Here are some thumbnail sketches from my perspective on the candidate performances in the 7th District debate last night:

David Orentlicher–He was over prepared and over caffeinated.  Nevertheless, he gets points for being aggressive, drawing contrasts, and challenging the other candidates.

André Carson–He held his own against a group of challengers who are all more experienced.  He needed to make sure he didn’t stumble and he did that.

Carolene Mays–She got stronger as the debate went along, but probably wasn’t strong enough.  More than any of the candidates, she needed to hit a home run and didn’t.

Woody Myers–His was a strong performance.  He demonstrated a firm grasp of the issues  while displaying confidence and gravitas.