Iraq turning tide toward Obama?

Posted: Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:42 PM by Chuck Todd

From NBC's Chuck Todd
The Iraq section of this debate was not good for Clinton.

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Comments

That was a beatdown on the Iraq issue. Obama is clearly a better debater when going one on one..

joe smith (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:48 PM)

I think its because she's on the wrong side. She just said we need diplomacy in the region, including Syria and Iran, it debunks her previous stance on not negotiating with Iran. Make up your mind Hil.

Lisa Stiffler (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:50 PM)

The Iraq portion of the debate was not the highest point for HRC tonight and I believe it is her weakest argument, much like John Kerry's flip-flops in 2004.

Tim, Austin, TX (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:51 PM)

I agree. I thought the debate was pretty evenly split until the Iraq part. The way Obama made the distinction between looking back and knowing the right answer the first time was a good line.

Ryan, Portland, OR (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:54 PM)

Obama is on fire tonight...

Bee (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:55 PM)

A decent debate by both. My reaction remains flat to Hillary and rejuvenated by Barack. Although I'm really trying to be as excited about Hillary, I still keep getting an image of President Bill Clinton behind his desk in the Oval Office! Maybe therapy will help...

CT (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:56 PM)

Was Hillary for it or against it tonight.

Boolean Alger (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:58 PM)

THERE IS CLEARLY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CLINTON AND OBAMA. HILLARY HAS THE REAL EXPERIENCE TO MAKE THE CHANGES NECESSARY, "HAPPEN". HILLARY WINS THIS DEBATE, HANDS DOWN. hillaryclinton.com , come visit today !

Z (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:58 PM)

the ny times' caucus blog is beating you guys at blogging the debate. up the ante a little bit will you?

Mo (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 9:59 PM)

obama has a solid position, he opposed the war from the beginning, she could not even find time to read the intelligence report, or she might have also voted against. so much for her poor judgment.

Mary Kirkland, Burlington, VT.. (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:00 PM)

Score this one for Hillary !

Bow Adams, SanDiego, Ca. (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:00 PM)

Hack.

Mary, St. Louis (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:01 PM)

Obama came off as being very cold, and alufe'. Not much excitement here.

Mark Miller, Hayward, Ca. (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:01 PM)

Chuck Todd you and the entire MSNBC team except Dan Abrams (who is fair) are biased against Hillary Clinton. It's a 24/7 hit job. Stop. Sen. Clinton is clearly the best candidate, most experienced, most intelligent, most politically skilled candidate in the race. Bar none. As for Iraq, Obama & Clinton have IDENTICAL voting records in the Senate on Iraq. Sen. Obama's "I was a community organizer in Chicago" can't possibly compare to Sen. Clinton's vast experience and skills. This one's a no brainer friends, Hillary Clinton will be the next President.

John (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:02 PM)

The Iraq portion was not good for Hillary? That's like saying the Thanksgiving season was not good for Turkeys. What a poorly conducted debate.

lewis, Yokota AB, japan (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:02 PM)

Obama bomed,what more can you say.

Nick Kuslopolis, Castro Valley, Ca (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:03 PM)

Clearly everyone can see that HRC got trounced tonite in the debate and the candidate that was ready was Barack Obama--Make the right choice america vote Barack!

Harry Y. (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:03 PM)

The ending was perfect. Obama as Presidnet. Hillary as QVC queenm "watch me on Hallmark TV Monday night"

AntiRestoration Democrat (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:05 PM)

Have you ever noticed how little Obama smiles ?

Kimberly Johnson, Salt Lake City,Ut. (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:05 PM)

No question that Obama won the debate, his answers were clear and to the point. Hillary smiled a lot, which was a nice change, but still was not as definitive as Obama. This especially came across with the discussions on Iraq and immigration.

Maggie MacDevitt, Marquette, MI (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:07 PM)

Hillary is not change. She's 35 yrs of the status quo...People: Stop saying she is the best person for change.

Luke, Wisconsin (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:09 PM)

Another debate where the Clinton News Network has tried to skew the debate coverage to HRC.
The vote meter is a joke!

