The moment when Hillary Clinton won the first Democratic debate
This is the moment when Hillary Clinton won Tuesday night’s Democratic debate: “I’m a progressive,” she said, “But I’m a progressive who likes to get things done.” Clinton went on to talk about how she has worked with Republicans to pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a bona-fide progressive victory. The message was: The way to advance progressive goals is not to toss off an ideologically satisfying wish-list of grandiose government programs and expect the country to suddenly fall into agreement, it is to admit that policymaking demands a sense of nuance and of the possible. Clinton made the case that she offers much more than political triangulation and an e-mail scandal. She argued that she offers thoughtfulness and competence — and that this does not make her an ideological turncoat.
“I’m not taking a backseat to anyone on my values, my principles and the results that I get,” she declared, before saying she would target additional federal spending at people who really need it rather than promising massive expansions of government programs in order to offer benefits to rich as well as poor. Bernie Sanders responded that he would radically raise taxes on the rich to pay for new universal entitlements, which can’t justify poorly targeted programs and is beyond politically impossible.
For his part, Sanders displayed the same rhetorical flair he’s shown all campaign. As usual, he identified several real challenges the country faces, passionately condemning income inequality, a “corrupt” campaign finance system, the continuing human contribution to climate change and overcrowded prisons, among other things. As usual, he did a poor job explaining why his sledgehammer “democratic socialism” is a smart or realistic response. He did — once — argue for nuance and realism in policymaking — as he tried to explain away his checkered record on gun control. He will continue to be a major thorn in Clinton’s side, but he is beatable by a candidate who’s willing to argue without apology that big problems require careful solutions, not simplistic ones, and tangible progress, not hopeless causes.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2015/10/13/the-moment-when-hillary-clinton-won-the-first-democratic-debate/
= new reply since forum marked as read
is a bit long so my answer would be, MORE DEBATES! 
And she did no favors for real honest Progressives when she stated the only difference between her and other Progressives is that "she would get something done!" Seriously, when she said she was a Progressive, I choked on my Bloody Mary. 
Dana Milbank. One BIG opinion on pretty much anything. One vote. 
