Democratic debate cliff notes

6:10 PST: Richardson sigh... I wonder will people go all Gore on him?
6:11 PST: Ask a dictator to step aside? Right...

6:18 PST : the nuclear threat...
Edwards... retaliate, project strength & calm; don't go off half cocked...
Obama... retaliate, falls back to NPTreaty
Clinton... wants an office of NPT? bridges to Port Security; also retaliate, repeats the "no safe haven" doctrine
Richardson... rebuild and expand NPT (esp w/ Russia) bridges to climate and international threats and multilateralism

6:25 PST: domestic issues; Social Security/Baby Boomers start w/ Clinton vs. Obama
Clinton... uses campaign slogan "hard work for change"; suggests that Obama is a flip-flopper on health care
Obama... states consistency; describe difference between starting from scratch vs. adapting the current conditions| focuses on differences health care policies; suggests higher payroll taxes for Social Security;
Clinton... points out mandate for children as a flip flop
Obama... responds with children don't have choice
Clinton... more flip floppery accusations;
Obama... rejects the words Clinton is trying to place in his mouth
Edwards... draws parallels between himself and Obama; attacks Clinton for being the status quo
Clinton... falls back to hard work meme; accuses others of raising false hope
Richardson... get laughs w / hostage comment; pushes for positive discourse, defends experience to deflect anti-status quo comments, also falls back to experience argument
Edwards... goes populist and attacks the status quo as entrenched within framework of the system
Obama... wants to get the people involved with their own governance and that citizens should be able to hold the gov't responsible

6:41 PST: Iraq/surge
Clinton... reminds that the surge was for political solutions, and that all it has accomplished is military objectives, wants to bring the troops home
Richardson... states the policy is a massive failure, points to lack of political progress and casualties, links the Iraq adventure to failure of domestic policy
Obama... restates that we haven't accomplished anything and actually spent money to not accomplish anything, and attributes some of the success to Iraqi-Iraqi cooperation
Edwards... links the British withdrawal to reduction in violence continues to restate that we aren't accomplishing our political goals; no military bases
Richardson... says you have to get ALL the troops out, falls back to earlier position, pounds podium while discussing war fatigue
Clinton... states general agreement, wants diplomacy, states unpredicability of withdrawal, supports caution

7:00 PST: Doubleteam | experience vs. change
Clinton... gets laugh with 'hurt feelings' comment, falls back to ready on day one slogan; draws parallels between Obama and Bush's likeability; plays the gender card
Obama... claims to have been watching football during the republican debate, restates populist message, wants gov't transparency, encourages cooperation; derides republican playbook strategy
Richardson... falls back to executive experience and foreign policy experience, calls for an energy revolution, references Al Gore; states that youth isn't a detriment
Edwards... uses his parents hard working background, restates that he is seriously anti special interest / lobbyist, references the Paitent's Bill of Rights and death of Natalie in CA
Obama... points to his lobbyist reforms, falls back to citizen participation in gov't
Clinton... calls for a reality break, states that Edwards' bill was killed by the Pres., that Obama voted for a bill that incluided pork, and essentially asserts that they are all on the 'take', falls back on her husband's administration's accomplishments
Edwards... states that special intrests has a stranglehold on our democracy, says that you can't take their money and oppose them, uses Teddy R as example
Obama... credits Bill Clinton's accomplisments, restates that we had never formed a coalition and says that words do matter and that they can inspire
Richardson... picks up on Obama's cooperation meme and extends it, and says you can't fight everyone
Edwards... responds with the 'can't nice these people to death' meme

7:24 PST: Al Gore/carbon tax
Richardson... says that carbon tax isn't a mandate; suggests a cap as an alternative, claims that the tax would be passed on to the consumer; restates his desire for mass transit
Obama... also supports cap, states that it will also have a cost, but that we should use the revenue to aid the transition
Clinton... brings up the recession and it's accoutrements, states that the Bush tax cuts benefit the wealthy, wants to tax wealthy
Edwards... talks about uneven wealth distribution, states threat of job loss to middle class
Obama... extend uneven distribution to Clinton era, would give < $75,000 income tax relief

Richardson... falls back to executive experience, want to balance the budget, wants to get rid of corp welfare, want to invest in science and math and arts

7:35 PST: What do you wish you wouldn't have said?
Clinton... give non answer, states the difference between dem and rep agenda, and states that the dems are better to run the country
Richardson... fav SC justice, White wants to take it back
Edwards... Clinton fashion critique
Obama... endorses Clinton's answer

My quick remarks...

I was typing as I watched and eating dinner so there are probably typos, so what...

Clinton was obviously on the attack trying to get back her mojo.

Richardson was playing the role of Rodney King

Edwards is definitely tying himself to Obama as the package of change

Obama clarified his postions and essentially fought a defensive rearguard action. Not a bad showing.