Democratic primary race unites party
Kerry, Edwards play nice during debate
By Bill Schneider
CNN Political Unit
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John Edwards and John Kerry at Thursday's CNN/Los Angeles Times debate.
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The Democratic presidential contenders debate their electability, gay marriage and President Bush's record.
Sen. John Edwards says the issue of gay marriage should be left to states, and not the federal government.
Sen. John Kerry assails President Bush on his proposed marriage amendment and on Iraq.
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- The Democratic race for the presidential nomination is down to two major contenders. But the contest isn't splitting the party -- it's uniting the party.
And it's the political Play of the Week.
When the nomination race is down to two serious contenders, things are supposed to get rough. Usually charges and counter-charges are thrown around and there's some bitterness on each side.
But none of that was apparent at the debate Thursday night in Los Angeles, California.
Instead, you got the sense that John Kerry and John Edwards actually like each other.
Or at least respect each other.
Oh sure, they stressed their differences. This was a debate, after all.
"We got to really, for the first time, in many ways, talk about some of the difference that exist between Senator Kerry and myself," Edwards, a freshman senator from North Carolina, said after the debate.
Kerry, a four-term veteran of the U.S. Senate, stated, "I think there is a significant difference in my preparedness, my readiness to be president of the United States."
Edwards needs to shake up the race. So it was up to him to go on the attack. Which he did -- without rancor.
"I also think we need to change the influence of Washington lobbyists. And that is a distinction," Edwards said during the debate.
Kerry's response? No it isn't.
"There's not really a difference in this race between us in our commitment to get the lobbying out," the Massachusetts Democrat said.
Edwards was invited to take the gloves off when one member of the journalistic panel asked about connecting with voters in the South and in the border states in the general election. Edwards has argued that he would have more appeal to Southern voters in the general election than Kerry.
But Edwards didn't go after Kerry on that point during the debate.
"I think it depends on what's happening in the country at the moment," he said. "What I know is that I can."
Both Kerry and Edwards act like spirited competitors playing for the same team who actually like each other.
So who wins? Not Edwards. He has to make Democrats change their minds about Kerry.
The winner is the Democratic Party, which gets the best of both worlds -- a contest that continues to grab media attention without dividing the party.
What Democrats watching the debate saw was not a brawl. They saw a ticket.
