Welcome to yet another installment of HuffPost's Debate Liveblog Series ™ — where we watch the debates and critique the candidates in real time. Tonight we welcome to the e-podium nonverbal communication specialists John Neffinger and Matt Kohut, plus HuffPost and Eat The Press contributor Glynnis MacNicol (with occasional piping up by me — your moderator, ETP editor Rachel Sklar). They are instant-messaging their comments to each other in real time, so it will be a fluid and chatty session — refreshed consistently over the next 90 minutes. So keep checking in — in the meantime, here we go!
John (7:00:54 PM): Welcome!
John (7:01:08 PM): Cool, it's at Soldier Field. I wonder if they're selling beer...
Matt (7:01:26 PM): At this point we have a pretty good sense of how all these candidates perform in these forums.
John (7:01:44 PM): We do. We have seen them a time or two. Or three.
Matt (7:02:13 PM): Chicago is such a classic place to hold a debate sponsored by Big Labor.
John (7:02:42 PM): It is. A football stadium, no less.
Matt (7:03:04 PM): City of Big Shoulders, as they say.
John (7:05:04 PM): We have some daring ties here: Keith's brown stripe, Dodd's loud Kelly green. And Dodd gets the first question...
Matt (7:05:53 PM): There go Chris Dodd's eyebrows. He's very wound-up right out of the box.
John (7:06:10 PM): Dodd comes out swinging, declaring himself a Union guy, saluting the trapped miners, and proposing to bring troops home and cut defense spending...
John (7:06:21 PM): Serious enthusiasm from Dodd. This is not his first union rally.
Matt (7:07:26 PM): Hillary scores one for the home town with a shout-out -- Go Bears!
John (7:08:29 PM): A great line, not delivered particularly well, but a good start.
Matt (7:09:08 PM): Obama is not about to let Hillary claim Chicago for herself. He's playing the hometown host.
John (7:09:44 PM): Wow - for the first time in a long time, Obama is showing emotion in his face. He has a strong, stern look.
Matt (7:10:06 PM): Obama has gone straight into national security. He wants to show us his tough side.
John (7:10:31 PM): This is new: usually his face is completely calm, and he lets his voice do all the emoting. This frown adds serious oomph. A small but significant new approach for Obama.
Matt (7:11:42 PM): Joe Biden has come out swinging tonight. He's not smiling a bit.
John (7:12:44 PM): Yeah, looks strong, but not particularly remarkable. Not like Dodd, who really amped it up.
Glynnis (7:13:07 PM): This is Glynnis - AIM has finally let me in!
John (7:13:42 PM): Hey Glynn!
Glynnis4 (7:14:30 PM): It feels like everyone but Hillary is very aggressive. Is it the fact that they are in a stadium?
Matt (7:14:54 PM): Could be. It's an odd night when Dennis Kucinich gets the first laugh.
Glynnis4 (7:15:00 PM): Kucinich gets the first laugh of the night - "why don't we just buy the team."
John (7:15:14 PM): So the pre-debate chatter was discussing how Edwards really needed to do well here, not just to start to move up already, but because the union folks are supposed to be his base.
Glynnis4 (7:15:51 PM): The crowd likes Kucinich!
John (7:16:49 PM): So Edwards opens with a call to walk away from DC lobbyists' money, but Kucinich one-ups him with his call to walk away from NAFTA.
Matt (7:17:25 PM): Richardson gets an even bigger laugh for promising to continue taking union money.
John (7:17:40 PM): Yeah, was that meant be funny? It was anyway.
John (7:19:28 PM): Hillary is not looking quite so cool and commanding in this setting, methinks.
Matt (7:19:40 PM): She's serious as can be.
John (7:20:34 PM): It's not easy for her to get a hearty applause line on a trade question given her centrist position. Non-verbally, she seems to be straining a bit, giving the impression she'd probably rather be somewhere else.
Glynnis (7:21:38 PM): According to Obama, there's a President of Canada!!
Matt (7:21:39 PM): Richardson just promised to fire a bunch of federal attorneys. Does this sound familiar?
