Under the pitiless glare of the television lights, the Republicans candidates are beginning to emerge as personalities, for better or for worse. In the end, it will be the little things that add up to a character, electable or not. The ridiculous sound-bite format that is our debate system doesn’t allow for real expression of ideas, and certainly not any of the subtleties. It’s all slogans and posturing. So it won’t be the content of one candidate or another that wins. It will be the little things.

How are the candidates faring?

Romney’s headed down – that’s my fearless prediction. His smile doesn’t reach his eyes. The Romney character, as it is emerging: insincere. He may change that impression if his Mormon speech is a killer, but don’t hold your breath.

Guiliani’s headed down, too. He hunches his shoulders and tucks his chin in like a prize fighter. He’s too relentless. If you met him at a cocktail party, he’d be the guy who wouldn’t stop talking about Yak herding until you had to excuse yourself to the bathroom to escape him. And 9/11 won’t hold up that well. At some point, even the die-hard security nuts will be tired of hearing about it.

Thompson? Too slow and too old. He doesn’t look like he’s going to hold up under the rigorous schedule demanded of a president. He takes too long to answer questions. The television audience won’t wait, and he’s not going to win.

The one positive surprise? Huckabee. His cool, ironic manner is perfect for television. His one-liner about Jesus being too smart to run for president is precisely the level of intelligence TV demands. He’s warm and friendly, with a real smile, and we feel like Mr. Rogers has been reincarnated.

Never mind that he’s from a minor state and has no foreign relations experience. This isn’t about who would make the best president. It’s about who’s the nicest guy on TV, and Huckabee wins, by a length.

Get used to it: President Huckabee.