KEY POINTS:
The Democrat debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was so different to the previous day's Republican debate that I couldn't let it go unrecorded.
Maybe the differences were more obvious to me because I was at the venue. I suspect they didn't come across on just the televised versions of the debates. Here's what I'm talking about.
First the venue. A library, versus the theatre that hosts the Oscars.
Sure, the Republicans library was the Ronald Reagan library, so it was dripping with symbolism. But the home of Oscars, the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, was pure glamour. The Democrats played this up by offering tickets to A-list Hollywood stars and directors.
Second, the location of the venue and how it affected the public turnout.
The Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. We had an hour-long drive through the countryside to get there, and when we did it felt like a perfect little suburban white picket fence area. The houses were new and large, the gardens were perfect and the view of the snow-capped mountains was fantastic. But the library's distance from Los Angeles meant there were hardly any public supporters near it. A handful of people enthusiastically waved Romney, McCain and Huckabee placards at the gate, but the library felt like it was virtually in a cocoon.
Contrast that to the Kodak Theatre, where the walk of the stars is within a few steps of the door and the famous Hollywood sign is in full view. To get there from downtown LA it was a relatively short subway ride, and when we stepped out of the station we were immediately hit by a huge number of people waving Clinton and Obama signs, chanting, rapping, selling t-shirts, anything to be involved. There were probaby thousands scattered along the street, and next to the theatre more than a thousand watched the debate live on a big screen, still chanting, singing, and waving placards. It was a highly energized atmostphere. For the record, Obama signs outnumbered Clinton signs by probably 2 to 1.
Third, the Spin Room. The Spin Room, as it is so blatantly called, is a room where just a minute after the debate finishes, various campaign representatives and strategists come in to tell reporters how they should write about what they saw. The spinners at the Republican debate were far fewer in number than at today's Democrat debate. Even though the Republicans had four candidates debating, the spinners numbered less than half those of the Democrats, who had just two candidates. As a journalist, I think that's probably a good thing!
I guess my overall impression of the contrast is that one party felt a whole lot more energised than the other did. The Democrats clearly feel they have a good shot at the White House this year. I have no doubt though that the Republicans will give them an enormous fight.
