Tonight's Winner: The Democratic Party

by Steve Soto

AP photo

As was to be expected, the media was quick to ask the superficial question immediately after the first two-candidate Democratic debate of this campaign: “Who won?”

They totally missed the obvious point: The Democratic Party won tonight.

After seeing 3 detached-from-reality white men spew irrationalities about the Iraq war, immigration, and the economy at the GOP debate a day before, the country was reminded tonight that Democrats actually are smarter and more concerned about the real problems facing this country than Stepford Republicans.

Both Obama and Clinton made a convincing case tonight that both of them are infinitely better presidential choices than either McCain or Romney. Both Obama and Clinton showed a command of the facts and a grasp of the real concerns facing everyday Americans, so much so that both McCain and Romney seem sophomoric by comparison. Both were still able to make their “change versus experience” arguments, and yet they still came across as far better prepared to take office than any Republican. They were able to make their differences known and still did so while the media noticed how nice they were to each other, thereby turning on its head the ready-made media narrative of the last several weeks that a bitter rivalry was set to destroy the party.

Just yesterday, I beseeched Clinton and Obama to set aside the rancor and pie fights long enough to make a common and convincing case against the GOP, and at least unite in that effort. Tonight, they sat side-by-side and did exactly that, and quite impressively. Obama made a great case on Iraq while flashing a good sense of humor, while Hillary sounded compassionate and realistic about immigration and was seemingly downright cheerful. And both thrashed the GOP.

After seeing the divisiveness and looming train wreck of the last several weeks, tonight’s debate should give the party faithful and independent voters a renewed confidence that either Democratic candidate is the far superior choice this fall over any of the Republicans. That is the real answer to the question of “Who won tonight?”