Broadcasting & Cable’s Ben Grossman writes about the CNN Democratic debate in LA…

Nobody was happier to see John Edwards drop out of the presidential race last week than CNN. That’s because it set up what many Americans—and CNN—wanted to see last Thursday: a one-on-one debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

And while the debate didn’t turn into the slugfest many expected, it set the stage for a riveting Super Tuesday matchup between the top Democratic candidates.

No one had a better seat for the historic proceedings in Los Angeles than CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer. In a manic six-hour stretch, Blitzer anchored a live show from what looked like a rock-concert setting outside the Kodak Theatre, then moderated the head-to-head debate, with barely an hour in between to catch his breath.

It was the fifth debate Blitzer has moderated this campaign season. But he and everyone at CNN could feel this was different.

“This is Ali-Frazier, baby,” CNN’s John King told me excitedly two hours before the debate, hitting his fists together as he referred to the legendary 1971 heavyweight title bout.