Iraq Dominates as Dems Head Into Second Debate

June 1, 2007 — -- Since the Democratic candidates last met on a debate stage, Congress gave President Bush his war-funding bill, lawmakers announced an immigration deal, two Hillary Clinton biographies have been published and the country learned that John Edwards earned enough from a hedge fund to pay for many, many $400 haircuts.

But Sunday's Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire appears likely to turn on familiar themes for Democrats, including one overarching issue that figures to dominate candidates' exchanges for the second consecutive presidential campaign: Iraq.

"It was the major issue four years ago, and it will be now," said Erik Smith, a Democratic consultant who was a top adviser to Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., in 2004 but is not affiliated with any 2008 candidate. "What's more than dominate? It's going to consume it. People care about issues like health care, but Iraq is driving people more than anything."

If history is a guide, the eight Democrats who will share the stage in Manchester Sunday evening will be more ready to tangle with each other than they were in their first exchange of the campaign, the mostly gentle April 26 debate in South Carolina.

Top-tier candidates mostly want to avoid stumbles, while sharpening their differences with others in the field and delivering a few lines that voters might remember.

For the second tier, this debate is a valuable opportunity to make a name with just four weeks left in the vital second quarter fundraising period -- where results could set campaign dynamics for months to come.

"It's a long summer where a lot of people won't be paying attention to the race at all," said Dante Scala, a politics professor at St. Anselm College, which is hosting Sunday's debate. "The folks in the second tier have got to find a way to engage the first tier, and make it seem like they're actually competing with them. Why not throw some caution to the wind and go after them?"