On The Winning Side

I only watched half of tonight's Democratic debate before the Lost premiere intervened, but based on what I saw I'd call it a draw for the candidates themselves, and a big win for their party. Here's Daniel Casse:

What a depressing night for Republicans! Whatever the Democratic debate lacked in substance, it made up for in sheer exuberance. With the writers strike sucking the fun out of Hollywood society, the Obama-Clinton debate felt like an opening night gala. And what a show! The rallies outside, the opening photo-op, the cheers, the friendly banter, the applause, the movie stars, the booing of Wolf Blitzer’s editorializing, the glamour of the Kodak Theater. It was an orgy of Democratic chest-pounding and self-congratulation worthy of Oscar night ... Who couldn’t enjoy this after last night’s somber and often angry snipe-fest at the mausoleum that is the Reagan library?

The Republicans last night looked like men competing for a chance to lose an election. Tonight, Hillary and Obama looked like they were competing to be President of the United States.

Comments

If it's a draw, I thought it was a draw, then it's a big win for Obama.
If it's a coin toss on their talent, then it's about their electability. Virtually all of the polls show Obama's stronger against either McCain or Romney. And all the polls show Obama pulls in larger numbers of new voters.
By the way, what a horrible venue, Babylon. With camera pans to Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton, and Josh. The questioners should have been Simon, Paula and Randy.

Posted by fougasseu | January 31, 2008 10:40 PM

Less democrat blogging. More Lost-blogging!

Posted by right | January 31, 2008 10:44 PM

How was "Lost"? We are still waiting out here on the West Coast?

Posted by Thomas | January 31, 2008 10:51 PM

Yeah, what'd you think of Lost?

We know half of the "Oceanic 6" -- so who are the other half? Also, was it me or was that Dr. Christian Shepherd that Hurley saw sitting in Jacob's cabin?

Aaaaaa!

Posted by Pat | February 1, 2008 12:08 AM

Your point is well taken, but the Republican debate was also another good moment for Huckabee (who alone has broad appeal to important blocs like women and African Americans). I think he is the only one in the GOP who could actually win in November.

Posted by Alex Chediak | February 1, 2008 12:14 AM

Alex Chediak says: "Your point is well taken, but the Republican debate was also another good moment for Huckabee (who alone has broad appeal to important blocs like women and African Americans)."

Huckabee doesn't have broad appeal, period. He's a niche candidate for people who think the "Left Behind" movies are documentaries.

Posted by MoeLarryAndJesus | February 1, 2008 12:27 AM

Obama was really strong on Iraq and if wins this nomination, that topic will be McCain's downfall.

According to all the exit polls, his support is mostly coming from people who now want us out of war. And McCain has yet to be tested on this. His statements about staying in Iraq for 100 years and fighing more wars may be ok in the Republican primary, but they will be suicide in the General Election.

Posted by Mike | February 1, 2008 12:53 AM

Mike writes: "McCain has yet to be tested on this. His statements about staying in Iraq for 100 years and fighing more wars may be ok in the Republican primary, but they will be suicide in the General Election."

Combine that with his cluelessness about the anxiety so many people are feeling about the economy - and his age-induced lack of stamina - and I think he'll get torn apart like a pinata filled with meat at a wolverine birthday party. I might even end up feeling sorry for the guy, but his party deserves to be humiliated in November, and I look forward to watching it happen.

Posted by MoeLarryAndJesus | February 1, 2008 1:29 AM

Incidentally, watching the conniptions about McCain over at NRO (and from people like Limbaugh and Hewitt) has been just adorable...

And to watch Fox News get so totally screwed over by that buffoon Giuliani. (And as if you're somehow being consistent exalting him while hating McCain: where's the big diff between those two exactly?)

More priceless, will be to see them all get religion eventually and convince themselves they never really hated McCain that much. I hear Hannity's already dipping his toe.

Dammit, if it weren't for the depressing prospect of Billary and a country off the rails this would be too delicious a year to take.

