Kenneth Duberstein, chief of staff to former President Reagan, said Friday that Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani are in the best positions to secure their parties’ nominations.

Duberstein spoke at a Brookings Institution forum at UNLV. His remarks were followed by a panel discussion on foreign policy.

On Hillary Clinton’s performance at the debate:

Bill Clinton would say she handled the boys. She was in command. It is hers now to lose, but she is still fully capable of losing.

On other Democrats:

Barack Obama was OK. But OK is not sufficient.

Joe Biden probably cemented his role as the next secretary of state if Clinton gets elected.

Bill Richardson’s campaign - not simply for the presidency, but also the
vice presidency - ended last night. He made a Jimmy Carter-esque comment
when he said that human rights are more important than national security.

On Giuliani:

Nobody is ambivalent about Giuliani. You either love him, or he hates you (laughter). It is more than 9/11, it is more than the hero. He has become a change agent, in large part because of social issues. But it distinguishes him from George W. Bush. That gives Rudy a bit of an upper hand.

On the Republicans:

The party is in chaos. Mitt Romney has an issue with the flip-flop. He’s become the Republican Party’s counterpart to John Kerry in 2004.

–David McGrath Schwartz