WP political blog's debate winners: Edwards, Clinton, Richardson, the Format

[DeepModem Mom]

WP political blog, "The Fix," by Chris Cillizza
Democratic Debate: Winners and Losers

.... it's getting tougher and tougher to distinguish between the winners and losers in each of these contests. The space between the best and the worst performance is smaller and smaller....It goes without saying (though I will say it) that this is one man's opinion and inherently subjective....

WINNERS

John Edwards: In the first three debates, the former North Carolina senator really struggled to distinguish himself. Last night, he found his voice. Edwards ' outrage on a variety of issues -- most notably the inability to solve the health care crisis in the country -- came through loud and clear. And, while traditionally voters don't like angry candidates, the Democratic electorate is in a decidedly feisty mood and Edwards' emotion seemed to fit the night. In an election campaign in which every candidate is fighting for the change label, Edwards made a compelling case as to why his life experience and willingness to propose bold solutions made him the right choice for voters looking to make a clean break with business as usual in Washington. His performance for the first 118 minutes of the debate was enough to overcome the foible of criticizing the jacket Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) was wearing. Why do that?

Hillary Clinton: Of the top tier candidates, there now appears to be little doubt as to who is the best debater: it's the senator from New York. Again last night Clinton was at the center of almost every conversation and she shined on the few tough(er) questions asked of her. Take the question on whether electing her would further the Clinton/Bush stranglehold on the White House over the past two decades. "I think it is a problem that Bush was elected in 2000," said Clinton, a remark that drew laughter and applause. She added that she was "proud" of her husband's time in office (more applause) and that she hoped she would be judged on her own merits in 2008. Smoooothe. And, again, Clinton drove home the experience issue with her response to the question over whether or not she would agree to meet with dictators like Venzuela's Hugo Chavez or Cuba's Fidel Castro.

Bill Richardon: Ok. Richardson isn't the best debater. But, last night he did what he set out to do -- drive home the difference between him and the senators on the war in Iraq. Richardson made sure viewers/voters knew that he is the only candidate calling for all American troops to be out of Iraq by the end of the year. Richardson also benefited from getting a few questions right in his wheelhouse on Darfur and No Child Left Behind. On both, he made sure to tout his hands-on experience -- reinforcing that he is an executive, and not a legislator. Richardson looked -- slightly -- more confortable on stage last night; at the least it didn't take away from his message.

Format: Watching the pre-debate coverage on CNN, they were setting themselves up for either a home run or a swinging strikeout. Well, in this viewer's mind, they belted it out of the park. By and large the YouTube clips were funny, revealing and insightful; The Fix had been waiting for someone (anyone....Bueller?) to ask Clinton and Obama whether his race or her gender negatively affected their chances of winning the nomination. Anderson Cooper was generally a force for good, attempting to keep the candidates on topic. Our favorite video? The snowman question on global warming. We're a sucker for a good Frosty reference....

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/07/democratic_debate_winners_and.html

[wyldwolf]

1. "there now appears to be little doubt as to who is the best debater: it's the senator from New York"

[BeyondGeography]

2. Her "Bush Clinton Bush Clinton" answer was cute

but it didn't answer the question. It will come up again in the general should she be the nominee and she won't get off as easy as she did last night.

I also enjoyed her crocodile tears about Gore having been screwed out of a victory in 2000, as if his loss didn't pave the way for her eventual run at the White House. Tell me how much you really cried that night, Hillary.