Halperin: O'Malley B+, Sanders B, Hillary Clinton B & The Fix Calls Sanders, O'Malley winners

[askew]

Via Bloomberg:

O'Malley:
His best night of the campaign to date. Solid, confident, and often lyrical – although only occasionally hit the bullseye that has thus far eluded him: What is he selling that Clinton and Sanders don’t have to offer? Frequently emotional and engaging on domestic policy, especially when effectively pushing his Maryland governing record and hitting Clinton hard on gun control. Too often grim on national security, but spoke movingly about an Iowa military family. One big caution: Folded when Clinton nailed him with some opposition research on a gubernatorial appointment. Has a long, long way to get in the game, but this performance will rally his supporters and allow him to enter the next phase of the campaign with the potential to be more than a sidebar player.

The Fix:

Winners
* Martin O'Malley: When you are as low in state and national polling as the former Maryland governor is, simply getting people to know — or look up — your name is a win. And O'Malley did that on Saturday night — literally.

He also showed a willingness to go at Hillary Rodham Clinton aggressively and unapologetically. And to tout his record as having accomplished many of the liberal goals that Clinton and Bernie Sanders just talk about. His riff on why candidates shouldn't use the phrase "boots on the ground" was powerful, even if he did use an anecdote (hate!) to make his point.

It wasn't a perfect debate performance from O'Malley; his response on the crisis that he had dealt with in his life that would prepare him for the presidency — he didn't have one — was really bad, particularly because it directly followed Clinton citing her involvement in the death of Osama bin Laden in response to the same question. Still, taken in its totality, the debate was one of the better moments for O'Malley in this race.

[EndElectoral]

1. In all fairness to O'Malley, he didn't fold about the appointment, he wasn't allowed to respond.

Often they'd start a question to the others, and O'Malley wouldn't get to provide his input, but would be hit with a brand new question. I'm a Sanders supporter, but felt O'Malley got some short shrift during this debate by the moderators.

[askew]

2. Yeah, he got screwed by the moderator big time.

Sanders was smart enough to just rollover the moderator.

[elleng]

3. This thread should get much more attention,

as should MO'M.

[askew]

5. Exactly. Though, O'Malley got a ton of attention on twitter.

And he was by the far the most googled of the 3 candidates tonight.

[elleng]

6. THANK YOU, askew. I don't follow those.

MAY be able to sleep tonight!

[Kalidurga]

4. Those are very good points.

Overall this was a great debate. The best I have ever seen. And I thought the first debate was a hit out of the park. This one just broke all the shop windows.