Each candidate gets their own separate introduction and entrance to the stage. This is good, this will eat up several minutes of time instead of answering questions for this two-hour marathon.
Blitzer: Congressman Dennis Kucinich! …. Governor Bill Richardson! …
and we won’t be hearing, “Senator Mike Gravel!” this evening.
Interesting – they go to Gloria Borger and John King to give analysis before they begin. Odd. Those who tuned in exactly at 8 p.m. probably are wondering why the pre-game show is still going on.
Delayed start, once everybody at CNN is allowed to do their introductions. Blitzer promises fewer bells and buzzers.
Campbell Brown asks the first question at 8:09 by my watch. Goes straight to Hillary, asking for response the “politics of parsing.” The American people know where I’ve stood for thirty-five years.
Voice seems a little scratchy. Fighting a cold?
“This has to be a big election. This is going to be one of the most important elections in our history we’ve ever had.”
Wolf, to Obama, “what do you mean?”
Are the mikes down? Everybody seems quiet tonight. “The American people are looking for straight answers to tough questions.” Goes to driver’s licenses, Social Security.
Hillary: “I hear what Obama is saying. He talks a lot about standing up and a different kind of politics. When it came time to decide whehter to support universal health care, he did not… I have a plan that covers everyone.”
“The Republicans are not going to leave the White House voluntarily.” What, the Dems will need
Obama: I do provide universal . She thinks the problem is that no one has forced them to get health care. People want it, they can’t afford it. (This gets applause.)
Hillary: I cannot let that go unanswered. Senator Obama’s health care plan does not cover everyone. It starts with children, which I support. I created S-CHIP in 1997.
They’re starting to talk over each other.
Somebody in the audience starts to yell during Obama’s answer. He says, “She is not enforcing this mandate… The problem is that they cannot afford it.”
Now Hillary wants to respond, but Wolf goes to Edwards.
Edwards: “Nobody on this stage is perfect. I’m far from it. We need a president who can restore trust…. There are fair questions to be asked of all of us, including Senator Clinton.”
It’s similar to the last one – everybody’s coming out swinging at Hillary. Do we get the “pile on” defense again after tonight?