Like Eve, I thought Bill Richardson had some impressive moments last night (he had some bumbling ones too, recalling Ryan Lizza's profile of the candidate). I particularly liked his honest answer on gay marriage: "Well, I would say to the two young women, I would level with you--I would do what is achievable." In my mind, he scored the best line of the night during the touchy-feely "what do you like about each other" moment (besides Hillary's smart quip about disliking Bush's 2000 election too). Without missing a beat, when Richardson's turn came, the man who has become the most-frequently mentioned vice presidential candidate in the field said, "I think they would all do great in the White House as my vice president." Twice, Richardson described his opponents collectively as "the senators" ("There's a big difference on Iraq between me and the senators;" "Well, I'm trying to provoke a debate here, because there's a difference between the senators and me on when we get our troops out"). Ignoring the wonderfully Richardsonian slip here--you don't have to provoke the debate, Bill, you're already there!--the repetition is notable. It's a small thing (a great name for a back-up band--"Bill Richardson and The Senators"), but it manages to accomplish what Obama--"the community organizer"--and Edwards--"the son of a mill worker"--are constantly trying to do: to show that he's not of Washington. It also serves as a quiet reminder of how successful Democratic senators have been in general elections since that guy that Obama keeps getting compared to. In a larger sense, it too is a reminder that, despite all the hosannas about one candidate's gender and another's race, this Democratic field--in terms of political experience--is a pretty homogenous one. --Samuel Jacobs