Race, Class, and Gender--See them live!
That's the way I felt last night watching the Democratic debate. Obama, Edwards, and Clinton in that order. I managed to watch about 75% of it, sparks and all. I have to say, despite my support for him, I don't think debating is Obama's forte. He's a measured, thoughtful speaker, and he too often comes across as flat, equivocating, and long-winded to me. Especially when someone like John Edwards, who was seemingly made to debate, is standing next to him, it's hard for Obama to shine.
That said, I have to say I felt some pleasure at the audible boos for Hillary a couple of times during the debate. While I've never been a supporter of her, the blatant disinformation and politicking by her and Bill have really made me question if I'd even vote for her in the general election. It's clear they'll use every tool in their arsenal to get power. Maybe that's just the reality of politics, which is arguably all about power in the end anyway. But following a story like Obama's correct but not well timed statements on Reagan and the Republicans makes it clear how Hillary twists the facts to suit her purposes. The recent debates on race seem to say that her campaign has effectively written off the African-American vote for the sake of whites and Hispanics. And Bill's just angry. Eugene Robinson's recent editorial gets at some of the animus behind the Clintons' anger, and it's really not very pretty.
Leading in both California and New York, the safe bet seems to be it's Hillary's race to lose. Edwards may still have a chance to play kingmaker