LD (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:11 PM)

Hillary needs to debate with nine fingers tied behind her back. If she calls Obama on anything the media says she is mean and racist and will win at all costs. Obama didn't answer a single question with clairity. If Clinton wanted to she could have burried him. But the consequences would have been fatal. It is odd how a women is held to a much higher standard than the rest. Obama is a poor choice.

tom b, st michael, mn (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:13 PM)

Hillary's painful explanation on the vote to go to war or not to go to war was disastrous. I felt like she had moved ahead of Obama in previous discussions, but this discussion was the climax of the debate. Either you voted for the president to use force or you didn't: no ifs, thens, or buts. We don't need a president who lacks the character to admit policy mistakes.

Will P, Hanahan, SC (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:14 PM)

It's really shame Saddam and his boys aren't still in control in Iraq, and in a nuke race with Iran. Then the democrats wouldn't have to face this problem. They could just pound their chest like they did in the 90s about how Bush dropped the ball by not finishing the invasion.

Dave, Tn (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:14 PM)

Senator Obama spoke the truth tonight: We need someone who is not just ready on Day 1, we need someone who is right on Day 1. Giving the president the authorization to go to war in Iraq was one of the biggest mistakes of our country's modern history -- why should we choose a nominee who voted for it?

Liz Arnett (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:17 PM)

HILLARY WIN ANOTHER ONE, BIG TIME ! hillaryclinton.com

C.B. (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:18 PM)

??????????????????????????????????????????

HOW MANY MORE WARS WILL CLINTON'S "EXPERIENCE" LEAD US INTO?

WHO WILL SACRIFICE THEIR LIFE OR THEIR CHILD FOR HER MISTAKES???????

lc, north carolina (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:19 PM)

Obama said he would be right on day one.
Later he said he would surround himself with
good people because he wouldn't always be right.

Mary Crane (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:20 PM)

Yep. MSNBC, especially Matthews and Schuster, are doing a hit job on Hill. Because they hate Bill, they are coronating Obama. They've tried to pass Obama off as being the leading candidate because he won a 55% black state. Duh. If I were African American, I'd be running to the polls to vote for him. But Hillary is leading in the polls in every Super Tuesday state! Plus, look who blogs on MSNBC, rich white college types. Of course they're going to blog for Obama. Hillary will slam dunk this after next Tuesday. MSNBC won't be able to spin it any longer. It will be too obvious who the front runner is then.

Vicki in Arkansas (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:21 PM)

Sen. Clinton still will not admit that she made a mistake on the war. I don't see how we can elect a President that can't admit when wrong, we have had 8 year of that and don't need more. Obama08

Byron, Piscataway, NJ (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:24 PM)

Why has no one questioned Obama's judgement of being against the war when there was supposed credible intelligence that Iraq had WMD. 96 out of 100 senators thought it was credible. Is Obama saying he isn't willing to threaten ememy nations that have WMD with military force? It is his judgement that worries me.

tim swingle, rochester, ny (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:25 PM)

Have you ever noticed how little Obama smiles ?
Kimberly Johnson, Salt Lake City,Ut

You wouldn't smile much either if you had to deal with Hillary everyday.

Fed Ex (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:27 PM)

H I L L A R Y C L I N T O N . C O M "come join in on the conversation"

Dennis Miller, Jacksonville, Fl. (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:28 PM)

This section wasn't nearly as bad as Chuck and Obama-NBC would like you to believe. Intelligent peiople can see through this flashy rhetoric.

Chris Portland, OR (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:31 PM)

Obama was not even in the Senate to vote on it, so he has no credence on that issue. And lets not forget that feelings were a lot different than when 2001 memory was still so fresh.
MSNBC you are sooo obviously biased and have lost all credibility. I certainly hope people are smarter than to believe your garbage that you call analyst.

Dee/Tucson (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:32 PM)

Why can't she just admit she was wrong about the Iraq voted? What is so hard about that? Does she not have the capacity to admit she is wrong? This lack of maturity regarding this subject clearly would make her an irresponsible leader. The ability to admit ones imperfections is the hallmark (not the cable station) of a great leader. Sen.Clinton has proven once again that she is not suited to be the President. A President has to have the capability to admit mistakes, improve upon them, show sound judgement, respect others, negotiate with others and not just walk away when the going gets tough (ie, her failed healthcare initiative during the first Clinton admin.) To sum up, she may claim experience, but her record indicates otherwise.

