Richardson appears to be one heck of nice guy with a lot of wit and political experience. He might be the sleeper in this race.

Unless he can make up a massive fundraising gap, he may as well keep on napping.

Hillary always does well and is one competent broad. Last night everyone said she was the winner. I think it's very likely she will win the nomination.

...which may be the single biggest threat to a Democratic victory in 2008.

And it would solidify the most fevered dreams of Bill Safire. Gak.

Edwards as usual lacked the spark he needs to get over his pretty boy image. His earnestness comes off as weakness, though I don't think he is as weak as he might look.

Which is, coincidentally, the running GOP narrative on Edwards. These scripts get internalized so readily...

____________________________

I'm a guy in a Reagan mask -- and I'm running for President!

Didn't get to watch the whole debate. Somehow didn't even know it was scheduled.

I liked the setup better than the youtube debate.

The candidates were more lively.

In the 15-30 minutes I viewed, I liked Biden and Kucinich.

Clinton was Clinton, she always does well. Edwards was Edwards, he's coming along.

Where was Gravel?

Richardson is the most qualified candidate on paper. When he talks, though, he sometimes doesn't sound very presidential, and occasionally misspeaks.

Edwards seemed more passionate, almost to the point of desperation a couple of times, like he thought his message would automatically resonate with this particular crowd but he somehow wasn't quite reaching them. Edwards is the only viable candidate that I believe can be trusted to not be beholden to corporate/special interests.

I always liked Joe Biden. He is such a smart ass. Maybe that's what we need. Bush has made a whole career out of being a smart ass, and in politics has done things that no one would have thought possible twenty years ago, and I don't mean that in a good way. Maybe a smart ass on our team could get some good things done, and undo some of the damage done by the current smart ass.

Clinton is the smooth operator among the bunch. If you want somebody who knows the ropes and knows how to push buttons and can take the heat, I guess she's the one. She is so tied up in so many special interests, though, it's hard to say who she would actually serve, and we could end up with more of the same old same old. Plus it will be open season on Hillary in GOP land as they try to destroy her. It will make the Swift Boats look like a bunch of leaky rowboats with Gilligan at the helm.

Obama wears nice suits.

Kucinich is crazy. Good crazy, but crazy.

Chris who?

Where was Gravel? Has he thrown in the towel? Or was his absence more performance art?

Whoever gets the nomination, I hope they pick Wes Clark as their running mate.

Clinton is the one candidate that I fear would not undo Bush's many and varied abuses of power. Plus there's just something wrong with having two families control the executive branch for 24 years.

I wish that Edwards or Obama had even a small portion of Richardson's resume.

I wish that Edwards or Obama had even a small portion of Richardson's resume.

How hard do we have to make the credentials on the CV?

A resume is hardly a barrier to seeking the presidency. Clinton should know that one well - ol' hubster was governor of Arkansas? What did he have at the time other than a Fulbright scholarship and a wife that had been head of the Wellesley College Republicans?

I mean, if your resume includes being a failed baseball club owner, president of a company that couldn't find oil in Texas, mysterious absences from military obligations, and a third-tier governorship, you too can be a two-termer.

____________________________

I'm a guy in a Reagan mask -- and I'm running for President!

I don't think Bush was helped into office by being a smart ass, but in spite of. Biden doesn't have a family dynasty to install him. I've grown to respect Biden a lot more over the last few months. He has some great lines and his record in the Senate is pretty enviable. NPR recently did a story about his past that made me feel more favorable. Still, he's not going to be the nominee.

It was announced before the debate that Gravel would not take part, but I don't know why. In the 15 min. or so I watched last night, though, Olbermann never went to Edwards. I thought he (Edwards) must have been a no-show, but that made no sense in front of labor. Why so few questions to him, I don't know.

Whoever gets the nomination, I hope they pick Wes Clark as their running mate.

Awesome idea. Would anyone be that savvy?