ALBUQUERQUE, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Campaign teams for Democratic presidential hopefuls are in full analysis mode Friday after a New Mexico debate, the Los Angeles Times said Friday.
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who has surged to front-runner status in the race, came away from the 90-minute University of New Mexico debate largely unscathed, as rivals mentioned their differences mostly in passing.
Thursday night's forum format did not give each candidate the chance to answer every question, which also made it more difficult to draw contrasts or confront one another.
The debate, broadcast live on public television, brought together all but one of the candidates for the Democratic nomination. The Rev. Al Sharpton missed the debate when bad weather in New York thwarted his travel plans.
During the debate, several of the questions were posed in both English and Spanish, and a handful of the candidates -- Dean, Lieberman and Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio -- sprinkled in a few Spanish phrases of their own, with varying success.
