Democratic Presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton
As usual, maintained her composure and took every opportunity to find areas of agreement with the others on the stage, but at times came off as overconfident and shrill. Laughed that laugh (er, cackle) in response to an attack from Sen. Gravel on Iraq and an awkward question to Chris Dodd. Was good-natured and quick-witted when she found herself disagreeing with a comment from her husband about the use of torture, but wouldn't play along with Tim Russert's question on a hypothetical Israeli-Syrian nuclear program conflict, or on Social Security solvency. Did not dominate or advance on inevitability, and was slickly evasive and cautious on too many issues.
—By Mark Halperin