Yesterday's debate
Posted: Friday, December 14, 2007 9:31 AM by Mark Murray
The New York Times says that Clinton’s answer on her health-care failure from the 1990s (in which she said she learned from her mistake) and Obama’s slight jab at Hillary after he was asked about having former Clinton Administration officials as advisers “were among the few ripples in an otherwise placid 90-minute forum, where, in a sharp departure from past debates, not one of the six Democratic candidates attacked another by name. Instead, with three weeks to go until the first-in-the-nation caucuses there, the candidates took the opportunity to make friendly pitches to Iowa voters. Strategists fear that voters could be turned off by an increasingly negative tone in the campaign.”
The Des Moines Register writes the theme of the debate was: “Who can most credibly usher in change?”
The Los Angeles Times characterizes the debate as an exchange of "gentle words." More: "The candidates seemed worse for wear. Obama, showing muted energy, talked wistfully of having less than two hours to buy a Christmas tree and trim it with his two young daughters. He raised the question of whether the personal sacrifice of campaigning was worth it -- without answering his own query."
The Politico's Smith: "The debate did not … produce a moment likely to change the direction of the race as the campaign shifts from one fought out in the national media to one whose only significant events take place on the ground in a handful of states - primarily Iowa - and in a media environment muffled by the holidays and the snow."
The Des Moines Register’s Yepsen gives the debate to Biden. “Biden, Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson turned in some of their best debate performances of the 2008 campaign and were the day's biggest gainers. Biden’s showing was the best of the day. The top tier contenders - Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards - all had excellent afternoons. But nothing happened or was said to knock Obama off his stride. Since he leads in the polls in Iowa, the event still leaves him ahead in the contest.”
And he was critical of his own paper’s format: ”Another problem with Thursday’s debate is - like Wednesday’s gathering of Republicans - it wasn’t a debate at all. There was no interchange between the candidates. While that makes for a polite, civil affair, it also makes for a sleepy one that’s heavy on canned sound-bites.”
Speaking of, the Washington Post's Milbank writes about debate moderator Carolyn Washburn. “Washburn, the earnest and schoolmarmish editor of the Des Moines Register, stunned the political world when she announced, at the beginning of the Republican debate on Wednesday, that she did not want to talk about Iraq and immigration, at least not in any ‘concentrated’ way. She continued that policy Thursday with the Democrats, asking not a single question about Iraq. The words ‘terrorist,’ ‘Iran,’ ‘Pakistan’ and ‘al-Qaeda’ didn't get even a single mention.”
“What did viewers get instead? ‘Tell us your New Year's resolution for 2008,’ Washburn proposed. Groans emanated from the media room down the hall. Hillary Clinton said she would exercise more. Barack Obama said he would be a better father. Richardson pledged to lose weight. Here's a resolution for Washburn: Try not to moderate any more presidential debates.”
The Boston Globe’s Canellos wraps the Democratic debate and says Obama was “thoughtful and presidential, offering wonky details.” More: “Obama has never been a particularly vivid presence in the debates, but yesterday he was boring with a purpose: convincing voters he was no flash in the pan, no meteor headed for a crash landing. His sober, serious performance did him no harm.” Clinton “had a complementary agenda, seeking to add a little more inspiration and uplift to her campaign, which has been sagging in some polls.” He called Clinton’s veiled swipe at Obama (change by hoping for it) and Edwards (demanding it) a “good line.”
At a town hall north of Des Moines, Edwards embraced the veiled attack Hillary Clinton leveled at him (and Obama) on the issue of change at yesterday’s debate, NBC/N’s Tricia Miller reports. Edwards said the debate showed the candidates have “fundamental differences about what it takes to put those ideas into place.” He continued, “I believe we have to demand change in this country, and I think we have to fight for that change. I don’t think it’s going to come on its own. And I’m not talking about fighting with politicians. The last thing anybody’s interested in is seeing a bunch of politicians fight. I’m talking about the president of the United States fighting against the powerful interests that stand between you and all of the things that America needs.”
