There was only one reference to criminal justice issues in the South Carolina debate. It had Obama and Hillary in agreement. John Edwards didn't weigh in on it, but he would agree as well.

From the transcript: [More....]

Just in case the fork isn't deep enough into Rudy Giuliani's presidential aspirations, the New York Times helps out a bit.

It's a three page article filled with examples. It begins:

Rudolph W. Giuliani likens himself to a boxer who never takes a punch without swinging back. As mayor, he made the vengeful roundhouse an instrument of government, clipping anyone who crossed him.

Now that the Democratic debate in South Carolina is over and the next real action isn't until Tsunami Tuesday, February 5, it's a good time to ponder what the real issue will be in November.

I sincerely doubt it will be race or gender, no matter who gets the Democratic nomination. It will be the economy -- or, if Bush decides to help the Republican candidate by ratcheting up the fear of terror and elevating the threat level, national security.

So, here's a poll below the fold. What do you think the major issue in November will be?

Transcript, via Matt Stoller:

I don't want to present myself as some sort of singular figure. I think part of what's different are the times. I do think that for example the 1980 was different. I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.

Obama tonight, transcript from CNN: [more]

It's over. Who did the best? Who fumbled? Does it matter?

I thought Edwards and Hillary did the best. I thought it was one of Barack Obama's worst debate performances, from his launching attacks on Hillary (transcript here)to his stuttering and his hostile, dismissive yet arrogant demeanor. I could say a lot more, but I won't for now.

The winner tonight: John Edwards. I hope it gets him some votes, although even if it does, it won't be enough. I give the runners-up to Hillary because she was in greater control, speaks better and more knowledgeably and Obama seemed a little green behind the ears. His heart's in the right place but he's just not ready, in my opinion.

Universal health care is a core Democratic value. 17 seconds of the debate well worth watching.

It's pretty much a given that Barack Obama will win South Carolina as polls show that the African American population there overwhelmingly supports him and makes up 50% of Democratic voters.

While Hillary isn't going to concede South Carolina, she's not going to fight the obvious: She'll be leaving the state following the debate to spend tomorrow and Wednesday in Feb. 5 states -- specifically, California, New Mexico and New Jersey. She'll return to South Carolina Thursday.

Because the state is a must-win for Obama, he'll be there all week.

South Carolina has become a must-win state for Obama since Clinton prevailed in New Hampshire and Nevada. He was expected to campaign here all week.

That gives Hillary several more days than Obama in the critical Feb. 5 states. Compare the numbers: South Carolina has 2.5 million registered voters, 54 total delegates (45 committed) and 8 electoral college votes. On Tsunami Tuesday,

Some 1,678 delegates are at stake that day, compared to 45 in South Carolina.

to Iraq.

Hillary: I'm looking to bring our troops home. Here's why.

Edwards: We'd all end the war. The question is how aggressively. He's said all combat troops will leave and no permanent military installations.

Obama says he wants to be careful about how we get out. How do we create stable Iraqi government without permanent military installations? (Will he have an answer? No. He veers off to what we could buy at home with the money. )

Finally, a commercial break after 1 hour and ten minutes. Post-commercial updates below:

The debate starts now. I will be live blogging as much as I can. Jeralyn will be live blogging as well.

Please chime in with your thoughts.

Pre-game. Suzanne Malveaux and Joe Johns of CNN will be joining Wolf Blitzer with the questioning. Malveaux and Johns state that the focus of the debate will be the economy. But that all the others will be covered.

Update (TL): The applause was pretty equal at the beginning. They start with the economy. The first question goes to Hillary. It’s a specific answer with details of her new economic plan. She contrasts it to Bush’s plan, not the plan of the other candidates.

Obama:answers, beginning with a reference to Martin Luther King, Jr. He too goes after Bush but mentions Hillary's plan. He's not as confident as Hillary, but recovers when he is asked a question by Wolf Blitzer. Edwards is up next. Updates below.

I'll be live blogging the Democratic South Carolna Debate tonight. It will be broadcast on CNN starting at 8 EST.

What I expect tonight is an uneventful debate praising unity, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the historic nature of the candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. We may get a lot of substance too. I expect no fireworks. But I have been wrong too many times to count in this election.

This is an Open Thread.

Update [2008-1-21 19:36:21 by Big Tent Democrat]: This is rich. Media Darling Obama complains about the Media: [More...]

A new Marist poll taken Jan. 15-17 finds John McCain ahead of Rudy Giuliani in New York and Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama, 48% to 32%. The full poll is here.

• 79% of likely Democrats who back Hillary Clinton say they are strongly committed to her. This compares with 58% of Barack Obama’s supporters who are firmly committed to him.

• A majority of likely Democratic primary voters in New York think Hillary Clinton has the best chance of beating the Republican candidate for president in November. 59% think Clinton is the most electable Democratic presidential candidate compared with 24% who believe Obama is.

Tonight the leading Democratic candidates for President, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards, will be debating in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The debate presents a great opportunity to squelch the ethnic, racial and gender tensions storyline that the Media is shamefully trying to stoke. These are three good Democrats, fighting for their visions of enacting a progressive agenda. There are no heightened tensions as a result of this race, and that is a credit to all Democrats. I agree with Digby:

In this case you have a couple of candidates who are breaking down barriers and there are quite a few Democrats out there who find that exciting and meaningful. A lot of women, many of them older, look at the two candidates, don't see much difference between them on policies they care about and decide for the woman. Many African Americans are now looking at Obama and make the same calculation. Younger voters see someone of a new generation and think he sees the world as they do. Older people factor in experience, both life and political. There's nothing unusual or wrong about this. [MORE] . . .