Democratic Candidates at Carson City Event Today Impressed Me

Turned on C-span this evening and thought I'd watch a little bit of the Meet the Democratic Candidates event broadcast originally earlier in the day. Was captured and stayed with it for the more than two hours. Dodd, Edwards, Clinton, Richardson, Byden, Kucinich, Vilsak, and Mr. Gravel, an elderly fellow from Alaska who had been in the Senate some years ago and gave a stemwinding, old fashioned labor speech were there -- from the ASCME convention at Carson City, Nevada. Each gave good accounts of themselves in two minute speeches, a short q and a with Stephanopolous, and a final 2 minute windup.

Edwards was strong and confident., Byden quite appealing, and Kucinich surprisingly moving and convincing, especially with his plea for universal health coverage now! Not baby steps, as he called it, as offered by the governors. And no ties to health insurance corporations. He ended by sticking out his arms horizontally and saying, "No strings, no strings, no strings." Richardson was disappointing. He seemed slightly nervous. But where was Obama, I wondered. Not there. Nevertheless, they were an impressive bunch. Nobody could call them "The Seven Dwarfs," the title given to the Democratic candidates running in 1988 and from whom came Michael Dukakis!