Debate Round-Up

POSTED BY , 24 July 2007

The questions were from all corners of curiosity - Iraq to Darfur, sex-ed to their children's schooling - and all walks of life - including a talking snowman.

And Hillary's still on top - or at least that's the news ticked out by copy editors the nation over. "Most observers agreed that none of the candidates debating at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, particularly outshined their rivals, doing nothing more to challenge Sen. Hillary Clinton's position as the Democratic race's front-runner," reported CNN just minutes after the debates concluded.

The National Journal took it one step further, noting that although the front-runners are not happy with the lineups, "a certain senator from New York would not be wise to look a gift horse in the mouth."

And almost everyone agrees:

NYT reports that candidates' efforts to trump the leading lady were largely in vain.
WaPo sites her professional history and diplomatic experience when responding to Obama's pledge to meet with Chavez were he to become president: "I will promise," she stated, "a very vigorous, diplomatic effort because I think it's not that you promise a meeting at that high a level before you know what you're intentions are."

... except Politico. Their winner? The Senator from North Carolina. In addition to his clever personal campaign video, they credit him with the winningest response of the night:

"Do you believe that compromise, triangulation will bring about big change?" he asked. "I don't. I think the people who are powerful in Washington -- big insurance companies, big drug companies, big oil companies -- they are not going to negotiate. They are not going to give away their power! The only way that they are going to give away their power is if we take it from them!"

While Roger Simon continues to praise the Edwards performance, the LATimes reported on the ongoing rivalry between Clinton and Obama:

"Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois delivered one of his sharpest direct jabs of the campaign when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York defended her recent inquiry to the Pentagon on ways to end the war. Unlike Clinton, Obama opposed the U.S. invasion from the start.

Though calling it "terrific" that Clinton asked the Pentagon about its plans, Obama added: 'I also know that the time for us to ask how we were going to get out of Iraq was before we went in, and that is something too many of us failed to do.' The partisan audience burst into applause, as Clinton stared ahead expressionless."

The Hill has more on their perpetuating verbal conflict. Obama, they argue, is selling himself as the Candidate of Change, while Clinton is just the Woman of Washington.

So who will it be?
See the CNN Debate scorecard for their play-by-play rankings, and let us know what you think. Any video of your own? Upload it.

- Raleigh-Elizabeth Smith