REVIEWS PILE ON: EDWARDS MOST EFFECTIVE AND ARTICULATE CHALLENGER TO
CLINTON
TIME’s Mark Halperin Gave Edwards’ Debate Performance an “A”; Edwards
“Came Across As Presidential, Optimistic and Patriotic — Essential for a
Winner.” “Impressively he remained above the Clinton-Obama fray (no "look at me"
antics) but swept in to best them while the media waited for the pair to duke it
out. Calm and cool, he went after Clinton on (let's face it) character, and only
occasionally seemed to be trying too hard. Hit both his Democratic and
Republican targets with acute precision and impact. Appeared tough enough to
perform well in a general election, with the kind of articulate passion he
formerly demonstrated in the courtroom. Came across as presidential, optimistic
and patriotic - essential for a winner.”
[http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1678242_1678241,00.html,
10/31/07]
David Yepsen: “John Edwards Emerged As the Evening’s Most Effective and
Articulate Challenger to Clinton.” In a blog post titled, “Johnny Be Good,”
Yepsen wrote, “John Edwards emerged as the evening’s most effective and
articulate challenger to Clinton. She turned in an uneven, sometimes waffling
performance…Edwards came ready for the scrap and he helped his candidacy.” [Des
Moines Register, 10/30/07 (http://blogs.dmregister.com/?cat=33]
New York Times: Obama “Was Frequently Overshadowed by Former Senator John
Edwards.” “But for all the attention Mr. Obama drew to himself coming into the
debate, he was frequently overshadowed by former Senator John Edwards of North
Carolina, who — speaking more intensely and frequently — repeatedly challenged
Mrs. Clinton’s credentials and credibility. ‘Senator Clinton says that she
believes she can be the candidate for change, but she defends a broken system
that’s corrupt in Washington, D.C.,’ Mr. Edwards said. ‘She says she will end
the war, but she continues to say she’ll keep combat troops in Iraq and continue
combat missions in Iraq. To me, that’s not ending the war; that’s the
continuation of the war.’ He added, ‘I think the American people, given this
historic moment in our country’s history, deserve a president of the United
States that they know will tell them the truth, and won’t say one thing one time
and something different at a different time.’” [New York Times, 10/31/07
(http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/us/politics/31debate.html)]
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos: “I Think It Was a Good Night for John Edwards.
I Think One of His Best Nights of These Debates So Far.” George Stephanopoulos:
“I think it was a good night for John Edwards. I think one of his best nights
of these debates so far. He was very, very clear. He didn’t back down at all.
He knew exactly what he wanted to say about Hillary Clinton, again, that she
can’t bring about change.” [ABC, “Good Morning America,” 10/31/07]
CQ’s Craig Crawford: “I Thought It Was Edwards’ Best Performance So Far.” On
MSNBC: Chris Matthews: “Who was ready to be her number one challenger between
now and January?”… Craig Crawford: “I thought it was Edwards’ best performance
so far.” Crawford later wrote, ““John Edwards was truly passionate about taking
on Clinton, targeting her centrist views as ‘doubletalk’ and accusing her of
falling in line with hawkish ‘neo-conservatives’ on Iran. Indeed, it was the
former North Carolina senator’s most forceful debate performance so far.”
[MSNBC, 10/30/07;
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2007/10/clinton-as-debate-target-reaff.html,
10/31/07]
The Nation’s Ari Melber: “John Edwards Had the Strongest Showing.” “John
Edwards had the strongest showing, pounding Clinton as the status quo candidate.
‘If you believe that combat missions should be continued in Iraq [with no
timetable],’ he said, ‘then Senator Clinton is your candidate.’ Edwards
repeatedly presented himself as the most credible ‘change’ candidate.”
[http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?pid=247326, “Edwards & Obama
Confront Clinton In Dem Debate...” 10/30/07]
Daily Kos Readers Declared Edwards the Winner. According to the Daily Kos
poll following the debate, “Who do you think won the debate,” John Edwards led
the pack with 33% of the 8,588 votes cast, followed by Obama at 21%, and Clinton
at 16%. [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/10/30/224542/32, accessed 9:04
a.m. on 10/31/07]
CBS’s Jeff Greenfield: “It Was Former Senator John Edwards Who Used the
Toughest Language” On Iran. “But it was former Senator John Edwards who used the
toughest language, at one point reacting with incredulity to her claim that a
vote to brand the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as terrorists was a way of
opposing the president.” [“The Early Show,” CBS, 10/31/07]
The Nation’s John Nichols: Edwards “Ended the Night as the Candidate Who Had
Done the Best Job of Defining Himself as the Alternative to Hillary Clinton.”
