obama wins the debate, as far as im concerned ,with this answer

[SwampG8r]

"And Senator Clinton's right. She has gone through this. You know, I recall when back in 1992, when she made a statement about how, what do you expect, should I be at home baking cookies?

And people attacked her for being elitist and this and that. And I remember watching that on TV and saying, well, that's not who she is; that's not what she believes; that's not what she meant. And I'm sure that that's how she felt a s well.

But the problem is that that's the kind of politics that we've been accustomed to. And I think Senator Clinton learned the wrong lesson from it, because she's adopting the same tactics.

What the American people want are not distractions. They want to figure out, how are we actually going to deliver on health care; how are we going to deliver better jobs for people; how are we going to improve their incomes; how are we going to send them to college?

That's what we have to focus on. And yes, they are in part frustrated and angry, because this is what passes for our politics in terms -- instead of figuring out, how do we build coalitions to actually move things forward?"



step aside hillary the old school is closed

[NJmaverick]

1. Outstanding answer by Obama

Attacks the tactic and still gets in a good back handed swipe at Hillary's hypocrisy.

[BklynChick]

9. that was brilliant on his part

[calimary]

19. Well, it certainly speaks to the complaint that a lot of voters are making at the moment -

that we're obsessing on STOOOOO-pid side issues and red herrings like who does and doesn't wear a cheap Made-in-China flag pin - when the American people REALLY want to hear about how we're going to be able to cover our medical expenses or get coverage with pre-existing conditions, or meet the next mortgage payment so we stay out of foreclosure, or cover the next credit card bill, or keep our stomachs - AND our gas tanks filled. And he's the ONLY one who keeps bringing that up.

I'm liking this guy more and more. It's TWICE now that he's dared to broach a very difficult and touchy subject that lurks under the surface of the American psyche and influences us from down in our bone marrow. The stuff nobody really wants to talk about, but that everyone should be looking at, honestly, unvarnished, dispassionately, out in the open, like adults. First it was the race issue. Now it's the bitterness issue.

This is stuff that DESPERATELY needs looking at, talking about, and considering seriously. This is stuff that's SO foundational to so many of our problems. And he's the only one courageous and realistic and mature enough to bring it up. It should be a KEY topic in the national discourse. It's stuff that badly needs to be faced and confronted. It's stuff about which we all really do need to get very serious with ourselves - if we ever honestly presume to want to solve our deepest, gravest problems, that is.

[yellerpup]

2. The man is brilliant.

GObama! K&R! :kick:

[blm]

3. Obama's team wants to END the politics of swiftlying not be better swiftliars.

Say NO to the BIG LIE tactic, Democrats.....from Republicans, from media, from any Dem who employs that technique - call them on it loud and clear.

[ginnyinWI]

4. every trial he has to go through

gives Obama a chance to show Presidential gravitas. Who would have thought ABC would give him an opportunity like this by being so bad?

He's always giving HRC the benefit of the doubt; it must drive her nuts. She never gets to retaliate against an attack and be the victim.

If there was a victim last night, it was Obama. But he won't take that role.

[CoffeeCat]

5. And also...did you hear...

...his retort to the Bosnian sniper fire stuff?

He had a chance to call her a liar--which she was in this case. She fabricated the story.

Obama didn't. He said that everyone makes mistakes, and that the cameras are on them continually--and
the candidates can't be perfect.

Do people realize how amazing this man is?

He had a perfect chance to rake her over the coals--on her biggest vulnerability--trustworthiness.

He took the high road.

Hillary, on the other hand, never once took the high road. She's so down in the dirt, on the gravel roads--I
don't think she even realized that there is a high road.

She commented and made generalizations about Obama--relating to every attack on him. She tried to pile on
and capitalize on all of the dirt, whereas Obama tried to wash it away and talk about the important issues.

Do people get this? Do people get that he really is the real deal, and that he is a good man?

We desperately need leadership like this---a real man who aspires to be a decent human being.

I think America is so used to smarmy, attack, low-belly politics--that they just don't believe that we
actually have this truly-authentic candidate who is decent to the core--and who can inspire all of us and
our nation--to be better then we've been for the past few decades.

Wake up, America.

[TexasLady]

15. Not that it is easy to tell in GDP

but I do think America noticed.
Really Great Post.

[krkaufman]

23. But worst case, even, even if he's NOT "the real deal" ...

... then he is at least a politician differentiating himself by running a different type of campaign, thinking it will attract voters who have been disaffected. But this building of a coalition and image based on a different approach to politics will necessitate his continuing this style once he enters office. Whether his motivations are truly altruistic or not is partly irrelevant, if the results are an improved public discourse.

[Shakespeare]

32. They'd rather call Obama supporters crybabies, while ignoring this was a victory for NO ONE.

And I agree, that was a very classy move on Obama's part, especially considering he declined to pile on while he himself was being pummeled. Too bad Clinton didn't do the same last night.

