By Pamela Gentry, Senior Politcal Producer

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Posted Jan. 22, 2008) – Last night’s debate was the most fired up and confrontational one I’ve seen.  The three remaining candidates came armed, each with at different strategy and an arsenal of new ammunition. 

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) decided to approach the debate with a national focus, not honing in on the host state South Carolina.  She was looking ahead to Super Tuesday, just in case recent polls giving Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) a slight edge prove to be accurate. 

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards came to the debate to stake his claim in a state he really needs to win.  His southern comfort was the calm during the heated exchanges between Clinton and Obama. 

Obama’s strategy was to secure a win in South Carolina and to let former President Bill Clinton know to back off. 

The question is did their strategies work? 

The candidates stuck to issues vital to their base, the economy, health care and fiscal responsibility, and tried to highlight their vague policy differences.

For example, Clinton started her campaign for national health care and an early attack on the Republicans’ opposition.  “It is not government-run.  It has the advantage of being proven, so that we can withstand what will be obviously the attacks coming from the Republicans, and the right, and the drug companies, and the health insurance companies,” she said.
 
Edwards wanted folks to take a second look, or a first, while the back–and-forth between Clinton and Obama was underway.  Edwards decided to take the high road in hopes of wooing undecided voters.   Edwards told the crowd, “What I want to say first is, there are three people in this debate, not two.

“I also want to know on behalf of voters here in South Carolina, this kind of squabbling, how many children is this going to get health care? How many people are going to get an education from this,” Edwards asked.   “We have got to understand – you know, and I respect both of my fellow candidates – but we have got to understand this is not about us personally.”

Obama got a jab in at his campaign nemesis Bill Clinton, saying sometimes he wasn’t sure whom he is running against.  So when Obama was asked about the charges the Clinton’s made that he had no way to account for proposed new programs, he  shot back, “This, I think, is one of the things that’s happened during the course of this campaign, that there’s a set of assertions made by Sen. Clinton, as well as her husband, that are not factually accurate.”

Edwards and Obama will be spending the majority of their time in South Carolina to press the flesh and grab as many voters as possible for Saturday’s primary.  Clinton will be splitting her time in a few other Super Tuesday states. 

So who do you think won?