Here's a quick synopsis of some highlights from each candidate:
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.: Hailed as the "winner" of the first debate by many political pundits (among those who identified a winner), Clinton expressed remorse around her previously failed healthcare policy and pledged to change things this time around. She professed support for comprehensive immigration reform, explaining how she would tighten border security and help communities and businesses pay for the costs of undocumented immigration while encouraging undocumented immigrants to "get out of the shadows" and on the path to citizenship.
Clinton also talked about her commitment to illuminating the middle class, which she says has been ignored by this administration and large corporations. She didn't validate Republicans' criticism of her politics, but called it "flattery."
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.: At ease in a town-hall-like meeting, Obama had some difficulty getting to the point in his responses, twice skirting the topic at hand to clarify previous points. Some political pundits said he was "sophisticated" and "presidential," while others point out his lacking experience when compared with Clinton.
When asked why he visited South Carolina despite the NAACP's ongoing boycott of the state for refusing to take down the Confederate Flag from the statehouse, Obama said they should put the flag in a museum and focus more on important issues such as poverty.
Asked to name his greatest professional mistake in the last four years, Obama jokingly deferred to his wife for a "longer list" and talked about the controversy surrounding the death of Terri Schiavo, who was confined to a bed with a feeding tube in a persistent vegetative state, sparking a national "right-to-die" battle. Obama had sided with government at the time and expressed remorse for doing so.
He emphasized the importance of international relations in maintaining national security and detailed a three-point plan for universal healthcare.
Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C.: Also asked why he visited South Carolina despite the NAACP boycott, Edwards credited House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina—the highest-ranking black in the House—for having the debate take place in the state.
When invited to attack Sen. Clinton for her initial stance on the war, Edwards refused to take the bait. Why'd he pay $400 in campaign funds for a haircut? Edwards called it a mistake that has been rectified and moved on to talk about how his family couldn't afford to pay for a restaurant meal when he was young and how he wants to design policies to give everyone the same chances he got.
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.: Perhaps the one candidate to actually surprise people, Biden, touted as a "verbose" man, kept the excess verbiage to a minimum, responding to a question about his verbal discipline with a simple "yes." He spoke highly of his fellow candidates, calling them a "bunch of winners," and was particularly complimentary of Sen. Clinton—so much so that some are wondering whether he might be revving up for a vice-presidential run. Read more.
Biden also talked about improving education in the United States to combat the "brain drain" and said his greatest professional mistake in the last four years, essentially, was trusting George Bush. "I overestimated the confidence of this administration and underestimated its arrogance," he said, calling Bush's foreign policy "fundamentally flawed."
Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M.: Richardson faced a tough question when asked about his reluctance to call for the resignation of embroiled U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Richardson had publicly stated prior to the debate that it was partly because he and Gonzales shared the same cultural heritage, and he maintained that position last night. "Did it affect that he was Hispanic in what I said? Yeah, it did, and I said so," Richardson said. "I think the American people want candor. They don't want a lot of blow-dried candidates with perfection."
In a post-debate interview with MSNBC, Richardson was asked whether Obama would have been able to get away with a similar comment about blacks. Richardson dodged the question but appealed to other senses when he said he doesn't have a lot of consultants. "I speak from the heart," he said. Read more.
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn.: Asked for his position on same-sex marriage, Dodd made a solid case for it and then pronounced his opposition, saying he was "proud" of his state for supporting civil unions. He was the only candidate asked this question, although it would have been interesting to hear others' responses.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio: Expected to stir up some controversy for his staunch opposition to the war in Iraq and criticism of other candidates for voting for an appropriations bill that would continue funding the war under the condition troops be removed by March 2008, Kucinich ended up head-to-head with Obama on the issue.
Former Sen. Mike Gravel, D-Alaska: Undoubtedly the most raucous of the bunch, former Sen. Gravel was the only one of the eight candidates to launch a vitriolic diatribe on the others, specifically attacking Obama for a comment he made on Iran and saying at one point he was "frightened" by the other candidates.
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