Who Won the Debate?

Who won the Democratic Presidential Debate Thursday night at Dartmouth? Everyone but Sen. Hillary Clinton.

The issues that commentators expected would plague the former First Lady’s campaign months ago have begun to emerge. From the “old stuff” Sen. Joe Biden referred to (”He then pointedly said he was talking about ‘policy, policy’ issues,” notes David Yepsen, “which had the same effect of injecting President Clinton’s oval office dalliance with Monica Lewinsky”) to former Sen. John Edwards’s politely provocative jabs, the debate was replete with previews of what’s to come. And although Sen. Barack Obama had an unremarkable evening (others will describe his performance as “above the fray”), his only soundbite — which will probably make at least a few highlight reels — was a jab at Clinton’s 1990s healthcare failure.

Moderator Tim Russert proved that he can keep eight Meet the Press-style interviews going at the same time, acting as an equal opportunity hatchet-man. He nitpicked every candidate at least once, even former Sen. Mike Gravel and Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

But more importantly, Russert wasn’t afraid to force candidates to try their answers again. For the candidates with clear, unequivocal answers, this was not a problem. For the New York Senator, who seems to have adopted a general election mentality only weeks after Labor Day, the repetitive dodges seemed arrogant and grating.

Analyzing the debate in a vacuum, Edwards may have carried the night. He positioned himself as Clinton’s equal on the stage, carefully distinguishing himself from her at every opportunity.

But Biden turned in an impressive performance, building on what may be his campaign’s best week yet. Hours before the debate, the Senate overwhelmingly approved his plan for a political solution in Iraq, and he got to plug it on stage. He announced another impressive Iowa endorsement a day earlier. And he performed well in last Thursday’s AARP/IPTV forum in Davenport. In many ways, Biden has reverted back to his old self, saying what he thinks when he thinks it. And his two prime targets appear to be Clinton and Gov. Bill Richardson, which makes sense: they are the top two “experience” candidates, and Biden’s chances hinge on his ability to steal some of their oxygen in Iowa, where he has shifted most of his campaign.

Some will argue that Russert’s trick question, which forced Clinton to unwittingly disagree with her husband, resulted in her best line of the night: “Well, he’s not standing here right now.” But even if she diffused the situation, it was the first time she has had to explicitly distance herself from her husband in a debate. (Usually, debates are prime opportunities to showcase her husband’s record.) Her funny line will make a good one-day story (maybe two days, given the strength of Clinton’s communications operation), but the underlying tension in her candidacy will linger through January.