February 27, 2008

Clinton & Obama: The Alamo Debate In Ohio

Media fixation on the March 4 primaries as do-or-die contests for Hillary Rodham Clinton guaranteed that last night's debate -- the final one before voters in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont go to the polls -- would get a lot of attention, but it was something of a surprise to see Clinton turn some of that attention back on the media.

Clinton called MSNBC's moderators out for going easy on Barack Obama, telling Brian Williams that she is used to always being tapped for the first question on any given topic. (Slate has a lengthy explanation of Clinton's comment about the SNL skit mocking the media for fawning over her rival.)

A question about the North American Free Trade Agreement sparked Clinton's comment last night at Cleveland State University. NAFTA is particularly delicate territory in bellwether Ohio, which has a high proportion of blue-collar workers concerned about jobs going overseas.

Both candidates took jabs at each other's campaign tactics in the state. Clinton: "What I find regrettable is that in Sen. Obama's mailing that he has sent out across Ohio, it is almost as though the health insurance companies and the Republicans wrote it." Obama's reply: "Sen. Clinton has… constantly sent out negative attacks on us, and we haven't whined about it because I understand that's the nature of the campaigns."

But the two of them also sounded some calmer notes as well. Obama echoed some of Clinton's comments from the previous debate and willingly conceded that she "would be a much better president than John McCain" -- a nod to a time when the Democratic nominee can concentrate on the general and leave behind the excruciating primary season.

MSNBC's First Read has analysis and video from the debate.

Posted at 12:07 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, WH 2008
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