Arianna Huffington: Why Hillary Clinton Was the Winner of the Democratic Debate

[Herman Munster]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/why-hillary-clinton-was-t_b_50657.html

Last night on CNN, I said that Hillary Clinton was the winner of the Democratic debate. This morning, during a Creative Coalition-sponsored panel at the Radisson Hotel in New Hampshire, Lawrence O'Donnell, who was moderating, asked me if, after a good night's sleep, I wanted to "revise and extend" my remarks. No, I don't want to revise my remarks. I want to extend them.

Hillary Clinton won because she arrived at the debate as the front-runner -- with a widening lead in national polls -- and left the debate with her position solidified. Her success was due in part to what she did during the debate, and in part to what Barack Obama failed to do.

She came across as more comfortable in her own skin, and more natural and less programmed than in the past. And she exhibited an effortless charm that those close to her often rave about but that the public rarely sees. She even scored two of the biggest laughs of the night with her zinger about Dick Cheney's diplomatic skills, and her use of Barry Goldwater's "shoot straight" line about gays in the military. She was particularly effective in achieving her campaign's foremost objective: blurring the differences between her and her opponents on Iraq. "The differences among us are minor," she said of her fellow candidates. "The differences between us and the Republicans are major. And I don't want anybody in America to be confused."

This successful blurring of differences was made possible by Obama's failure to challenge Clinton's statements about the war -- something that he could have easily done since the contradictions in her positions were front and center in the news yesterday, in a cover story in the New York Times Magazine. He could have raised substantive points, undermining her claims without in any way tarnishing his "new kind of politics" patina.

[ElizabethDC]

1. Thanks for posting this

I must say, I was quite surprised to hear Arianna say that she though Hillary won because I know Arianna is not a fan of Hillary's by any stretch of the imagination.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

3. I just read Arianna's post, as well....

I'm not a fan of Hillary either, and I thought she came off pretty well, too. I don't think anyone really "won" the debate.

My wife and I liked Obama too.

[Diane R]

2. I really resent that Hillary is being crammed down our throats. Why even have debates or primaries?

[William769]

4. "crammed down our throats"?

Who would you like to have "crammed down our throats"? She is the front runner, so yes she is going to get talked about.

[aquart]

6. Vote against her.

If a majority of other Democrats agree with you, she loses. We call that democracy.

[BeyondGeography]

5. Obama is not going to throw any punches in a June debate

It amuses me that people want him to go after Hillary at this stage of the game. He's still basically introducing himself to voters; the first thing they see will not be him going after the frontrunner. Wrong move. The gloves won't come off until November or even December, when most voters are getting closer to making up their minds and when Obama's repuation and credibility is more established in the public mind. Hillary's record on the war will still offer plenty of grist for the mill; and she will continue to add to the ledger as she did last night when she blamed the Iraqis for all of their problems.

Meantime, we are seeing that Obama is a very effective counter-puncher, which will enable him to retain the runner-up position. At some point, he will have to take on Hillary if he wants to win this thing, but there are good reasons why that won't happen for awhile.

[Terri S]

7. my feeling,

and clearly just my own, so it is neither right nor wrong in the larger scheme of things, is that no one could have possibly won that debate by saying 'We are safer, but not yet safe enough'. Surely Barack Obama had an open shot there, but, I don't recall him ever going on the offensive during the debate except when his positions had been attacked. It appeared to me that his position had been made clear, and it also seemed to me that he has no illusions who the real 'opponents' are. Quite frankly I think Arianna was hoping Obama would lower himself to the attack-dog political tactics so prevelant anymore in politics. I think Obama is above that. Hillary has her opinions, and he allowed her to make those opinions known. He has his positions. He has made them known. From where I stand, he is respecting the American public enough to listen to both and make their own decisions. To my mind, that made him a winner.

[Peregrine Took]

8. She is scary - I would never vote for her. Enough of the Clinton empire!

Rethug-light.

She reminds me of Sr. Eleanor, my 3rd grade nun. Terrifying.

[liberal renegade]

9. and what makes her so scary

esplain, would you please. terrifying? esplain that, as well....