Malveaux: Audience Won Debate for Booing Edwards and Obama

If you had any questions about how much Thursday's Democrat presidential debate, sponsored by the Clinton News Network, was staged so that Hillary, who had an abysmal two weeks heading into the event, could mount a comeback, they were answered on Sunday's "Late Edition."

During this installment of the CNN program hosted by Wolf Blitzer, White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux actually proclaimed the audience attending the event one of the winners for playing such a significant role.

What did the audience do that was so key in Malveaux's view?

"They booed Senator Edwards, they booed Senator Obama, and really I think kind of framed and changed kind of the tone of the debate" (partial transcript follows, video available here):

You know I think the other winner too was really the audience, because they played such a significant role. I mean, twice they were, uh. They booed Senator Edwards, they booed Senator Obama, and really I think kind of framed and changed kind of the tone of the debate, because you saw Edwards take a back seat after Hillary Clinton went after him on mudslinging. And you saw Obama on the defensive here, and that largely had to do with the role the audience played.

Of course, given how CNN -- or somebody! -- stocked the supposedly undecided audience members that asked questions, one wonders just what percentage of Hillary fans were invited to this event versus those of the other candidates.

Or am I being too cynical?

Post facto question: Given all we're learning about this event, could it go down as the most staged debate in history done so specifically to create an outcome the sponsoring media outlet wanted? If so, is it CNN that was responsible, or the campaign that most benefited?