What People Are Saying About Hillary Clinton at the First Democratic Debate

The Reviews Are In: Clinton Was Clear Winner In First Democratic Debate
 
Politico: Clinton Crushes It
 
Des Moines Register’s Kathie Obradovich: Clinton hit the grand slam in this first debate
"Hillary Clinton looked the most presidential. She was calm and cool and frequently smiled...Clinton gave clear and polished answers to nearly every question..."
 
Quartz: Hillary Clinton easily outpaces her rivals at the first Democratic debate
“It wasn’t much of a contest. By the time Bernie Sanders declined a gift-wrapped opportunity to dig into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal, it was clear that Clinton would emerge from the first Democratic debate with a clear path to the nomination.”
 
Washington Post’s Dana Milbank: Hillary Clinton Towers Over Her Debate Rivals
“Hillary Clinton was a head shorter than her rivals when they lined up on stage for Sheryl Crow’s version of the National Anthem at Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate. But after that moment, she towered over them. … She was, in short, a man among boys. And that’s why the debate was so important to Clinton. She may have had a rough time as the Democrats’ presidential front-runner, but her advantages in experience and composure were clear when she shared a stage with her rivals for the first time.”
 
Vox’s Jon Allen: Hillary Clinton silenced her critics
“This is the Hillary Clinton Democrats have been waiting for. The most important aspect of Clinton’s performance in Tuesday night's Democratic presidential debate, though, wasn’t whether she won — she did — but how she connected with progressive Democrats who worry whether she shares their values and whether she can withstand Republican attacks on her policies and character.”
 
Washington Post's Karen Tumulty: A self-assured performance by Clinton in Democratic presidential debate
"Front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton dominated the debate stage Tuesday night. Her experience and self-assurance in a setting where she has found herself dozens of times put her in command as she and her four lesser-known rivals for the Democratic nomination stood side by side for the first time."
 
The New Republic: Hillary Clinton Nailed It in the Democratic Debate
“In its entirety, the debate underlined key ideological and strategic differences between the candidates—particularly the leading candidates, Clinton and Bernie Sanders. But at a more ostensible level, it provided Clinton the first opportunity she’s had in months to remind nervous supporters why they assumed she’s had a lock on the nomination all along, and served as a reminder that a Democratic president in 2017 won’t first and foremost be a font of liberal reform, but a bulwark against a conservative counterrevolution against the Obama era.”
 
The Hill: Clinton scores big in first debate
“Hillary Clinton had the best night of her presidential campaign in Las Vegas on Tuesday, scoring a clear-cut victory over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and her other rivals at the first Democratic debate. Clinton’s experience — she debated President Obama more than 20 times during the 2008 campaign — was apparent in a fluent and confident performance.”
 
Newsweek: Hillary Clinton’s Strong Performance Dominates Democratic Debate
“Hillary Clinton is a woman who’s been in her share of debate fisticuffs. But she was unbowed and unbroken at Tuesday night’s debate in Las Vegas—turning in a calm, confident performance in the first Democratic debate of the 2016 presidential race.”
 
Ralston Reports: Hillary Clinton cleans up in Vegas debate
“So that was fun to watch Hillary Clinton do debate prep at The Wynn on Tuesday evening with those four other people. But, seriously … I have watched a lot of debates, and rarely has one person stood out so dominantly.”
 
The Daily Beast: Headline: Hillary Clinton Goes Full Khaleesi, Sets the CNN Debate Stage on Fire
 
Wall Street Journal’s Gerald Seib: “She seemed determined to use the opportunity to march methodically through her policy positions, to remind voters of her broad experience, and to unleash just enough criticism of Republicans to remind Democrats that they are supposed to be the real opponents.”
 
