Pity Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama.
With 973 Democratic candidates jammed onto a small stage tonight, there will little chance for either of the frontrunners to “win” this first presidential debate. But with a gaggle of pundits and talking heads hiding behind every palmetto tree, expect either Hillary or Barrack to be declared the big, fat loser. Somehow, someway, some pundit will decide that one of these senators failed to meet the high expectations placed upon them--most likely--by the same pundits calling them failures.
The biggest challenge for tonight’s big stars is the fact there will be scores of candidates fighting for their second in the sun. It doesn’t help that the guy from Alaska nobody knows will get as much time as senators Clinton and Obama.
MSNBC understands that jamming so many candidates on stage will present great logistical issues. Fortunately, we have been forward-thinking enough to establish ground rules to expedite the process:
Even with MSNBC taking these precautions, very little of substance will be debated tonight in South Carolina. Still, Americans will get a chance to see Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton share the stage for the first time. That alone will worth the price of admission.