Debate: No Knock-Out Punch For Clinton
Last night's debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama failed to provide Clinton the boost most agree she needs. And this analysis seems the norm today:
"The stakes were high for Clinton heading into the 20th and possibly last Democratic debate of this extraordinary primary season, with a clutch of polls suggesting that her support from Democrats nationwide is collapsing.
"But she failed to land a knock-out punch, drawing boos at one point for a sarcastic criticism of the MSNBC moderators that implied the media was giving Obama a free ride.
"'Yet by the end of the night, there was little evidence that Mrs Clinton had produced the kind of ground-moving moment she needed that might shift the course of a campaign that polls suggest has been moving inexorably in Mr Obama's direction for weeks,' he wrote, echoing other pundits.
"In a debate last week in Texas, Clinton had been expected to go on the offensive, but only unleashed a few poorly received attacks (one of which also drew hisses and boos) before ending on a valedictory note." And this, from Matt Towery, Southern Political Report: "There was a moment in last night’s debate that made one want to cringe. After scoring points on a long dialogue concerning the two candidate’s health insurance policies for Americans, a new question was posed. It was directed to Sen. Hillary Clinton. Her response was, in essence 'Have you noticed how every question in these debates has always been directed at me first,' then some reference to a Saturday Night Live skit 'Barack, would you like another pillow?' Bad…really bad. To the extent the pundits declared the Ohio debate a 'draw' then Clinton’s once again unusual debate moment will surely overshadow the meat of the contest."
"The stakes were high for Clinton heading into the 20th and possibly last Democratic debate of this extraordinary primary season, with a clutch of polls suggesting that her support from Democrats nationwide is collapsing.
"But she failed to land a knock-out punch, drawing boos at one point for a sarcastic criticism of the MSNBC moderators that implied the media was giving Obama a free ride.
"The New York Times political analyst Adam Nagourney noted that Clinton grabbed every opportunity to try to undermine Obama's readiness for the Oval Office.
"'Yet by the end of the night, there was little evidence that Mrs Clinton had produced the kind of ground-moving moment she needed that might shift the course of a campaign that polls suggest has been moving inexorably in Mr Obama's direction for weeks,' he wrote, echoing other pundits.
"In a debate last week in Texas, Clinton had been expected to go on the offensive, but only unleashed a few poorly received attacks (one of which also drew hisses and boos) before ending on a valedictory note." And this, from Matt Towery, Southern Political Report: "There was a moment in last night’s debate that made one want to cringe. After scoring points on a long dialogue concerning the two candidate’s health insurance policies for Americans, a new question was posed. It was directed to Sen. Hillary Clinton. Her response was, in essence 'Have you noticed how every question in these debates has always been directed at me first,' then some reference to a Saturday Night Live skit 'Barack, would you like another pillow?' Bad…really bad. To the extent the pundits declared the Ohio debate a 'draw' then Clinton’s once again unusual debate moment will surely overshadow the meat of the contest."
Labels: 2008 Presidential Race, Debates
posted by Mike McCarville @ 9:49 AM
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