Purely on that strength of that last answer she gave. Wow, what a way to end it.

I don't think there was any news to come out of this.  That's good news for Obama.  Clinton got booed for the "Xerox" comment.  She was trying to trip him up the whole time with that cold stare.

I just think its a situation in which no matter what Hillary did at this point.. she can't win.

Anytime she attacks, it doesn't stick. She gets booed. Obama could've said anything and gotten an applause.

1. South Carolina hurt Clinton

2. Edwards dropping out helped Obama immensely.

Two things off the top of my head of most important moments in this campaign

Pretty close debate, i think Obama won mostly because of Round 2, but she had a great moment at the end.

I didn't see it. I thought Obama dominated. I honestly believe Obama is going to win Ohio and Texas.

I saw the debate, i meant to respond to Socks in regards to that I just didn't see the close margin.

Oh, and did anyone notice Clinton using Edwards language at the end.  "We're going to be just fine."  Did she plagiarize?

CLinton's last answer was really good, but the Xerox line she gave totally bombed. Ultimately, Hillary didn't do enough.

About the Xerox line...it doesn't make any sense to mock the one aspect of his message that is really resonating with people. It comes off as mocking change. If she was looking for a zinger that would rocket around the 'net, she miscalculated, and practically guaranteed that she'd be booed.

I can't figure out why she'd do that.

Barack made up in the middle rounds.

Hillary closed with a knockout that has been missing from earlier debates.

In the end, Barack played not to lose and Hillary scored on a Hail Mary.

Hillary's Xerox line bombed, but it was worth it.  Obama got rattled.  His stumbled for fifteen minutes.  She kissed and made up at the end.  Hillary won easily.

I'm a Hillary supporter and am wondering if I saw the same debate as some of you..

the audience who rewarded Senator Clinton with a standing ovation in Austin, Texas, agrees:  Hillary Rodham clinton won the debate in austin.

I liked Obama's response on his supporters not being serious, which is a charge I see repeated on this site a lot. He hit that one out of the park IMO.

It was emotional and heartwarming. It was classy. But it was also a quasi-concession.  You could see in the congratulations for Obama.

Keith Olbermann: Clinton's closing remark lays the groundwork for a graceful exit, perhaps an Obama-Clinton ticket.

Wishful thinking maybe, but maybe he's right...she wants to go out on an unbeat note.

Josh Marshall is saying that the last line by Hillary was actually from Bill Clinton's campaign in 1992.

Here is the quote:
9:46 PM ... That was an interesting final moment to end on for Hillary. Candy Crowley is on CNN now saying how it was a good connect moment for HIllary, which I suspect it may have been. But we all do remember that those words were borrowed from Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, right?

her last statement was brilliant; she won over health-care, and she made great point about Xerox.

On other hand, Kerry won all 3 debates against Bush in 2004,
but people still voted for Divider.

Still like both of them.  Still voting for Obama in PA.  I'm going to pretend I didn't hear the xerox comment.

I saw from the border fence question to the end.  I thought both candidates did a great job and I think that either will crush McCain.  You you think Obama or Hillary specifically "won" froom a debate team perspective in isolation is irrelevant.  In the larger picture, I think that Obama did a better job of addressing the things that are perceived as his weaknesses (plagiarism, substance vs. "words", experience vs. judgment, etc.).  On the basis of that, I think that Obama will benefit the most from the debate.  As to who "won", it was close.  Like I said, I think they were both very good.  If I had to name a winner, it would be the Democratic Party.

I believe this debate and the next one (if Obama has a similar performance) will put Obama over the top in TX and OH and this race will be over 3/5.

Hillary's final answer seemed to me like she was conceding the race.

That last answer she knocked out of the park. The standing O was all for her even though Campbell Brown  tried her best to include Obama in it. The peevish look on Obama's face told it all. He knew he gave a weak-kneed answer and she had schooled him.

Obama did hold his own temporarily in the middle. But he lost the start and the end and that is what people will remember.

Personally I thought the xerox line would have worked for Bill Clinton but personal zingers are not Hillary's forte.  It seems like a few Obama plants were instructed to shout her down since there were a few boos as  she started to delivered the line. I wonder if there are Obama spies in the Clinton camp?

