Frontrunners Edge Away from Bush

For the first time in the debate, the frontrunners are working to differentiate themselves from the current Republican president.

"I am not a carbon copy of President Bush," said Romney who advocated not just military might but also a more aggressive diplomatic effort. "We need to reach out not just with our military might...but also with our other great capabilities," said Romney.

Giuliani offered a more veiled criticism, noting that the Bush foreign policy might have put too much emphasis on election as a stand in for the bedrocks of democracy. "Democracy is only a theory if you are living in an unstable society," said Giuliani. He also cited his experience in making New York City safer as a blueprint for how he would handle foreign policy.

-- Chris Cillizza