John (7:22:00 PM): Ha. Send 'em to GITMO?
Glynnis (7:22:09 PM): Let's hope Obama knows to fly the flag the right side up!
Matt (7:23:19 PM): Joe Biden has to take the pen out of his hand. It's distracting.
John (7:23:50 PM): True. Okay, what's going on with Chris Dodd?
Glynnis (7:24:06 PM): Nice - Joe Biden at least knows there's a Prime Minister in Canada.
Matt (7:24:10 PM): Dodd's volume knob starts at 9 and goes to 11.
John (7:24:44 PM): Dodd is standing in for the missing Gravel tonight?
John (7:25:19 PM): Canada is getting some serious air time here.
Matt (7:25:46 PM): No kidding. I wonder who gets the Canadian vote.
Glynnis (7:26:10 PM): This debate is turning into the antithesis of the first GOP debate Ronald Regan drinking game: take a drink every time someone says Canada!
John (7:31:26 PM): Damn, Hillary is now bringin' it.
Glynnis (7:31:45 PM): Hillary appears to be upping the volume level. She's figured out quicker than the others how to play to the crowd best.
Matt (7:31:50 PM): I haven't seen Hillary get so incensed in any of these debates.
John (7:33:16 PM): Now over to Edwards, and he starts to whip up the crowd a little bit, but doesn't quite get there, backs off...
Glynnis (7:33:36 PM): Kucinich is on the ball!!! Dig a hole deep enough and you get to China: "We're there!"
Matt (7:33:39 PM): He doesn't quite land the punch. Kucinich, on the other hand, has a future in standup.
John (7:34:05 PM): Or Congress, whichever.
John (7:34:33 PM): Okay, first commercial break. What do we think so far?
Glynnis (7:34:36 PM): This is a terrible setting for a debate.
John (7:35:03 PM): I wonder where the rain location would have been?
Glynnis (7:35:49 PM): At this rate I wouldn't be surprised if someone pulls out pom poms before we're through.
John (7:36:01 PM): Hillary? Edwards?
John (7:36:52 PM): Well, it is nice that they are not in yet another darkened hall with yet another gaudy red-white-and-blue collage behind them.
John (7:37:50 PM): Oh, Richardson. He showed such promise.
Matt (7:38:08 PM): Not Richardson's best showing on the Iraq question.
John (7:38:17 PM): He really does speak as if there is a big key sticking out of his back.
John (7:38:48 PM): Wind him up and watch him go.
Glynnis (7:39:24 PM): I wonder how much longer Obama can play the fact that he voted against the war. Is there a sell-by date on that?
Matt (7:39:48 PM): He hits that note every single time.
Glynnis (7:40:17 PM): Hillary again sounds more thoughtful than Obama on leaving Iraq. "As dangerous to get out as to get in."
John (7:40:49 PM): It's Obama's #1 substantive credential, and Hillary has yet to nail down her response convincingly. So the knife twists.
Glynnis (7:41:11 PM): That green tie on Dodd against the red background is making me think of Christmas. The white hair doesn't help.
Matt (7:41:20 PM): Dodd uses the Iraq question to take a swat at Saudi Arabia.
Glynnis (7:41:51 PM): I've almost forgotten that Edwards is even in the debate. He has yet to come up with a zinger answer.
Matt (7:42:19 PM): John Edwards shrugs as he says we have to be prepared for the worst possibility in Iraq. Not the non-verbal message he wants to send as Commander in Chief.
John (7:42:25 PM): Edwards is trying to be serious talking about Iraq. The effect feels more "hangdog" than "grave" though.
Glynnis (7:43:07 PM): For some reason, I feel like Kucinich is coming across much better without Gravel on the stage.
John (7:44:02 PM): He has the wing all to himself. He's also doing relatively well -- some serious applause lines for DK tonight.
Glynnis (7:45:42 PM): Hillary won't engage with Obama directly, brings it back to George Bush. Weaker response from the crowd.
Matt (7:46:33 PM): Obama is scowling at Dodd. He can't wait to get back into this.
