It does not matter one whit, who "planted" supporters to boo or clap or anything else.

[Ninga]

The Clinton's are masters at running for office.....and they are giving a master class right now on how to do it, and will do anything from planting questions to planting boo birds.

Hello people.....there is no crying in political campaigns.

If a any person running for office allows the MSM to define the terms of the "debate" by controlling the time, and the questions, and does not challenge, they will be eaten alive by the process.

The candidates who want to really overtake Clinton had better see that last night was a clinic on how to play the game.

Leaders, are leaders for a reason.....their instinct and their ability to smell out a situation and react.


If Edwards, (or any other candidate) can not run with the big dogs.....then they will be back on the porch by Valentine's Day.

[rodeodance]

1. I TIRE OF THE PLANTED STUFF--MEDIA CRAPOLA

[Ninga]

6. I hear you....and agree.

[displacedtexan]

2. Proactive is the key word in campaigning.

Not reactive.

Good post!

[mtnsnake]

3. Anyone who can't face it that the boos were for real just can't cope that their person deserved it

[Ninga]

7. in my best Tony Soprano voice..."hey, punk are you taw-kin to ME?""""

[NightWatcher]

4. politics IS a game to get more people to like you than your opponent

as long as it's legal, it's a ll fair

btw, not a Clinton supporter, but that is the game politicians play

Game On

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Anybody Who Thought Hillary Clinton Would Remain A Perpertual Punching Bag Was An Idiot

DSB

[Ninga]

9. This is only the 10th round, of a 15 round match. She will get punched back, I believe

that without a doubt.

The Clinton's are masters at manupulations.....and they just might pull it off again.

[CoffeeCat]

11. Edwards needs to anticipate all of this...

Right now, Edwards is nursing some wounds from that debate. She
threw Edwards off kilter a bit.

So, now Edwards will plan to come out swinging and strong--because
he wasn't at his best last night.

The problem is---it's a set up. Hillary will anticipate all of this.
She knows that what she did to Edwards took the wind out of his sails,
and that he'll return to the debates on fire.

Hillary will have one liners and soundbytes that will attempt to stun
once again. She'll appear full of hope and joy--and she'll bite back
by insinuating that Edwards is "angry"--while she pontificates about
being positive. We'll hear platitudes about "moving this great nation
forward" and "focusing on ideas, not anger".

So, let's just hope that when she does this again---Edwards is prepared for
it, and that he has a plan to neutralize it.

They're attempting to make Edwards look weak. Look at how he was positioned
at the end of the line. Is anyone going to tell me that was random? Dave
Yepsen, of the Des Moines Register (a Republican hack, but an important voice
in Iowa politics, nonetheless) tripped over himself applauding Hillary and
actually called Edwards, "Poor Johnny boy." It's disgusting what the media
is trying to do to Edwards. It's orchestrated demise, with Hillary and
the media working together.

Edwards must face this and counter it.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. Nobody Can Take Or Give A Punch Better Than The Clintons

They are the Muhammad Ali of the political world...

And she was restrained last night...

[Ninga]

16. This is far from over.

[CoffeeCat]

8. I'm leaning Edwards and I agree with you...

All of the candidates must realize that Hillary is using strategies
from Rove's playbook.

The reason she planted questions in that Iowa audience--is because it's the
only way she can win. The majority of Democrats do not like her and would
have very tough questions for her. So she orchestrates her events to avoid
being revealed as the warmongering, corporatist sell out that she is.

All candidates must realize that she is a manipulative, cynical, game player.
They all (especially Edwards, because she's really going after him) need to
expect dirty tricks.

Edwards needed to anticipate what she did, and he needed to have a masterful plan
for responding to her and countering her. He didn't seem to.

I believe that Edwards went into this debate believing that Hillary had been
trounced on in the last debate, and that maybe he needed a softer approach
to avoid looking like a bully.

Hillary probably anticipated this. Edwards should not have been so stunned
by her tactics. Edwards is a lot smarter than that.

[Jim__]

10. You're right. Edwards needed to anticipate what would happen.

He used the same charges he used in the last debate. Didn't he realize she'd have an answer for them? With that type of preparation, he'd be eaten alive in the general election.

[Ninga]

15. The strategy in a debate is to get your message out. In a 2 hour debate, Edwards

spoke for just a few seconds over 10 minutes.

All of the candidates repeat their messages. They are not speaking to us....they are speaking to the people who are watching the debate for the first time.

[Ninga]

12. I agree and disagree with your assessment. The opening 10 minutes was a free for all

that set the tone. Blitzer was fighting for control, the Clinton supporters, obviously ready to be vocal, booed....the dynamic the boo birds interjected was not anticipated, and not coached during the run up.

Additionally, the questions were planned to be disruptive and non-policy directed. And Blitzer fillabustering questions, gobbled up time.....Edwards had a scant 10 minues in a 2 hour debate. Just think abou that!!!!!!!

Edwards will either recover, or not.

The jury is still in the court room, and Edwards will have his opportunity, once again.

[CoffeeCat]

17. And what about the seating arrangement?

Does anyone actually think all of this is random?

Edwards is being killed in the media. We all know that the power-elite Dems
want Hillary. The media can't get enough of her. Then we arrive at the debate
and who is seated at the very far-right end of the line...Edwards! Edwards
is the one gaining in the polls. He's tied with Hillary and Obama in Iowa.

I live in Iowa and I was push polled by someone asking me if I was concerned
that Edwards and his wife were out campaigning, after his wife was diagnosed
with cancer.

The far right end is the worst, possible position. If that as a question of the
entire panel, by the time they get to the end--people are tired of the question.

I saw only the last half of the debate. I barely heard a peep out of Edwards and
he seemed like the wind had been taken out of his sails.

Sitting on the end like that---with no one calling on him or asking him questions--
it looked exactly how the media is attempting to portray him.

He was practically shut out!

How is the seating arrangement during the debate decided? How did HIllary
and Obama end up randomly front and center? They talked most of the time, and
often bantering back and forth about each other.

The whole thing looked like it was orchestrated to make Hillary and Obama look
like the important stars---with their minions flanked around them.

I think that seating arrangement needs to be addressed.

[THUNDER HANDS]

14. you know, i hate making these comparisons, but...

If there was one good thing the Bush team was good at, it was running a campaign.

Now, I fully believe HRC would be a much superior president, I'll vote for her, and honestly, I can't wait for the primaries to be over so I can go back to liking her again, but the paralells are sometimes striking.