From the majority of the comments posted on this site, it's easy to see that America is in deep trouble. Not one of the Democratic candidates had anything to say about returning this country to the Constitutional Republic that it is supposed to be. America is NOT supposed to be a Democracy, even though most "voters" have been brainwashed into believing that it is.
Sadly, I believe that Americans, in general, are going to get the "government" we deserve.
Ron Paul clearly won the debate…AGAIN!The Mainstream media is in denial….. all they want to talk about is Rudy Mc Romney while at the same time failing to admit that the so called 2nd tier candidate namely, Ron Paul is the most searched for candidate in Google and Youtube BARNONE… This is a fact!!and here is the proof…Conservative Americans want a true conservative republican on their ballot… And Ron Paul fits this description to the T…<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NuXCxCVD6iI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NuXCxCVD6iI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
Ron Paul is the only logical, intelligent choice. He is the sole candidate speaking the truth and offering us the only workable solutions to our problems. We will all be far better off with Ron Paul as President.
Honestly the only guy up there who will not be out to continue to screw the American people and this is especially true when it comes to the ILLEGAL Federal Income Tax. Ron Paul would do all he could to stop the madness. Stop letting the Banker's run the country and the world, We The People need to take the power back.
Ron was as good as ever. What I took from this debate is how the media is actually against the people and our liberty along with the established political system. I have never seen such blatant bias.
If Ron has done nothing else, he has exposed the system to all who can see. The other candidates looked looked cardboard cut out marionetts.
Our government is afraid of Ron, and it is obvious. They're rolling out Fred Thompson hoping he will challenge Ron.
Ron Paul. He actually seems to know something.
People seem to go for tag lines and demagoguery, but come on—we're not voting for our favourite TV show here.
Kucinich is the only one for peace..all the others are war mungors and liers…they all want a national ID card and are for the north American union..and if you dont know anything about those two issue's then you need not make a comment on anything!…you are lost and un-informed!
Dennis Kucinich by a long shot. The media will never give him the credit, because he is too hard on in the insurance companies and other corporations. This man prioritizes people over corporations on EVERY issue. He is consistent on important issues like opposing the war. When American lives are on the line, he fights without compromise. When no one else will speak up, he writes the legislation so that it is forced into debate. Hillary and Obama have shown - and it was pointed out in the debate - that they are followers. But Dennis Kucinich is a leader.
DENNIS KUCINICH!! When are you gonna start talking about his "NO" votes on the war?? He votes no EVERYTIME and nobody says a thing. But your beloved hillary and obama vote no one time and that's all u can talk about! EQUAL COVERAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately he suggests that the U.S. entered the Iraq conflict subsequent to a mandate of enforcing a UN resolution, which is not quiet accurate. Nor does he acknowledge the 'NUCLEAR' Holocaust aspects of the conflict.
But, overall. he was more right-on than any of the other candidates!
He is a True - Real - American who stands for the People, by the People, and for and by the Constitution the way it was written by our Founding Fathers according to the Law of the Land.
He wants to do away with the Federal Reserve which is no more Federal then Federal Express. He also wants to do away with the Central Banking System which is run "NOT the US Government" but the Wealthy Elite of the World. It's Big Business who runs this country with "Their Money"… NOT OUR MONEY or the US Government's Money and it's our Taxes that pays down their debt for printing these fiat dollars.
He wants to bring back the Gold and Silver Standard since our money is not back by anything… not gold nor silver. It's just paper backed by nothing! Paper IOU's!!
He wants to abolish the IRS which is a total scam. Where are the laws or codes that prove that we American's should pay tax for our employment?
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He showed that he has the right basic idea, it's about leadership! He has the knowledge of how things work in the political process from the inside, as well as the perspective and vision of an outsider. It truly takes both of these to be able to do what is right by the American people.
I think Joe Biden won the debate clearly, he is the only character who really backs up everything he says. He has the experience. All other puppets showed they have pockets of intelegence. Sadly Biden does not have the money to win and lets not forget our american credo "those who have money have the power". I am glad that he showed anger because the issues are really close to him and so is his frustration.
