Well, I'm pretty excited for this debate, I'm going to blog on my thoughts about the debate as I watch it. Exciting, huh?
First off, let me show you a fun picture of Barack Obama in Austin today.
This picture really cracks me up. Good stuff.
Secondly, as I'm waiting for the debate to begin, today's quote of the day is...
When people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate each other.
-Eric Hoffer
That's interesting considering that Saturday Night Live announced that they are searching for someone to do a Barack Obama impersonation for the show. That would be a good gig.
Now we're minutes away from the debate. I love the countdown clock on CNN.
Three minutes and counting.
I think I need to read up on this "Trans Texas Turnpike" NAFTA thing. Today's the first I've heard about it, and its almost getting as much talk as the McCain vs the New York Times stuff.
Two minutes and counting.
Speaking of the McCain vs the New York Times thing, I'm a little surprised at how badly people are speaking of the New York Times. If it turns out there is truth to it, then I think it needed to be reported on.
DEBATE TIME
Here are my thoughts as I had them during the debate.
There is more then 100 people there, how come they only gave away 100 tickets? How did other people get them?
I am a Campbell Brown fan. Not so much a Mack Brown fan though. That's a shout out to UT.
The canidates are taking the stage. Wow, Obama got a much bigger cheer when he moved towards the center.
John King brings up the fact that Obama has won 11 primaries in a row. The question is what effect will that "momentum" have in Texas?
Jorge Ramos, not surprisingly, mentions how important the Latino vote is, what no one is talking about though is even if Clinton currently has more sway with the Latino vote, the Latino's don't really have anything against Obama.
Most democrats wouldn't have much of a problem voting for either canidate in the general election anyway. Really, if you are a democrat, this is a great position to be in, choosing between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Hillary Clinton is giving her opening statements after a game show like coin flip backstage.
Clinton starts by kissing up to the locals. A good hand as she speaks of Barbara Jordan teaching her about courage, but a huge hand as she mentions Anne Richards. Can't go wrong talking about her to Texas Democrats.
She opens with Health Care issue wise. I couldn't agree with what she says more.
EXPERIENCE MENTION #1 by Senator Clinton
Good opening speach for Clinton, now it's Obama's turn.
He starts with war and the economy, focusing on the economy. And then he ties in Health Care to the economy. He slams NAFTA while still talking about the economy. Then reties the war in Iraq to the economy and Health Care.
CHANGE IS NEEDED IN WASHINGTON MENTION #1 by Senator Obama
Great job by him as well. He did a better job of touching on more issues.
First question to Clinton,
Ramos asks, will you sit down with Raul Castro?
She's hoping for changes in Cuba and says she would be ready to sit down when they proved they were ready to change, and not before then.
Good answer, nothing shocking there.
Follow up to Obama about his statement about meeting with any world leaders
He says, "Absolutely." He would meet without preconditions, but would ask for preperation and an agreed upon agenda. The president's job, he says, is we need to talk not only with our allies, but with our enemies.
Campbell Brown calls him on his earlier statements in regard to Cuba.
He says the way we've done things now is failure and that we need to work towards normalizing our position with Cuba, but that it requires steps.
I think that Senator Clinton looked a little better on this topic. I like what she says about reopening ourselves to the rest of the world as opposed to the Bush "unilateralism".
Senator Obama makes a good point about why he feels the President should take more of a step towards talking with other world leaders.
King asks about the economy, how would President Obama be different on the economy then President Clinton?
He gives his points and speaks about the fact that the economy is poor, but hasn't really answered the question as asked at first. He then says that he and Clinton agree on many of these issues, but still doesn't really answer the question that was asked.
King tries again to get the question answered, this time by Clinton.
She starts by agreeing with much of what Obama said and talks about what she would do better then what the Republicans did. Again, the question isn't really being answered as it was asked.
It's easy to slam the Republicans on this issue as the economy is clearly hurting right now. Neither opponent really looks like they want to talk about the other on this subject.
Neither opponent really won that question in my opinion, but Clinton passed up an opportunity to at least show she could answer a question as asked.
