Up to this point, I’ve waited a while to comment on the presidential race of 2006-2008. Up to this point, both parties have been posturing and positioning and jockeying and not saying much of anything. There have been lots and lots of debates (and I’ve watched some of them), but up until the Iowa caucus, much of the rhetoric has been pretty boring – more laying tracks than talking about issues.

Saturday night’s back-to-back Republican and Democratic debates on ABC News were the best so far. The format – which basically involved Charles Gibson asking questions and then sitting back and letting the candidates respond in an organic, almost discussion-like manner. I loved watching it. Alli and I watched all 4 hours of the debates and they really were fascinating. It was almost as if all of the protective plastic of politics had been peeled back and for once, people started to answer questions honestly.

Of the Republicans, it was nice to see John McCain show some fire. Giuliani was much more cogent than I’ve seen him in the past. I felt like many of them seemed to take some shots at Mitt Romney and it began to look like they are threatened by him. I still am not down with Huckleberry and I’m convinced that Fred Thompson does not really want the nomination, but his results in Iowa forced him into focusing a little more on his campaign. Ron Paul continues to separate himself from the rest of the group. When the New Hampshire results come in, we’ll learn a little more.

Of the four Democrats, I thought that their “random” seating assignments were more than appropriate. John Edwards won that debate hands down. He separated himself from the rest of the group more than he has in the past and by aligning himself with Obama, he’s poised to make a serious move in the coming weeks and months. I think that an Obama-Edwards or Edwards-Obama ticket could be formidable come November. I like Bill Richardson, but I don’t really like his cozying up to Hillary, who I still can’t stand.

No one has won my vote yet. As the field is whittled down, it will be easier to make my decision. I have people I’m leaning toward right now. I’m hoping to have a better idea before the Kansas Republican Caucus on February 9 so I can participate.