Edwards did not do bad.

[mmonk]

I saw some posts here thinking so but I didn't see it that way. I liked his answers, Kucinich's, Dodd's for the most part, and Richardson's. Fire away or have at it as they say.

[Debi]

1. Each candidate had good moments and bad moments

Just turn Tweety & Co. off x(

[Like It Is]

9. He's not my candidate, too much of a wimp. But Kucinich had a big night.

Good answers and injected humor well. Other than that, Hillary didn't get hurt, Obama didn't shine. Edwards had a bad night. Biden showed his intelligence and experience, smartest in the field.

[truebrit71]

19. Hahahahahahaha! Oh that's funny!...Wait...you're being serious?

Biden? :shrug: :wtf:

The Senator from MBNA needs to head back to the Senate for some more "reaching across the aisles"...

Senator Sellout isn't the smartest in the field by a long shot..

[Debi]

27. Biden really hurt himself blowing the widow of the Sego miner off

he had such a great opportunity - he knew what it was like to lose a spouse and he has an excellent labor record and worker safety record. He'd have other opportunities to take on Iraq or Pakistan or God knows what.

I do get his attack on Edwards regarding striking workers and 'right to work' Edwards isn't being 100% genuine on his support of labor.

[treestar]

52. A wimp? Why?

Hard to imagine what that could be about.

[texpatriot2004]

2. Edwards did do a great job. The spin is all wrong...as usual. nm

[FrenchieCat]

3. I thought that Edwards could have been much better.......

When he answered about having walked 200 picket lines, and Biden came back to say....."it ain't what you've done while running for Prez this time round" (or words to that effect), and Keith allowed Edwards to rebut, he only repeated himself. It was a lost opportunity.

In reference to when the Disabled gentleman told the story of his very moving situation, I think that Edwards' answer was not what it could have been. IT was the perfect storm for Edwards to really make an impact (I feel your pain type of moment), and instead he states that the Gentleman is "exactly what is wrong with America".....a sentence that was not well put together, as it could have been understood as the Old gentleman being "a" problem....and which kind of let the air out of the sails of such a moving moment. Not well articulated at all. Also his continuing answer making it be about the Corporate CEOs really didn't provide a solution for the man, more of something that whiffed of payback (let the CEO feel your plight).

All in all, Edwards didn't really make me feel like he was the leader of the labor movement....more like one who has been working with the Unions to be able to say exactly that; that he'd walked 200 picket lines.

Watching the debate by my lonesome without any real leanings for any candidate helped me see what some see in Hillary Clinton; she really didn't make any mistake and had full answers. Kucinich is a liberal dream candidate, and Obama was solid. Edwards was no better than the lower tier.......which was surprising to me because he's supposed to be the Angry Populist. Seems like Kucinich stole that mantle from him......

[babylonsister]

7. Biden and Dodd can cheerlead for themselves because they've

served so long in the Senate. Edwards doesn't have that. I thought he did well, but I think many of them did. I do have my faves and one(s) I don't like.

[Colobo]

13. Obama was solid and pwned the critics on foreign policy.

[FrenchieCat]

17. Agreed that Obama's response on those who were wrong to begin

with attempting to school him was brilliant.

But I do believe that Hillary's answers were solid and thorough. She appears to speak in more specifics than the others. That's what I took away from this debate.

[rucky]

4. I think I figured out the disconnect with Edwards

and I sense a disconnect between his message and the followers he should be gaining from it.

He's a polished populist. I hate to say it after 6+ years of the chimp, but he needs to be a little more off-the-cuff and conversational. He doesn't deliver applause lines, even though he ends up with some good sound bytes for the post-game show. His delivery makes him seem insincere at times.

[JDPriestly]

18. You mean we are so used to this Bush with his IQ in the low 80s

that an articulate, well-educated person like Edwards sounds -- well -- too brainy. Hey, listen to Jack Kennedy. Listen to Roosevelt or Clinton. They did not sound like they just slithered out of the swamp or just fell off their bar stools like Bush does. I welcome a president who sounds intelligent.