The next question about raids on undocumented immigrants by Jorge Ramos.
Clinton says something needs to change. It's an important issue, but it is being handled wrong. "It's not the America I know." Good quote. She wants a "path to legalization".
Obama agrees but says he would add a few things. He says we need to "tone down the rhetoric" which is a very good point, and I think that's the first time I've heard someone say that. He also points out the legal immigration system is broken, and fixing it should take precedent so that in turn can help out the illegal immigration problem. Another very good point.
Obama did better on this topic, which is important, since this is a very important topic to the Latino voters.
King brings up the Border Fence. This should be interesting.
Clinton brings up the Northern border, which to me is the more important issue, because if terrorists come into this country, they're probably coming in from Canada where it is easy as opposed to Mexico where everyone is watching.
She seems to not want to bash the idea of the border fence, but says that Bush has made it into something that is completely ridiculous.
Obama starts saying that she and he completely agree. He points out that there is more of an issue regarding the "12 million people who are already here" as opposed to the people coming over every day. Reform on the issue is more important then the Border Fence specifically.
Again, I feel like he did better on the question, or at least came across better on the difficult question, mainly because he got to speak second.
Next question, should the United States become bilingual?
Senator Clinton says that there should be a desire to learn other languages, but that English be the primary or "common and unifying" language, but not the "Official Language".
Senator Obama says every student should be learning a second language because the world is now requiring the ability to speak across borders somewhere "America has been falling behind" on. Foreign language in schools has been lacking.
Obama did very well on these issues important to Latino voters, and since many people think that the Latino vote (where Clinton has an edge) will be very important, this is a big point for Obama to win on.
Now we've got the first break, which is good, I need to go to the restroom.
Okay, I'm back and now so are they.
King asks about how they've talked about each other's truthfulness. He brings up Clinton's points we need solutions not just words.
She admits to differences and says she's trying to point on the differences, but seems to be implying that she's not disparaging Obama.
She does, however, bring up the suporter on the Chris Matthews show who couldn't mention one of Obama's accomplishments, and that actions speak louder then words.
Obama says actions do speak louder then words and begins to speak for himself about some of his accomplishments. He believes the soldiers in Walter Reed would say that he's more then just talk he is about action. He accuses Clinton's point of "Let's get real" is saying his many supporters and every major newspaper in Texas which have backed him are somehow "delusional" or have somehow been "duped". He gets a large hand as well as a little laugh from Senator Clinton. He says that inspirational words lead to action, without them there will be no action. He makes some good strong points and gets a huge amount of applause.
Ms. Brown brings up the ridiculous "plagerism" allegations.
He points out that the words he is occused of plagerising were from one of his national co-chairs who gave him the line and asked him to use it.
This is totally a nonissue and needs to disappear. He uses it to segue into issues. He says these aren't just speaches (and adds, "But some of them are pretty good") but are issues and then he throws some of those issues out there and that it's more important then the "silly season of politics" that this "issue" represents.
Hillary disagrees and says if your campaign is about words, they should be your words. And accuses him of being "A change that we can xerox". It comes off badly, and she gets booed.
She recovers well, however, and gets a couple of points against him saying that his health care plan would leave many people uninsured. She says she doesn't want anyone left out.
Obama admits they both want Universal Health Care and that when he was 20 points down in the poll his plan was good to her. He points out what they agree on in regards to this issue but says that Clinton wants to force everyone to have health care and he believes that the real issue is not that people don't want health care, but that people who want it can't afford it.
He says Clinton's mistake on health care 15 years ago was not involving everyone on bringing about change, but trying to do it behind closed doors.
They take another break without allowing Senator Clinton to respond, which is a little unfair.
So far, I think Obama is winning the debate, but I'm not sure that Clinton's getting as fair a shake as she should. Obama is getting a lot more leeway to say things, where as Campbell Brown has cut Clinton off a couple of times and didn't let her have a final say there, considering Obama started and finished that part of the debate.
