The first Democratic 2008 Presidential debate was on MSNBC yesterday afternoon and went off fairly well, considering there were eight people trying to present themselves to the voting public in only 90 minutes. There were no commercials, and most everyone stuck to the time limits, so it went fairly quickly. Given that I enjoy politics, I thought I'd run down my thoughts on each candidate, and give them a letter grade ranking based solely on this debate.

Gov. Bill Richardson: As a so-called second-tier candidate, Richardson had to do more than just spout out a few rehearsed answers and not screw up. For the most part, his answers came off as sincere and he certainly presented a bit of candor with his thoughts about reserving judgement on Gonzales because he, too, is Hispanic. I would very much like to see the transcript of the debate to better assess his responses, because I was severely off-put by the odd look on his face every time he was on camera. He was farthest from the moderator, Brian Williams, whom it seemed he at times had trouble hearing. GRADE: C

Sen. Christopher Dodd: Senator Dodd, from tiny Connecticut, is very polished and practiced in his ability to answer questions as if he has a good grasp of the subject matter, and comes off as very distinguished. I am confident that he is an able Senator, and would most likely be a successful President. However, his answer to the same-sex marriage question was a bit fumbled at the end after a great start. Shouldn't he have his answer to this perennial question down by now? GRADE: B-

Sen. John Edwards: It's no secret, Edwards is my choice. This debate, however, was not his best effort. He seemed at times to be without the passion with which he normally speaks. Quite possibly it was the Q&A format, without the personal interaction in which he does so well. He didn't fully speak to the hedge-fund question. His answer about the $400 haircut wasn't fully explained, though it has been explained in the media in the past few days. Maybe I am tougher on him because I have very high expectations, but no major flubs. GRADE: B

Sen. Joseph Biden: Another Senator from another tiny state, Joe Biden did very well. He even got a laugh-- on purpose. Comedy aside, Biden clearly has the knowledge and ability to President. He did nothing but help himself in this debate. However, he will need to expect any Republican opponent in the general election to be more willing to use all of his past words and gaffes against him. GRADE: A

Sen. Barack Obama: With Sen. Obama the annointed rising star of the Democrats, he simply needed to show up and not screw up. He was there, but he also had a few minor flubs. The question about our allies, the one about force against Iran, and the fact that he occassionally looked confused, were not to his benefit. This debate solidified my belief that he needs to hang around the Senate until 2016. GRADE: B-

Sen. Hillary Clinton: I'm positive that most of the answers given tonight, by all of the candidates, were very rehearsed, and despite what I've read so much of in the last couple of hours, I don't think Sen. Clinton's were any more rehearsed than the other candidates. I don't think they were any less, either. Who wouldn't practice these things?? She refrained from faking a Southern accent. (As a Southerner, let me say her fake accent is terrible.) She refrained from getting screechy, as she sometimes has. As much as I dislike her personality, she did not damage her front-runner status with this debate. GRADE: A-

Rep. Dennis Kucinich: The Congressman is a decent guy, he honestly is, but I think what he lacks is realistic diplomacy. His goals are great ones, Democratic ones, but he just doesn't have the personality that draws you to them. That is required in a President. He can't fix that in a Q&A. He may have been right all along about Iraq, but we need more from him than anti-war. Though I commend him for defending the Constitution, his showing us the little pocket copy he keeps with him all the time seems.... over-the-top. GRADE: C

Sen. Mike Gravel: Wow. This guy complained about not getting equal airtime after the debate, though I haven't looked to see if that's accurate or not. I do know that when he was speaking, everyone listened. Not because he added anything relevant to the conversation, but because he was like a madman, flailing his arms, spittle shooting from his dentures. If this former Senator, thawed-out from his post Vietnam-era ice-man hibernation in Alaska, can't even get along with seven Democrats, and makes Kucinich looks mainstream, then how in the hell could he ever hope to work with Congress enough to get anything accomplished? He was a laughing-stock. I almost felt sorry for him. Apparently he thinks every Democrat in Washington has forgotten the art of tactical legislative warfare. And, as for the Democrats, he might actually be right! That point aside, he's a circus act who should reconsider his reconsidering retirement. GRADE: D