Replying to First Democratic Debate

Amazing. Not a single thread. I expected there to be one about 2 pages long by now. What happened, everyone decide we don't give a shit? Well whatever. If anyone watched it, what did you think?

I thought Obama sounded a little awkward. Far more so than in most of his public appearances. He stumbled a bit. That said, his answers were well thought out and usually provided at least three points in response to whatever the question was.

Hillary went a long way in convincing everyone watching tonight that she's not a huge unelectable bitch... she was collected, professional, and if not warm, she looked like someone you could stand to be around. And her answers offered their usual candour and strong understanding of the issues at hand. Too much "I was NY senator on 9/11" stuff, but Giuliani still holds the title on beating that drum.

Chris Dodd was the biggest surprise for me. I found that literally everything he said made perfect sense. I don't agree with him on gay marriage (I'm for it), but his way of framing the issue was compelling and well-expressed. He's very well spoken and he's absolutely a legitimate candidate.

Biden is obviously the best candidate on Iraq issues from either parties, he understands the situation better and is better at explaining the problems and potential solutions than anyone I've heard speak. Richardson has a lot of foreign policy experience as well and is absolutely qualified, and is following Joe's lead here.

John Edwards came across as likable, honest, and compelling. Every one of his answers was personal and came across as truthful and emotionally driven. It's the first time I've really liked a performance by him.

As far as I'm concerned, Biden and Dodd were the big winners... the front-runners couldn't make many gains from where they sat, but these two guys lifted themselves up to their level and in some ways, exceeded them.

Go.