Showdown in Texas
So, I’m writing this the day after the debate, which makes this, in all likelihood, the latest blog posting about a debate of all time. Oh well.
I just did a quick check of what other people had to say, and, surprise surprise, they said the SAME EXACT THING they always say about debates: Candidate B did well but not well enough to slow Candidate A’s momentum. For the first 16,000 debates, Candidate B was Obama, but now the roles have reversed, and it’s Hillary that needs to make up lost ground.
Maybe this is true. But it seems to me that debates have the most impact when voters know very little about the candidates — i.e., a few months ago. My sense is that most people started paying attention on February 4th or 6th, which was when they sort of got the gist of things. CNN probably could have saved some money and re-run the last debate without telling anybody.
Here are my thoughts on last night’s face-off:
Have a Seat
There’s an academic paper waiting to be written showing why you can’t attack your opponent while sitting next to him or her. Perhaps it’s the fact that one camera can frame both candidates in a nice medium shot. At any rate, the sitting debates have been much less vicious than the standing debates, and when an attack is made, it’s uncomfortable for everyone involved.
A Quick Word on Fashion
People always make fun of Hillary’s outfits, but I thought her suit was really cool last night. Obama had on a boring tie.
Learning
Obama has gotten a lot better at these. His performances in the first few debates were painful, with lots of “uh”’s, generalities, and off-topic talking points. He’s learned to back up his ideas with specific policy proposals (Hillary’s specialty) and anecdotes about everyday folk (her husband’s specialty). He’s also started to use what I would imagine are prepared sound bites (another Hillary specialty). And finally, he’s learned the art of defending himself and then quickly pivoting to an attack. This was best exemplified in the plagiarism spat, where he defended himself but then quickly turned it into an assault on Hillary’s “politics-as-usual.” He applied the same tactic during the health care discussion. He defended his plan, then suggested that Hillary was being disingenuous by characterizing his plan as one that left out the un-insured on purpose.
“Change you can Xerox”
This was the epitome of a pre-written line, and it went over like a lead balloon (because they were sitting next to each other?) It was strange, because she had the audience on her side at first, but then took it a step too far. The audience booed.
The American People…
I don’t have a specific quote, but one of the biggest debate clichés is, “My opponent has attacked me unfairly. I could attack my opponent, but the American people don’t want attacks, the American people want jobs.” Or something to that effect. As an American person, I’m sick of politicians telling me what I want. I don’t want more jobs, I want to be rich and not have to work at all! I don’t want affordable health care, I want free health care. In fact, I want them to cure all diseases right now and never have to see the doctor again. And I want to live forever. There, I said it. Someone had to.
I Was Right!
Obama’s only bad moment came when he started bragging about being right on every foreign policy issue. Iraq is one thing. But Pakistan? You were right in that you didn’t really trust Musharraf? You thought that he might not be completely devoted to democracy? Wow, you’re like Nostradamus. What are you doing running for president, why don’t you go by a lottery ticket?
The End
Hillary’s last answer was so gracious that I nearly fell out of my chair. Is this the same woman who has refused to congratulate her opponent after the last few primaries? I thought her answer was perfect. Alluding to her husband’s affair in the most subtle of ways is, to me, to acknowledge the gorilla in the room. She then switched to the whole it’s-nothing-compared-to-what-the-American-people-have-been-through thing, which yes, is a line stolen from her husband. It even showed up in the movie Primary Colors. I’m going to be consistent on this one: who cares?
I do, however, think her point was a little strange. In short, she said this: “Yeah, my husband cheated on me, and it was front page news for like a year. But that’s nothing compared to the little kids that get their faces burned off.” Isn’t that a little extreme?
I’m not sure how this über-empathy plays in Texas. Personally, it doesn’t strike me as the most genuine thing in the world, but it did make her seem very humble — something that Obama could potentially stand to learn a little about. — Hillel Aron
this is genius….. i also dont want secure borders i want everything for myself…. i also dont want 2nd amendment protection i want no fucking weapons that can hurt me from more than 1 foot away….. i also dont want election reform i want my candidate to win every time…. etc etc
From Barcelona, we wish you the best next tuesday. Whole World is expecting a great result for America, and for the world. YES WE CAN!
#1.Hillary’s track record may be worse than we have now. In her own words of Failure & Blame:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-fuqCppkfuc
#2. Your point of broad Obama support should be emphasised. NO cantidate in American history has gotten 1 million Americans do make private donations to his cause. These small donations from people who have often little, should be a larger point in the campaign. He will be our president, we want him so much we have put our widows mites behind him. (Recall the Bible story of the wodow who gies 2 cents and the rabbi that give much, her gift was more precious because it was all she had…)
#3. Here is a video, of a level headed white man changing his mind to vote for Obama, compelling.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=15PCFvLURJ0
#4. TODAY: Hillary’s newest ad is reminicent of Regan’s Bear ad to get votes by scaring us with fears of the russians.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IHO4M_Tar7A
OR Bushes Wolf Ad…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MU4t9O_yFsY
Now Hillary…. So damn Republican!!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=M70emIFxETs
Speaking for my little corner of Texas, I didn’t really buy the ‘gracious’ moment, especially now, more than a week and another debate later. I continue to find Senator Clinton’s behavior and rhetoric utterly illogical which results in a general feeling of unsureness and distrust on my part regarding what her real motivations and policy positions are. I feel like she is trying on different personas to test which one will give her an advantage over her opponent. In the process I have lost a sense of who she really is and why she is running for president.