John (7:46:40 PM): Ok, here we go: Pakistan.
Matt (7:46:54 PM): This is going to be good.
John (7:47:12 PM): The one big new development since last time has been Obama's tough new stance on Pakistan. Is this stance working for him or what? The man looks great.
Matt (7:48:15 PM): Obama winds up, he swings, and he whacks it.
Glynnis (7:48:21 PM): Obama owns the stage and the crowd with his response.
John (7:48:33 PM): He says his stance is common sense, and the crowd is roaring in agreement.
John (7:49:08 PM): Oh, boy -- Hillary is swingin' back!
Matt (7:49:35 PM): Hillary is once again the voice of experience on foreign affairs. Even though there are others up there who know this stuff too, she makes it clear that she owns this issue.
John (7:49:56 PM): And the crowd registers a big old 'boo' for Hillary!
Glynnis (7:50:05 PM): An actual debate!!
Rachel (7:50:31 PM): HILLARY JUST TOTALLY SLAMMED OBAMA! TWIST OF THE KNIFE!
John (7:50:34 PM): I'm not sure, but I think we have a genuine disagreement here.
Rachel (7:50:36 PM): Sorry. Moderator privilege.
Glynnis (7:50:42 PM): No more Democratic Kumbaya.
Matt (7:50:47 PM): No kidding. Obama is on the defensive, but he has the crowd behind him.
John (8:06:52 PM): Yeah, very interesting question.
John (8:07:15 PM): Obama points the finger at employers, a winner for this crwd
Glynnis (8:08:24 PM): Biden is not being given a lot of floor time in this debate.
John (8:08:43 PM): Obama takes a moment to pat himself on the back for his work with laid-off workers, and his voice instantly becomes more bouncy and colloquial
John (8:09:18 PM): It makes sense, but it is slightly strange to have happen in the middle of an answer.
John (8:11:32 PM): Er, metaphor mixing alert -- Kucinich wants to take health care off the bargaining table and into the kitchen?
John (8:11:43 PM): Is that like house calls?
Glynnis (8:11:54 PM): Hahaha
Matt (8:12:00 PM): Is he suggesting that we go back to the days of babies being born on the kitchen table?
Glynnis (8:12:28 PM): I have no idea where on the stage Edwards is placed, but it feels to me like he's way off to the side.
John (8:12:38 PM): There's a great image to campaign on.
Glynnis (8:13:40 PM): The breeze on the stage is good to Edwards hair.
John (8:14:50 PM): Edwards did a decent job defending his labor credentials, and got sizable applause... but as soon as he was done speaking, he stepped away from the mike and the facial expression vanished from his face.
John (8:15:22 PM): That makes it look like he was just phoning it in, not really feelin' it, and thought the camera was already turned off.
Glynnis (8:16:25 PM): The crowd is getting rowdy.
John (8:16:35 PM): Okay, another break.
Matt (8:17:08 PM): The crowd is not responding well when the candidates use their time to answer another question. They're getting lots of boos for that.
John (8:18:30 PM): These questions are from their union brothers and sisters - not good to duck them.
Glynnis (8:18:37 PM): In terms of moderators, I feel like Olbermann is the best we've seen thus far. He's serious, but equally interested in letting the candidates have their (reasonable) say as he is in keeping within the time limits.
Glynnis (8:19:51 PM): Overall this debate is about Clinton and Obama, with a side show of Kucinich.
Matt (8:21:01 PM):
Hillary and Barack Obama can claim Chicago as their hometown, but Dennis Kucinich owns this Big Labor crowd tonight.
Glynnis (8:21:53 PM): here comes the lobby question for Hillary.
John (8:22:09 PM): I'm trying to think what I'll remember tomorrow - the skirmish over Pakistan, which I think Obama did well in overall... and maybe Dodd's initial enthusiasm, and Christmas-y tie..?
Glynnis (8:23:03 PM): Her answer felt vagueish and returned once again to her experience speaking for her.
Matt (8:23:42 PM): Edwards got off a nice line about the difference between lawyers and lobbyists. He should have milked it.
