10 people on stage for a one night only debate made for more clarity than the previous 2 night free-for-alls with candidates having no legitimate shot at the presidency clogging the stages. Personally, I think the criteria for entering the next debate should be tougher yet, enabling us to winnow the field at a faster pace.
I was able to watch the entire process last night and was surprised the team from ABC asked better questions and managed to keep the debate mostly on track. I didn't watch the post mortems, as I prefer my own take on the candidates as opposed to that of hacks like Chris Matthews. As I watched Julian Castro take on Joe Biden's age by accusing the 76 year old of forgetting the answer he gave to a question regarding health care, I felt it was a legitimate stab at the issue. The pearl clutcher brigade was out in full force this morning decrying Castro. I don't think it will play out that way. The average voter has qualms about Biden's age and many of us were looking for someone to call attention to the issue.
In general, I don't think anyone will move very much in the polls based on this debate, but it did serve to normalize the presence of women and minorities on the stage as equals to the white men who have dominated presidential politics. Elizabeth Warren in particular came off as cool and collected as she answered every question without hesitation. she is rapidly emerging as the new standard bearer for the progressive faction of the party and will likely make the left wing a more accessible place for democrats than Bernie Sanders has been able to.
The primaries are still in the future, so there is plenty of time for a new front runner to emerge, but it will take more than a couple of hours on stage for it to happen.
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