It does not matter who won the debate last night or tonight. Hillary is going to win. She has the money, the democratic vote, the anti-war vote, the female vote, the black vote, and it has already been predetermined by the powers that be! You people actually think that the Diebold voting machines actually count your vote? They have'nt for the last two elections, so why would they this coming year? Reagan/Bush, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton is how it's going to go down. Wake up, we live under two crime families that have divided us by working together…shut up, go home, and enjoy your freedom! The war will not end, they are building 14 permanent bases and the worlds largest embassy in Iraq. Look it up before our empire falls…
I would like to know why everyone of the democrats could not answer the questions the first time without beating around the bush before acually answering the question if they ever did. Like Richardson and genocide: He never did answer the question. This is the best the dems can offer? Hail to Obamma for being the only one that sounded Presidential and intelligent and I am a republican.
Edwards was weak. I can't understand why people continue to support him ($400 haircuts that could have been done at Cost Cutters in 15 minutes for $10.00!!!) He seems out of touch and seemed to have a problem directly answering questions.
Hilary—I like her. I do. But she needs to work on her public speaking manner. She can appear mean spirited at times. It's a shame that in 2007, people are actually intimidated by an accomplished, ambitious woman.
Richardson—good answers at times. Good points at times. Concise answers-not once.
Kucinich-poor little guy. But he keeps popping up year after year. He answered well, but I don't think he has a chance.
Gravel—eh. I wasn't moved.
OBAMA-Excellent public speaker. Has the ability to understand the people's wants and needs. I think with the right administration, he can improve the world's view of the United States and motivate younger generations in our country to concern themselves with politics. I think he proved himself to be the most "in touch" with the public.
Blitzer was awful. And the questions were terrible. They allowed for too much "drivel" time with some of the candidates. When it came time for the people to ask their questions, it was clear who this election belongs to. We're taking back our country and forcing our government to work for us.
Joe Biden (even though I am officially a Barack Obama supporter). I felt Joe Biden was clear, concise, articulate, and aggressive. He flexed his knowledge from the years of experience he has in the Senate.
Obama won. He explained his position on the issues well. Biden, Clinton, Dodd, and Edwards must have just received their degrees from the George Dubya School of Spin. They are "sorry" for voting for the war but they are against it…now. Why would you ask someone that got us into this mess (the war) to try to get us out of it?
I know the media has a love-fest with Clinton and Obama but enough is enough. Watch the debate and you'll see that Edwards won, he came out attacking and his answers were not full of rhetoric but …UM…ANSWERED THE QUESTION!
The only other perosn that can be said to have won the debate would be Joe Biden even though I don't like the guy, he also owned every answer. Obama…Clinton GIVE ME A BREAK!
Who would I hire to lead my country out of the dung pile created by this current administration and restore our place as the leader in the free world? Who will address national health care reform and the host of other domestic issues facing us? Who has the experience to get the job done? Clinton stands alone.
I THINK OBAMA WON THE DEBATE. HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO LOOKED AND ACTED PRESIDENTIALLY. I THOUGHT CLINTON SEEMED AMUSED AND DISINTERESTED. I WAS GREATLY DISAPPOINTED WITH HER PERFORMANCE.
I don't know which debate you watched but Hillary played it so down the center, til it was a joke, the only 2 guys who took a chance was OBAMA and BIDEN, the dude from Ohio is a nut…John Edwards got OWNED..period..Chris Dodd well nice try Hillary is a joke she was so calculating till it was a joke, Obama talked straight talked honest and defended what he needed, and they all came gunning and he shot em back..next president of the United States
Hillary nabbed it for me.
I understand that Edwards needed to go on the attack to raise his poll numbers, but Hillary was able to diffuse the situation so well that he came off looking defensive. I was very impressed.
Kudos to all on that stage.
RICHARDSON easily. Only one who talked non-politico speak and had specific answers for problems. I agree that the format was clearly rigged Edwards, Clinton, and Obama (regarding the seating and mic time given). He deserved more from Blitzer as did some of the other candidates. The only thing I did not agree with him on is the boycotting the Olympics. There's no room for politics in the Olympics. It was a failed policy by Carter in 1980 and it would fail again. I'm still for him. Liked Richardson on the talk shows before I even knew who he was. He speaks straight and is by far the most broadly experienced man on the stage and deserves the chair in the oval office… much more than any of the other candidates.
The 3 front runners DID NOT win the debate, in fact it was Richardson, Biden, and Kucinich who stole the show. They are the only ones with nothing to lose and everything to gain. It's unfortunate these debates won't leave a dent on the outcomes of the election, but they are interesting nonetheless. I have to say I was most impressed with Richardson. Biden was effective at first, but he came across as way too emotional and out of control.