“It wasn't just a fight about Iran, however. Edwards hit hard, and effectively,
on every front. After detailing the front-runner's contributions from defense
contractors and other corporate interests, he said. ‘If people want the status
quo, Senator Clinton's your candidate.’ That's tough talk. Blunt talk. The sort
of talk that Barack Obama seemed to suggest that he was going to deliver Tuesday
night. But it came from John Edwards, who ended the night as the candidate who
had done the best job of defining himself as the alternative to Hillary
Clinton.” [http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15; http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20071031/cm_thenation/15247313,
10/30/07]
The Nation’s John Nichols: “Edwards, Not Obama, Hits Clinton Hardest,
Smartest.” “It was supposed to be the night Barack Obama took Hillary Clinton
down. But, when all was said and done, Obama was a bystander…Where Obama was
unfocused and ineffectual, John Edwards landed plenty of blows. The former
senator from North Carolina began by suggesting that ‘it's fair’ to talk about
essential differences between the candidates. Then he highlighted a big one.
‘(Clinton) says she'll stand up to George Bush,’ argued Edwards. "In fact, she
voted to give George W. Bush the first step to war on Iran...’… It was a smart,
at times intense dialogue…But Edwards owned the moment. Accusing Clinton of
voting for an Iran resolution that read like it was ‘written literally by the
neo-cons,’ the 2004 vice presidential nominee declared, ‘We need to stand up to
this president. We need to make it absolutely clear that we will not let Bush,
Cheney and this administration invade Iran.’”
[http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15; http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20071031/cm_thenation/15247313,
10/30/07]
NBC’s Tim Russert: “Edwards Was More Aggressive, More on the Offense than
Barack Obama.”
Meredith Viera: “So did Edwards emerge?” Tim Russert: “I think
Edwards emerged as the most aggressive candidate against Hillary Clinton…But
clearly, looking at their performance last night, Edwards was more aggressive,
more on the offense than Barack Obama.” [NBC’s “Today Show,” 10/31/07]
Marc Ambinder: “John Edwards’s Instruments of Persuasion Were Sharper and
Louder.” “In this discordant symphony – ‘A Clintonian Lament’ -- John Edwards’s
instruments of persuasion were sharper and louder; Barack Obama’s were more
resonant and more subtle. In music terms, Edwards played the French horn; Obama
played the violin. Or, as the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza told me during a
commercial break, ‘It’s the difference between someone who goes to law school
and becomes a prosecutor and someone who goes to law school and becomes a law
professor.’”
[http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/10/obbidoddwardsson_versus_hillar.php,
10/30/07]
ABC’s Rick Klein: “Edwards Still Seems Better, Though, at Finding Compelling
Ways to Set Himself Apart.” “11:05 pm ET: Rick Klein wrapping it up -- Hillary
Clinton gave a truly bad answer at the end, on illegal immigration, one that
feeds the argument Obama and Edwards were making all night. Did Obama clear the
bar he set for himself? Probably yes, but not with much room to spare. Edwards
still seems better, though, at finding compelling ways to set himself apart. And
other surprises -- how about Joe Biden taking on Rudy Giuliani? Is he the new
George W. Bush, in terms of punching-bag status?”
[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/10/live-blogging-2.html, 10/30/07]
NBC's Domenico Montanaro: “Clinton Blurring the Lines AGAIN, Now on Illegal
Immigrant Driver's Licenses… Edwards Called Her on It.” “Is Clinton blurring the
lines AGAIN, now on illegal immigrant driver's licenses. She said the plan makes
sense, but can't commit apparently. She said she didn't say she supports the
plan, when Dodd said she did. Russert tried to pin her on it, and she obfuscated
again. Edwards called her on it, evoking Bush-Cheney, saying Americans were
tired of ‘double talk.’ Obama nodded and got called on and he got to chime in as
well. Does this become a problem for her? Can she directly answer a question?”
[http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/30/439655.aspx,
“Clinton having it both ways... again?” 10/30/07]
The Politico’s Ben Smith: “John Edwards Kept Up the Pressure Most Skillfully
on Clinton… Drove His Point Home When She Refused to Say Whether She Supports”
Spitzer’s Plan. “John Edwards kept up the pressure most skillfully on Clinton,
putting his courtroom skills to use to build a case, at times mockingly, against
the New York senator … Edwards drove his point home when she refused to say
whether she supports New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to give drivers’
licenses to illegal immigrants.” [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1007/6633.html,
10/31/07]
ABC’s Rick Klein: “It's Rare That a Highlight Comes This Late in a Debate,
But Edwards Picks up on That Inconsistency On Immigration.” “10:56 pm ET: It's
rare that a highlight comes this late in a debate, but Edwards picks up on that
inconsistency on immigration: ‘Sen. Clinton said two different things in the
course of about two minutes.’ Obama: ‘I was confused on Sen. Clinton's answer.’
And Obama calls the Spitzer plan ‘the right
idea.’”[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/10/live-blogging-2.html,
10/30/07]
CNN’s Candy Crowley: Edwards “Stepped Up His Game.” Appearing on CNN’s
Anderson Cooper 360, Candy Crowley said, “John Edwards, who has never been shy
about going after the frontrunner, stepped up his game, questioning her candor.”
[CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” 10/30/07]
CQ’s Craig Crawford: “I thought Edwards made a good point when he said
Republicans talk about you so much, because they want to run against you.”
[MSNBC, 10/31/07]