I completely agree with you, specially about the last thing.
She said all those nice things which were words stolen from her husband and John Edwards, she tried that whole warm thing only to completely change her attitude the next day screaming at Barack saying “shame on you” she got mad because Barack’s campaign were saying only the truth, she strongly supported NAFATA but as soon as she announced her self as a candidate for presidency now she is strongly against NAFATA lol
Let’s support a candidate who is honest and just human really, let us unite, let’s change this country, let’s change the world!!
Great stuff
i think that Obama has a right to bring up his thinking on the iraq war and hilarys mindless decision to follow are cowboy president into the wastelands of Iraq.
I get mail from both Obama and Clinton campaigns, since I first checked out their policies. The latest pitch for money from Hillary’s stresses the line “I am one of a million…” (”Texans who need…”)
Needy Texans, huh? Texans aren’t naive voters, but Clinton supporters elsewhere might not catch the million/million comparison. To top it off, it’s the first pro-Clinton material I’ve seen that isn’t half-bad (not wooden, not politics-as-usual). So - - - don’t let’s get complacent. Hillary has the party machinery and !!!
If you haven’t heard it, the feds told Dallas police to stop using metal detectors for more than the last hour they admitted people to the audience to see Obama. The police were questioning this… For you young folk, Dallas is where JFK was shot, the first of a series of assassinations that changed US politics, whoever was responsible.
right on!
Yes, attacking someone sitting next to you very uncomfortable for everyone. On the other hand, complimenting person sitting next to you can light up a room in a way that complimenting from the podium never can.
Which Hillary outfit was that? The brown wool number with gold flecking? That was nice. The Vampire outfit of three days ago — less successful I felt.
It’s a little curious that a website so dedicated to Senator Obama has no content regarding his policies. This site is driven by celebrity and the hope that young Americans will latch onto an ambiguous “change”. At the very least you should champion your candidate with substance rather than glitz. If not, you do a great disservice to this country.
Mikempty….what’s wrong with glitz? And what’s wrong with a celebrity driven site? For your information, anybody that’s wandered onto this site to see the Videos is probably well-engaged in the political process. There’s a deluge of news sources out there to tap into and to get the hard news and hardcore political banter. But once in a while, some of us just need to unwind a little bit, and soak in the politics in an atmosphere that’s a little more laid back, and to some, less intimidating. If you don’t appreciate it, then you have a choice - simply follow the path that’s been over-travelled and go back to your mainstream media sites, where you will get your fill of pre-packaged, market-tested, and corporate-driven ‘news’. I know where to go if I want to know Senator Obama’s policies. Ever heard of a little website called ‘barackobama.com’ ? We don’t need to waste resources and time by replicating news. And your misplaced attempt at undermining the noble efforts of getting young people engaged in the political process by any means necessary is to say the least, shallow. The political arena is no longer simply the realm of elitists like you. Face it, we are at the cusp of new era , and whether or not you like the manner in which we choose to express ourselves, we will soldier on, because guess what - YES, WE CAN!
You’re right, Philip. This site is not pre-packaged…its totally undergound and guerilla…it’s going to be a sight to see when you come down from your emotional high and realize thats all it was. But keep sloganeering. Being informed then acting brings about real change.
I am an Obama supporter all the way and greatly admire his intellect, style, and clear thinking. However I don’t know why no one ever brings up the fact that when Hillary (as well as Kerry and many other respectable politicians) voted to allow Bush to go to war it was during a time when the administration was lying to the world about Iraq’s nuclear capabilities. To be unconcerned about Saddam having the bomb would have been completely irresponsible. To take the administration at their word should have been acceptable. It wasn’t.
This has to be one of the Republicans’ greatest pleasures; that they could put Democrats in the position of being roasted by other Democrats and everyone seems to have forgotten that they (the Republicans) lied and lied and lied to make that war happen. I’m voting for Barrack for many good reasons, but not because of the war vote.
Please, please, please… let’s get the “gorilla in the room” metaphor straight.
The 600 or 800 pound gorilla is the toughest guy in a group (today, typically, a meeting) who gets more than one vote on an issue, due to the strength he / she projects with or without actually demanding it.
The elephant in the room is the object that everyone can see but no one will talk about.
And a white elephant is the gift that costs more to maintain than it was worth in the first place: a gift that costs the recipient in the long run.
We had trouble enough keeping those straight before the retirement planning commercial, but now everyone misuses the “gorilla in the room” metaphor.