[babylonsister]

6. The man has class and character. The lack of both by the

moderators and the other candidate last night was a stark contrast. I'm so glad people noticed the difference.

[woodsprite]

7. I sooooo admire his ability to rise above the fray and stay on point

when most of the politicians out there have no idea where the point is anymore.

[TNOE]

8. I think his best line was

I bet on the American People and I think I won that bet.

He knows most Americans are smart enough not to fall for the bullshit distractions.

[Skidmore]

41. That picture you have on your post should be a billboard somewhere.

[Swamp Rat]

10. k&r

[redqueen]

11. Hear frickin hear.

Hillary didn't say anything similar? Did she act like the questions were fine, then?

[caledesi]

12. Yes....Not this time! - no distractions - just REAL issues! NT

[uponit7771]

13. THEN he defended her on Bosnia!!!

[ORDem]

14. He's a class act for sure!

:woohoo:

[Bonobo]

16. Did you see Hillary swallow? She was briefly ashamed of herself when he said that I think.

That's how I read her body language.

[Emit]

18. If she wasn't ashamed, she should be

[crankychatter]

29. I wonder if she watches reruns of the debates and cries?

I would.

[rndmprsn]

17. K&R

[Bake]

20. I did think on that point, Obama was better.

I think that was about the time Gibson asked Hillary if she wanted some time for rebuttal or to just move on, and she continued to pound on the same point. I thought that was a mistake, and that the better way to handle it would have been to say, like Obama did, that we should move on and address substantive issues.

And I'm a Hillary supporter. But I thought Obama's answer there was better. Ialso thought at the time, that if this had been 1996 and the Big Dog on the stage, he would have done exactly what Obama did. Unfortunately, the rest of Obama's performance wasn't quite as good as his answer that you quoted.

Bake

[SwampG8r]

35. thanks for keeping it cordial

:toast:

[Bake]

38. Ain't nuthin' but a thang.

:toast:

Bake

[HootieMcBoob]

21. agreed n/t

[redqueen]

22. Kick.

:kick:

[Kajsa]

24. That should have set the tone for the rest of the debate!

Unfortunately, GS and CG wanted nothing to do with it.

In fact, they got impatient when too much time was spent
discussing the real issues- like anything over 15 seconds!

[Maine-ah]

25. I haven't seen the debate yet,

but what a wonderful quote!

[butterfly77]

26. I liked this answer...

MR. GIBSON: And Senator Obama, your campaign manager, David Plouffe, said, when he is -- this is talking about you -- when he is elected president, we will be out of Iraq in 16 months at the most; there should be no confusion about that.

So you'd give the same rock-hard pledge, that no matter what the military commanders said, you would give the order: Bring them home.

SENATOR OBAMA: Because the commander in chief sets the mission, Charlie. That's not the role of the generals. And one of the things that's been interesting about the president's approach lately has been to say, well, I'm just taking cues from General Petraeus.

Well, the president sets the mission. The general and our troops carry out that mission. And unfortunately we have had a bad mission, set by our civilian leadership, which our military has performed brilliantly. But it is time for us to set a strategy that is going to make the American people safer.

Now, I will always listen to our commanders on the ground with respect to tactics. Once I've given them a new mission, that we are going to proceed deliberately in an orderly fashion out of Iraq and we are going to have our combat troops out, we will not have permanent bases there, once I've provided that mission, if they come to me and want to adjust tactics, then I will certainly take their recommendations into consideration; but ultimately the buck stops with me as the commander in chief.

And what I have to look at is not just the situation in Iraq, but the fact that we continue to see al Qaeda getting stronger in Afghanistan and in Pakistan, we continue to see anti-American sentiment fanned all cross the Middle East, we are overstretched in a way -- we do not have a strategic reserve at this point. If there was another crisis that was taking place, we would not have a brigade that we could send to deal with that crisis that isn't already scheduled to be deployed in Iraq. That is not sustainable. That's not smart national security policy, and it's going to change when I'm president.

[Kajsa]

31. I liked that one too, Butterfly.

It was very direct and hit the nail on the head.

:)

[quantass]

27. K&R

[crankychatter]

28. It was entitled a "Debate." I had a Cat named Dog once...

... but he was still a Cat.

[knixphan]

30. old school IS closed.

Leaders of the new school on deck.

Let's keep funding Barack!

[quantass]

33. .

[orangerevolution]

34. What did he mean by "we"?

"...They want to figure out, how are we actually going to deliver on health care; how are we going to deliver better jobs for people; how are we going to improve their incomes; how are we going to send them to college?"

[SwampG8r]

36. by we he means us... the american people delivering

on our promises to ourselves

[IamyourTVandIownyou]

37. and the "yes, yes, yes" quote.

Google news '"yes, yes, yes" obama electable'
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&um=1&tab=wn&q=%22yes%2C+yes%2C+yes%22+obama+electable

So he's is electable, but would not be ready if its 3AM?

Come on PA, let's end this race!

[kid a]

39. yep..that was the take home part. Awesome answer

[Quixote1818]

40. K and R