Mike Gravel won hands down. Dennis Kucinich came in second and would make a great vice president.
Thank you for allowing these men to speak. Gravel and Kucinich should get the most time to speak instead of the least because the other candidates have nothing to offer but worn political posturing.
Kucinich- For the same reason others have pointed out. He is the only candidate who does not endorse the killing of innocent civilians to fulfill the futile revenge fantasy of 9/11. He also understands that healthcare will never be affordable until we take the profits out of the healthcare system and make it a public endeavor like police and fire services.
I would have to say Kucinich hands down. Clinton, Obama and Edwards just put on a PR show. I am a staunch conservative but Kucinich really impressed me. He was very straight forward and honest. I really think the democrats are lacking identity in these debates. Besides Kucinich, no one really stands out and separates themselves from the rest of the field.
Obama won Hillary is a fake and is only running to be the first woman president that's all she doesn't care about nothing else thats why Missouri is for OBAMA
John Edwards clearly and intelligently answered his questions in an honest and sincere manner. He was assertive and the most presidential one in the debate. He was better informed and the most well spoken debater present. I'll vote for him anytime.
Hillary Clinton. She is clearly presidential material, everyone was looking to her to lead discussion, and she proved she has what it takes. I was all for Obama until this debate - I am unimpressed with his performance. However, John Edwards will never get my vote. He was a mess.
Kucinich is the only candidate who shows vision and reason. As President, he will surround himself with doers for peace and the general welfare of all US citizens. He will eradicate the empire and return to the democratic spirit of the 60's that made this nation a world leader. He has been right on the war since day one and he is right today. The right choice.
Great job Wolf! Kucinich won. As Jeremy from San Jose said, the only one who wouldn't murder innocents to get Bin Laden. It was amusing to see the "frontrunners" falling all over themselves to play tough guy. It's easy to be brave if you're an armchair warrior risking other people's lives.
Obama demonstrated he has the qualities of a true uniter.
I was also impressed with Joe Biden and his handle on foreign affairs.
Hillary Clinton continued to attempt to wiggle her way out of her huge error of judgement when she voted to invade Iraq, meanwhile she never read the necessary supplement materials.
Any one of them (besides Gravel)could be a vast improvement over the mess we have in the White House. More and more I feel that Hillary is probably the most qualifed to clean up the disasters the current administration has created.
I wish Bill Richardson would stop answering questions like he his reading his resume.
John Edwards gave the most honest answers of all the candidates. He actually debated the issues where everyone else just wanted to pat eachother and make nice. Hilary kept saying the differences between then were small, but if they don't have any differences than what does it matter who gets the nomination.
Edwards was the winner hands down, with Biden a close second.
Joe Biden. Senator Biden showed is incredible knowledge of the issues and put forth actual ideas and plans to resolve the problems. He has worked hard on legislation, spoken up and made his positions clear, and has shown his leadership skills over and over again while in the Senate. I don't think we could ask for better than Senator Biden.
Senator Joseph Biden came across as determined, confidant, and most importantly, dead honest. His comments, while aggresive, were realistic and true, not sugar-coated like the other candidates.
barack Obama won. Edwards totally turned me off. How can you possibly insult the one person on panel who spoke out on this war. Obama spoke out and explain exactly what would go wrong and he was right. edward is such a fraud, fake and full it. whenever he speak out on an issue its where most of america stands it turns my stomach. when Obama spoke out against this war it was not the popular idea. It was pretty scary during that time. Obama also explain we have to be careful getting out unlike the way we went in carelessly. Obama is very thoughtful and precise in his decisions. We don't need a poll chaser like Edwards. to think in the very begining I was thinking of voting for him.
I think it is a toss up betwen Biden, and Kucinich. Kucinich was cooler and his answers appeared slightly more reasoned out than the others. I felt Biden responded the same way, but he leaves a impact better. Clinton has been taking debate lessons from her husband because she was smooth. Obama needs to find away to answer a question without going "Aa.." first, and John Edwards needs to find some new phrases because he has wore a few out, and "moral authority" is a head of the list. Dodd also did very well. It is a shame they didn't let him speak more. CNN should drop those hypothetical questions because seeking an answer to a situation, or issue that has yet to arise is utterly stupid. Clinton was the smart one for calling you on them.