Funny…
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/us/politics/01press.html?hp
I heard someone on MSNBC say that Barack received “positive” coverage 85% of the time, while Hillary only received “positive” coverage 60% of the time.
And it made me think, Barack is positive nearly all the time, and Hillary less than half, so what’s the problem? She should consider herself lucky.
[…] Dipdive wrote an interesting post today on Showdown in TexasHere’s a quick excerptA Quick Word on Fashion People always make fun of Hillary’s outfits, but I thought her suit was really cool last night. Obama had on a boring tie…. […]
[…] Dipdive wrote an interesting post today on Showdown in TexasHere’s a quick excerptObama’s only bad moment came when he started bragging about being right on every foreign policy issue. Iraq is one thing. But Pakistan?… […]
OK. I think this blog is pretty relevant, but it didn’t even touch on the most unnerving part of the debate, at least for me. When they showed the clip of h.clin mocking barack’s speeches about hope and change, I swear I wanted to pop through the television and hit her. I have been trying very hard to tone down my anti-hilary speeches, because I realize that when I am not in the presence of other die-hard dems who are equally concerned about the outcome of the DNC, these comments could be taken in the wrong way. While barack and h.clin are competing, i’m going to cheer for my guy! But, I realized that if h.clin did indeed get the nomination, my comments could cause people to vote against her. So, I’ve been trying. I’ve been trying to tell everyone that they are both excellent candidates, they are very similar in much of their policies, and that both of them will be good for America. But, after that, I can’t respect her. I just can’t. I know barack says things that allude to her as well, but I’ve been to three of his rallies here in Austin and I must say that in my memory, he’s never stooped to mocking her or the Bush administration. I was sincerely disappointed in her after that.
This is a good blog . . . but I can’t help but feel as if you’re just ever-so-slightly missing the point on a couple things.
In the “The American People…” section . . . alright. There is a point to politicians not telling you what you need, I guess but, first of all, that isn’t the point of the argument being made. The point is: we need to talk about the issues, not beat each other’s heads in unnecessarily. Second of all, isn’t telling us what we need kind of their job? We have the right to disagree, but every time a politician unveils a policy, they are basically saying: “This is what I think you guys need.” So if you are inclined to discredit a politician for saying such things, you may want to find a different subject to blog about.
In the “I Was Right!” section, Obama really has no choice but to emphasize this due to the continuing attacks about his credibility as Commander in Chief from both Hillary and McCain. Also, the difference between bragging and matter-of-factly stating a point is all about tone. This is perhaps subjective, but Obama’s not really trying to rub Hillary’s face in any of these decisions, which would be bragging; he’s just pointing out that he made the right calls on some tough decisions and it so happens that neither of his opponents can say so. This is a particularly important point to hammer home to people who are seeing him for the first time and who keep hearing about his purported lack of experience. You really can’t fault him for this too much.
I believe Gorilla and Elephant may be used interchangably “in the room.” It’s when you come to the 800lb elephant that the metaphor falters.
You nailed it.
Check out Frank Rich in today’s NY Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/opinion/02rich.html?hp
Two things burn me about McCain’s position on the war. (And remember: HIllary helped drive the bus into the ditch.)
One, the “surge” is not a strategy. He keeps saying that the surge is working. The generals went along with the name “the surge” because they’re too busy fighting the war to worry about marketing and branding. But a “surge” is not a strategy; it is a logistical means to support a strategy. And McCain has confused the success that comes with more manpower (and superior combat power by any sense of the definition) with strategic and political success. Of course if you put more boots on the ground, especially more American boots, you’re going to get the job done. But are you going to change the geopolitical landscape of Iraq so that those troops can come home? No, obviously, because a year later, nothing has changed.
Second, he belittles Obama by saying that we’re still in Germany, Japan, and Korea, so of course we’ll still be in Iraq in 100 years, and Obama doesn’t understand that. What McCain doesn’t understand is that we are not still in Panama or Grenada: military action does not equate to a mandatory forced presence forever. Germany, Korea, and Japan are all historical context dependent. In fact, Germany and Japan paid us to remain long after the reason for being there was gone, and the Korean War technically never ended, so that is a very unique situation. McCain says Obama isn’t ready to be CinC and doesn’t understand military history. I saw, McCain is mixing apples and oranges… no, apples and turnips in making a stretch of an argument to score political points.
By the way, have to disagree on gorilla/elephant. A gorilla in the room is not going to sit there quietly. That’s what makes the metaphor work. Gots to be an elephant!!
Mikempty, you have got to be blind not to see that this campaign means more than the policies made up by selfish people. Hillary Clinton and her Husband has stooped so low in their attacks that ,if this goes on much longer, it will be virtually impossible for the Democratic party to unite. Which means we will have zero chances of uniting the country and the world. Speaking of which, Hillary Clinton has not been a good representation of Hillary Clinton. Will the real Senator Clinton please stand up!
If anyone is still questioning his vision on Change here it is America.
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf
Please pass this link on to anyone you know that tells you his vision of change is empty.
Yes We ALL Can.
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