Obama Criticizes Debate, Attacks Clinton For Being "In Her Element"

RALEIGH, N.C. — Democratic Sen. Barack Obama dismissively talked about his debate with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and the line of questioning from ABC News' moderators, arguing that it focused on political trivia at the expense of the problems facing average voters.

At a rally in the May 6 primary state of North Carolina, