Disclaimer: Reid Wilson worked for Senator Chris Dodd, a participant in tonight's debate.

Democratic candidates for President faced some tricky questions -- on reparations for slavery, same-sex marriage and other hot-button issues -- in the first-ever debate to utilize YouTube, broadcast tonight on CNN from the Citadel in South Carolina.

Prior to this, the first DNC-sanctioned debate, DNC Chairman Howard Dean and Congressman Jim Clyburn, the dean of the South Carolina Democratic Party, joined candidates on stage for a photo op, sending perhaps an inadvertent signal by flanking Senator Hillary Clinton, the front-runner who stood at center-stage.

During the two hour debate, candidates sounded familiar themes: Clinton declared she was ready to lead; Senator Barack Obama said America needs a new and different leader; former Senator Mike Gravel complained that he rarely got to speak, and Representative Dennis Kucinich reminded everyone that he has always opposed the war.

In what has so far been a relatively cordial campaign, candidates began to try and distinguish themselves from other candidates. Former Senator John Edwards launched the first shot of the night, just moments in. "Do you believe that compromise, triangulation, will bring about big change?" he asked, referring to a strategy perfected by former President Bill Clinton. "I do not." Later, Edwards took Obama to task, saying Obama's health care plan would not offer universal coverage, and that it was offered months after Edwards'.

"There's a difference between the senators and me," New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said at several points, attempting to draw his own distinctions and break into the top tier. Richardson literally asked for a fight: "I hope I get challenged," he said. Only Delaware Senator Joe Biden took him up on the offer.

One questioner, asking whether the candidates would work for minimum wage, incited the first lob at Obama. The Illinois Senator pointed out that everyone on the stage was relatively wealthy, though no one had "Mitt Romney money," taking a shot at the former Massachusetts governor with whom he has clashed this week. "I don't even have Barack Obama money," Biden shot back to laughter.

Obama launched one attack line which, thanks to host Anderson Cooper, went unrebutted by its target, Clinton. These two called the line -- when Obama suggested Clinton's call for a withdrawal from Iraq was delayed -- the news of the evening. "The time to ask how we were going to get out of Iraq was before we went in," he said.

At the end of the night, no candidate dropped the ball, and every candidate has clearly grown into the experience of debating. Clinton continued her run of strong performances, including the laugh line of the night ("I think it is a problem that Bush was elected in 2000."), while Obama's use of the word "um" has dropped off sharply as his debate performance improves.

Edwards sounded strong and became effectively emotional while discussing health care and long-term diseases, an issue that is likely becoming more personal to the former North Carolina senator by the day. Richardson reversed what many have felt were lackluster debate performances. His performance was enhanced by a new version of his popular job application-themed television ads.

Surprisingly, the debate's format, which some had expected to be open to off-the-wall questions, yielded good moments and tough questions. A few questions were poorly presented -- a rock video about No Child Left Behind comes to mind, as does a question on global warming offered by a snowman, while a question about sex education left Edwards revealing what he tells his children and when -- though on the whole, the format worked better than this reporter expected.

For more excellent coverage of the debate, check out the following folks who live-blogged the debate: Chris Cillizza, First Read, Marc Ambinder, ABC's Rick Klein, Hotline's Shira Toeplitz and Politico's Ben Smith.