eDebate

Although there have been a few skirmishes already, tonight is labeled the first 'official' debate of the Democratic contenders for President.

Sponsored jointly by CNN and YouTube, Democratic candidates will meet at 6:00 pm to respond to questions that have been posted on YouTube. Then there will be more:

The next DNC-approved debate is scheduled for Aug. 19 in Iowa, followed by an official debate in New Hampshire in late September and four more debates in early-primary states after that. With the candidates already spending so much time in the early-voting states, those debates are considered the least disruptive to meeting the other demands of campaigning.

I plan on watching, and so should you!

Flash

UPDATE: The Fix previews what the four top tier candidates need to do. I can't argue with his take on Richardson. This is a crucial time in his campaign:

Bill Richardson: Richardson's fundraising in the second quarter was surprisingly strong, and his early ads in Iowa and New Hampshire are helping him move up in the polls. And yet, no candidate has been more disappointing in the debates than Richardson. He has looked awkward on stage and unable to trim his answers to the required format. His advisers are no doubt aware of these problems, so look for Richardson to be a bit smoother tonight (it would be almost impossible for him to be less smooth). Expect Richardson also to focus on his plan to remove all troops from Iraq by the end of the year -- an attempt to distinguish his position from those of Clinton, Obama and Edwards.