My assessment of the candidates and predictions following tonight’s debate are as follows:
Dodd looks and sounds the most Presidential. Dodd and Biden have the most substance and I think Biden, more than anyone else, exceeded expectations tonight. Richardson may well be the most experienced, but he lacks both gravitas and the vision to be President. Edwards has great ideas, but is, unfortunately, a relatively tepid candidate. Obama is the media darling and wonder-kid of the African-American community but lacks the vast experience of both Biden and Dodd, and even the modest experience of Hillary. Hillary Clinton is the powerhouse, and both Kucinich and Gravel are painfully obvious whack-jobs (although they serve a useful purpose - demonstrating the greater moderation of the rest of the field.) Despite my longing for more substance, I really believe Hillary is going to win this thing...and I think she'll pick Obama as a running mate because neither Dodd, Biden nor Edwards are likely to gain her any votes...and, obviously, Kucinich and Gravel will only lose her LOTS of votes. I think Obama will accept the VP spot because if Hillary loses in '08 he will be positioned to be the front-runner in '12 and if she wins, he's a shoo-in for the nomination in '16. I think Joe Biden’s apparent defense of both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton tonight is portentous. I think he will probably drop out either before or shortly after the Iowa caucuses...and I think not only would he like to be Secretary of State for either a Clinton or Obama administration, he would be both a logical and wise choice. I have to confess here, though, that I have contributed a small amount of money to the Biden campaign this year – my first financial contribution to a political candidate ever (though for years I did grunt work on local Democratic campaigns in Oregon.) While it’s true that if I had my way either Biden or Dodd would end up with the Democratic nomination, from this moment on I will be supporting the Hillary Clinton campaign. I only hope that Hillary Clinton makes judicious use of Joe Biden’s extensive experience and knowledge of foreign policy in her likely administration.