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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Clinton as the real Democrat?

Posted: Saturday, January 05, 2008 9:53 PM by Chuck Todd

From NBC's Chuck Todd
An operative for one of the campaigns is watching the live dial tests on WMUR's web site. According to this operative, during Edwards' defense of Obama and hit on Clinton over this "change" issue, the Dems and indies both thought highly of Edwards' line. As for Clinton's response, the Dems in the group stuck with her but the indies were turned off completely. Could this mean that Clinton will find some solace in trying to become the "real Democrat" who's been in the trenches for party for the long term? It's how Gore beat Bradley in '00.

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The dems "stuck with her"? Hardly a ringing endorsement of her flash of temper I would say. Stiking only with Democratic voters will be a mistake as Iowa has already shown.
She is the real Democrat!!
OMG there is that laugh again!! She is blowing it!!
Brillant answer from Obama about what the republicans said about him - the football answer was great and even better that he knew the Redskins had lost.
She is, unfortunately, the real Republican.
Obama '08
Chuck did not realize you were a Hillary operative until recently. Your commentary on MSNBC has been leaning more Hillary.
When Richardson starts talking I switch to see who is winning the Steeler game.  His answers a re bit boring.

Kind of funny everybody calling Hillary a real democrat when the DailyKOS people are out for her soul for voting on the Iraq war.
I believe I mention this in an early blog, but let me repeat myself....The is Hillary Clintons new spin "I am a real democrate" so what, that means Senator Obama isn't becuase he includes and of excludes....

Once again Hillary you are still not getting it....WOW
She is a real democrat, and she will win!!!!
I seen in the news this morning Obama's roots were in Kenya, Africa were his Father ie buried. I'm concern
His Loyalty to Kenya would cloud his judgement on imagration reform. Would the flood gates of Africa
open up !!!
I seen in the news this morning Obama's roots were in Kenya, Africa were his Father ie buried. I'm concern
His Loyalty to Kenya would cloud his judgement on imagration reform. Would the flood gates of Africa
open up !!!
Dave Pitts, Golden Valley, AZ (Sent Saturday, January 05, 2008 10:23 PM)
________________________

Before you comment on pieces of information, please try doing research......Sometimes it could be very helpful
Oh, sheesh, Jerry. Don't bring up the Steelers. It was more fun in the 1970s when my Steelers were beating up on your Cowboys.
My mother is a Korean immigrant... and I'm completely against amnesty and opening up the "flood gates".  I don't see your point i guess.
Dave Pitts is obviously a Clinton plant, they are the only ones so far resorting to such dirty tactics.
Oh, my, Hillary totally went ballistic and showed her thin skin when Edwards said she was behind now. What a horribly unattractive response. Not good, Hillary.

Obama did best. He'll win easily on Tuesday. I think Edwards did well too, and will come in second. Hillary could drop to fourth behind Richardson.
Hey, the Steelers are back in it! Forget New Hampshire... if they can pull this out, they're the true comeback kids.
Steelers are losing, ain't like the old 70's team.
She did well for the most part, didn't do well answering Edwards change comment though.
She made a good point about India and going after Osama.
Obama and Edwards did very well, we should see them rise further in the polls.
Richardson should not be there, Biden should be sitting in his seat, I blame the media for that!
The repubs sucked tonight, they were all over the place, still trying to grab the "I am more conservative than you' which is good for dems.
Hillary stuffed that punk Edwards back in his place. Change? What does Edwards know about it?
Who is the best candidate?
It's not Bill Richardson, he makes Bush look smart when he talks.
It's not Edwards. He is so for standing up against lobbyists and standing up for the middle class, but what in his record would he turn to when looking at a possible nuclear threat? Standing in picket lines will not help him there.
Obama has a whole 2 years of national policy experience. He has not sat on any foreign policy committees. He has no experience there to deal with a nuclear/terroristic threat against the country.
Hillary is the only candidate with vast national and foreign policy experience to lead from day one. Whether you like her personality or not, you cannot deny her experience with foreign policy.
Would it have absolutely KILLED Obama or Clinton to show their human side and admit even a tiny bit of fault in the final question about things they wish they hadn't said in previous debates?  Both only saw it fit to deliver yet more of their pandering rhetoric, while Edwards and Richarson at least were willing to admit one or more mistakes and play them for a laugh.

