Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Barack Obama might be inexperienced, but when it comes to debating he appears to be a fast learner.

Yesterday’s Democratic debate in Iowa, aired nationally on ABC, showcased the Illinois senator facing attacks from rivals with a dose of humor and a knack for the well-aimed counterpunch. At the peak of those assaults on his lack of experience, Obama deflected with a laugh line, saying, “To prepare for this debate, I rode in the bumper cars at the state fair.”

But he also effectively hit back at his more experienced opponents, noting that most had supported the war in Iraq. And he provoked applause from Democratic partisans in the debate hall with a telling observation about the pitfalls of experience: “Nobody had more experience than Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney.”