissed by pundits. If Jon Huntsman is a reporterâs idealized version of Mitt Romney, Johnson has been brushed aside as an idealized Ron Paul. But despite opposition from the Florida Republican Party, which was one of the sponsors of the debate, this pro-choice, pro-pot, and anti-government candidate finally got a chance to participate.

Of the nine contenders on the stage, Johnson was clearly the least rehearsed. However, he was prepared for the limited screen time he got, showing strong message discipline in answering every question by first making clear he would balance the budget his first year in office and slash federal spending. He even got the biggest laugh line of the night by jesting, âMy next-door neighborâs two dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this president.â