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Good Question: Who Won The GOP Debate In Michigan?

By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor
Texas Gov. Rick Perry generated the "oops" moment heard -- or not heard -- around the world at the GOP debate at Oakland University in Rochester when he blanked on the name of a federal department he wants to eliminate.

It created an uncomfortable few minutes in the auditorium according to legal analyst, witness and Talk1270 morning show host Charlie Langton.

Perry turned his gaffe into a joke Thursday, asking supporters on his website to name the federal department they would most like to forget. And he told the national media there was no way his small death in Michigan meant a campaign coffin -- He vowed to go on. The cowboy boot-loving Texan jokingly admitted he "stepped in it."

"Perry response will be on highlight reels for years to come," business legend Jack Welch tweeted.

As for the other candidates: With help from Michigan native Mitt Romney, Herman Cain skated on questions about women coming forward to claim he sexually harassed them in his past life as a Washington lobbyist. He stuck to his 9-9-9 tax code mantra, no matter which question was asked.

Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul had no major gaffes and stuck to their campaign messages. Newt Gingrich was briefly caught in a "gotcha" moment when he was asked about pay he received from federally backed mortgage giants Fannie and Freddie Mac -- entities he opposes. Laughter erupted in the audience when he said the problem was they didn't listen to him.

Overall, the verdict was unanimous among spinmasters and political pundits: Romney won.

Do you agree?

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