Europeans vet their politicians in part by reviewing their grades in school. Maybe we should pay more attention to that. Maybe we would not have nominated Kerry.

We deserve a president who speaks eloquently, someone who commands our respect when he speaks -- someone like Edwards. I love the way he talks.

You are wrong to say he doesn't know how to talk to the people he needs to reach. Edwards has won over many a jury. He's been talking to these ordinary successfully for a long time. That is how he amassed his fortune. One jury at a time-- and juries are made of regular folks, not intellectuals or the wealthy.

I think Clinton is a bit too slick sounding, but Edwards is not. Have you seen the hilarious teenaged boy who imitates Bush on JibJab? Check it out. I laughed so hard. Bush has set the standard so low for the next president. Edwards would set it up where it ought to be again.

[rucky]

25. That's not what I'm saying.

being conversational has nothing to do with grunting, snickering and stammering.

Think Molly Ivins.

[JDPriestly]

47. Bush grunts, snickers and stammers.

Molly Ivins was wonderful as she was. However, she did not run for president, and could not have been elected had she run. Edwards is presidential. Bush is not. Molly Ivins, terrific as she was, was not presidential.

[rucky]

51. *sigh* Harry Truman, then. n/t

[JDPriestly]

54. Truman could not be elected today.

Television is too harsh. Personally, I don't believe that Bush was elected either in 2000 or in 2004.

[B Calm]

5. I liked Edwards answers.. but I still think DK won the debate

[JDPriestly]

48. Kucinich is great, but not electable.

I'm glad he is in the race. He brings ideas. I like him, but I know that he will never be elected. That is just reality.

[LSparkle]

6. I thought his response to the man who lost his pension was great

And when he mentioned treating CEO's pensions the same as workers', you could see the audience (and especially the man who asked the question) REALLY applauding.

This debate was probably seen VERY differently by the people in the stadium than it was by TV viewers. From my standpoint, it looked like Kucinch and Edwards moved the audience most.

[FrenchieCat]

11. I just want to ask a question of you, since I took away something different

from Edwards' answer to that man......What was it about Edwards answer that you felt offered a solution to that man's desperation and sadness?

I felt that the answer was not impactful enough for the emotional question that was asked. "That man is exactly what is wrong with America" was a clear mispeak....which kinda of deflated what could have been a great moment for John Edwards. The CEO response was ok, but it really didn't match the intensity and desperation eminating from the questionner, IMO.

[LSparkle]

20. It could have been better -- it could have been part II of the cleft palate

patient. I think the way the man applauded when Edwards talked about CEOs' pensions gave him some hope because if corporations knew that, if they went bankrupt and dissolved their workers pensions, their CEOs would ALSO be hurt, maybe they'd think of other ways to recover financially other than just chopping off the workers as "dead weight."

You're right about a wonderful opportunity being missed, though. I was disappointed that Edwards didn't make more of that moment, but I don't think his performance tonight was as dismal as many are painting it.

[mmonk]

37. He addressed directly that the problem

was pensions and healthcare. I thought that was pretty direct. Both need to be guarded and insured as much as possible (I'm not using the word insured as in insurance industry). The problem was in the way companies have used their pensions. Then he followed with universal healthcare.

[FrenchieCat]

43. I'll have to read the transcript.....cause what I got out of his answer

was pretty much what he'd been saying throughout the night.......and in the details, in reference to what he did with that question......I wasn't impressed.

[babylonsister]

8. I liked him. Geeze, what a debate! nt

[H2O Man]

10. I thought he did very good.

In fact, I think all of them did well tonight, some better than others.

[Robbien]

12. I object to your thread title. Edwards did very good and your title should reflect such

The only person who gained more audience approval than Edwards was Kucinich.

[mmonk]

50. The thread title is in reaction to negative posts assessing

his performance. My reaction was I did not see him doing badly (like they did).

[frazzled]

14. I respectfully disagree

Edwards was vague, unspecific, self-absorbed, and got lost in the middle.

