Who won the debate?

[book_worm]

[liberal N proud]

1. Clinton?

NOT!

[monmouth]

2. Joe Biden was superb. Strong, right to the point, no hemming or hawing..

[book_worm]

3. DK was strong, Edwards did well, Biden was solid, but Obama was

not at his best tonight.

[Auggie]

4. Edwards. He came across like Robert Young in Father Knows Best.

[mvd]

5. Some grades

Biden B
Dodd B
Clinton B
Obama B
Richardson B
Kucinich A
Edwards B+
Gravel A-
Russert F

[book_worm]

6. agreed on Russert! He sucked as usual.

[mvd]

7. I complained about the moderators of the other Dem debates, but..

they were not Russert was. I reserve complaints like this for something really bad. I thought our candidates were the most consistent they've ever been, but not the most inspiring - but Russert was part of that. :hi:

[rateyes]

17. Russert-- ZERO.

That sandbagging of Hillary, even though I don't support her, was over the top, and when she said, "He's (Bill) not standing here. I am," she put his ass in a sling.

IMO, Biden won. Edwards was a very strong second, IMO.

[W_HAMILTON]

8. Clinton won.

Sadly, what Buchanan said after the debates on MSNBC is true...if Clinton doesn't lose, she wins. And she didn't lose tonight.

I would say the two biggest "losers" were Obama and Edwards. Obama, everyone seems to agree with. To me, Edwards seemed to do alright, till he was asked about the hedge funds, and the $400 hair cut (gee, surprising), and he basically took 60 seconds and didn't explain them off. You would think he'd have figured out a better answer by now then, "well I was poor, and now I'm not ashamed for doing anything I do."

But, outside of Clinton being the winner...I don't know, I would say maybe Biden. I love to listen to Biden speak, I like most of his views, and I like the way he presents his views. EDIT: To expand more on Biden, I just like the one-liners he delivers, and how he usually gets the most chuckles out of the audience because some of the comments he makes. He just seems like a really likeable, genuine guy to me. He's also not afraid to be "exposed," because I see him on Hardball all the time, I think I saw him on the View last week, I think he was on a late night talk show recently. Some of the candidates are afraid to expose themselves that much.

Also, Kucinich said some nice things, and some crazy things. Talking about how all the troops will be home by "April 2007," and how the drinking age should be lowered, etc.

PS - noticed how Russert tried to "get" Clinton on that question about torture? That stuff doesn't stick to the Clintons. She thinks quick on her feet. That was the perfect moment to look dumbfounded, and be a big news story...and she delivered a heckuva one-line about how her husband was not up on stage. Dayum.

[mvd]

9. The April 2007 thing was just a mistake

Clinton didn't hurt herself, but I don't use that as the standard for who won.

[rateyes]

19. That's what I would expect a Clinton supporter to say...

I agree about the "Bill's not on stage" line in answer to Russert's sandbagging of her...but, since she did not win...she did lose. Clinton, clearly, did not win this debate. IMO, she KNOWS that taking the cap of Social Security earnings saves it, and yet she did not want to put that on the table. To think we can grow our way out of this mess, especially with the debt we've run up on a war she voted to authorize, and refuses to say was a wrong vote, is naive, IMO.

[W_HAMILTON]

21. When you're that far ahead, you can play it safe

And that's what she is doing. As someone on MSNBC remarked, she's playing it not as if she's at the Democratic debate, she's playing it like she's already the presidential nominee. Seeing as how she's so far ahead almost everywhere, she doesn't have to go out of her way to please anyone in particular. So, instead she plays it as if this is all a part of her presidential run, not her run to be the Democratic nominee.

She's playing it safe, and even though I'd prefer her to say some things, I'd much prefer her keep quiet, and not have it all used against her in a future presidential campaign. She's playing it close to the vest, which might not be what some around here want, but if she goes on to be the nominee, and she doesn't have one of those "I voted for it before I voted against it moments" (or whatever it was), the Democrat party will be better off for it.

[TahitiNut]

10. It's official: Russert talked more than Biden, Gravel, and Kucinich combined!

Given the time handicap, I'd say Kucinich won. Given nearly double the time, Edwards "won."

[mvd]

11. No surprise there

Hi, TahitiNut! :hi:

[rucky]

15. Not true!

Gravel was mumbling to himself the whole time.

[TahitiNut]

16. I'm very glad Gravel is in the debates.

I wouldn't vote for him but I'm glad he's there. I place him second-to-last in my preference horse-race at this point.

[Blackhatjack]

12. Edwards put HRC on the defensive tonight, and it showed....

[The Sushi Bandit]

13. Kucinich.. cause he is tall!

best quip of the night was by dennis... but he also drove home why he is the REAL choice for a better america!

[TahitiNut]

14. That quip and the one-liner about "breathing second-hand smoke" on the stage ...

... were truly sound-bite worthy moments. I like wit ... and the half-wittedness of some of them isn't enough.

[The Sushi Bandit]

18. Your right that was GREAT...Dennis is my MAN!!

Dennis and I in Santa Ana, Ca

[Blackhatjack]

20. Edwards was right --the Lieberman/Kyle Resolution is a step toward war with Iran....Don't trust Bush

[book_worm]

22. kick

[malta blue]

23. I would have loved Biden to win

but the best moment in the debate was Gravel scolding Clinton on the Aye vote for the Iran resolution.