I feel Sanders did very well. He certainly did not "lose" the debate. But we can see what's going to happen. The media stampeded to the conclusion that Clinton won by a mile, doing a sensational job, making everybody fall love with her, and so on, and so on. Simply by not being her usual, irritable self, Clinton vastly exceeded expectations and gave the pundits the reason they needed to proclaim her the winner. She reflected back to them their own conventional wisdom, setting off another conventional wisdom tidal wave, which will roll over the land and engulf Democratic voters everywhere.
I'm not being sarcastic. This is exactly what will happen. The focus groups show a different result because they are comprised of voters who are interested in the debates themselves, who listen carefully and consider substance as much as style. It doesn't surprise me that these people prefer Sanders by a slight margin. They are exactly the sort of people Sanders has been addressing all along. But the vast majority of Democratic voters are not so interested and attentive, and they will believe what the big media outlets tell them, and we know what the message is from that sector. Clinton probably put a lock on the nomination with her debate performance, and plenty of help from the media. All she has to do now is keep appearing friendly and affable, and avoid losing her temper in public.
But Sanders soldiers on, just as he should. We always knew this was a contest of substance over style, and our guy was at a disadvantage. He continues to make big inroads among social media users, and among those who are interested by progressive ideas. Sanders offers voters a real alternative to politics as usual, giving him genuine appeal to independents and moderate Republicans. If he can make it past the primary, he will thump the Republicans like a rusty wash tub, something Clinton may not be able to do.
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