John Edwards won the debate based on showing termendous leadership skills. Obama and Clinton talked about how they joined other in voting this way or that; Edwards talked about what he can do and what he will do as President. Leaders take responsibility. Obama says Edwards is 4 years late? Where was Obama 4 years ago? How can he say ANYTHING about anyone who did or did not vote for the war? It's easy to sit here and sya I would have voted for it, but if I were there with the lies the administration was putting in front of them, I am not sure how I would have voted honestly.
I'm surprised by how few people give Edwards credit for his performance. If you want to talk about winning the debate in terms of who can expect the biggest poll bump, it's Edwards, hands down. If they were all on a level playing field, an argument could be made that Kucinich and Biden had won the debate, but no one will take the two of them seriously. Edwards did what he needed to do, and in a creative and forceful way.
It's a shame that Obama has proven somewhat inept as a debater as he is such a great public speaker. The energy just seems to disappear when he's on stage with his opponents. Hillary came off as somewhat snotty, bearing her equivalent of the unfortunate GWB smirk. Richardson never comes off well in public, always appearing very self-centered.
Thanks to Edwards cutting down Clinton and Obama, Al Gore didn't do too badly last night either.
Senator Hillary Clinton was, by far, the most presidential of the group. I would say that Edwards finished a strong second behind her and that the rest of the candidates were a disappointment.
hillary clinton. she never stopped amazing me. She can carry herself well, gives her speech well…and although she may be silent at times she is doing what a woman does best, and that is to be a listener. America needs to be heard. And so does all the third world countries around the globe. we all want to be heard. I believe she has the best presidential experience (frm former Clinton) and will also have the most biggest potential to clean up bush's dirt once again.
I don't know who won the debate but in my book Hillary Clinton goes to the bottom of the list. As an independent voter, I feel that running Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidate is a good way to insure another four years of a Republican White House.
John Edwards is unbelievable as to what he would do in the first hundred days: Travel the world to restore our name–we have and always will have a good name. Is he looking to be an ambassador? To just take off like that in the first 100 days when the U.S. needs a president to manage this country, is like George Bush's vacations. Nobody picked up on this point!
First of all I would have preferred a more equal distribution of time to the candidates. It was unfair to the likes of Biden and Richardson which I had wished that I could learn more about them.
That being said, between the "big 3″ I liked Clinton's performance the best. She was steady, very calm, informed, forceful and held her ground. I did not think she provided too many exciting sound bites, but solid work by the Senator. Some of the posters above also pointed out an extremely important fact: that she's the only female in the crowd yet she's the front runner. That's quite extraordinary!
Edwards tried to impress but he tried too hard. He deserves to be second because he seemed more confident on the issues but tried to hard to differentiate himself from the flock. I do not think he scored any extra points by doing so.
Obama, I thought was not very good. He stuttered a lot with his answers, and his comments all seem to lack "depth," reinforcing the notion that he lacked experience.
Of the second tier group. I thought Richardson did very well. He showed poise, knowledge and experience. Biden showed strength, but I found him too "angry." Brings back memories of Howard Dean circa 2004.
Dodd wasn't memorable, Kucinich was too much of a liberal renegade, and the gentleman from Alaska (what's his name again?) seemed obsolete and detached.
I would love to see a Clinton-Richardson ticket. First female - first Latino/minority ticket. This would be a glorious day for America.
Biden - well informed, feisty, gave great expainations about why things aren't working and has practical solutions for todays problems - clearly the winner.
Edwards lost big in my book. Its hard to take someone serious who spouts how much he wants to help the poor and under privildged while at the same time pays $400 for a hair cut. I pay $13.95, maybe he should try that and give the other $386.05 to charity! I had high hopes for him, even in 2004, but have completely lost faith.
Only former Senator Mike Gravel was willing to say that English should be the official language of the U.S. All other contenders including the front-runners refused to say so. On this basis alone, none are qualified to be president.
Hillary and Joe Biden came across as the most knowledgeable, and frankly, the most realistic candidates on the floor. Obama was a real disappointment. I think he tried to redirect the debate too much and went off topic often. He never answered half the questions. I agree that Edwards did himself in.
Hillary won the debate, though not hands down. Biden and Dodd both came across very well to me. They would make great VP candidates in my opinion.
I think Senator Clinton really helped herself. She was very commanding and took charge as to what questions would and would not be asked. ("We are not going to answer hypotheticals") She seemed like a leader. I believe she clearly won and I am a Richardson supporter!
I think Edwards and Obama clearly lost some points. (Wasn't Edwards a little negative, and didn't he run on the total opposite platform in 04′???) Richardson did ok as did Biden.
