US: The nine Democratic Party presidential hopefuls debated in Durham, New Hampshire but none seemed like presidential material. ConorO'Clery was there.
In the last of 25 performances around the country of the great Democratic Party debate circus, the captives finally turned on their whip master.
They were infuriated by an instruction from moderator Ted Koppel of ABC News at the start to raise their hands if they believed Mr Howard Dean could beat President George Bush in 2004.
Of the nine candidates seeking the Democratic Party nomination, only Mr Dean put his hand up.
Outsider Mr Dennis Kucinich accused Koppel of trivialising the issues, noting that there were 130,000 troops in Iraq and they should instead be discussing how to get them out. This drew a cheer from the audience in Durham, a university town in New Hampshire where the first Democratic primary takes place in six weeks.
Mr Koppel then tried to get the performers to play tricks with each other, asking Senator John Kerry what was it that Mr Dean was doing right to be so far ahead in the polls.
"If I were an impolite person I would tell you where you can take your polls," the Massachusetts senator retorted, visibly fuming.
More was to come when the ABC presenter asked the contestants who had raised the least money why they didn't simply drop out instead of continuing their "vanity" candidacies. "I want the American people to see where the media takes politics in this country," replied Mr Kucinich angrily, again raising loud cheers from the audience.
The Rev Al Sharpton said that by the logic of the question they could leave the race to Mr Bush who would have the most money to spend in the presidential election.
The debate is the last before the New Hampshire primary next month in which Mr Dean is 25 per centage points clear of the field.
Watching it one was left with the impression that the ideal Democratic candidate would have Mr Dean's popularity, Mr Sharpton's wit, Mr Kerry's foreign policy expertise, Mr Kucinich's outrage, Gen Wesley Clark's national security credentials, Congressman Dick Gephardt's health plan, Senator John Edwards's good looks, Senator Joe Lieberman's gravitas and former Senator Carol Moseley Braun's homeliness.
But none was able to combine these talents on the night.
Front-runner Mr Dean was subdued, as if not wanting to appear triumphant after his stunning endorsement by former vice president Mr Al Gore yesterday morning.
Senator Lieberman, who was Mr Gore's running mate in 2000, claimed that his chances had actually increased because of the betrayal because people were "angry" at the attempt to anoint a candidate.
The Rev Sharpton accused Mr Gore, who said only Mr Dean could ignite enthusiasm among voters, of "bossism" and Mr Edwards protested at the attempt to stage a "coronation" before a vote was cast.
"The race is not over until the votes have been cast and counted," said Senator Kerry, to loud applause, indicating that Mr Gore's nomination had not gone down well with many New Hampshire voters. Mr Koppel kept needling the candidates. He asked Gen Clark if he would accept an endorsement from the Clintons.
"You know, I've never really thought about that," the general replied to hoots of laughter in the media room.
"Oh sure, you have," said Koppel, who said he smelled "sour grapes" in the reaction to Mr Gore's endorsement (which Democratic Party chairman Mr Terry McAuliffe admitted after the debate had also come as a shock to him). When the debate did get down to real issues, sharp differences on the Iraq war emerged. Senator Lieberman alone continued to support the invasion of Iraq.
Mr Dean said: "The tragedy is we're stuck there" and troops would have to stay a number of years - raising jibes that he was against the war but for the occupation. Gen Clark and Mr Kerry advocated internationalising the occupation, and Mr Kucinich said the US should withdraw 90 days after a UN resolution handing Iraq over to international care. Mr Dean tried to get the discussion onto the economy but by then there was little time for anything more than soundbites - and a bit of humour.
When the Rev Sharpton said he regularly communed with God, Mr Lieberman asked him to mention his name, to which Mr Sharpton replied: "I have, and I'll tell you in private his reply."