Posted by Bill | February 1, 2008 7:39 AM

I'm looking forward to a McCain/Obama debate on national security. I think having that debate will be good for our country, whichever of them ends up as president.

Posted by Creamy Goodness | February 1, 2008 8:16 AM

You important Atlantic bloggers really need to invest in DVRs. The first half was a draw, but then, by most accounts, Obama came out ahead.

Posted by Ban Johnson | February 1, 2008 8:46 AM

Your point is well taken, but the Republican debate was also another good moment for Huckabee (who alone has broad appeal to important blocs like women and African Americans). I think he is the only one in the GOP who could actually win in November.

As a Democrat, I say, from your lips to God's ears, Alex.

Posted by Jen | February 1, 2008 9:12 AM

Whatever your feelings about them as candidates, I definitely know (as someone who's, uh, unlikely to vote Republican) where Romney, Hucakabee, and Ron Paul stand economically. But what is McCain's position economically? I follow politics pretty closely, and I have no idea.

Posted by Freddie | February 1, 2008 11:07 AM

"Whatever the Democratic debate lacked in substance, it made up for in sheer exuberance."

What? I thought last night's debate was the most subtaintive of any of the debates, Democratic or Republican, so far. The questions were probing and the follow-ups prodding the candidates into delivering the specifics of their policies and plans was excellent.

Posted by Matt | February 1, 2008 12:20 PM

About "Lost..."
I have DirectTV, and just out of curiosity I clicked over to the feature that lets you track "What's Hot" - which shows are getting the most viewers on DirectTV at the moment.

Right as the debate was ending, CNN's coverage of the Democratic debate was first on the national list. Lost was a distant second. Law & Order was third. I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Fred were still in the race. ;)

Obviously that's only a measure of people who have DirectTV, so that probably skews it; and who knows what methodology they use to generate the graph. But still, if the numbers were actually anything like that, that's pretty amazing.

Posted by Tel | February 1, 2008 12:38 PM

The first half wasn't a draw. Hillary clearly won it, because she was so in control of the health-care topic. But something happened in the last half when the issue turned to Iraq. Barack kept coming on stronger and stronger until Hillary had nothing to fall back on. But God! They're good!

Posted by bill myers | February 1, 2008 1:09 PM

If anything the part of the debate Ross caught was the most substantive of the whole thing. Twenty-plus minutes of healthcare policy -- it felt a bit like a college seminar. Here's the scary thing for the GOP. If Obama wins, he's the best advocate for liberal ideas in 40 years. He makes healthcare reform, liberal immigration policy and a new round of tax hikes sound as centrist as Joe Lieberman dreams he is. Hillary is good, but polarizing. Obama truly does have the potential to re-align the country. Is the Arizona primary open? If so, McCain might consider casting his vote for Hillary. She's his only chance.

Posted by NHCt | February 1, 2008 1:36 PM

I think if it is a Hillary/McCain match up, the Democrats loose. Why? Because Hillary's whole case for validity in the primary is the meme of experience and being "ready on Day One". But her own election criteria means that she would have to vote for McCain. Her one term vrs his four in the Senate, plus he has the time in the House, plus his miliatary career punching out at Captain- how does working as a corporate lawyer, being on the board of Wal-mart and a short stint on the Watergate hearings stack up to that. I know the people on the boards are far better at the prior political minutia than I am. How possible is it to win the primary making one argument- then turn and make an entirely different case in the general? Has it ever been done before?

Posted by cminmd | February 1, 2008 2:03 PM

By saying "John McCain supported George W. Bush every step of the way these last eight years." Problem solved.

McCain is more insulated than most because of his largely unearned reputation as a maverick and his positive press coverage, but no Republican is going to be able to get out from under the Bush years in the general election. Polls notwithstanding, I think Hillary would wipe the floor with McCain, as would Obama.

Posted by Sean | February 1, 2008 2:36 PM