From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
I think maybe all of the questions for debates should be asked by the YouTube comics. Those were back to back hilarious questions on serious topics.

Thanks, Dennis Kucinich for bringing the mood down.

Seriously, this is a time during which many of the debates have slowed down. And at least those questions made me laugh and didn't make me reach for another snack.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
All of the other candidates strayed from their campaign ads and had some fun with their ads. Gravel's was different because he wasn't angry or frustrated. But Richardson's was same ol', same ol' resume stuff.

NBC's Andrew Merten
Updating Chuck's observation about the E. Edwards/B. Clinton mentions:  It's now 3 to 1, Elizabeth (although the third was by John Edwards).

From NBC's Mark Murray
Was a riff of the "job interview" TV ads he's been running.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Maybe if Gravel would be more like he was in his video -- calm, thoughtful -- maybe he'd be taken more seriously.

From NBC's Mark Murray   
Kucinich said that viewers could text "Peace." And he said it just like American Idol's Ryan Seacrest.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
I'm taking away the praise I gave to Biden earlier about not yelling at my TV. He just yelled at me through my TV.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
...to the top. Richardson wants to be challenged. Biden took it. And he is showing his foreign policy/Iraq chops. Biden looked over at Richardson and continued to look at him. Richardson did not return the look. Clinton agreed with Biden. Biden was chomping at the bit to respond to Kucinich.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Clinton is always focused on the general election when it comes to foreign policy questions. Her answer on who she would meet with in terms of controversial foreign leaders was an example of how she's having a better time selling experience than anyone else on that stage. That was a  Commander-in-Chief answer. Obama's answer was fine but she found the hole in his answer (propaganda) and filled it brilliantly.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
The potential brilliance of user-generated questions was on display with this question to Clinton about whether a woman president would get taken seriously by Arab states who regard women as 2nd-class citizens. A member of the big media would have been criticized for asking that question, but the YouTuber cannot be attacked so easily.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Asked if the candidates would meet with foreign leaders from Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, etc... Obama said that he would, contrasting his foreign policy with Bush's. But Clinton said she would NOT promise to meet with them, although she said her Administration would reach out to them. "I don't want to be used for propaganda," she said.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
OK, Obama just made the news of the debate, he just went after what he claims is a late call by Clinton on the demand for withdrawal plans from the Pentagon. Interesting that CNN's Cooper didn't notice the attack and allow Clinton to respond to allow a mini-debate to break out.  Can't wait for the press release traffic on THAT one.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
All of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd tier candidates have been very good tonight. They are all improved which just shows that all of these forums and debates have been good practice. Now, as for the 4th tier (Gravel and Kucninich), they provided more of the same.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Referring to Clinton's tiff with the Pentagon over plans for withdrawal, Obama said that withdrawal plans are good now, but that the US government should have asked those kind of questions before the country went to war.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Clinton again has used the Pentagon letter to her advantage. She is flexing her newly found anti-war muscles and the letter has been her Creatine -- so to speak.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Another clip the GOP will be playing tomorrow: "The Democrats have failed the American public."

Obama took shots at the White House, but didn't give a lot of specifics on the logistics and implementation of redeployment.

This is Biden's question. He wanted this one pushed. He'd love to go on about partitioning.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Turning to the question of Iraq -- finally! -- Anderson Cooper referred to a Citadel grad, Shane Childers, who died in Iraq. His picture was on the big screen in the debate hall.

When the camera turned to the candidates, some were scribbling notes, except for Edwards (in that particular screen shot), who just stared at Childers' photo. It was a pretty powerful moment.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Anderson Cooper told Gravel, "Actually, no" when Gravel asked if he could have more time since he's had less time to speak.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
I can't wait for some focus group results but I bet Joe Biden's Darfur answer was a home run. He was conversational and outraged without yelling at the TV. It was the rare combination of a style and substance 1-2 punch.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
"Where we can we should." With that, he overshadowed even Richardson, who was strong.

From NBC's Mark Murray
We missed mentioning this earlier, but the Clinton campaign just released an email with the link to its YouTube.

From NBC's Mark Murray
Had the song "Hair" playing....pretty clever.

*** Update *** Here's the actual video.

From NBC's Chuck Todd
From a general election standpoint, Obama answered the gay marriage question pretty deftly.  He focused on the law and civil unions which is more popular than the phrase "gay marriage."

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Didn't Hillary Clinton vote for the war in Iraq on the basis, in part, that there were WMD in Iraq? But her YouTube debate "ad" highlighted one of the left's talking points of "failures" of the Bush administration -- that there were "zero" WMD found. We've noted her metamorphosis of sorts. Will any candidates hold her feet to the fire? And will it work? Or is the best person to define her, well, her.