Sound Judgement from Day 1 (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:34 PM)

Mary Crane, you missed the point when you say: Obama said he would be right on day one.
Later he said he would surround himself with
good people because he wouldn't always be right.
Obama will make the right decisions because instead of being filled with hubris and going it alone he will listen to all viewpoints, take in all information, and then make a GOOD DECISION. Right on the actions, by recognizing no one person alone sees and knows everything unless they first seek out information from good people.

Deb Winslow (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:35 PM)

Looks like Mrs. Hillary Clinton settling into a role of VP ? Nodding her head and accepting to almost all the points that Mr. Barack Obama making so eloquently.

Venu, Sacramento, CA (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:35 PM)

Hillary did not win this debate. Please all Hillary supporters stop lying to yourselves.

It's clear that Hillary did not make sound judgment concerning the Iraq war. She should admit she made a mistake instead of trying to act as though voting for the war initially was the right choice. "It's important to be right on Day 1" responded Mr. Obama.

It was a weak moment for Hillary, and Obama's strongest moment.

Obama 08

Meco, Clinton Township, Mi (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:35 PM)

Meco, Clinton Township, Mi (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:38 PM)

Bush was also for change in 2000? Bush then and Obama now have the same common problem: Inexperience (even good people without experience can easily destroy a machine,just a very simple example).

Clearly Obama praised Republican last 10-15 years. Evidently, more GOP want to vote for Obama. If you truly believe that's the Demmocrat position, vote for him.

Dan, Tucson, AZ (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:38 PM)

All you hillery fans are in denial. Obama won this debate bigtime

ready to move on (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:39 PM)

Tim Swingle: good reasons come to mind re possible WMD and not attacking. First, the notion of Saddam ever attacking the United States is more insane than he was. Second, we aren't the only country in the world, and aren't the only ones who would rise to defense when NECESSARY. Believe it or not, we don't know everything and believe it or not, there are times when other countries get it right and we get it wrong. Third, it doesn't take too much education to understand the ridiculousness of forcing democracy down the throats of those who don't want it, nor would it take much information to understand way ahead of time the Muslim power battles between Sunni and Shite...I mean, this has only been going on for what....hundreds of years? A President needs to consider what happens AFTER the first strike, to weigh all costs and benefits. I've no doubt 96 out of 100 Senators have all voted wrong BEFORE, too! They are just people, too, not Gods,and they are being plied with military contractor lobby money.
That's just a beginning refutation.

Deb Winslow (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:41 PM)

I don't remember reading that Obama voted against the war in the Senate. Maybe cause he was not there?? He never had to make that decision like Hillary?
Lets remember folks that times were a little different than and 9/11 was still very fesh in our minds. It is easy to say that you would not vote for the war, knowing what we know now.

Dee/Tucson (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:46 PM)

how else can Hillary explian the vote any better. It wasn't a mistake based on the judgement that had to be made at that point in time. Of course now we all know that the information she was given to make a decision on was wrong. That doesn't mean she made a mistake nor the 77 other senators who voted the same way

tim swingle, rochester, ny (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:47 PM)

Obama has the right judgement from day one.

Jane, Norway (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:49 PM)

Deb- the vote wasn't to attack. the vote was to put military on the table as an option. And I would hope our president would want military action on the table as an option when dealing with any enemy country with WMD as a deterance which is what our policy has been for 50 years.

tim swingle, rochester, ny (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:52 PM)

Dee in Tucson: Barack spoke out against going to war in a public speech even though he was not in the Senate. He wasn't afraid to speak an unpopular truth; he tells it like he sees it, and he sees it after he studies it first. As for 9/11, from my research on the topic, what the terrorists want is not to destroy us, but to get us out of what they perceive is their business, their countries, whereas we want to tell them what to do no matter what they want in their own country. Its our way, or we come in either militarily or sneak in to arrange it our way, and they don't like that. I don't agree that 9/11 was the solution, just saying the blind fear many maybe most responded with was a result of complete lack of comprehension of world affairs, seeing the world through American only eyes as if no one else has a right to an opinion, even in their own countries....so much for our belief in democracy...its not what you want, it is what we want.

Deb Winslow (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:52 PM)

I say Hillary won this debate so there!!!!! My opinion is as good as yours and where to you get off putting down people who think differently.

Dee/Tucson (Sent Thursday, January 31, 2008 10:54 PM)

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