One-Candidate Debate
A missed opportunity for Hillary Clinton.
By Stephen Spruiell
Austin, Tex. — Has Hillary caught Obama fever, or is she just throwing in the towel?
Near the end of Democratic debate at the University of Texas Thursday night, Hillary Clinton praised her opponent, Barack Obama, in terms so glowing, she seemed like one of those people who have been fainting in his presence lately.
“You know, no matter what happens in this contest,” Clinton said, “I am honored, I am honored to be here with Barack Obama. I am absolutely honored.” The crowd of 2,000 — a mix of UT students and Texas Democrats — applauded wildly.
Even during the one acrimonious moment in the debate — Hillary’s “change you can Xerox” line, referring to charges of plagiarism that have dogged the Obama campaign — it seemed like Clinton’s heart wasn’t in it. The line drew boos from the crowd and a purse-lipped, stern head-shake of disapproval from Obama. She quickly changed the subject from Obama’s lifted lines to her “very specific goals” for the country.
Obama refrained from attacking Clinton with anything like the ferocity witnessed during a debate in South Carolina last month, when he and Clinton traded accusations over her work for Wal-Mart and his ties to disgraced developer Tony Rezko. He eschewed these kinds of attacks for lengthy discourses on national unity and taking the fight to the “special interests” in Washington. The phrase “running out the clock” came repeatedly to mind.
In the spin room after the debate, Clinton adviser Mark Penn expressed some unhappiness with the rules, which he felt allowed Obama to have too much unrestricted time. “The unlimited time… certainly allowed Senator Obama to get in a lot of his stump speech throughout the course of the debate,” Penn said.
Stephen Spruiell on Austin Democratic Debate on National Review Online
I decided to include this related piece in this thread.Has Hillary caught Obama fever? If she has,it's the VP strain of the virus.