Bloomberg’s Mark Halperin: Grading the Democratic Debate: Hillary Clinton Schools Her Rivals
“Polished, carefully modulated, and bursting with her favored buzz words. Buoyed by a crowd clearly on her side from the get go, she found a winning rhythm and confidence after a slightly slow beginning. Remained at the center of attention and handled it deftly. Took over the evening…”
 
New York Times’ Frank Bruni: “I never doubted that Hillary Clinton had many talents. I just didn’t know that seamstress was among them. There were moments in the first Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night when she threaded the needle as delicately and perfectly as a politician could. She mixed confidence and moments of passion with instances of humor...she was seldom rattled…”
 
Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin: The first Democratic debate: The best night of Clinton’s campaign?
"In a critical point in her campaign, Hillary Clinton arguably had the best night of her campaign. She was smooth and unflappable throughout.
 
Slate: Hillary Clinton Won the CNN Debate With a Surprisingly Spectacular Performance
“Hillary Clinton arrived in Las Vegas as the overwhelming front-runner for the Democratic nomination, and she was destined to leaves as the favorite, too. Instead of turning in the safe and solid performance she needed, though, Clinton was closer to spectacular on Tuesday night. She was confidant early and poised throughout.”
 
MSNBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald: “Clinton reasserted herself as the strongest candidate in the Democratic field, living up to sky-high expectations and clearly demonstrating why she has almost cleared the field of primary opponents.
 
Politico: Insiders: A runaway victory for Clinton
“Clinton was the clear winner of the first Democratic presidential debate, according to the assessment of both Democrats and Republicans in this week's POLITICO Caucus, our bipartisan survey of the top activists, operatives and strategists in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.”
 
CNN’s Stephen Collinson: “Hillary Clinton delivered a poised, polished performance in the campaign's first Democratic presidential debate … She argued she has the vision and experience to enforce change, and drew an analogy between her own relentless refusal to admit defeat with the resilience of America itself as the nation battles back after a tough recession.
 
Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza: “This was the best two hours of her candidacy to date.”
 
ABC News’ Rick Klein: “Clinton used the first debate of the campaign to reaffirm control against four challengers who struggled to and sometimes outright refused to bring the fight to her. She delivered a feisty, aggressive performance that flipped the expected script: Rather than take the barbs, she dished them out.”
 
Jake Tapper on CNN: “I think Hillary Clinton showed this evening that she is indeed the most experienced debater and that practice and preparation for debates does indeed matter. She was very polished, she had answers ready for all of the charges coming her way.”
 
Steve Kornacki on MSNBC: “It's a good night for Hillary Clinton.”
 
CNN's Maria Cardona: Hillary Clinton dominated her opponents
"Hillary Clinton was head and shoulders above the rest in her command of policy, her foreign policy chops, for example. standing out against opponents, who could not match them. She was direct and passionate on the issue of the Wall Street banks, climate change, immigration reform, and memorably, the importance of paid leave, as she underscored Republicans' obsession with opposing government programs that would help women balance their lives, even as they are happy to have the government intrude when it comes to women and their bodies. On all of these, she underscored her progressive values.”
 
David Axelrod on CNN: “I think she did very, very well. I said before the debate that if presidential elections were decathalons, this was her event. I think she showed why. If i were her campaign, I would be thrilled with what she did here tonight.”
 
Nia-Malika Henderson on CNN: “She seemed very relaxed. She was consistent throughout the whole thing. … But I thought she was consistent and comfortable throughout the whole time. Also I thought she played the gender card, if you can call it that, in a pretty clever way. Not only in her opening answer but also in her closing statement, and also using it as an argument for why she is an outsider.”
 
Brit Hume on Fox News: “I thought she showed authority and eligibility.”
 
Charles Krauthammer on Fox News: “As for Hillary, I think she had a good night. She showed herself confident. She wasn't afraid. She was aggressive.”
 
Ed Henry on Fox News: “Hillary Clinton seemed to be in command tonight. She was very steady. She seemed to be leading the overall thrust of this in terms of pushing back hard.”
 
Bill Burton on Fox News: “I thought Hillary dominated, and presidential elections, I think, are decided on strength, and I think Hillary showed she’s the strongest candidate on stage.”