Dem Debate Reaction - Hillary, We Denounce and Reject You

Hillary, we denounce and reject you.

-- American people, Jan.-Feb. 2008, Democratic presidential primary

"... Obama is quick on his feet and good humored. He also conveys a certain bemused remove from the bizarre conventions of traditional insider politics, which is exactly why people love him."
--Michael Crowley

One million contributors to Obama! Not even the most dense network commentator can talk this away.

"Hillary Clinton should probably spend a little more time boning up on her husband's trade record than watching NBC's 'Saturday Night Live.' That might have helped her to figure out that no good was going to come from trying to be funny, biting and substantive at the same time."
- John Nichols

- MSNBC debate

Debate Take-away: GOP Nominee Is a Sheep Being Led ...

Update II: Salon: No Hail Mary for Hillary

Update: Obama either won or nothing in race is changed.

One final note on the debate, Hillary or Obama would mop the floor with McCain in the general election.

As written below, judged in terms of knowledge, intelligence and depth of policy deliberation, Obama and Hillary run circles around the talking-point-programmed GOP lightweights like George W. Bush and John McCain who seem like eight graders in comparison to these two seemingly post-doc advocates at the top of their game.

So, are folks assuaged that Hillary would not have too difficult a problem with McCain in the general election? I should think so, but this late in the primary game, Hillary's clear superiority over McCain won't mean much, as it is so obviously shared by Obama.

Clinton's Hail Mary Intercepted and Returned for a Touchdown

Debate Update III: For all of Hillary's erudition, she came off sporadically as too over-ripe versus Obama's equally erudite, calming, let's-be-reasonable demeanor. As for the football analogy, Hillary entering the debate down by 13 points: She lost the game by 20.

Debate Update II: The MSNBC commentators all refuse to state the obvious take-way from tonight: Judged in terms of knowledge, intelligence and depth of policy deliberation, Obama and Hillary run circles around the talking-point-programmed GOP lightweights like George W. Bush and John McCain who seem like eight graders in comparison to these two seemingly hard-working, post-doc advocates at the top of their game.

Debate Update: Can you imagine George W. Bush discussing health care policy with the precision and intelligence of HRC and Obama are?

That said, Hillary puts on display the reason Americans (48 percent disapproval rating) simply do not like her. Hillary is sanctimonious, overbearing, and possessing of an apparent sense of entitlement to get the last word in, as though she owns the health care issues and cares about health care more that Obama.

Obama, contra Hillary, is measured and agreeable.

Game over.

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Let's put tonight’s democratic presidential debate in football terms.

Hillary is down by 13 points, her team has the ball on her own 30-year-line with four minutes to go in the fourth, having displayed no ground game and an inconsistent passing attack.

Her opponents’ defensive cornerbacks are Lester Hayes and Mark Haynes (of Raiders fame), the pass rush is the 1985 Bears, and the linebackers are a bunch of LTs.

MSNBC bills the debate as Hillary’s Last Stand. The debate’s headline ought to read: Abandon hope, Hillary, if ye enters here.

It would take a hail Mary pass, an immaculate reception, a drive to end all drives, and Barack Obama's invoking the name of Satan for Hillary (the let's-trust-George W. Bush-to-do-the-right-thing-on-Iraq Hillary (Vote: Oct. 11, 2002)) to win this game.