John Edwards did exactly what was expected of him: he successfully drew the lines of distinction between him and the others, especially the other two in the top tier. Obama made no attempt at this and Clinton didn't need to.
Mike Gravel Followed By Kucinich - even thought CNN literally marginalized them at the edges and only gave them each around 2 minutes to speak, while Clinton And Obama each had around 9 minutes each to say nothing new. Shameful CNN. Seriously.
I believe Kucinich one the debate last night. Even though he was given considerably less questions to answer and time to respond. He wants us out of NAFTA which is taking big business out of this country and bring illagel workers in in droves. He also wants us out of the war and was the only candidate to speak the truth about us being able to get out of the war right now just by not passing a funding bill. Obama and Hillary are really clones of each other, there really is no difference.
Now for some critiques on the debate last night. While Obama, Clinton and Edwards spoke for more than 16 min a piece the other candidates spoke for an average of only 9 minutes a piece. Then there was the problem of how the candidates were positioned on stage. Clinton and Obama were center stage while Kucinich was shown far left and Mike was far right. Do you think CNN is playing favorites! To there defense I suppose they aren't the only ones FOX has there prefered candidates who get more free face time than other GOP candidates. The polotics of media sickens me! I hope CNN does a far better job with the GOP candidates Tuesday.
Sen Biden won the debate. He gave the most direct and realistic answers to difficult issues, instead of engaging in generalities and political pontificating.
OBAMA! I think he was very clear and concise in his responses. I think Richardson avoided directly responding, and his idea about boycotting the Olympics was ridiculous. Gravel and Kucinich are way to out there, irradical and emotional to be an effective president. Dodd, doesnt seem to have an effective grasp and Biden seems to angry. Clinton would make a great vice president.
Obama won with his retorts to Edwards on the war and health care. Many of Hillary's stronger points had to do with comparing her husband's administration to GWB's administration (e.g., balanced budget, use of diplomacy). That may work with some people, but I'm not interested in continuing the Bush-Clinton double dynasties.
The winner of the debate for me is still a toss up, although I think Edwards did himself in as far as I'm concerned. He was smug, arrogant, and frankly, righteous, like a smart alecky kid in class who thought he knew all the answers.
My bigger concern was CNN and Wolf Blitzer's line of questioning. Did you think only the tabloids were picking up the story this morning? Too many of the questions were petty, sensational, and insulting to the American intellect's public. You played it to the lowest common denominator. Shame on you. You had an opportunity to raise the bar of the debates and you didn't. Instead you played it small and superficial. You can and should do better than that. At least the candidates called you on it (Hilary, Obama) and they were right to do so. And if you can't get out of your own way, with your attempts at stoking petty fires and asking inane questions, then maybe you should leave the debates to a more capable news source.
Well I think that Hillary and Kucinich were the strongest.But Kucinich was my final choice because he chose not to kill innocent people, to assinate a terrorists. War only brings war. I'm still torn between Clinton and Kucinich.
I think they all lost when every candidate on stage failed to give the Bush administration credit for no terrorist attacks since 9/11. I don't support the war Iraq, I just know you can't deny some success when we have avoided several plotted attacks since 9/11. I don't support the war, but I don't support a divided America also. I feel if any of these candidates win, that's exactly what we will see.
Stupid questions by a lame host. Anderson Cooper should have hosted the debate, as Wolf Blitzer was as absolutely embarrassing as the questions he asked.
CNN, with all it's bimbo newscasters and dramatic background music, has been rolling downhill ever since Turner let it go. UGH!
BTW…I was impressed with Biden.
John Beland
Dodd and Biden are the most qualified for the job, we need more participation from these "second tier" candidates.
I am not sold on any of "The Top Tier". Richardson is imploding. Gravel and Kucinich could help everyone by staying home next time.
CNN did better than MSNBC but that's not saying much. I think we need Jim Lehrer, Gwen Ifill and PBS to have a balanced debate. Come on Wolf, you're supposed to help keep us informed, not sell us something!
You Can really tell who was a Clinton supporter before this debate because they thought she won… It was obvious that Biden and Sen K. were the co winners of this debate…..even if K's ideas on the military are a little naive
Biden was honest, knowledgeable, realistic, forceful, & consistent. He took the high road early on, declining to criticize his fellow candidates. I’m registered independent & now lean toward voting for Biden in the primary (we NH independent voters can vote in either the Rep. or Dem. primary).