John (8:24:25 PM): He did - payments to jurors are bribes, payments to lawmakers are politics. He makes a strong point there.
Glynnis (8:25:10 PM): I'm sorry but I CANNOT take Dodd seriously with that tie on. Such an unfortunate background.
John (8:25:21 PM): Obama's stern look is working well for him, but he is now doing it a little too steadily. Like he's working on his Chris Dodd imitation.
John (8:25:54 PM): He's also still peppering his answers with a few too many "ah"s. It's messing up his flow.
Glynnis (8:35:17 PM): Kucinich as Seabiscuit...the horseracing analogy rides again.
Matt (8:35:22 PM): Once again, Kucinich gets the laugh.
John (8:36:13 PM): That may have been Edwards' strongest moment yet: He started with another shocking health care anecdote, and then... "When are we going to stand up to these drug companies... We have to beat these people!" He done brung it.
Glynnis (8:36:35 PM): I thought Edwards was weak.
Matt (8:36:38 PM): That was definitely Edwards's finest moment of the evening.
Matt (8:37:16 PM): On the whole, he did not do anything to break out from the pack.
John (8:37:24 PM): You weren't buying that? Edwards beating up drug company execs?
Glynnis (8:37:38 PM): Nope. Too little, too late.
John (8:38:07 PM): Fair enough. The guy does not project a lot of strength.
Glynnis (8:38:23 PM): The absence of Edwards in this debate is a little shocking, acutally. He should have pulled a Gravel and yelled a bit about being a "potted plant."
John (8:38:27 PM): Relatively, that was pretty tough from him.
Matt (8:38:39 PM): I thought he brought real passion to that question, but he missed some other opportunities to score some points.
John (8:40:13 PM): So, another one in the books. What do we take away from this evening?
Glynnis (8:41:08 PM): I imagine what I'll remember tomorrow is the questioner who was almost brought to tears, and the fact that this is the first time we've seen the candidates really interact.
Matt (8:41:46 PM): The questioners from the audience brought a great dimension to the event.
Matt (8:42:34 PM): Hillary had a genuine moment when she said, "I'm your girl." She looked like she was actually having fun there.
John (8:42:36 PM): Yeah, nothing any of the candidates said was anywhere near as powerful as these questioners tonight.
John (8:43:37 PM): She did -- and that big smile she showed then was one of her warmest moments of the whole campaign so far.
John (8:44:11 PM): That's key for her - she projects a lot of strength all the time, but still needs to work on projecting warmth.
Glynnis (8:44:24 PM): I think it's all the more clear that this is about Obama and Clinton. However, I thought Kucinich gave a good showing tonight, and not just as comic relief.
Matt (8:44:45 PM): Kucinich owned this crowd.
Matt (8:45:13 PM): Obama came in with one objective: to assert his national security bona fides.
Glynnis (8:45:31 PM): He did (Kucinich). I totally agree.
John (8:45:51 PM): The crowd was loving Kucinich tonight. You got the sense that they would have loved nothing more than to hear a viable major candidate saying what he was saying.
Glynnis (8:46:16 PM): Obama was good. But he needs to assess crowds faster. It took him while to figure out that strong, short, forceful response work best.
Glynnis (8:46:38 PM): in this debate.
Matt (8:46:55 PM): He was more deliberate and nuanced than the other candidates, and it didn't always play to this crowd.
John (8:47:09 PM): Coming in, Obama's position on Pakistan was expected to be the flashpoint, and it was. Hillary decided she needed to try to swat him down for being intemperate, but he held his ground and won at least this crowd on the point.
Matt (8:47:25 PM): Agreed.
Glynnis (8:48:09 PM): The highlight of the evening I think, along with Hillary's "I'm your girl" was Obama shutting down his opponents in repsonse to the Pakistan comments that Dodd started.
Matt (8:48:53 PM): Obama wanted us to know that he wasn't about to let anyone on the stage push him around.
John (8:51:04 PM): This is shaping up to be a big deal for him. Coming in, the biggest question mark on Obama was whether he could handle serious issues like national security. His best evidence thus far has been that he called Iraq right
John (8:51:18 PM): , which is why we never hear the end of it.
