I missed the debate! What happened? Fill me in!

[rpf113]

Did Clark do OK?

I saw the first 1/2 hour or so and then I had to run. Clark seemed to be stammering a little on that first answer.

So what happened?

[Kathleen04]

1. Clark did really well, rpf

At one point Brokaw tried to put words in his mouth saying that Clark had been "blaming Bush for 9/11", but Clark set him straight. He got some good domestic policy questions about his health care plan and about the medicare bill. He also worked in his tax plan somewhere in there too...

[Catholic Sensation]

2. to be fair

Brokaw put words in everyone's mouth.

[Kathleen04]

9. No arguments from me about that. n/t

[countmyvote4real]

5. His separation of church and state answer was well received, too.

I think it was slightly interrupted by applause.

Tonight many have whined about Brokaw, but I thought he did a much better job than any of the moderators in last week's Faux coverage. We got to hear a whole lot more from the candidates than their inquisitors.

That's not to say he was perfect. Of course, he tried to play smarmy "gotcha," but he was smart enough to let the candidates speak for themselves.

Edit: I left out a word.

[OKNancy]

3. Clark was about to punch out Dean

HAHA- made you look

[democratreformed]

8. Wouldya just look at that smile.....

Ahhhh!

[quinnox]

4. Depends

If you're a Clark supporter you thought he did really well...If you are a Kerry supporter you thought he did really well...If you are a Dean supporter you thought he did really well... etc. Just like every debate.

[morgan2]

6. on fox news they told me

dean bit the head off a live bat

[Wonk]

7. Transcript here

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61340-2004Jan29.html

[copithorne]

10. It was a great debate.

First off, Tom Brokaw did a great job. Given the abysmal standards that had been set by previous moderators, I was really pleased with him. He started out with one question about the horserace, then focused in on policy.

Everybody shined. Wesley Clark shined. He was great, commanding hit each question squarely, cleanly directly. To my mind, Wesley Clark wins in any draw because he brings so much that enhances his electability. Kerry did fine, but to me, he's still Michael Dukakis, who also did fine in debates. Kucinich and Sharpton both shined.

There were two pieces that were a little off for me.

One, I thought Dean looked a little deflated. It seemed to me that a month ago he knew he was going to win the nomination. Now it seems like he knows he is not. Maybe I'm over interpreting. But he really seemed to lack the conviction he used to display.

Also, in my interpretation Jon Edwards made a terrible blunder. He came back to someone else's question and asserted that it was not right to say that the threat had been exaggerated -- that it was impossible to say that after 9/11. Once again, he conflated 9/11 with Iraq while complaining that foreign policy wasn't as important as domestic policy.

Otherwise Edwards was his bright, smiling self. But to me, this was an unforgivable gaffe.