Democratic Debate: Some Quick First Impressions
· Edwards: Failure to articulately answer a question about the practice of Islam comes as no surprise to those who know his real religious leanings. Who, after all, is more "positive" and "optimistic" than a Hare Krishna devotee?
· Sharpton: He's black!
· Kerry: Deftly parries a question about what he'd do as president if a soldier returned home and protested the war he'd been in by refusing to admit such a thing would happen. At least it was better than putting his fingers in his ears and singing, "I can't hear you! I can't hear you!"
· Clark: "Delight" at being endorsed by Michael Moore stems from his confusing the documentarian's oeuvre with that of Roger Moore.
· Dean: The debate's "winner" simply by virtue of not turning green and tearing Brit Hume's throat out.
· Lieberman: "Pledge[d] to the death" to maintain the New Hampshire primary "tradition." (And, really, who wouldn't like to seethatgladiatorial battle?) Number two in the night's Pander-a-thon
· Kucinich: A surprise winner in the Pander-a-thon, managing to work in a reference to protecting New Hampshire's maple syrup industry. Yum!
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. is seen on a large television monitor [AP/Yahoo]
Transcript: Democratic Presidential Debate in N.H. [Wash Post]