I didnt see a debate thread started.
I just tuned in at the end of the immigration answers. They really dont disagree on much. It turns into a gotcha re: drivers licenses.
I am an Obama supporter but I like them both. I will be glad when primaries are over.
Please share widely!
Frankly, Clinton was my 3rd or 4th choice. I miss many of the men who are not on the stage tonight. That said, it is nice to have a genuine policy discussion with in-depth answers rather than some WWE-style sound bite free-for-all. We’re seeing some real discussion, candidates reacting to each other. This is what a debate should be, despite these pathetic attempts by the “moderators” to divide them.
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p>As for the primary process, I would say that some other liberal community blogs are nigh unreadable due to primary wars. While tempers can run high around here, I will say that things are pretty civil, which reflects well on so many people around here.
each other almost sound gratuitous, so that there is some action.
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p>Now they are going to address Iraq. I know being against war from beginning is one of Obama campaigns favorite points but I hope he does not rely on that.
…the happier Team Obama gets. If he beats her on the closing statements, he’ll have salvaged a draw tonight.
If Hillary cant control Bill now how can she control him when she is in white House. Hillary good-naturedly says both she and Barack have passionate spouses. She says at the end of the day –it is up to the president to be making the decisions.
Strange on how the distribution of tickets and all got so tilted. Granted, Wolf deserves some of those boos for his inanities, but it doesn’t feel balanced to my ears.
I didn’t get that impression…I thought the questions were tougher for Hillary, and the crowd seemed to like them both.
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p>Overall, I don’t think this debate was very meaningful for peoples’ votes on Tuesday.
far the loudest applause was when they each expressed unity sentiments.
…but you know the media will do their utmost to spin any disagreements as bickering. The mild differences on Iraq will be pumped up (to Obama’s advantage). The gentle disagreements on health care may be exaggerated (to Hillary’s advantage).
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p>Even watching the the CNN post-coverage, they’re saying stuff that you can tell they’d decided to say this morning (Bill Clinton, Iraq, Bill Clinton, sharp exchanges, Bill Clinton, battle, Iraq, experience, Bill Clinton).
….was finally an opportunity for both Obama and Clinton, in the same room, to describe in specific just what comprises their level of experience. Quickly shirking off the first lady frame presented by Wolf Blitzer Clinton rattled off a 35 year record inclusive of her time in the white house as a spouse that fairly irrefutably dwarfed that of Obama. Whether it matters to one or not, it is clear that Clinton has the most and greatest variety of experience.
Don’t know who is worse Russert or Wolf. But luckily, our candidates were both good.
After watching tonight’s debate, the best feeling you walk away with is that this year the Democratic party has a Nominee who will beat McCain…either one of them will defeat the GOP.
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p>Nice job all around tonight.
this debate shows why I am proud to be a Democrat. I’m probably leaning toward Obama tonight, but I like them both and I think they’re great. The answers coming out of both of them on a diverse range of subjects — health care, foreclosures, Iraq, the economy — is so much different than what it coming out of the Republican side.
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p>Maybe it’s being cheesey but I think tonight shows why America will identify with the Democratic message this year rather than the status quo Republican argument.
…if Hillary was given 24 straight hours to talk about Iraq she couldn’t convince anyone that she knew what she was doing in 2002. That was the weakest part of the debate. (Nader is home licking his chops contemplating a Clinton nomination.)
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p>Without Iraq, I think Hillary did very well with her confidence and command. But Iraq is critically important and I would give the two hours to Obama by a few points. I am interested in hearing what other Edwards people think as I make my decision on Tuesday.
…one take her at her word. I support the concept of coercive diplomacy and the threat of force has worked before. If it had been H.W. instead of W. we would never have invaded Iraq. I believe her and I know for a fact that I am not alone.
If you want consistent opposition to the war then you have to go with Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich who both (I believe) voted against every authorization and war funding bill. Something neither Hillary or Obama can say they did. Let’s move on. Both Hillary and Obama know what needs to be done now and on that there is little day light between them other than what Snarky Blitzer tried to wedge in there.
Iraq was her weakest moment. And fact is there’s no way to spin a wrong answer as a right one, and she’s stuck with a wrong answer on Iraq. However, on immigration she tied or better, and on health care, Hillary had control.
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p>But transcendent debate moments don’t emerge that night, but a few days later. If anything comes out of this debate that will move votes, though, I bet it will be her reaction — and the crowd’s reaction — the three times that Wolf Blitzer tried to bully her after she answered. If you want sympathy, there’s nothing like a crotchety white man trying to “re-phrase” a woman’s answers to suit his needs.
