I’m not going to go into detail at the moment and hopefully I will have time to later but I just wanted to get it out there (and I’m still watching). Bill Richardson’s answers have by far been the most specific, thoughtful and based in experience. His resume is easily the most comprehensive… I bet that he finds himself in the top tier after this performance.
Please share widely!
And after this debate, can someone explain to me what’s so appealing about Barack Obama?
My read would be that Clinton, Obama, and Edwards either helped themselves or held even tonight. Dodd and Biden didn’t catapult themselves into the top tier, but both represented themselves well. Dodd for VP, anyone? Richardson and Kucinich both seemed to have trouble providing organized, on-topic responses, although Kucinich had a great moment when he argued for impeaching Cheney while holding up his pocket copy of the Constitution. Gravel and Richardson both came across as overly combative – not presidential.
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MSNBC has a “who won” poll up with some interesting questions. It’s not scientific, of course, but so far out of 26,000-odd responders, it has 33% ranking Obama as “standing out from the pack” (Clinton second with 20%), 34% indicating Obama “showed the most leadership qualities” (Clinton second with 23%), and 36% finding Obama the “most convincing candidate” (Clinton second with 20%). Clinton won for “having the most rehearsed answers” with 43% (Obama second with 20%) – not sure this is a positive, though – and with 35% for “avoiding the questions” (Obama second with 20%). Biden got the prize for the best one-liner with 30%, and it was a gem, too: a simple “yes” in response to a question on whether he could overcome past problems with saying too much or the wrong thing.
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Guess all of those legions of Richardson supporters need to get out on the Internet and plug their guy. The poll’s at http://www.msnbc.msn…
He is a liberal and not from a swing state, in fact the last time we had a VP candidate from that state we lost to Bush, and we got stuck with Joe Liberman in the Senate for another 6 years…
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I am an Obama supporter, U Chicago Campus Students for Obama President, and even I thought he could have had better responses on foreign policy questions. Can anyone tell me why we have BOTH Gravel and Kucinich in the race isnt one token kook enough? Biden gave very good responses and its sad he isnt doing better in the polls, in fact he was probably the best debater there, Richardson my ideal VP and number 2 choice if Barack withdraws also disappointed.
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I am really worried about Edwards, hed shift this party back to the economic fringe where it will become a tax and spend party and lose the libertarians who are starting to abandon theocracy for the reason we represent.
…and they will continue to lie down with the theocrats. Mixed metaphore, I know, but it’s true.
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I am really worried about Edwards, hed shift this party back to the economic fringe where it will become a tax and spend party
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Self-described libertarians have two choices. Allying themselves with a tax-and-spend party (allegedly the Dems), or with a borrow-and-spend party (definitely Republicans). Which do you believe that self-described libertarians would prefer? Or which do you believe that they should prefer? To pay the bills currently? Or to borrow and require their grandchildren to pay the bills? Self-described libertarians obviously prefer the latter.
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But, as I’ve noted, self-described libertarians have made their alliance with the theocrats–the dominionists, who believe that the world is going to end tomorrow, and so no bills will have to be paid–and that alliance isn’t going to change anytime soon.
I was a little disappointed with Richardson’s performance in the debate. To me he didn’t come off like the person with most experience. Maybe it was the allowable time (9 candidate is just too many for a debate), maybe he was a little nervous.
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He did have the most specific answer on Iraq in that he spoke about what needs to happen after/during a US withdrawal.
From the 13 minutes I saw this morning of the beginning before MSNBC took it offline, Richardson and Kucinich jumped out as the strongest in that field of questioning: they both had clear proposals on how to get out of Iraq, and while I didn’t agree with either one in full, they both had solid standing. Obama in the brief time I saw of him didn’t seem to jump the way he usually does (reminded me of the early Patrick TV commercials, that he couldn’t figure out how to get the message across in such a short time) and he seems to be getting just a little bit of frontrunneritis and being a bit too careful perhaps. (That’s all based on the little bit I saw, Obama may have picked up steam later.)
you still have 11 MONTHS to make a decision!
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CRIKEY !!
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oh my god, is this thing going to be interminable.
handicapping, spinning, prognosticating, monday morning quarterbacking for the next 18 and a half months? no offense guys, but this is ridiculous. this is a system perverted.
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it’s no wonder we are incapable of addressing the big problems in this country. we’ve turned the job of running our government into american idol.
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it’s like putting the christmas decorations in the stores the day after halloween. come december 25, you’re just sick of the whole thing.
because he has such a great foreign policy resume. But, I wasn’t thrilled with him last night… I felt that he needed to stop talking sometimes. He just went on about 15 seconds too long a few times, and it really started grating on me.
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Too much of a windbag methinks. Hopefully he’ll fine tune his rhythm.
Incidentally, I thought it would have been fun to have a “Debate meets American Idol” last night. Imagine if they start with 9 candidates, but every 10 minute they boot one until they’re down to 6. Sort of give a chance for the “people” to select which third tier candidates deserve to be promoted to second tier, and signal which ones are just sucking up air time and campaign dollars.
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Just a funny thought…
disappointed with Richardson as well. Quite frankly, I don’t think he was given nearly the time that some of the top tier candidates were. That, and the fact he was thrown some pretty off-the-wall questions (Cuba?) when everybody else seemed to get the standard iraq-abortion questions could have put him off balance.
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I was kind of hoping MSNBC would use this forum as a way to get everybody on an even playing field, but I guess that’s not the case.
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And finally, somebody needs to tell Gravel to go away.
I thought Richardson had more TV time than the others.
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I wonder if anyone “kept time”…
I hav’nt seen the debate yet,but Joe Bidens floor speach wednesday against the presidents policy in Iraq was sensational.He pulls no punches ,13 minutes long and very entertaining,you can see it on his website or youtube ,I highly reccomend it.
Richardson may have done okay issue and substance wise, but his performance was less than steller. His mouth was open half the the time… he seemed unprofessional and unpolished and not in a charming guy next door way.
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Edwards let me down with his performance as well. He seemed tired and off his game. Usually he seems more passionate and is a great orator.
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Obama was clearly trying not to say “um,” as he usually does way too much, and instead he had a lot of pauses causing his speeking to seem choppy and uncertain in tone. He made a mistake in engaging Gravel in debate.
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Kucinich spoke to my heart and mind as usual with his issues and beliefs. He was very articulate and presidential but will always be cast aside as cray cray. I will most likely vote for him in the primary because his platform most reflects my personal morals. It is nice to have at least one person who speaks the whole truth on the stage.
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Gravel was a fun addition that might bring in ratings and viewers/interest if he keeps this kind of performing up. Love it, and good for him for putting the others on the spot.
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In my opinion, and I am not a huge Clinton fan, she behaved like she was already the president and by far outperformed the others with her speaking and demeanor. She met or even exceeded expectations.
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Biden had great quotes and one liners but didn’t steal the show by any means.
i unfortunately couldn’t catch the performance last night – hope to if it surfaces uncut and free for public viewing.
I can’t find it on the website but I know that it is being played twice on MSNBC around noon on both sat and sun.
thanks. unfortunately i’m completely internet dependent. if it doesn’t show up there, i’m out of luck (no tv). hopefully msnbc.com will post it eventually.
…I thought she seemed presidential. She was impressive.