I'm surprised no one called him on the appalling foreign policy answer about what would happen if Al Qaeda took over after we withdraw: his answer was something to the effect of, 'yeah, we'd have to deal with that' (implying what? we'd have to go back in?), which segued into yet another vapid non-answer about "change." It really showed how weak and inexperienced he is on foreign policy.

I was also surprised he pulled out that old chestnut campaign stunt at the end that is so trite no one does it anymore (or shouldn't)--referring to someone planted in the audience to score a point. It fell flat as a pancake and is something I expect only from phony Republican candidates.

I can usually say he does okay in debates, but he was truly vapid tonight. And while he likes to paint himself as labor's candidate, that was hard to maintain on a stage full of people with decades of history with organized labor. I'd put him in the bottom three tonight, along with Biden and Richardson, who did not fare terribly well with this crowd. Kucinich, Clinton, Obama, and Dodd were on game.

[FrenchieCat]

23. That is also one that I had forgotten about......that answer....him stating that "First" we

have to get out of Iraq.....as though multi-tasking is not possible for the Prez of this country....and that he would only be able to handle one problem at a time.

Unfortunately, one issue might not want to wait for another to be solved before a "situation" occurred.

[JDPriestly]

56. Edwards is right. We can't do much else until we are out of Iraq.

The question is not whether the president can multi-task. It is whether our tax money will go that far. Bush has bankrupted the nation with his war in Iraq. That is the bull in the china shop. It is destroying everything, the whole country. The debt will limit what Americans and their president can do in the coming years. That fact has not sunk in.

I thought the discussion about China was really excellent. Edwards was at his prime on that topic.

[DURHAM D]

30. Edwards seems a little more desperate in each debate.

Tonight he just totally missed what was right in front of him. This should have been his forum - he should have owned tonight. It makes me sad.

[Blackhatjack]

15. Interesting to see Edwards bashers move from thread to thread pretending to be impartial...

Edwards did fine and got plenty of applause.

The MSNBC "Spin" is totally wrong.

[FrenchieCat]

22. Can you give more meat to the Edwards bashers......like commenting

on what he said that made him so "good"?

You see, it is easy to attempt to shut up those of us not giving him an A+ for performance.....problem is that covering up everyone's eyes, ears and mouth is not going to change what folks saw and heard.

Your approach stinks. Try discussing the matter instead of accusing and disparaging DU members in your support for John Edwards. You'll get much more respect that way.

[Blackhatjack]

26. I guess certain people recognize themselves even when they are not pointed out....n/t

[FrenchieCat]

28. Actually, you and I are having another discussion in another thread.....

in where you basically pointed your finger at me for even daring to have a comment on Edwards' performance.

And sooooo what you are stating in this thread is actually an unthruth.....as you have clearly pointed out what you are stating has not been pointed out.....even if not in this particular thread......and in fact, I'm started to feel like I'm being followed.

lhttp://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1537657&mesg_id=1538535

[H2O Man]

29. Actually, he posted (#15)

and you responded (#22), then he responded (#26), then you (#28). It seems hard to support a charge that he is following you.

[FrenchieCat]

32. We are also in another thread.......

and in that case, he replies directly to me....basically calling me out, as though I'm not allowed to have an opinion.

But thanks for your "help" on this. I appreciate it.

[Blackhatjack]

35. I have never tried to keep you from having an opinion ... & you outed yourself. LOL

[FrenchieCat]

42. Well, I thought that Edwards could have done better.......Did you have a comment on that?

When he answered about having walked 200 picket lines, and Biden came back to say....."it ain't what you've done while running for Prez this time round" (or words to that effect), and Keith allowed Edwards to rebut, he only repeated himself. It was a lost opportunity.

