Josh Marshall, of Talking Points Memo:
Hillary had a strong closing. Obama has clearly improved as a debater and seemed to embody the frontrunner mantle. All of this points basically to a tie. And in the context of where this campaign is, a tie is a win for Obama because he's winning. And Clinton needs to change the dynamic of the campaign.
Notwithstanding the inflamed partisans on both sides, I think the great majority of Democrats like both these candidates, genuinely like and admire both of them. You could feel that in the responses from the audience tonight. But that pleasant equilibrium is losing the race for her right now.
Chuck Todd, of NBC News:
Clinton...sounded like a candidate who realized she might not win. It must be an odd position for her but the confidence she exuded for just about the entire debate disappeared there at the end. I wonder if showing some vulnerability might actually help her with some undecided voters.Marc Ambinder, of the Atlantic:
This was the night where we all learned that Hillary Clinton understands the moment in history we are in, and that she is smart enough and gracious enough to realize that her party is more important than personal vanity, that there are things she just cannot say about Obama because it would hurt him in the fall, and that more likely than not, she will not win the nomination.I was driving home from work during most of the debate, and was able to catch a small portion of the repeat on CNN before bed. The debate itself was a draw, and that doesn't help Hillary Clinton one iota in her attempt to stop Barack Obama's tidal wave of momentum. Clinton's answer to the last question of the debate, according to a friend and the TV talking heads, showed her human side. I disagree. It seemed like everything does with her...a bland attempt at trying to seem like she's one of us. That's not a knock, folks; but rather just the way it is. Fair or not, she comes across like a political robot. And after 30 years of refining that sort of personality, it ain't gonna change anytime soon.
