The Democratic candidates got together at the Citadel and all we got was this lousy T-shirt. Actually, we got a range of opinions on who won, and a few moments to chuckle at or worry about–depending on how you look at things. But there is joy on the left as the Democratic base surveys the debating prowess of its candidates. As Pamela Leavey at the Democratic Daily sums it up:

With such a spirited base of volunteers, how can the Democrats lose? You can read the debate transcript here and here. Allah has also put together a range of highlights, including the Democratic party’s global warming crusaders admitting to having come to the debate on private planes. There were plenty of highlights, but we have to go with Barack Obama’s promise to meet with Ahmadinejad, Assad, Chavez, Castro, and Kim Jong Il in the first year of his administration–without any preconditions:

Obama seems to think that once the threat posed by the U.S. is removed, Ahmadinehad and Assad will become responsible parters, and will take on the serious work of maintaining ‘stability’ in Iraq. His answer shows a Carter-like misperception–that if we just talk to our adversaries, we’ll realize that we all want the same thing. Expect Obama to get hammered on this if he wins the Democratic nomination. (Looks like Senator Clinton won’t wait for the general election to see him hammered.) It’s worth noting that Obama’s answer has earned some applause on the left–notably from the Huffington Post, which admires his plan to ‘bridge the gap that divides our countries.’ No mention of who’ll play the guitar while we all sing kumbaya. On to other reactions. Marc Ambinder (now of the Atlantic) has a number of interesting comments, including this broad observation: