This is an objective attempt to score the recent debate. Author is an undecided primary voter.
1. Bill Richardson
Richardson picked up Obama's VA fumble and ran in all the way back. He came off as more knowlegable about domestic issues than anyone else on the stage.
2. Joe Biden
Biden scored major points in his intense Darfur response. Public election plea helped as well.
- Chris Dodd
Dodd presented himself as surprisingly personable and well informed. He took a question about veteren's health care and mangaged to ask the audience to applaud soilders serving in Iraq.His response on English as a national language was novel and revealed that, perhaps surprisingly, Dodd se habla espanol. Big shock he did as well as he did.
- Hillary Clinton
Her constant references to the Clinton administration showed competence and a certain nostalgia. Handled the "What would you do with Clinton" question with good care. "End the war in Iraq" in the first 100 days certainly upstaged Edwards, who answered he would travel the world. Definitly lost points for refusing to admit that Don't Ask Don't Tell was a mistake.
- John Edwards
Scored major points with his Iraq stance and his idea for a universal college education. Health care was a big plus, but did himself no favors by attacking Obama on a minor policy point no one understands.
- Mike Gravel
Gravel had an okay night. His agressive stance on Iraq has overshadowed even Kucinich.
- Barack Obama
Obama had a terrible night. He was clearly wrongfooted by the VA question, desipte the fact he sits on the VA committee. Does not knowing the VA in minute detail make for a bad president? Not nessicarily. But his strained responses to several question just feed into the "Obama has no substance" meme, fairly or not.
- Dennis Kucinich
Pleas for leaving NAFTA and WTO got big applause, but as crowd pleasing as extreme positions are- few are willing to vote based upon them. In 2004 he was a pioneer against the war in Iraq. Now everyone's against it. He no longer owns his only good issue.