Commentary flying after the MSNBC Presidential debate centered on the barbs between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. However, nearly 70,000 cast their votes on MSNBC’s website following the contest. Nearly half of those participating gave a thumbs up to Rep. Ron Paul. Romney and Perry took second and third respectively.

Paul polled 47%, Romney 19.4% and Perry 15.1%.

Responders noted that Paul had been given “almost no time to speak” yet provided the most substantive answers.

Paul stressed de-centralization of government as the solution to the nation’s woes. He had strong answers for several ‘baited’ questions. For instance, a commentator asked him about dismantling regulations, suggesting that without the federal government no one would have charge of consumer oversight or even air traffic control.

Not missing a beat, Paul explained, “you do not need government in a free society. The market place takes care of regulation. I say consumers in America are smart enough to buy a safe car.” He added that privatization would replace national regulation and needed regulations would fall by to state and local control. Taking a swipe at government agencies, Paul reminded everyone that regulations prevented air craft pilots from carrying guns. If the pilots of the terrorist hijacked pilots on 9/11 had weapons, the tragic attacks likely would have been foiled.

The candidate suggested that “Congressional lobbyists have control of writing regulations” through political contributions. When government “runs people’s lives,” the “mandates” administered are plagued by inflationary issues.

Commentators often cut him off not allowing him to assert “the details” of terminating the federal government from “running our lives.”

The same time fixed brevity impacted Michelle Bachmann who stated that “Obama care is killing jobs” and “kids need jobs.” The how and alternatives were not explored.

Rick Perry seemed to debate Democrats as well as Romney. Perry, stated JFK had stressed the “most powerful welfare program is a job, appearing to attack President Obama and the Democrats before Thursday’s jobs speech to the nation.

Meanwhile, Paul differentiated himself from President Ronald Reagan’s agenda and the former president’s results, He recalled that in the 1980’s “We spent too much and talked too much,” resulting in “huge deficits. I support President Reagan’s message, not the consequences.”