Reactions

++A detailed analysis of the debate can be found at 538. They want to make the point that for many this was the first debate the audience--Hispanic- has seen in Spanish. The viewership of Univision dwarfs Fox. They also felt that Sanders refusal to denounce or at least distance himself from Castro hurts in Florida, where younger Cubans want normalization but the hatred of Castro is enormous. The panel thought that Sanders knew he had to up his game and that both candidates now find each other enjoying. Harry Etten's concern is about 538's predictions on OHIO, which they predict heavily for Hillary, but also the other states on Tuesday they have Hillary sweeping. David Axelrod tweeted that Hillary still hasn't gotten the TARP bailout right.

++Josh Marshall found the moderators terrible and neither candidate really tanking. He thought he probably didn't change the needle. 

++538 wondered why Sanders didn't bring up trade agreements again because they served him well in Michigan and would do the same in Ohio.

++Time magazine had 90% saying Sanders won, 10% Hillary.

++The Dailykos did a fine job of recording the debate. The comments were heavily pro-Sanders but I think they missed the point. They claimed that most Americans backed Sanders non-interventionist views . They also felt that issues like Daniel Ortega and Fidel Castro belong in the dungheap of history and that young people don't care. I think in Florida they do care. 

++The 3rd most important issue for women tonight on Facebook was abortion. Hillary Clinton said she would appoint judges who believed that Roe v. Wade was settled law. That was all either candidates said.

++538 mentioned that Hispanic unemployment was slightly higher than white at 5.3% but that gap has been tightening in recent months.

++538 also had a go-around about migrant labor and whether Sanders didn't go too far in saying it was like slavery. 

++Josh Marshall wanted to remind you that while the Democrats debated, Marco Rubio spoke to an almost empty stadium.

++Kos himself set a rule that Democrats can't criticize the candidates after March 15th when presumably a candidate is known.

The Dailykos Winners

++They had the Donald winning with three times as many votes as Cruz, then Kasich and then Rubio.

He Brought Everything To the Table

++ED Kilgore liked how he put together the middle class initiatives with panache. He also notes that President Obama used the Pentagon as authority on the effects of climate change and the need to deal with it now. Kilgore was surprised that President Obama suggested the need for a new Authorization to Use Force against ISIS. I am glad of this.

++The Democratic reactions were summed up with the line,"He brought everything to the table." Democratic Underground comments suggested this was President obama's best State of the Union speech ever. The constant dissenting note was one about the trade pacts. 

++Consensus best line,"I know because I won both of them", referring to President Obama's response to the Republican app;wise he was not running again.

++First time, "lesbian","Bisexual" and "transgender" used in a State of the Union Speech. 

++The Daily Kos kept its eyes on the Republican responses. It noticed no applause on Obama talking about bringing the deficit down. The only standing ovations on the GOP side were when the President mentioned veterans. No response to the President on his statement about Americans fighting Ebola,after all that was their mid-term issue. It noticed the lull with Iran. Ed Kilgore thinks Obama was holding back news about a breakthrough. That's why he said war was a last resort.

++Joni Ernst regaled us with her upbringing on an Iowa farm and gave comedians some openings. She painted a story of people struggling, losing their health insurance and having to struggle with Obamcare. She also mentioned the Keystone XL pipeline as a total infrastructure project. She called it a jobs bill. Observers said that Joni Ernst looked like a Stepford Wife but at least didn't have the crazy eyes of Michelle Bachmann. The GOP message is of gloom and doom . It seems Reagan's sunny disposition has long been forgotten.

++There were also four other alternative state of the unions. Even Rand Paul of his own YOUTUBE channel.

++What tomorrow will miss is President Obama's emphasis on women, equal pay, child care and choice. Even the "liberals" in the media will neglect it.
But expect Hillary Clinton to seize on this when she announces.

++ I was surprised by his vow to veto attempts to water down the regulations governing banks and Wall Street. He already let the regulations on derivatives slide.

++I don't expect much from Congress on any of these things. I agree with Andrew Sullivan that President Obama laid out a Democratic platform for the future. He also warned that he would take measures to prevent the GOP from reversing the progress made.