Where are the questions about the environment? If we mess that up, nothing else will matter. Dodd got that right in his answer to the stupid ? about gas prices; Gravel had a good point too, that adding in war costs, gas is a lot more than $3/gal. Lose the “Raise your hand if” ?’s - they’re irrelevant & harmful. And who do you think you are, positioning Edwards, Clinton, & Obama in the center & giving them more time than anyone else?
Senator Clinton clearly won the debate. Her knowledge of the issues, confidence in her position and ability to convey her message was impressive. Sen. Obama needs to consider whether his hand gestures are off-putting. Sen. Biden was the most surprising and candid. While I think he could make a good president, I think he would be an awesome Secretary of State no matter who become President.
By far Bill Richardson, he went to the root of the problems. Obama at times stumbled in his responses, as with the VA clinics, he did not directly address the woman's question.
Obama. Shame on Wolf for acting as though there are only three candidates for the Democratic nomination (Clinton, Obama, Edwards). If CNN is going to invite all of the candidates, Wolf should at least try to give them equal time. Very unfair and the voters suffered for it.
I would just like to point out that Hillary Clinton made a false statement regarding the Republican candidates due to debate on Tuesday. Clinton said that all the Republican candidates are for the Iraq war, however, candidate Ron Paul has been against the Iraq war from the very beginning which is more than I can say about Clinton or Edwards and the like.
I just want viewers to know that Clinton's statement was false, and I hope that CNN allows Ron Paul to speak at length on his position since no correction was made at the time of the debate even though Wolf Blitzer has interviewed Ron Paul and knows his position on Iraq.
I felt that Joe Biden came across as most knowledgeable and presidential.
Hillary did well, but I always get the feeling that she's playing the odds rather than speaking straight.
I really like John Edwards, and he did well during the first half; but in this situation, I think he looked uncomfortable sitting down.
Barack Obama is interesting, but comes across to me as aloof. I'm afraid that the Republicans will eat him alive because he doesn't like to engage in debate.
I'm glad that Dennis Kucinich was there. He brought up some good points.
She came into the debate as a winner and left the debate as a winner. She was "presidential" during the evening. When she questioned Wolf's questioning, all others looked at her as a bunch of school kids admiring their teacher. Edwards was a too critical of his fellow democratics and a blamer.
Hilary has had a good leader all these months as a presidential candidates, even though she has been under a microscope for decades. The other canadidates may perish in the polls if they are under a microscope. Familarity breeds contempt and distance lends enchantment.
First: Biden - passionate; articulate; knowledgeable.
Second: Obama - great comeback on edwards (Iraq issue).
Third: Dodd - Stong on the issues.
Fourth: Richardson
Fifth: Clinton - Iraq vote still haunts.
Six: Kusinich
Seventh: Edwards - His efforts to confront Clinton/Obama missed and the question on "first 100 days" he was completely caught napping …"my brain just came on".
Eighth - Gravel…yikes.
Biden clearly won and looked most presidential. Yes, Kucinich and Gravel had good honest answers but neither presented themselves as presidential.
Winners: Biden, Edwards, Obama, Clinton
The next debate should only consist of the above 4. I'm all for access and a fair shake to guys like Gravel and Kucinich but it's time to narrow this thing down so some real discussions, and not one-liners, can be had.
Nobody won the debate, but the biggest losers were primary voters for listening to the garbage that Wolf Blitzer put forward, proving once again that the moniker "best political team" is as manufactured as Chris Dodd's answers. Not once were the questions insightful, and, in fact, Hillary Clinton got a great pot-shot in on Mr. Blitzer, once going so far as to verbally smack him upside the head for his constant hypothetical questioning. How disappointing, CNN, that even Fox News held a better, more professional debate than you. Do you know how that makes me, as a Democrat, feel? I'm terribly disappointed in CNN's coverage. I only hope that the Republican debate is hosted by someone with a modicum of intelligence. This was useless.
And anyone who thinks Obama won the debate needs to listen to it sans the surrounding rhetoric from Blitzer, Cooper, and the CNN politicos. Obama had an awful debate, sparring with Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich on several occasions. If Obama is a front-runner, he, like Hillary, should be debating as if he's already won this thing. Edwards, meanwhile, sidestepped Obama and went straight for Hillary, instinctively showing he didn't consider Obama a threat. He, not Biden, gained the most from the debate.
