MSNBC debate starts with a whimper

Imagine a Fourth of July celebration where a rainstorm has drenched the fireworks, turning it into a non-pyrotechnic gathering.

That, essentially, was what happened at the start of tonight's MSNBC debate in Las Vegas among the Democratic presidential candidates.

The opening question obviously was going to concern the racially charged bickering over the last few days between the Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns. And so it was, with co-moderator Brian Williams asking simply, "How did we get here?"

Problem was, Obama and Clinton had mutually agreed late Monday that it was time to call a truce. Some of their surrogates may not have fully gotten the message, but the two candidates were not going to reengage on the subject. The only question was: Who was going to get the first crack at taking the high ground?

Williams decided it would be Clinton. She predictably ...

stressed the positive, saying that she and Obama had agreed that "neither race nor gender should be part of this campaign." And then it was time for bromides (e.g. "We're all family in the Democratic Party.").

Obama and John Edwards were left to echo Clinton. "Well, I think Hillary said it well," was Obama's first comment. And Edwards stressed that, because he was the only one of the trio raised in the South when segregation was still in full force, he felt "enormous personal responsibility to continue to move forward" on racial issues.

Williams' co-host, Tim Russert, pursued a few follow-up questions, but it was clear Obama and Clinton were going to say nothing remotely incendiary on the topic.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[IMA Believer]

What do you expect, when Dennis Kucinich, the only person with anything to say, was evilly barred from the debate by the new Military Industrial Media Political complex?

People people people. Where is your spirit for change? Change that means truth and peace and prosperity? Liberty and justice for all? That kind of change.

You don't get flack unless you are over the target. (An old air force saying.) Kucinich must be right over the target, judging by the fthe kind of treatment he is getting, If you want change, follow the person who acts for change.

[Robyn]

I thought all the candidates did a great job sticking to the issues and playing nice. However, I am still going to support OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT 2008!

This country needs a fresh, new face in Washington that is qualified and experienced to run the country. He inspires the people and understand that the citizens AND the President must push this country forward.

I am so confused at who is running....Hillary or Bill? Hillary talks about this experience she has, but it seems like she is running on her husband's record. If that is the case, then she needs to explain a lot of things that happened during that time. She couldn't get health reform back then, but does she ever talk about that...nope!

Why don't we just turn back the clock.

I support NEW SCHOOL POLITICS OF THE FUTURE!!!

OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!!!

[Andrew Waldron]

Sen. Obama won this debate hands down. Barack Obama has a positive vision for the future; from teh debate Hillary argues she can best manage the bureaucracy. I don't doubt that one bit, Hillary Clinton is the status quo, non-change canidate who has lived in Washington D.C. for the last fiften years but still never solved the heath care and energy problems still facing our country.

[Tom J]

"Nothing remotely incendiary on the topic"? Maybe, but I winced when Clinton called pre-school education "a black-brown issue" (the implication that it's not a "white" issue as well?) I'd really like to see this dividing up into various "constituencies" to stop, as I think that's what got us into the attack politics of the past several years. Politics has turned into a game to get "other" groups to pay for each person's "own" group. We have respresentatives and senators to make sure all points of view get heard, but at the end of the day they're supposed to balance all these out and do what's best for everyone. I don't see a lot of that going on.

As Obama has pointed out, national defense, education, the economy - these are issues that affect all of us. It's also going to take all of us to fix them. Is it any wonder so many people are responding to that message? Sometimes I think Clinton has been inside the world of politics so long that she just doesn't get it. Which is a shame. She's certainly bright enough and dedicated enough and has good intentions, but if you aren't pointed in the right direction, what good is all that?

[PatriotforObama]

I strongly support Senator Barack Obama for President, and I agree with IMA Believer that Dennis Kucinich has been kept out of this debate unfairly. In other debates, he, Biden, Richardson, Dodd and Gravel were not given equal time with the media-predicted front runners in the debates, even at the beginning of the debates.

The change that Senator Obama promises will bring an honest, transparent government. And one where five corporations will no longer control all tv, radio and 80% of the newspapers in our country. Americans will bring that change by uniting to form a majority to overcome all the corporate lobbyists in Washington. The key word is UNITY! Barack Obama for President 08.

[Mike K]

I have lost some sleep over last nights debate. There were so many problems with MSNBC’s debate I don’t know where to begin. Lets look at the most glaring disappointments in the second part of it where candidates got to ask a question of both candidates for a response. Edwards opens with a question of campaigns funded with corporate financing and if both candidates think that they will not owe anything to these corporations once in office. Barack Obama jumped in and answered that he accepts no PAC or lobbyist monies in his campaign,…it is at this point where the moderators COULDN’T UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN RULES. They wouldn’t let Clinton respond for “we just received word that only one candidates is allowed to answer a question and not both. Nice timing MSNBC for I don’t know how Clinton would have answered since she has received the most funding from corporations (both Dem. and Rep.) over the entire primary. Maybe it would have been nice to hear her answer for that. And when Barack Obama was later DEBATING a topic regarding troop deployment he HAD HIS QUESTION TAKEN AWAY ENTIRELY!!!! This is after he rephrased his response so that he asked no question at all. The above listed speaks volumes of not only a lack of journalistic integrity but of simple professionalism and fairness in a debate. I’m surprised I’m the only one those far to call them on this.

[Twin]

Last night's debate was a perfect exmple of the skill, Presidential bearing, even-handedness, and the intelligence that we'll see with President Obama.

NBC, as others, did show that they play favorites and have NO understanding of what American citizens want to know. The race card, the gender card - are we not bigger than this? Are we not grownups?

Race is not a new issue to Barack Obama. Nor is Hillary's gender a new thing for her. However HRC's failure to distance herself from Bob Johnson's comments did do her harm. Hilary, you are known by the company you keep. Bob Johnson is a harlot for saying one thing and then "clarifying" what he was talking about. Shallow and a bit of the "crab in the barrel" attitude Bob Johnson. And that mentatlity is what makes Bob Johnson's money for him. Crabs in a barrel. Disgusting.

[Danielle Clarke Phila Pa]

Its shames us all to have a candidate such as Mrs Clinton who has such anger and hatred for so many. Her so called experience seems to only be about using people and then cutting their throuts and moving on to the next person. Some of those people have survived only to fall for her words again saying she is sorry and then she cuts their throuts again. Come on people wake up stop taking the abuse of the bush clinton regime. Many of the so called great things they did were only to a few while most of us are now paying the price of their cradle to prision pipeline they created by their actions and bills passed or not passed. They had a democratic congress and they bowed to the republicans and have hurt so many people of color and the poor.
See my blog here to understand the bigger picture outside the last 16 yrs. http://www.lizmichael.com/clintond.htm
and
http://bushclintonhurtchildren.blogspot.com/

[Nita Amar]

I did not think it was "odd" they did not have a cat fight in the Los Vegas Debate. If it had not been for Hill and Bill's "comments" when they were (and are) losing....the negativism would have never occurred. When The Clinton's POO POO the idea that Barack Obama has a following of HOPE....it is because they do not have the same following. Senator Obama can pull us together as a Country....ONE PEOPLE. I no longer feel sorry for Mrs. Clinton. Her day has come and gone!

[Patrick O'Connor]

We see last night that Senator Clinton has moved her position on troop withdrawal much closer to Senators Obama and Edwards. She does this without acknowledging her error of judgment or political positioning that lead her to vote for the War Authorization and against the Levin Amendment. The Levin Amendment would have sent President Bush back to the UN for authorization. Senator Edwards has the courage to admit this error. Senator Obama had the judgment not to make the mistake. Was Senator Clinton ready for Day One of her Senate career?