I want to admit upfront, that I support John Edwards for president.
Still, I have to admit: This was not his best debate performance. By far.
It has become so commonplace on this site, to just cheerlead for your candidate, whatever the facts, whatever the truth, whatever was really going on, that I just decided to write a diary, critical of my first choice in this primary.
While others are spinning to death, I am more inclined to believe, that serious analysis is much more helpful to my candidate.
That said...Edwards didnt shine yesterday in Las Vegas.
Why?
Read on....
1. The order of questions gave Hillary momentum. She was able to deflect most of the criticism in her first answer and made follow up critiques by Obama and Edwards look unfair.
2. The audience was clearly made up of more Hillary supporters, than Edwards or Obama supporters. At least they were the most vocal, when they booed Edwards and to some extent also Obama. No other candidates supporters booed anybody on stage. The booing gave the impression that Edwards was unpopular with democrats and was forced to stop his pointed attacks.
3. His voting record came back to haunt him. On trade (China), Iraq (authorization vote), energy (Yucca Mountain) he had to defend his past voting record and was only partially successful, portraing himself as an enlightened human being, open to new facts and changing his mind accordingly. It was basically a u-turn: Instead of painting Hillary as a flipflopper on drivers licenses for illegal immigrants (which IMO would have been a valid point), he was painted a flip flopper himself. It clearly undercut a lot of the valid points he made. Obama with Edwards' messaging skills, or Edwards with Obamas voting record would leave Hillary in the dust. But neither are perfect and it showed.
4. He got cut off by Blitzer much soooner than Clinton, Richardson and especially Obama who seems to ooze sio much authority, that Blitzer seldomly dared to cut him off. The result: Obama got 80% more talk time, Hillary 50% more talk time and Richardson 40% more talk time than Edwards. If you are not allowed to talk, you cant make your points. Rather simple math. Kucinich by the way elbowed his way to get his points across and got the most applause of all candidates for his tough on republicans talk including impeachment. If he werent seeing UFOs, didint look like a dwarf, wasnt so esoteric, had some fundraising capability he might actually be a good messenger for our party and even a good candidate for something.
5. Even to my ears, his repeating rhetoric against the corrupt system started to sound too much like Kucinich. The repetiviveness was also not cool. He needs new lines. He needs new slogans. He needs some refreshing of his campaign.
6. He was rambling and evasive on the question of whether it was a mistake to give China favorite trading status, souneded very much like Clinton in the last debate. He was also evasive on drivers licenses, but just because he didint want to accapt the right wing frame of Blitzers question. On Pakistan he seemed to try too hard to sound and look presidential and then gave a typical policy wonkish senates answer one might have rather expected from Dodd, Biden or Hillary.
NOW, NOT EVERYTHING WAS BAD FOR HIM!
1. He really shone when the mother came up with her son, who emphatically asked the people on stage to get us out of Iraq now and prevent another desaster in Iran. He was clear, articulate and showed passion here.
2. His initial lines of critique against Clinton regarding Peru free trade deal, Iran vote and sucking up to big corporations and lobbyists may not have scored too well in this audience. It is my beleief that he did score in Iowa with it.
3. His clear "No" on drivers licenses would have been a big winner for him tonight, if Spitzer hadnt withdrawn his plan and Team Hillary would not have retracted her third, fourth or was it the 5th position on drivers licenses, which was that she supported Spitzer. This may not go down well with people on this site. But its the best position politically, if you want to win in a state like Iowa, where 95% are white people and 75% are opposed to drivers licenses for illegal immigrants. While I thought Richardsons answer to be best, most concise and progressive, I dont believe it will get him votes in Iowa or NH. Neither was Obamas rambling answer a vote getter.
My grades for debate performance yesterday:
Joe Biden A-
Hillary Clinton B+
Dennis Kucinich B
Bill Richardson B
Barack Obama B-
Chris Dodd c+
John Edwards C
Yes, i rate my candidate last for last nights debate. But he was treated unfairly by CNN and Hillarys mudslinging comment was totally uncalled for IMO. She is playing the vicim card. Not good for a front runner. Whining and complaining about getting attacked wont get you anywhere in a general election.
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