I posted this in the debate forum, but its burried by like 450 posts, so I thought I'd repost it here.
Winners
Edwards
Second debate in a row he has come out a winner. He did a good job on every issue, race, taxes, and immigration. He set himself apart and did a good job of connecting with people. I think Edwards could have done a good enough job tonight to get his campaign back into the race. He could end up third in Iowa-maybe second, given the Des Moines Register endorsement and his performance tonight-and give himself a big boost. He's sneaking up on the media and second or third place finish could make it look like he won the race. LBJ did not lose New Hampshire in 1968, but it is remembered like he did.
Carol Mosley-Braun
She secured herself a cabinet post or a plumb ambassador job in a Dean administration. She looked reasonable and intelligent and really slapped down Sharpton, which will play well.
Dennis Kucinich
Had a couple of really good lines (indentured servitude, single payer health care) and got his message out, which is what his campaign is really all about.
Wes Clark
He wasn't there, but he wasn't attacked at all, except for one little shot from Lieberman. The debate was so bad that not being there should help him, because he won't be associated with Sharpton's demagoguery or the crappy standard of the discussion in this debate. The story about his campaign tonight and tomorrow will be his attacks on Bush using the O'Neill material. Not being there we didn't get the boost that the free air time would give him, but he doesn't look like a crass opportunist like Lieberman does when he comes to these Iowa debates.
Neutral
Howard Dean
Got attacked on every issue, but did a good job of trying to deflect criticism. The Sharpton thing was demeaning to them both and it shouldn't really hurt him. He had a couple of really good answers, and he won't lose any ground based on this...but he won't gain any either.
Joe Lieberman
Was practically invisible, but it won't hurt him because he's not running in Iowa. He got in a goot shot on Clark, which could help him in New Hampshire, but on the whole this won't do anything for him either way.
Losers
Dick Gephardt
He needed to win this debate to win Iowa, and he was practically invisible. He had no memorable lines and made no big points or new news. His campaign is probably done, and he's just running for a big cabinet post (labor?) or maybe even the VP slot. I'd be shocked if he managed to win Iowa, which is his only real chance.
John Kerry
Didn't say anything substantive and had a couple of horrible lines. (what was that thing about britney spears?) He promoted the Kerry is moving up meme at every chance he could, which will only raise expectations for him. There is a very real chance that Edwards will top him, which would doom his campaign. He'll get remembered for the Spears line and not for anything he said, which could easily knock him down a couple of point in Iowa.
Al Sharpton
His attacks on Dean were demeaning to them both, and he just about killed his chance of getting a good speaking slot at the convention. He reenforced his image as an extremely racially divisive candidate, which will only hurt him in the future. Getting smacked down by Carol really hurt him, and he didn't do anything else in this debate.
Big Loser
George W. Bush
All 5 of the major candidates showed that they have very effective attacks against Dubya, and anyone who watched should come away with a worse impression of the President. Dean and Edwards calling him immoral should hurt him, particularly in the South. If Dean or Edwards can effectively make the point that Bush is immoral, it will give many voters pause. This should be a good campaign, because we finally have Democratic candidates who will call Dubya a liar, immoral, a crony of big business, etc. He won't have any response to these attacks in a debate and it will make him look awful.
All in all this was the worst debate by far. There were few substantive issues raised, and the whole thing will be marred by Sharpton's racial attacks. Hopefully a couple of candidates will have dropped by the next debate, which will make it more manageable and more substantive.