John McCain’s the big winner tonight. After Edwards predicted that he would be the GOP nominee (and it came out unasked), Hillary said that if McCain’s the Republican nominee, the election will be about national security. (Obviously trying to draw distinctions with Obama.) She says she can beat him, yadda yadda yadda, but we didn’t see this naming-the-expected-opponent phenomenon in earlier debates.
She’s saying it as a warning about the others, that inherently builds up McCain – he’ll be tough to beat, and impossible for these two other guys to beat.
It’s a long, uneven debate, worthwhile only for some early fireworks. Off to watch the Tivoed Terminator.