Clinton had many more personal Texas stories to tell including knowing Barbara Jordan and Ann Richards personally. Obama responding with a Barbara Jordan line that he read in a book somewhere just seemed weak.

Did anyone else think that last comment was the first time Hillary has really given Obama serious credit as a political figure?

I thought it was striking, and a markedly different tone from the rest of the campaign.

It's really unknowable except when it's clearly one-sided, like the first Kerry-Bush "I'm SO crushing him" debate.

I do know that I am filled with pride to be a Hillary Clinton supporter tonight. What an amazing woman. So smart, so intellectual, so strong, so brave, so brilliant.

Olbermann thinks Hillary's people are trying to respin that final moment...

Clinton need to hit a grand slam,and she didn't deliver.

She gave it her best. The worst moment of the night was the Xerox comment. The boos should ahve been proof,she cannot go negative against Barack Obama.

The final comment felt like a concession more than anything else. I beleive it's a sign, she'll be going out gracefully, not ugly.

Kudoes to her for that demonstration.

Tied for the first portion, Obama slightly ahead in the middle rounds, Clinton wins the third round outright - but based on her answers, not any stumbles by Obama.

Maybe a slight HRC win -- purely on running up the score with the wrapup -- but nowhere near enough to do what she needed to do.

She's got one more chance.

So... I am confused... is she conceding after that last question or not?

Hillary's performance tonight seemed like an old boxer that's tired of fighting, and is ready to hang it up.

i leaned obama, but i decided to vote for clinton after viewing the debate in austin.

SHE DID GREAT... BUT HER CAMPAIGN IS HORRIBLE

WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THE XEROX LINE SHOULD BE FIRED

(By the way, isnt it ironic that she says barack steals lines... pretty obvious someone wrote his speech, just like someone wrote that lame xerox line)

that alone will unsure she lost the debate (that will be the spin)

Poll question: Did Hillary quasi-concede tonight with her final answer?

First this was the first of two debates. Looking at the dynamics of this the first part I was struck how civil in general it was. But Obama in general tended to follow. He followed really well and it wasn't really noticeable but she sort of made him follow and back up here and there. Also she seemed to be laying some groundwork for the next debate.

One thing she must do is get a better Iraq authorization answer.

There is something gnawing at me. John McCain virtually won the Republican nomination by having mostly Republicans vote for him.

Barack Obama seems to be winning the Democratic nomination by having mostly Independents and Republicans vote for him. Regardless of who we support, can this be good for the Democratic party?

I am amazed. What is he doing?

CNN just talked about a focus group of 12 undecided voters they had watch the debate. After the debate, 6 went for CLinton, 6 went for Obama.

I loved Hillary's answer to her last question. To me it seemed like something Edwards would say. Turns out he already has.

Clinton Tonight:

You know, whatever happens, we're going to be fine. You know, we have strong support from our families and our friends. I just hope that we'll be able to say the same thing about the American people. And that's what this election should be about.?

Edwards the December 13 debate:

?What's not at stake are any of us. All of us are going to be just fine no matter what happens in this election. But what's at stake is whether America is going to be fine.?

To me, the bottom line is that the Univision guy should moderate all of the debates from here on in.

yAHOO HEADLINE - CLINTON ACCUSES OBAMA OF PLAGIARISM IN DEBATE

Stick a fork in her, shes done

hillary clinton secured the respect of patriotic americans with her peroration.  only those who are cynical would deny her conviction, sincerity and her unrivaled ability to lead.

Are you implying that Hillary's last remarks are "borrowed" from Bill? If so, will you please bring some evidence? When did Bill say the same exact remarks and how?

I thought it was very interesting when discussing her Health care plan she said quite pointedly that

"Our Social compact exists because programs like Social Security and Medicare are mandated and not voluntary"

I wonder if anyone is going to tell the 500,000 teachers in California who have opted out of Social Security, or the Railroad employees who have done likewise.  I don't know, but I would wager that there are many, many other organized groups that do not participate in the Social Security program, which would mean it is obviously not a mandated program...

Let's put the final moment in context for a minute. What made the NH emotional moment so compelling was a combination of factors.

1) Obama had shocked her in Iowa and built a huge wave of sudden support.