Wolf Blitzer was the loser - his search for headline making responses and McAnswers reduced riveting dialogs to bubble gum politics. The raise your hand if you 1) Bomb Iran, 2) Boycott Olympics, 3) Shoot Osama Bin Laden if you had the chance was a sophomoric reduction of complex questions to head line grabbing answers.
I trust he will not be asked to moderate a debate of intelligent people again in the future.
Several of the candidates, notably Edwards, Obama and Biden, had very good nights. I am supporting one candidate but would be happy to have any one of six as the next POTUS.
This is the strongest field of primary candidates for either party in at least 40 years, perhaps ever.
I agree with the comments that Wolf Blitzer did a poor job — he kept jumping in, making little noises and saying half-words to tell the candidates they needed to stop talking. The other networks are using a light system with a bell — why can't CNN? It was also absurdly clear that they favored the top three, placing them side by side in the front on stage and relegating everyone else to the corner. So much for "fair and balanced". Oh, wait–
I think Gravel and Biden won the debate. They had the most passion and honesty. Gravel really would give power back to the people; Biden is the only one who can stand up to a "tough Republican". I'm a Republican, so just a word of advice to Democrat primary voters: don't pick Hillary. If she wins, she'll be a more divisive candidate than George W. Bush or Bill Clinton ever were.
Biden seemed to be the most decisive and has the most common sense. Don't leave your troops defenseless. I want a strong president that will stand up for what is right and not necessarily politically correct. Edwards is second and the rest are last
Sen. Mike Gravel and Rep. Dennis Kucinich continue to display the most fundamental and sensible Progressive platform. Kucinich is the only one talking about single payer and Gravel was spot on in exposing some of the so called front runners who are flat out not doing their jobs. His proposal for earning college tuition through civil service is dynamite. I'm very inspired by these two they are making the most of what little time they are given to speak and both display tremendous leadership qualities.
Hillary Clinton, hands down. She is the most experience, articulate candidate in the field by a long shot.
Obama impressed me, and I feel that this was a great improvement over his initial performance in the MSNBC debate. He's a great speaker, but debates are a challenge to him. However, substantively, he's getting there.
I also loved Biden's passion. I think he did a lot for his candidacy tonight.
Richardson was a complete disappointment… this was not a good night for him, and coupled with his awful MTP interview, he may have hammered the last nail in the coffin of his campaign.
Also, Edwards blew it. He came off as a whining idiot who was completely insincere.
As for Gravel and Kucinich… must we really invite them to the party? Puh-lease.
Dodd did well, but didn't get enough talk-time and didn't really stand-out.
gravel from alaska is the most honest…too bad they gave him the least amount of camera time (just as in the last debate)…he should be given a cabinet position with the next democratic president (hopefully al gore!)
Biden is the clear obvious choice. He has more experience than all others combined.
Obama is a lightweight. If he would have read the intelligence report to vote to give bush the authority to start a war, he too might have voted for it.
Nobody voted to go to war, they voted to give bush the ability to go to war. They did not expect him to pull the inspectors out and go to war.
I don't think there was a clear "winner" of the debate. Each of the candidates showed strengths and weaknesses in their performance tonight. In fact, it wasn't really a true debate, as every candidate did not have the opportunity to address each question. I would like to hear the the views of ALL of the candidates. Too many of the questions were skewed to the media-appointed "front runners", Clinton, Obama and Edwards. We'll never get to know the views of all the candidates unless the media stops playing favorites.
First: Awesome that CNN uses wordpress. Kudo's to them on that.
Second: I was disappointed with the debate (maybe because my cable box kept messing up) but more or less, I saw people getting cut off before they could prove a point. I felt Richardson and Biden were both strong in defending themselves, however Richardson constantly got cut off by Wolf, which was a huge disappointment to me. On another note the 'underdogs' so to speak were pretty much ignored. I'm not a fan of Dodd, but I do like to see what Dennis and Mike have to say. Both of them were ignored, along with Richardson. I was disappointed that CNN could not separate itself from the other TV networks. Their political analysts also need to realize they don't need to 'stick with the mainstream' when picking a 'winner'. Be brave.
I liked Clinton tonight. I always like her in debates. No issue or question flusters her, and when you ask her a question that is not mainstream, she throws out specifics so you know she is not only aware of, but understands the issue. I feel a president should always have "command" of all of the issues.
Barack Obama certainly made his stand very clear and remained focused on the points raised. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton did not come out as passionate about the issues.