Of course all of this came out of a question that never should have been asked in the first place, and Senator Clinton didn't help herself by defending the ridiculous "plagerism" idea with her meanspirited "xerox" comment.
Jorge Ramos asks if she thinks that Obama is not ready to be Commander in Chief.
She goes back to health care.
She makes some good points, points that she should have been allowed to make before the break, but she looks a little bad by ignoring the question.
Now Obama wants to respond again on health care. Which of course means that Clinton also has to respond. And Obama responds again.
I understand where both of them are on this issue, and I figure that everyone watching knows where they stand on this plan and if they agree with one of them over the other they already understand who they agree with.
Finally we're back to the original question from Mr. Ramos.
Senator Clinton makes her points on why she is more ready to be Commander in Chief. Here's betting that Obama will point out that even with that experience she voted for the war in Iraq. She brings up the Kosovo situation and says that experience is necessary because of the situation left us by President W.
Obama says "I wouldn't be running if I didn't think that I was ready to be Commander in Chief." He says that things need to change and that planning has been poor under our current Commander in Chief and there it is, "the single most important choice in our generation" where he made the right choice (voting against the war in Iraq) and that Senator Clinton made the wrong decision, his understanding of the situation and his judgement were better in that situation.
He makes some good and strong points, an issue that Obama has an distinct edge over Clinton on.
King stays on the subject asking if "the surge" has made Iraq better now then it was six months ago.
Clinton points out that the purpose of the surge was to give time for Iraq to take over more of the burden and that has not happened. She says she would begin withdrawing our troops within 60 days and that the Iraqi people would "no longer have a blank check" as they have with President Bush. "It is up to the Iraqis to decide what type of future they will have."
Nicely put.
Obama says that there is less violence in Iraq and that is due to the brave servicemen and women. But that the surge is "a tactical victory based on a strategic blunder." Invading Iraq has caused us problems elsewhere throughout the world. And the fact that we're spending so much money in Iraq we can't help the environment and that we can't put that money to other important issues here. He talks about how he can debate McCain on these issues. Clinton nods in approval.
They both did very well there as we go to another break and I go to get another cup of coffee.
And now we're both back for the strech run.
King asks why if he's against secrecy Senator Obama has earmarks in bills.
Obama says that while he has earmarks he discloses them fully and will gladly show where all of that money is going, so if there's a "bridge to nowhere" you can know where it will go.
King brings up the same point to Senator Clinton and asks if Senator McCain's position against bill earmarks would be a strength for him. She says absolutely not, because he supports the Bush administration which has wasted a surplus and that she would be more fiscally responsible then McCain.
Senator Clinton got a question that helped her come off strong on that point, but Obama did well there as well.
Mr. Ramos asks about the Super Delegate issue.
Senator Clinton says it isn't an issue, we will have a nominee and a unified Democratic party that will win in November. She doesn't really answer the question. Of course at the moment, since she's trailing in the delegate count, she can't say that she wants the primary results to determine where the Super Delegates should go.
Obama, as the leader, can say exactly that, and does.
I would have given Clinton a lot of credit if she had said something to that effect as well, however.
The final question is how they were most tested.
He speaks about his situation growing up raised by a single mother and working on the streets of Chicago with the people.
Without actually saying it, Clinton references her marital issues, and talks about no matter how difficult those events were, seeing people deal with much harder issues is much more impressive to her then anything she's had to deal with. "The hits I've taken in life are nothing compared" to what many people experience every day.
Very strong finish for Senator Clinton.
She says she is honored to be here with Senator Obama and I'm getting a little choked up, very, very strong finish for Senator Clinton.
A standing ovation ends the night in Austin.
Overall, this debate was much more important for Clinton, and while she did well, so did Obama, and I don't think that it was enough to greatly help her in this campaign. I'm not sure that she "won" the debate, and I doubt that it would be enough to change anyone's mind or win over a substantial amount of undecideds.
Mainly I feel whoever you went in supporting you would have left supporting, but also makes you feel good about the situation you'll be in as a Democrat if the other candidate does win the nomination.
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