If this has already happened, I'm sorry. Well, not really.
Here are my thoughts:
- Clinton: Poised and commanding. I am absolutely not in the Hillary camp, but I was impressed by her image. I was absolutely not impressed by her misrepresenting her health care initiative in the 90s and her unwillingness to answer certain questions. The 9/ll references started to sound a little Guliani, too.
- Obama. Hmm. Not sure. He didn't wow me, but he didn't necessarily disappoint, either. He would do well in an actual debate, as evidenced by his exchange with Kucinich at the end.
- Edwards: Overall, I think he did the best of everyone tonight. Not stellar, but on average, he gets my vote for the victor. A disclaimer: I am an Edwards guy, but more than willing to concede a bad night. He had a pretty good one, though.
- Kucinich: Suffered from typical treatment by Williams of a "fringe" candidate. His response regarding Cheney and impeachment was brilliant. To be honest, I don't take him all that seriously, but I appreciate his moving the conversation to the sane/left side of the spectrum.
- Gravel: Sorry, but how can you not like this guy's energy? Folks here have had a field day trashing him, but I ask: did he say anything that was actually wrong? A little Stockdale, but then again, we're in a sorry state if the most important necessary skill is the ability to talk on television.
- Richardson: Some good answers, especially on his first four days in office, but I thought he was generally uninspiring. His explanation for his support for Gonzalez might have been honest, but I didn't like it at all. Richardson supporters, swing away.
- Biden: "Yes." This was likely the quote of the night. Otherwise, I wasn't feeling it.
- Dodd: Not bad, but like Richardson, generally uninspiring. An old-school Democrat, which I like, but without the gravitas necessary to put a new shine on the rhetoric.