John (8:51:29 PM): But with his Pakistan position, he has now staked out new ground that nobody in either party seems comfortable with, but that he is defending quite handily thus far.
John (8:52:04 PM): He used a key phrase tonight in defense: taking out terrorists when we can is "common sense."
John (8:52:34 PM): If you can convince the public -- swing voters in particular -- that yours is the common sense position, you win.
Glynnis (8:53:05 PM): Agreed. That said, I think that all the candidates are going to have to figure out how to stake out some new ground in the months to come. There is over a year till the election and we've already had how many debates?
John (8:53:36 PM): Long since lost count, personally.
Rachel (8:54:12 PM): Howard Wolfson is so instantly not likeable. Four Horsemen, dontcha know.
Rachel (8:54:24 PM): Sorry, watching the postgame.
Matt (8:54:47 PM): I have a feeling we're going to hear a lot more about Obama and his "common sense" positions on national security.
John (8:55:14 PM): No surprise here -- a brief look at the post-debate spin room now reveals Obama's guy David Axelrod using the phrase "common sense" again and again.
John (8:55:18 PM): Yup.
John (8:56:14 PM): It will be intersting to see if the other campaigns will keep trying to attack him on this, or back off and change the subject.
Glynnis (8:57:47 PM): It also felt like Hillary was playing more to the working woman vote than she usually does.
Glynnis (8:59:57 PM): I think it must be pointed out that this is a debate taking place in the first week in August over a year before the election! I mean, how many people are really paying attention to this.
John (8:59:58 PM): Yeah, I am sure her pollster Mark Penn has advised her that her support among women is a big part of the reason for her lead in the polls. Strengthening that support makes good sense.
Matt (9:00:09 PM): Question for the panel: did the Big Labor setting make for a better event than the YouTube format?
Glynnis (9:01:25 PM): Absolutely.
John (9:02:08 PM): Great question. Both debates were much livelier for the inspired questions. But no amount of goofy video antics could rile things up like a football stadium full of union members.
Matt (9:03:04 PM): It felt a whole lot more serious, as evidenced by the audience questioners. There were no gimmicks tonight. This crowd wanted answers.
Glynnis (9:03:25 PM): The problem with the YouTube debates is that they didn't have to be goofy. That was a missed opportunity. But, absolutely, tonight's questioners were inspired.
John (9:04:20 PM): Any other profound insights before we call it a night? Did this change the complexion of the race in any way?
Glynnis (9:05:25 PM): I don't think it changed anything drastically, except maybe how much ground Edwards has to cover.
John (9:05:41 PM): He slipped tonight, you think?
Matt (9:06:04 PM): It looked like a two-way race tonight, though that could change.
John (9:07:18 PM): Kucinich and Father Christmas had pretty good nights too, I thought, but... no one is closing on the front runners here?
John (9:07:26 PM): How about Biden?
Rachel (9:07:41 PM): You guys can wrap it up anytime, by the way.
Rachel (9:07:42 PM): :)
John (9:08:10 PM): Hurry up guys, Rachel has cool parties to go to.
Matt (9:08:17 PM): I'm ready when you are.
Matt (9:08:28 PM): To wrap it up, that is.
Glynnis (9:08:30 PM): Biden is going to make a great Secretary of State...or a good vice president...his unpredictability works well against Hillary's stability. Just saying.
Glynnis (9:08:47 PM): And with that. Good night!
Matt (9:09:06 PM): Thanks, all.
John (9:10:42 PM): Obama premiered a stern new look and defended his new Pakistan position well. Hillary's "I'm your gal" moment may well have been her warmest and overall best moment of the campaign so far. That's pretty much it for me.
Rachel (9:11:56 PM): Okay! Debate # 3 under our belts. Fun times, all - thanks! And thanks for whoever read this far - see you on Thursday when we do this all over again, because if there are debates, HuffPo will be there, liveblogging them. Yes. That's our catchy slogan, and we're sticking to it. Goodnight!