I went into watching this forum as a Hillary Clinton supporter and I came out of it as...a Hillary Clinton supporter. These are just a few thoughts I had while watching the forum. First of all, Rachel Maddow was a different sort of moderator. All three candidates dodged her questions and she made specific note of it to all three of them. I suspect that the Republican field would have been crying after this awful treatment.
Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley came off as a cross between a boxer desperate to knock an opponent out in the final round and an overly eager cartoon kid desperate to please his teacher. He didn't care if he knocked out Secretary Clinton, Senator Sanders or Rachel Maddow as long as he tagged someone. His constant flailing made his lack of anything different to say made me resent him. He refused to answer the question asked about his legacy which consisted of losing a lot of ground in his state to Republicans. A simple yes to the part about the party going on to lose after he was term limited would have allowed him to pivot to his preferred point. Instead, he flailed at Rachel.
Senator Bernie Sanders has been a sad story for me during this election cycle. He is a real character but most of what he shows you is rage. He will start off with an affable greeting but, mid-handshake, his upper lip starts to quiver and I can imagine spittle or froth forming at the edges. He answers every question with answers I tend to agree with but his hatred of his "billionaire class" is too plain on his face. He crystalized my biggest criticism of him with a criticism he made of Clinton. He accused her of having no backup plan and I realized that was what bothered me so much about him. I cannot see him fighting for his plan, having every Republican vote against him and then coming back looking for half a loaf. He strikes me as a bit of a fanatic and, yes, it takes one to know one. It would disqualify me for high office and I believe it does the same to him. Bernie has disappointed me.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came into the forum as my favorite but I didn't expect to be impressed. Boy was I pleasantly surprised! Clinton looked Presidential while also approachable and friendly. She dodged one or two of Rachel's questions but hid the dodges in flows of information. She declined to dive into the sewer to attack Trump when given the chance. Her two giant advantages came across as natural phenomonon: her great experience gained from a lifetime of public service and the frontrunner's ability to stay above the fray. It was beautiful.
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