In my opinion, Hillary clearly won the debate tonight. She was on target with every answer, and didn’t get off point once.
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p>Barack seemed to be a little distant and not always answering clearly.
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p>Hillary has my vote. And she changed the mind of a few of my friends (in California). They were die hard Obama supporters, but not anymore.
they are both great candidates as we all saw tonight
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p>Hillary was strong as usual in discussing health care, but I think Obama for the first time had the room in the debate to talk about the problems of a mandate and defending his plan better than he had in any other debate.
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p>People like Wolf Blitzer and Tim Russert shouldn’t be called “moderators” – if anything they’re “instigators”
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p>The Iraq question, Hillary clearly lost in discussing the invasion, but they are both clearly on the same page as far as ending the occupation. The 2002 vote still gives me worries about future decisions (re Iran, etc) and that’s something Hillary still needs to prove to people.
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p>I think anyone who tries to minimize the importance of Hillary’s role as First Lady in the 90s is way off target: she was the most active (in both advocacy and day-to-day policy) First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, and I think only Betty Ford comes close to those two on the their importance in the administrations. For my generation, Hillary Clinton was the prime example of what a First Lady should be: a chief advisor to the President and an independant activist.
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p>On the experience issue, Hillary and Barack have served about the same amount of time in elected office, but both have been active in public life since college. Given the 14 year age gap, Hillary’s about 35 years and Barack’s about 23 years show a similar level of dedication to service.
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p>I finished the watching the debate still very strong in my choice to support Barack Obama for president, but defintely have a greater appreciation of how great both of them are.
and I actually thought Wolf started off pretty well, asking substantive questions and giving lots of time for answers. I don’t think the crowd was tilted either way. The only booing I heard was when Wolf tried to re-frame Hillary’s answer to mean “I was naive.” This was such an obviously skewed and provocative question, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some Obama supporters booing, as well. I don’t think the reaction was becasue Hillary was somehow put at an disadvantage, but that Wolf was clearly trying to manipulate the tone of the debate.
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p>As for the Iraq question, I understood what Hillary was saying, but it’s clear that she will never have an answer that satisfies most of her critics. I think Pat Buchanan was right on when he said “She can never say that she was wrong on the biggest decision she has made. Apologizing certainly never helped Edwards.”
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p>I must say I don’t get the motivation behind the constant insistence that she “apologize”. What would it ever do, except help her commit political suicide? The people that are most strident about it are not going to suddenly switch from Obama to Hillary just because she apologized. I, like many people, was against the war from the start, and after being called a terrorist lover and traitor for so long, certainly felt a sense of vindication as the nation finally woke up to what the war was all about. I can’t help but think that a lot of the demands for her to apologize come from people who just want to hear her say “I was wrong and you were right.” Personally, I can get past that and look to the future.
I’ve been torn on Obama v. Hillary for months (admittedly with a tendency to lean toward Hillary) but going in to the debate last night, I knew it was going to be the ‘be all end all’ for me. In the debate last night, I really felt that Hillary’s answers were more specific and substantive than Obama’s.
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p>Look, Obama is a great speaker and a great symbol of hope for the Democratic party. But I really believe he is over promising. Hillary gets crap for not setting a specific date for withdrawal from Iraq (for example) but I think she’s just being realistic that you can’t just set a date and that’s it. She wants to begin withdrawing immediately but be flexible as to the needs to the citizens there and our diplomacy with the government and I think that’s exactly how it will happen and needs to happen. And she knows healthcare backward and forward and is definitely more likely to get something sizeable accomplished there compared to Obama.
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p>I can just see Obama getting to office and obviously not screwing things up like Bush did, but not necessarily following through on all that he’s promised either, because he can’t. It’s impossible. He’s promised a dream world. Obama and Deval Patrick are friends and I see a lot of similarities between the two, and while I love Deval and supported him in MA because he truly was the best candidate, next to someone like Hillary, with a plan and the experience, Obama is not the best candidate. When Deval got to office, he had to face some harsh realities like the budget and the push back from the legislature and he has been criticized for not bringing about the change and the hope and the dream world that he promised. Because he can’t–and neither can Obama. And the only thing that is going to bring about the real change that Obama touts is the smarts and the experience and the real plans to get things done. Not fancy rhetoric, not big dreams.
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p>So, I’m with Hillary. Officially.
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p>(ps. Hopefully this won’t turn in to a debate about Deval because that wasn’t my intention. I’ll be the first to admit that I admire the man and think he’s doing a great job on the whole. I just think there is a slight yet undeniable divide between the character he ran on and the course of his time in office thus far.)
I’m glad you made the choice you did, Hillary’s a great woman, and will make an amazing president.