2) Chris Matthews and co. were on mission misogyny. The media was brutal toward her.

3) Hillary was asked a terrible question ("Why does nobody like you?") at the debate that she turned around to humanize herself - coupled with Obama's arrogant "You're likable enough" response.

4) The Portsmouth diner moment got HUGE coverage.

So she scored a big comeback and milked it as the moment she "found her voice."  The race was early and she had recovered after IA. But then things changed in SC and on Super Tuesday she failed to knock him out, and then he won ten in a row in February and she's on the ropes.

This is very different. Hillary looked emotional,genuine, heartfelt and "human" again. But the context is the larger campaign. She knows the math. She knows who the next Democratic nominee is. And she stood up and shook his hand.

Why do Clinton supporters always whine and come out with excuses?
Either the state is too red, or its too blue, or it's a caucus or its an open primary.

Now it's the debate was unfair.

Look Obama wins because he is the better candidate, and the one to lead us to victory in '08
That's the bottom line

Hillary stole Edwards' words for her closing. What a hypocrite.

But still, it was nice to see her basically conceding to Obama. "She'll be fine" if she loses.

Good.

I loved the ending so much that I'm not even bothered by all the criticism she's getting in this thread.

BIG TIME WHINERS HA!

FIRST THEY WANT MORE DEBATES - THEN WHEN WE HAVE A DEBATE THEY SAY OBAMA IS TALKING TOO MUCH...

SHUSH ALREADY

Too bad that final statement she made was taken almost word-for-word from John Edwards.

Because words matter.  Did she forget about that?  Must be Alzheimer's setting in.

hillary clinton demonstrated once again that she is uniquely qualified for the position of President.

some thought about her last statement and how it affects her-the wounded veterans and the vet hospital- Perhaps someone could remind her that she sent them over there!!!!!! So her usual pandering is not working too well =knew she stole the line from Edwards!!!

I didnt know Edwards had a monopoly on the country and candidate being fine.

I think it was a really strong closing. People here need to stop acting like children, and as if we are in a death match. Obama and Clinton are both really good candidates despite my differences with them. Some of their supporters here however leave a lot to be desired. Grow up.

But, on the closing itself, it was one of those times I understood her as a person, and saw her as being authentic. You can still support Obama, and think this was good to see. I can still think Edwards would have been a better choice, and think this. It's is the failure of the American voters (all too much on display here) that we aren't able to see anything but winner take all.

Exactly.  And when did Duval Patrick have a monopoly on quoting Martin Luther King?

It's a joke which the Clinton used to smear Obama.  

And now she's being hoisted on that same petard.

Play with fire and you might get burned.

Clinton her final line from Edwards, wouldn't have been a big deal if she had not just 15 minutes before criticized OBama for doing the exact same thing!

The end for Clinton was great, but people have already found that a lot of it was, let us say borrowed:

Clinton took from Edwards
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0 208/An_echo_from_Hillary.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAYItnI-l Po&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/stor yonly/2008/2/21/215237/190/114/461598

Clinton took from Bill Clinton
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/2/ 21/215237/190/163#c163
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/17 9614.php

This is the first I saw of this video!

I thought she looked good, sounded good and nailed that answer with the right tone, words and emotion.

No, praxis 1, I do NOT find it troublesome.

But apparently, Hillary does, and that's why she accused Barack Obama of "plagiarism" for doing the same thing she just did.

Can you now see how STUPID that accusation was?

The same level of hypocrisy as any awful Republican.  That's why I support Obama.

Clinton, 92: "The hits that I took in this election are nothing compared to the hits the people of this state and this country have been taking for a long time."

Hillary Clinton, tonight: "You know, the hits I’ve taken in life are nothing compared to what goes

Clinton, 92: "The hits that I took in this election are nothing compared to the hits the people of this state and this country have been taking for a long time."

Hillary Clinton, tonight: "You know, the hits I’ve taken in life are nothing compared to what goes on every single day in the lives of people across our country."

