8 p.m.
Who’s our biggest ally in the world?
Barack pretty much says everybody.
Gravel asks Brain Williams who he is afraid of. I’m going to guess he’s starting to get scared of Gravel, he’s closest to him, after all.
I just tried to go to Gravel’s web site. It’s not up. That’s a bad sign.
Bill Richardson gives a great answer on tragedies around the world. He’s cut off because of time.
Hillary: “The rhetoric (of the administration on safety) doesn’t meet the reality.”
Another hands question. Is there a global war on terror? Barack and Hillary raise their hand. John Edwards doesn’t. Brian Williams asks Kucinich why he didn’t raise his hand. Good one, Brian. Next time, ask someone who can win.
Barack is asked “what he would do if” cities in this country are attacked by terrorists. Barack: “What we can’t do is alienate the international community … They have got to feel a stake in our security.”
Edwards comes back to the question on global war on terror, God bless him. “We have more tools available to us than bombs.”
Hillary: “We should quickly respond. That doesn’t mean we go looking for other fights.” There you have it.
8:15
No one wants to impeach Dick Cheney …except Dennis Kucinich, who carries a pocket copy of the Constitution with him.
Is there a difference between gay marriage and civil union.
Chris Dodd says that he has two daughters that may one day be lesbians.
He says he supports civil unions, but not gay marriage. Sorry girls.
Back to Gravel: “Osama Bin Laden must have been rolling in his blankets (when we attacked Iraq).”
Kucinich tries to take on Barack on the threat of Iran. Kucinich gets squashed like a bug.
John Edwards is asked who he considers to be his moral leader. He can’t think of anyone. He finally answers the Lord and his father. What kind of softball question was that!
Hillary is asked if Wal-Mart is a good thing or a bad thing. She says it’s a mixed blessing. She says there are great deals there, but it raises some questions about corporate America.
“This is what’s wrong with this administration and corporate America. They don’t see working class Americans. They’re invisible.”
Joe Biden gets in a good answer on the need for the use of force in the world, before the closing bell.
Okay, I have to mention how freakishly tall Dennis Kucinich’s wife is. Wow.
All-in-all, not bad. While everybody pretty much said the same thing (beside Kucinigh and Gravel, who were relegated to the far end of the stage), I think it will work to the Democratic parties benefit to have this opportunity before the Republicans. I think it would have been much more helpful to have a more intimate conversation (read fewer of the bottom-rung candidates), but I understand the need to give everyone a chance.
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