In reference to when the Disabled gentleman told the story of his very moving situation, I think that Edwards' answer was not what it could have been. IT was the perfect storm for Edwards to really make an impact (I feel your pain type of moment), and instead he states that the Gentleman is "exactly what is wrong with America".....a sentence that was not well put together, as it could have been understood as the Old gentleman being "a" problem....and which kind of let the air out of the sails of such a moving moment. Not well articulated at all. Also his continuing answer making it be about the Corporate CEOs really didn't provide a solution for the man, more of something that whiffed of payback (let the CEO feel your plight).

All in all, Edwards didn't really make me feel like he was the leader of the labor movement....more like one who has been working with the Unions to be able to say exactly that; that he'd walked 200 picket lines.

Watching the debate by my lonesome without having chosen a candidate helped me see what some see in Hillary Clinton; she really didn't make any mistake and had full answers. Kucinich is a liberal dream candidate, and Obama was solid. Edwards was no better than the lower tier.......which was surprising to me because he's supposed to be the Angry Populist. Seems like Kucinich stole that mantle from him......

[H2O Man]

36. I am aware

of the other thread. However, I was responding to what you posted on this thread. Had my intent been to respond to the other thread, I would have posted on it.

[FrenchieCat]

39. So you basically are ignoring how poster is responding to me

in the other thread on the same topic because you are "All POwerful" or something?

I really don't care about your "Intent"......so I'll just ignore it.

Y'all are powerful together. :scared:

[H2O Man]

46. Ha!

[Blackhatjack]

33. Thanks H2O Man ... the truth is out there.

[GreenArrow]

41. maybe because his post was about her?

and he carried it over from the other thread?

[Blackhatjack]

44. There are plenty of other Edwards bashers as I pointed out moving from thread to thread...

I did not mention her name, point her out, or say anything in this thread about her. She up and outted herself all on her own.

[GreenArrow]

45. there are plenty of posters, pro Edwards and con Edwards

moving about from thread to thread. SO what. Opinions vary.

Having read the other thread in question previous to this one, it was quite clear exactly whom you were talking about in your post 15, particularly given that she had the third post in the thread, and so far as I know, you haven't called anyone else out on being critical of Edwards.

You might disagree with it, but FrenchieCat's opinion was valid, (unless you believe that only supporters of John Edwards can offer valid criticism of him) and if you look carefully enough, you might even discover that there are some Edwards supporters who don't think he did particularly well tonight.

[Blackhatjack]

53. I did not challenger her opinion. I just said she should have disclosed she dislikes Edwards...

Her 'opinion' was written to sound like she was impartial in her observations. Having noted her past posts regarding her dislike for Edwards, I pointed this out --and she took it from there.

And to set the record straight, I did not call her out. She immediately took personal offense to a general comment that I made, and proceeded to identify herself as a person that matched the description I posted.

And yes I have debated others on their reasons supporting their critical remarks made about Edwards.

There was no debate here. Just disclosure that she has in the past posted of her dislike for Edwards. I think others have a right to know that important fact in evaluating her presentation.

[Blackhatjack]

31. Nothing I have stated is untrue. Look at the times of the posts & the content, you created this

[FrenchieCat]

34. You do not tell the truth......

But at this point, I don't really give a fuck.

You can engage in this petty ass sniping of DU members.

I won't be responding to your ass from this point on.....so march ahead with your bad self!

[Blackhatjack]

38. I do believe that constitutes 'a personal attack' which violates DU Rules....

[FrenchieCat]

40. Alert........

then.

[JDPriestly]

57. Which candidate do you prefer?

I thought Edwards was great.

[H2O Man]

24. Yep.

I agree.

[Nimrod2005]

16. Sorry, he was very bad...Tonight was going to be his night, he did not deliver AT ALL

[Superman Returns]

21. He needs to work on a few things

His physical persona needs to be more presidential; still talks and moves too much like a lawyer. He needs gravitas.

For the record I supported Edwards in 2004.

[ecstatic]

49. Mediocre, Average... He doesn't have to continually prove himself

to stay afloat, an advantage not shared by his counterparts Clinton and Obama.

[Nutmegger]

55. I think the debate was mixed overall.

DK rocked the house though with his "leftist" responses.

What happened to Gravel? :shrug: