I was finally able to watch the Vegas Debate that the Democrat candidates had the other night thanks to my Tivo. I had this feeling of being sick to my stomach after the debate and, I'm not sure, but I think it's because I subjected myself to seeing Hillary Clinton in high-definition. No one should have to do that. I took one for the team, though, and watched the whole debate.
It really wasn't that much of an event because it seems like the hundredth debate these people have had, but there were a few key things that had to happen in order for the "balance of power" in the polling to change:
1. Voldemort had to have as bad a night as she had in the last debate, if not an even worse one.
2. Barack Obama had to stand up and--politically--haul off and just punch Voldemort right in the mouth, and look confident doing so.
3. John Edwards had to do the same thing as Obama, but then come off looking like he wasn't the elitist he is.
Those three events would have been the "perfect storm" of sorts the #2 and #3 guys needed to pull Voldy down a little further.
Yeah...none of those happened. Part of the third condition happened, but it remains to be seen whether there will be any impact whether it's positive for Voldy or negative for Edwards.
It's not worth recapping the whole event. You'll be bored and, honestly, I'll be bored right with you. Instead, here are some notes on how I thought the various participants did.
Barack Obama
By far, this was Obama's worst performance on any debate stage. He looked thoroughly unprepared and, truthfully, it seemed like he was just phoning it in. He stammered...a lot. To the point where it was distracting. Almost as distracting as when he was flustered by the heckler that was in the debate hall. Obama looked anything but Presidential.
He tried to hit Hillary, but it lacked any kind of punch whatsoever. He was totally out of his element and looked his worst when he attempted to answer the question about drivers licenses for illegal aliens. Finally, when it seemed he couldn't do any worse, he threw in an obligatory slam at Hillary by comparing her to Romney and Giuliani and that's when he was officially done. It's almost as though Obama now knows he isn't going to be anywhere near the White House...unless he's on a tour.
John Edwards
The man with the best hair in the Democrat party probably had his strongest performance---and that's because he did part of what Barack Obama needed to do. He stood up and hit Hillary Clinton square in the jaw...and then he kept doing it. Edwards is in a political street fight for his life with less than two months to go before votes are cast and he knows it. He even managed to work in a reference to Hillary's "planted questions." He really took it to her, which is more than any man has done or wanted to do to her in decades.
He also successfully side-stepped charges of flip-flopping from both Voldemort and John Roberts, carrying on the double-standard that it's perfeclty normal for Democrats to change their position after careful consideration, but Republicans are just politically advantageous weasels.
Dennis Kucinich
Congressman Kucinich doesn't think there's any such thing as an illegal alien.
"There aren't any illegal human beings, they're undocumented..."
Let that sink in, folks. This man wants to lead the country. He doesn't think they're illegal, yet he talked of a path to legalization---perhaps he meant of marijuana, I'm not really all that sure.
Kucinich also thinks unions are essential for upholding human rights. Two more reasons I'm really sad that the UFO didn't pick him up and take him home from Shirley MacLaine's house.
Joe Biden
Biden continues to be the best Democrat candidate that is never going to be elected President. He gets it on a lot of things, even though I have fundamental disagreements with him on many, many thngs. He looked not only Presidential, but human...and that's more than most of these candidates did. He seems like the kind of guy I could have a beer and a good debate with, but still leave the conversation with a mutual respect of one another.
He also had a knack at throwing out facts in this debate and, for me, hit a high point in defending the Patriot Act.
My only problem with Joe Biden is this: If he has a plan to end the Iraq War with "75 votes in the drawer," then why doesn't he use it NOW?
Bill Richardson
This was the weakest performance that Gov. Richardson has had and it was pretty disappointing. His "give peace a chance" line was a dud and got him off on the wrong foot and it was all downhill from there. Especially when he talks about the American people sacrificing, but doesn't indicate that he might sacrifice the private plane he campaigns in, for example.
He gave drivers licenses to illegal immigrants and is proud of it and believes human rights are more important than American national security. Those two points sums up why he won't be packing up for the move to the White House.
Chris Dodd
Yes, I know it will come as a complete shock to you, but Chris Dodd is still running! Who knew?!?!?
Here's Dodd's problem: he argued that the debates were shrill in tone, and then proceeded to yell whenever they came to him. Then, he talked about clarity yet couldn't answer a yes/no question without several sentences of unrelated rambling. Senator, heal thyself, already.
The one thing I'm sure of is that Bill Richardson was tweaked that Dodd one-upped him by speaking in Spanish. Other than that, Dodd was a non-factor.
Voldemort
Hillary made no gaffes, no mistakes and otherwise no slips like she did in the previous debate.
She managed to give a "no" answer to a yes/no question, but that was only because she was following Wolf Blitzer's prompt to do so. She ducked the Ross Perot question pretty well and she provided an awfully good defense against the "gender card" question--although her comment about being comfortable in the kitchen was just horrible.
The nomination remains hers to lose...still.
Overall, the best part of the debate was the first 45 minutes. After that, it was unremarkable in every way. Wolf Blitzer soft-balled Voldy a lot, including not following up on the issues of drivers licenses for illegal aliens---something nearly every candidate hit her on in the last two weeks.
The next two months will be very rough for Barack Obama---that's the big take away from all of this.
William Smith
ConservativeBlogger.com
