Steady Clinton Handles A Lively Debate

Vaughn Ververs: No One Made Crucial Errors In Entertaining Democratic Debate

(CBS) 
Obama has been criticized during this early stage of the campaign for failing to lay out specifics on policy issues and relying too much on political bromides and rhetoric. At any stage of a campaign aimed at millions of people, intricate policy details are hardly expected, but Obama did little to dispel the criticism — asked specifically how he would pay for his health care ideas, he danced around the question. But campaign aides said they’re happy with their candidates’ grasp of the issues. "If the substantive bar is the one that gets laid down, we’re in great shape" said spokesperson Robert Gibbs.

John Edwards, the former vice presidential nominee and winner of South Carolina’s primary in 2004, did little to distinguish himself from the crowd and was in some ways overshadowed by Sen. Joe Biden. Edwards’ aides wanted to portray their candidate as the most policy-specific, but the candidate offered nothing new in regard to his ideas. His one shining moment came when the class warrior was confronted with his $400 haircut bills, allowing him to describe his family’s inability to pay for a restaurant meal as a child.

For Edwards, this may not have been a defining event, according to some Democrats. He has largely staked his campaign on building support among specific constituencies, not a national audience. And while this state where he was born is important to him, it may not be at the top of his agenda this time around.

As Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn, the most sought-after endorsement in the state, put it, South Carolina may be an afterthought this year. "I don’t think South Carolina is key for Edwards, I think Iowa is," said Clyburn. "Expectations for him in Iowa are very, very high. If he does well in Iowa then I think he will prove himself a very formidable candidate. If he doesn’t, then he won’t be in the game when South Carolina comes along."

Biden turned in the surprise performance of the evening, with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson stumbling the most and Sen. Chris Dodd seeming almost invisible in the crowd. Coming into the debate, Biden was stuck with the perception of a meandering speaker with a habit of stepping on his own message. In one of the most humorous exchanges of the night, Biden was asked whether he could ensure the nation he could restrain that quality and responded with a simple “yes.”

Richardson, on the other hand, struggled mightily to explain an earlier statement he had made about the fate of embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The governor had earlier said he was reluctant to call for a resignation because Gonzales, like Richardson, is Hispanic. Asked to explain that position, Richardson said, in part, "I know the guy. Did it affect that he was Hispanic in what I said? Yeah, it did, and I said so. I think the American people want candor."

For a presidential debate, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of laughing moments aside from Biden’s "yes," which drew the largest guffaw of the night. There were also some rather bizarre moments as well, most of them supplied by Gravel, who at one point claimed he was literally scared of his fellow candidates.

"It's like going into the Senate, you know the first time you get there you're all excited — ‘My God, how did I ever get here?’ — and then, about six months later, you say, ‘How the hell did the rest of them get here?’" Gravel remarked. "And I got to tell you, after standing up with them, some of these people frighten me! They frighten me!"

If the excitement and attention surrounding this debate is any indication, Gravel is the only Democrat who is frightened right now.