Liveblogging the First Democratic Debate

Posted by Seth Kramer on Thursday, April 26th 2007 at 6:44pm




Well the first Democratic debate is in about 20 minutes. It's featuring the 8 declared candidates for the Democratic nomination:

Sen. Joe Biden (DE)
Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY)
Hon. Dennis Kucinich (OH)
Sen. Barack Obama (IL)
Sen. John Edwards (NC)
Sen. Mike Gravel (AK)
Sen. Chris Dodd (CT)
Gov. Bill Richardson (NM)

I'll be drinking Jameson on the rocks so my commentary shouldn't be worth a shit after about 15 minutes.

[04.26.2007 19:03:22] Okay I had to make a few last minute changes, and I think we're set.

[04.26.2007 19:04:04] I'll be honest. I go into this biased against Hillary Clinton (for reasons I will explain in another blog), and with a minor preference for Bill Richardson (which I will also explain in another blog)

[04.26.2007 19:05:16] Clinton gets a question about the war based on Harry Reid's statement about the war being lost and not militarily solvable. Clinton does her boiler plate response, doesn't really say we need to leave, but makes herself sound tough on the War.

[04.26.2007 19:06:00] Biden already hitting a sound byte "this is not a game show" what the hell does that mean, Joe? I hope he doesn't tell me how articulate Barack Obama is.

[04.26.2007 19:06:57] Obama'a ears are looking mighty big. :)

[04.26.2007 19:09:15] Brian Williams looks hot in glasses. Edwards doesn't look as friendly as he usually does.

[04.26.2007 19:11:09] Jesus, Clinton's "If I knew then what I know now bullshit". The "can you say you oppose the war and still fund it?" question goes to Kucinich, who for a moment at least, I thought was going to just respond No and leave it at that.

[04.26.2007 19:12:26] Richardson wants to leave right away. I don't mind it if it's doable. I question how logistically that can happen, but he does know foreign policy.

[04.26.2007 19:13:30] I'm wondering if Dodd dyes his eyebrows. They're so dark and his hair is so white.

[04.26.2007 19:15:11] They just introduced Gravel who I'm pretty sure no one knows, and the ones who know him, don't like him. Gravel seems like an angry old man "YOU DAMN KIDS, GET OFF MY LAWN!!!"

[04.26.2007 19:17:40] Hillary shouldn't wear those huge pearls, they make her look like Wilma Flintstone.

[04.26.2007 19:22:04] Edwards played off the haircut question VERY well. The only thing I would have done differently is to say "Yes, I'm very wealthy, and I have worked very hard to achieve that wealth. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, or anything inconsistent with being an advocate for the poor and being wealthy."

[04.26.2007 19:23:28] An absolutely bizarre question about hedge funds that seems to demonstrate that neither Edwards nor Clinton understand how financial markets work.

[04.26.2007 19:25:23] Richardson: "blow dryed candidates" (oblique Edwards attack)

[04.26.2007 19:26:31] I wish they'd do wider shots so we can candidate reactions.

[04.26.2007 19:29:47] Biden, somewhat hilariously knows enough to simply respond "Yes" when asked basically can you shut the hell up and stop embarrassing yourself.

[04.26.2007 19:30:27] DAMN! "Joe [Biden], You have a certain arrogance."

[04.26.2007 19:38:34] Kucinich is going to be a "healer" President. Like Benny Hinn? Dodd just said he agreed with Kucinich, he's officially fucked.

[04.26.2007 19:42:05] VT question to Clinton. "Shooter as he's called" is there another word for it? Richardson is the NRA's favorite candidate either Republican or Democratic. Wow. Then Governor Dean had an A rating from the NRA and it didn't help him.

[04.26.2007 19:43:34] Show of hands question? What is this? Interesting to see who has owned a gun in their home.

[04.26.2007 19:45:57] Edwards is brave to talk about raising taxes. Brave in a crazy sort of way. At least he's being candid.

[04.26.2007 19:50:34] Richardson says he can do health care without raising taxes. That'd be interesting to see. Richardson needs to learn to respect the time. Either I'm drunker than I think or NBC has a focus issue on their camera.

[04.26.2007 19:51:56] Obama isn't performing as well as I would have expected. Oh here comes Mr. Grumpypants.

[04.26.2007 19:55:17] Hillary's voice (or maybe the whiskey) is making my head hurt.

[04.26.2007 19:58:28] Edwards (on ecology): "We ought to ask Americans to be patriotic about something other than war." He's said it before, but I still like the sound of it.

[04.26.2007 20:01:55] Os are up 1-0 in the bottom of the third in Baltimore.

[04.26.2007 20:05:50] Richardson has 4 Nobel Peace Prize Nominations! Holy SHIT!

[04.26.2007 20:11:53] "Do you believe there's a Global War On Terror?" Surprisingly few hands went up, it's a stupid slogan, but we are fighting terrorists? I noticed Dodd looked around before raising his hand.

[04.26.2007 20:15:42] Am I completely drunk or did HRC just say that she, as a senator, understands how much terrorism sucks WAY more than those who were directly affected?

[04.26.2007 20:20:11] Oh God. Here comes the gay marriage, civil unions question. Dodd's pro-civil unions, and doesn't support marriage. I want to slap Joe Biden. Biden: "Barack and I have a bill", and for a moment Obama's reaction look was 'What the hell are you talking about?' which is pretty much what everyone looks like when Biden starts to talk.

[04.26.2007 20:21:02] Richardson is sounding like "Bomby McBomberson" I need to look into his "foreign policy experience". A Cuba question to the Hispanic guy, didn't see that one comin'.

[04.26.2007 20:26:12] Obama: "Let me finish" to Kucinich (who was interrupting) the most tension in this thing, other than Gravel.

[04.26.2007 20:28:52] Obama: I'm not planning to nuke anybody right now interesting phrase at the end there.

[04.26.2007 20:28:56] Edwards took way too long to come up with that spiritual leader answer. Someone's going to drop in the Jeopardy theme and put that shit on YouTube.

[04.26.2007 20:31:25] Chris Matthews: It was very civilized and therefore not that exciting. Matthews wanted it to come to blows apparently.

[04.26.2007 20:36:15] Okay my redux? Hillary didn't sway me. Obama wasn't that impressive. Dodd I pretty much ignored. Biden was his rambling self. Richardson disturbed me a little bit. Gravel is hilarious and I want to see him and McCain play shuffleboard together. Kucinich was aggressive, but Gravel overshadowed him. Edwards was okay. Leaving this I think I'm torn between Edwards and Richardson.

[04.26.2007 20:42:11] Okay that's over with. 2-1 Baltimore over Boston in the bottom of the 6th. The Republican debate is May 3rd at the Reagan Library I'll be liveblogging that as well.