Mitt Romney leads Republican field despite a resurgent Perry, Gingrich (VIDEO)

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Mitt Romney, the front-runner in the Republican presidential race, may win candidacy for the GOP by default, according to a post-debate analysis by the LA Times.

The paper says that after the Tuesday night debate in Las Vegas, the republican contest "remains about where it was a month and a half ago… with Romney the front-runner by default, leading not because of his overwhelming appeal but because a plurality of Republicans don't seem to like anyone else a whole lot better."

Newt Gingrich, meantime, was listed by commentators as one of the winners of Tuesday night’s CNN debate.

CBS political analyst Brian Montopoli said the ex-Speaker was professorial, and presented himself as an idea guy, floating above the fray.

Sarah Palin told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News that she thought Gingrich did best of all the candidates.

University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato wrote on Twitter that Gingrich had turned in an A Minus performance. 

The Christian Science Monitor writes that Gingrich has improved his chances of winning the GOP nomination "with steady debate performances in which he (mostly) focuses his comments on the Obama administration, instead of his GOP rivals." 

Gingrich did, however, target Romney's conservative record, citing a Boston Herald article concerning one of the major weaknesses of Romney's candidacy in the upcoming primary: his Massachusetts health insurance plan.

Meanwhile Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, has made clear that he views Perry as the biggest threat to his quest for the party’s nomination.

The two engaged in several heated exchanges at the Las Vegas debate, the product of a longstanding personal and professional animosity, according to The New York Times.

Fox News described the exchanges as a "Vegas-Style Brawl."

Hands-down the most memorable moment of the debate was his immigration counter-attack against Romney — accusing him of lying to the public about hiring undocumented immigrants.

Romney has also released a video ad that mocks Perry's performance in this year’s debates, including one yesterday in Las Vegas.

The video features unflattering close-ups of Perry appearing angry, uncomfortable and confused, and asks whether he is "ready to lead."

The video had been "removed by the user" from YouTube as of Thursday morning, however. 

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