I don't know what it was like watching on television, but on the radio Clinton's last answer did sound bittersweet and conveyed a sense of resignation, like a concession. She partially saved it, but I was quite surprised listening at the time. The fact Wolfson had to send out an e-mail on that subject is proof enough that a lot of people thought that's what she was saying, and the post-debate spin tends to focus on the word analysis more than the picture. (The broadcasters tend to edit the footage anyway, so they'll focus viewers on the words.)

But either way it doesn't really matter. Clinton needed Obama to stumble -- her fate was in his hands -- and he didn't. He was quite strong. I agree, Obama's answer to the superdelegates question was excellent. The question to Clinton (paraphrased "Hey, Obama seems pretty detailed to us; what are you complaining about?") roughly 45 minutes into the debate was telling.

I've also looked at the live blogging at Americablog.com, Talkingpointsmemo.com, etc. None of them think there was any Obama stumble, and quite the opposite.

I'm very proud of both candidates. That was my overwhelming reaction. Which means Obama wins the nomination at this point.

ruralvote.com/thefield
->

Clinton Tonight: "You know, whatever happens, we're going to be fine. You know, we have strong support from our families and our friends. I just hope that we'll be able to say the same thing about the American people. And that's what this election should be about." [Democratic Debate, 2/21/07]

John Edwards: "What's not at stake are any of us. All of us are going to be just fine no matter what happens in this election. But what's at stake is whether America is going to be fine." [Democratic Debate, 12/13/07]

John Edwards: "I want to say this to everyone: with Elizabeth, with my family, with my friends, with all of you and all of your support, this son of a millworker's gonna be just fine. Our job now is to make certain that America will be fine." [Edwards Speech, 1/30/08; http://www.johnedwards.com/news/pressrel eases/20080130/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAYItnI-l Po

Hillary the Hypocrite

Look, the plagiarism story is just plain stupid.  It was a stupid line of attack against Obama, it is stupid as applied to Hillary.  After the dignity of tonight's debate, maybe we can return to a more regular form of discourse and not spend all of our time worrying about plagiarism and hit pieces on the candidates' spouses.  Of course, that would require a similar return to form from the front pagers.

You're right - It is stupid. But if Clinton is going to go after Obama for sharing lines, others cannot avoid saying the same is true for her.

The end for Clinton was great, but people have already found that a lot of it was, let us say borrowed:

Another example, this one where Hillary Clinton took from Bill Clinton
http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/2/ 21/215237/190/163#c163

Obama did more than share lines...

It felt to me like she was saying that the welfare of the American people was more important than who wins or loses. And yeah, one can be cynical and say that of course she would say that, since she's losing, but it's true, and an important message, especially to followers of both candidates.

The ugliness of the rhetoric (and I am as guilty as anyone), with people acting like the country will burn down if their candidate doesn't win, or threatening to vote for McCain -- her final statement should be a reality check for everyone who is emotionally invested in this campaign, that the country will in fact be better off with either of these candidates in the White House.

Watch the You Tube
The end for Clinton was great, but people have already found that a lot of it was, let us say borrowed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAYItnI-l Po&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/stor yonly/2008/2/21/215237/190/114/461598

Great debate!  A few thoughts:

1.) The best moment of the night was watching two candidates repeatedly silence the moderators to have a real debate about health care.  She probably won in terms of appealing to the base, but I think he won in that his perceived weakness is his "lack of substance."  By hammering away on health care policy, he proved that weakness wrong.

2.) So much for the full blown attack the media were predicting.

3.) She's fortunate in that her best moment was the final moment, and that any audience members cheering both candidates at the end of the debate appeared to be cheering her with a standing-O.  If she gets any bump out of this, it's due to the timing of her final moment (which was a great moment, and that's coming from an Obama supporter) more than anything else.

4.) It was generally a tie, though she might have won on a "buzzer-beater," so to speak.  Of course, if this idea catches on, that she lifted those lines from Bill's and John Edwards's prior words, then she'll look very hypocritical.  

5.) If there's one thing I left this debate believing, it's that both of these candidates are better, by a long shot, than McCain.  Shame on those who'd rather punish the other candidate, even if it leads to a McCain Presidency.

Finally just saw the last part of the debate and my first thought was definitely that it was "conciliatory" as a lot of the coverage seems to be saying.

