Obama won the debate by staying out of the fray and on message

Hillary's angry retort about her 35 years of experience to Edwards with her eyes glaring and getting shrill will be the soundbite that will be played over and over again. It might look good to devout Hillary supporters, but it will play very negatively to anyone else.

Obama was able to let Edwards hit a few jabs at Hillary Clinton and stay out of the mix. Richardson used his Good Cop Bad Cop schtick to say we all need to get along and then going into why he's the best guy...whatever, Bill.

Hillary tried lobbing negative jabs at Obama and he basically just kept on message. I'm sure Hillary's attempts will be part of the new negative ads she will launch out of desperation. She's like a boxer now flailing at thin air trying to connect. The mat is not far away from dealing with her thud.

They're acknowledging that while he did not embarrass himself, Edwards won by a mile.

Were you watching?

He did both.

You can argue that Edwards was more on the attack mode on Hillary and I agree. Did he win? What? He smacked at Hillary's meme and she looked angry and shrill. But did it give him more support in the debate with voters in New Hampshire? I doubt it.

Obama let them shoot at each other. He walked out of the room unscatched and with continuing momentum.

uninspired ... like someone 'playing it safe' while riding on the wave of a win.

If thats what he did, that was good strategic thinking. It certainly won't loose him any votes. The thing is, what was Hillary thinking? Her performance in the debate sure didn't win her any votes from the undecideds in NH or SC.

I thought Edwards was the strongest, but I thought this debate was a win for Obama, because Edwards took his side against Clinton, and Clinton will lose some because she appeared to angry and nasty.

Obama did what he had to do. Clinton did what she shouldn't have done, if only because the media will play that eruption portion over and over again. I seriously doubt that they will not. And for that, she is on the defensive just when she shouldn't be.

but i respect edwards more today

He impressed me.

She came across as angry and that video will play like the Dean Scream did. Edwards fully pulled her out of the Team Clinton Overmanagement Closet and let her dig her won grave. That soundbite will be more damaging than her performance in Philadelphia...

Edwards may have won in some people's eyes, but I doubt he gets a bounce,,,

Hope is the solution.

Damn that high-minded nonsense of restraint and caution and staying out of the fray. Time to get down 'n dirty, fightin' and kickin' ass!

Perhaps you are new at politics and the art of war...

And I think Obama lost a few points to Edwards playing it. But I'm bias. ;)

kept his skirts clean so to speak...just as he does and has done with his present votes. Jeez, If he never makes a decision he cannot be blamed for anything. In this case, by not taking a stand, he comes out so much cleaner than Hillary.

Obama's major problem is not making decisions for or against. Those are also his major talking points. I was against the war(I didn't vote), I was for(or against)but voted present so I am Mr Clean.

Hillary frequently makes decisions, sometimes right by our standards and sometimes wrong, but she does make decisions and she does take stands.

This is a simple no brainer--how will Obama as president avoid taking the blame for decisions? I don't think even he has figured this one out.

Actually, the stronger Obama is Michelle--she said something to the effect that if you don't win Iowa, we are going home. Now thats a decision. Wonder if we have the wrong Obama running?

Sometimes it's better to give up the 7 yard run than the 65 yard touchdown.

It started off with a half hour of neocon-style 'defense,' hillary's supposed strong suit, but Obama showed he'd done his homework and stood head and shoulders above the others throughout the whole circus.

It's evident all over the net and on the TV. Hillary had to attack Obama but come across as civil and as a leader. She failed.



Edwards did what he had to do to hit Hillary's button and she went off. Obama just sat back and watched her go off the rails.

Are all you Hillary haters on drugs or something? WTF???

:smoke:

And some of them he didn't answer.

I lean towards Edwards and I watched with some family members (moderates) who had not seen any previous debates or Obama speeches. They were turned off over the Edwards/Clinton squabble but very impressed with Obama's calm demeanor and thoughtful intelligent answers.

and I was anything but impressed.

national director of morticians, then you would say Bill Richardson was a house a fire last night. Always said, give obama a mic and let him speak before a crowd and it's that "old tyme religion" once again. Obama has changed his speech patterns more so to the pattern set by MLK and this had to have been orchestrated.

So, I guess if a man had responded in kind like hrc did last evening then you all would be saying, Oh man, he stood his ground and came out with guns a blazing, but since it's hrc and a woman she was to just sit there and be so sweet looking and not say a word. BS! HRC saw the double team coming and she handled it with the "court savy" she has. Not only was that response to edwards but to obama as well. She did herself proud last night.

The mediawhores will not say anything negative against obama. WHY is that? Are they afraid because he is black? WHY have there been no full examination of obama? No, what the mediawhores are doing is exactly what they did with bush. Tell us how good a fellow he is and how folks would like to drink a beer with him, etc etc. If that happens again this country will soon slide further down that hill. Obama is like bush. He is all hat and no cattle.....and if you are swayed because the man can deliver a speech then thank you for helping in dumbing down this country even further.

criticism is a lot more welcome that just slamming a candidate with your inanities.

His, uh, message.

What's his message, again?

He can orate, but when it gets down to a conversational sit-down, he was easily the weakest.

He has a bit of a stammering problem. He's great doing speeches because it's like singing, with rhythm and cadence. People who stutter or stammer never do so while singing.

is not what I'd call winning. If you're not going to contribute, why bother to show up? It was a debate, not a commercial.