The nomination is Clinton's to lose. She didn't do anything to lose it Thursday evening, so she has to be seen as the big winner. She was prepared. She was firm. She smiled. She cried. She was complimented as well as criticized by her opponents. She was respected.
Barack Obama is still relatively unknown by the electorate. They know his name. They know his smile. Now they know just a little more. He acted a little nervous, but mostly held his own against Clinton, so that can only help him.
John Edwards did nothing to draw the limelight away from Clinton and Obama. He did nothing wrong, but he did nothing to help his campaign, either, and for him, that's not good.
Joe Biden got off the best answer of the night ("Yes."), but mostly, he was his verbose self. No gaffes last night, but nothing to raise him to the top tier of candidates, either.
Dennis Kucinich tried to solidify his position as the anti-war, impeach-Cheney candidate. But he may have found a rival in former Senator Mike Gravel, who played the bluff, no-nonsense, mad-as-hell anti-war candidate to maximum effect. The far left Democrats may find him more exciting than Kucinich.
Bill Richardson was the big disappointment. He came across as confused and puzzled, maybe hard-of-hearing. He had trouble finishing his answers on time. He admitted to once supporting Alberto Gonzales (not even Republican candidates will do that) because of his ethnicity (you're not supposed to admit that) until he changed his mind after Gonzales' testimony to Congress last week (toss in a flip-flop, too).
Oh, I almost forgot Senator Chris Dodd. Hmm... no almost about it.
All in all, if not a love fest, certainly no mud wrestling, either. Even Senator Gravel's pointed criticisms of the rest of the field elicited more smiles than frowns from his fellow candidates. Joe Biden even raised his hand, volunteering to get included in the "top tier" of candidates who "frightened" Senator Gravel.
The 90 minute debate might best be summarized by this exchange, towards the end of the night:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Putting yourself aside, perhaps, is there a winner on this stage tonight, and does your party have what it takes to reverse this trend and win the White House?SEN. BIDEN: Absolutely yes, there's a winner. Taking myself out, I'm looking at a bunch of winners right here, a number. And whoever wishes for Hillary is making a big mistake on the Republican side.
1 comment:
The two most interesting candidates at the debate last night were the ones almost nobody will vote for - Kucinich and Gravel.
I agree that last night's big loser was Bill Richardson.
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