It seemed there was a lot of cheering when she shook Barack Obama's hand and said she was "proud" to be on the same stage with him, and when she finally finished her thought it erupted into cheers because of the conciliatory tone (essentially, that both Hillary and Obama supporters, or even undecideds, could simply cheer the fact that the Democrats have two strong candidates).  

At least, that's what it looked like to me.  She gave everyone a reason to cheer, which is certainly a good thing, and perhaps "scored" her a couple points.

As for the rest of the debate, it didn't really seem like anyone "won" in the sense that I don't think it'll shift any of the current momentum.  Someone could probably go point by point and somehow "score" one the winner (and people will obviously differ on this), but in the end, what matters at this point is which way the momentum goes from the debate, and I don't think either candidate did anything to really improve their situation.

Clinton looked really good and positive for about the first 45 minutes and both she and Obama made good points and looked good.

The whole plagarism question just kind of tossed her into a tailspin.  It played precisely to the newer narrative of the race, that Obama's pushing for a real change in politics, and Clinton's using the old attack politics to try to stop it.  It doesn't play well for her, and it's why the Wisconsin negative ads fell flat.  The Xerox line was obviously prepared, it didn't go over well, and it just added to that.

From that point on, Obama had a strong performance and Clinton lagged a little, as the questions went through Iraq, which is still a weak point for her.

She absolutely gave a fine closing answer.  Making it conciliatory was an excellent choice.  I don't think it was a concession, but it didn't need to be.  It helped alleviate the framing a bit, and I think it was a good display of her good points -- one that's been on display all too little lately.  However:

1. The candidates have gotten a standing ovation at the end of every last question in every debate.  Let's not read too much into that.
2. She took directly from a Bill '92 speech in that, and the comparison video's already up on Youtube and being linked about.  This wouldn't be so bad except that she's decided to stick to this "plagarism" line, and it looks more and more ridiculous.

I think in general, both candidates did fine.  Hillary had the best single moment, with the last question, but also the worst single moment with the Xerox quip.  Obama was strong throughout and directly addressed all of the major themes in opposition to him, and did it well.  It was a stragegic win for him overall, regardless of who you want to score as the tactical winner tonight.

...Bill.

To quote Josh Marshall:

Clinton, 92: "The hits that I took in this election are nothing compared to the hits the people of this state and this country have been taking for a long time."

Hillary Clinton, tonight: "You know, the hits I've taken in life are nothing compared to what goes on every single day in the lives of people across our country."

Anything wrong with that? Nope. Is it true? Yeah I'd say it's true.

The Daily Texan,
Serving the U.O.Texas at Austin,
Endorsement

As voters, we're often torn between our hearts and our minds when making crucial decisions concerning the welfare of the country. This endorsement is no different.

In the past year, we have been entranced by the powerful timbre of Barack Obama's voice. We have felt our hearts soar with each progressive idea he has put forth, especially his call for youth action and enrollment in public service programs. But we do not think he is the wisest choice for president. George W. Bush has made a mess of America, and we believe Hillary Clinton is the best person to clean it up. She is prepared and willing to be a leader who is "a lot less hat and a lot more cattle," as she stated during Thursday night's debate.

Clinton is a seasoned politician, and some argue that works against her. But Bush has been wildly successful in destroying every positive function of the machine that is Washington, D.C., and Clinton has the political tools and knowledge to fix it.

We have admired the consistent integrity of Obama's campaign. He is everything a politician shouldn't be, meaning that we think he is a good human being. To truly be a leader we can look up to, Clinton should learn from her refined opponent's style.

But during Thursday's debate, Obama made a major gaffe in incorrectly stating that he had received endorsements from every major newspaper in Texas. We may not be considered a "major" paper to many, but we represent a crucial constituency of close to 50,000 young and enthusiastic voters, and we've been scrutinizing every move of the candidates leading up to today's endorsement. Sure, Obama took many under his spell when he graced our city with his presence early in his campaign, but we think he prematurely considered his work in Austin done.

We've taken into account our communication with each campaign as an indication of how each candidate's government would function. Upon finding out the debate would not be open to students, Obama's campaign told us there was nothing they could do to get more students into the debate, whereas the Clinton camp was sympathetic in offering assistance. This makes us wonder how far Obama would go for us as president.