but he also found himself defending a position on immigration that 's at odds with the republican presidential debate .
he took a risk by going against conservative republican orthodoxy on immigration , and that could backfire , but overall gingrich showed that he has been thinking about these issues for decades .
have your own winners and losers .
text size - + reset gingrich on immigration gop on tsa racial profiling paul , gingrich spar on security politico 44 not everyone hit that mark .
and since it the former house speaker and newly minted gop front - runner had a strong debate night tuesday -- but might have damaged his candidacy with immigration comments tuesday night 's cnn national - security debate in washington was a meaty affair featuring candidates actually making arguments to defend differing positions -- imagine that .
winners * newt gingrich : the gop debate on national security tuesday night raised far more questions — and exposed far more divisions — than it resolved .
 
and that ’s good for gingrich , who is a skilled debater .
the forum proved a double - edged sword for newt gingrich , the newly anointed front - runner of the moment : as he usually has in debates , he turned in a strong performance .