I loved it when John Edwards started a dynamic going between the candidates, when he praised Barack Obama for his early stant against the war, and when he challenged him about the specifics of his health care plan. John Edwards gave credit where credit was due, and challenged when he felt others needed to be challenged. The best part of the debate was when the candidates where talking to one another. This is exactly what we need in our country. Open and clear conversations about issues and policies. When we go to college we are immersed in "compare and contrast." We need that type of discussion and John Edwards provides it.(Thank you, John Edwards! We love you for respecting us.)

John Edwards was the clear winner of this debate. He came out swinging - the first to draw clear distinction between himself and the other candidates.

He is the leader on domestic issues such as health care and poverty, and is well versed and will effectively lead on foreign policy issues - pragmatic on Iraq, right on target re Darfur.

His response on the first 100 days should have been more specific. I understand the big picture response he gave, but I think for the average voter, it needs to be more concise.

Honest??? Edwards gives me the impression that he is wearing high-tech televised/mirrored contact lenses.
More focused on how he appears than on any external issues.
Not an honest man of conviction, Edwards seems to me like the slimiest of politicians
Edwards is a joke - the only way he could be worth a vote is against a Bush.

Edwards tried to be the anti-W by admitting he was wrong to vote for the Iraq War. He also admitted to not having read the full intelligence report, so in my eyes, he gains nothing. Hillary was no better; she basically said the intel was irrelevant unless we gave Bush the go-ahead to send in the WMD inspectors. We're supposed to believer her that no one in Congress (except Kucinich) had any Bush might well start Gulf War II with a blank check?

John Edwards BOMBED tonight and we all know it. His campaign is over there spinning for him so bad , I'm surprized they aren't dizzing. They went around the blogoshere and cherry picked comments to make it look as if Edwards was getting rave reviews on the internet. It's a desparate attempt but understandable. I'm sorry, Edwards messed up. He tried to be Dennis Kucinich by attacking Obama and Clinton and guesss what? Now he will be Kucinich. Watch the polls.

I see John Edwards as too weak and I don't trust him to be able to deliver. I don't think he has enough guts, a good example is when he had anti-Christians involved in his campaign or something in that nature where a couple of young women said some very offensive things about Christians and he didn't say or do much about it until the media started talking about it. True liberal values is having respect for everyone regardless of their religion. Edwards also tried to make it look as if he is so different as far as the Iraq policy goes but both Senator Obama and Clinton put him in his place.
I think Hillary is stronger and can be trusted far more than Edwards to do what is right. It's too bad that Lou Dobbs wasn't running for President, I'm serious, anyone who watches Lou Dobbs on CNN would know why I'm saying this, he is great. Perhaps Lou will consider Vice President? Clinton/Dobbs 2008. For those who don't know Lou Dobbs I say watch his program like I do and you'll see why he is great. Lou Has guts and courage to tell it like it really is.

I like Edwards but tonight he was not leading, every time he opened his mouth he was sucking up to obama like he wanted to be his running mate. He will have to start talking about himself more, be a little more self serving like Hillary. stick those I, me, what I will do lines in. be selfish its only you who wants to win.
Angus Cooney

Edwards is in big trouble because of that picture of him pointing his finger at Hillary during the debate.

One simply does NOT do that to her.

She will focus her ire at him at some point. Negative ads, or calling him out at the next debate, something.

This is now two strikes against him from the Clinton camp's perpective.

First of all, he's been flaunting his deeper inner femininity during the whole camaign so far, and now this finger pointing.

If he's smart, he'll apologize very quickly.

Edwards is telling the truth on health care. Funding universal health care will require taxes.
Hillary says she will take on the insurance, hospital and pharmaceutical industries to reform health care. I doubt it. She learned her lesson the last time and now she's accepting their money by the boatloads.

It might be time for John Edwards to stop implying he's the only honest candidate of the top three. It's disgusting and could well acount for his low ratings in all the polls.

I have been a Democrat my whole adult life and I respect all Democrats running but John Edwards makes my skin crawl. Talk about a self-righteous man. I question his authenticity on anything.

Glad Obama and, to a lesser degree, Hillary, put him in his place.

Leadership? I don't think so. He's a tad too slimey for my taste.

Totally makes me want to GAG!!!!!!!

Richardson is not willing to abide by what the majority of American citizens want regarding Illegal aliens or to enforce the laws of our nation concerning same. He says he knows more about immigration than anyone, but immigration and Illegal aliens are not the same animal. Immigrates immigrate lawfully and with understandings of and oaths to America.
Illegals have not been approved and do not consider America above their country.
Back to the basic fundamentals, a Commander in Chief must build a Big Fence, allow absolute border control, felony charge for entering our sovereignty, No Amnesty by any twists of the words and obeys and upholds the Constitution of the United States.
From Texas with a no vote for anyone that does not abide by the Rule of Law.

You have got to be kidding me! Edwards did a great Job? I think his time came and left during the last Presidential Camp. He better get off his high horse and stop the Slaming game because this is NOT presidential.

I am a moderate Democrat, and I thought all the Democrats running for President who participated in the debate this evening showed intelligence and leadership qualities. The fact that all of them were united in ending the Iraq War reflects the desires of the majority of Americans to end the war. Therefore, CNN please stop referring to the Democratic candidates as leftist when they are representative of the mainstream of America. It is true that the Democratic majority in Congress, along with the majority of the American people, does not reflect the Right-wing Republican minority. Try to get it right for once. Thank you.

I think that John Edwards did just what his camp said he did; he was honest and demonstrated a glimpse of the main quality a President must have…leadership!

I watched the CNN Democratic debate tonight and was amused at the naivity of the candidates toward universal health care. As a Canadian who is quite satisfied with our health care system, let me assure the candidates that a two-tiered health care system combining public and private health care providers as Barak Obama proposed won't work. His solution was so convoluted that the expense involved and the confusion that would result would be more costly and inefficient than it is now. There is only one solution: either all private or all public. If Americans want universal health care, they have to have the political willingness and fortitude to take the insurance companies, hospitals, clinics, doctors and private health care providers out of the system. There is no other way that a universal system will work. This is not to say that private companies and providers can't bill the public system based upon capped rates. Of course, the doctors will have to be audited. It would probably work best if the states would be responsible for the administration of the universal system, as it would be too large and unwieldly for the federal government to manage.