New York Senator Hillary Clinton
Overall did better than Obama. But his lead made it imperative that she perform well enough to soundly beat him, and she failed to accomplish that. Produced no dominant soundbite moment and exposured no fundamental weaknesses in the Obama firmament.
Substance: More solid than Obama; her greatest hope is that her manifest policy command inspired buyer's remorse in a party otherwise on the precipice of nominating her rival. Got plenty of chances to make her health care argument and to flaunt her foreign policy experience.
Grade: A-
Style: More focused and energetic than her rival, but so what? Smiled warmly throughout—even when Obama was taking issue with her. But that made her few challenges to him seem forced and jarring.
Grade: B+
Offense: If she had a strategy to change the dynamics of the race through the debate, it was not discernable to the human eye. One pre-canned line about Obama's use of a Xerox machine to produce his best rhetoric fell as flat as could be and was booed. She needed to make it clear what the stakes are in the election and what the choice is about—and instead she urged voters to watch a Youtube video of Obama delivering borrowed lines.
Grade: D-
Defense: Didn't have to play much, because Obama spent most of his time offering her faint praise, rather than bothering to attack. When he did lash out at her, she was feeble in responding.
Grade: C
OVERALL GRADE: B
by Mark Halperin