For me, it was a flashback to the '03 debate where George Bush "couldn't think of any mistakes he might have made," or someting to that effect, during his first term as President.

Note to Obama and Clinton:  if you profess to care so much about us "little people" out here, start acting like one.
My wife is a statistician, based on Hillary logic, I am qualified for a job as a statistician, because we are married and I have been involved in discussions about statistics.  Unless you have direct experience you cannot claim the experience of your spouse.  What legislation did Hillary pass while Bill was pres? How many foreign governments did she negotiate with?  The answers none/no one.  Besides that she is bought and paid for by special interests and corporations.  She makes a good republican.  She votes for the war and takes corporate money.  
I am so proud and encouraged by Sen. Edwards's performance tonight. He clearly WON the debate. The highlight: when he said, the fight against Big Money's stranglehold on government is "personal" for him.

He said (paraphrasing) "if the fight for an issue is political or academic, a president will give up on it. Because its a personal issue for JRE, he said that he would never give up fighting for working people. I love that!

This daughter of Appalachia who worked on Wall Street has seen the Two Americas up close and personal. One of them is corrupt, immoral, and has an iron grip on our government.  

Only one candidate is standing up to tell the truth about it. Go John go!!!!
John, Idaho ......... I think you need to check Senate records where you will find Senator Obama(D) has worked very closely with Senator Lugar(R) on  Nuclear Non-Proliferation, co-sponsoring very needed new legislation for the upgraded control of nuclear and biological weapons and traveling to all of the old Soviet Union weapons storage sites together.  Senator Lugar, as I'm sure you know, is the recognized expert in Congress and has worked very closely with Senator Obama in this area.  None of the other candidates on either side has this experience.
Obama is the establishment candidate. He is a media darling and he will fold under the Republican attack machine if he is the nominee. He can handle coverage that is not necessarily negative but merely skeptical. If he has to come up with something beyond his 2 year Senate record, he is going to be in trouble.

Edwards is telling the truth, this is personal for him. He is acting like a bitter ex-girlfriend who cannot stand having been rejected last time around. I am sick of someone who works for hedge funds bandying his "I'm with the little guy, my daddy worked in a mill" populist "credentials." He wants to ride Obama's coattails, but he looks like a hypocrite for not criticizing him for having a lobbyist for a campaign chair in NH. This guy has been out of office for a while, he could not keep his Senate seat, and he will attack Hillary if it means sacrificing his so-called anti-lobbyist zeal or correcting her fashion. He is a phony!

I am so glad someone finally pointed out that this so-called Patients' Bill of Rights that Edwards talks about is non-existent.

I like Hillary, but she needs to fire Mark Penn, run a better campaign, and be a lot more accessible to the media. The clique that is the corps of journalists are hostile to her because they are the people who were the school newspaper geeks in high school and college. They need to have their egos stroked and have their need to be liked engaged in a way that does not trigger their insecurities. Her attempts at bringing them bagels yesterday was hamhanded and looked bad. She needs to grant an interview to say, a, Chris Matthews. All the other fat kids will wonder how he got one. He will be nicer to her in order to keep access and the others will change their coverage in order to get it. She needs to remember that she is no longer First Lady and entitled to keep the media away. She should smile and make nice now with an eye towards exacting revenge when she is in the White House, where she can kick people out once there.
Hillary misunderstand's Obama's appeal on a fundamental level.  She says she's worked for change.  She has worked for changes in policy.  Obama's appeal is that he wants to change politics itself.  It may be an impossible task, but it's the only way certain big issues are going to be addressed in any kind of meaningful way.
Obama went to Africa with Oprah and claimed "it's great to be home."
All this questioning experience points out.. Obama isn't **personally** going to be doing much of this anyway.  How many decisions do we really, truly believe Bush is making without experienced advisors?

The Chief Executive's job is to put the right experts in places to enable him to make the right decision. I believe Obama is that capable, at the least.  Therefore, all this about Clinton's "experience" is a moot point for this Democrat.

I'm voting Obama.
Did you guys watch the debate?
Hillary planted a story in the AP and quoted the same story against Obama. She is really mean.
Hey Michael,
My people came from Scotland, if I visited there I would feel like I had come home to my roots too, what is really your point?
YEAH SHE S THE REAL DEMOCRAT, YOU KNOW THE IMORALITY PARTY.  SORRY THERE'S NOT ENOUGH LESBIANS TO ELECT HER


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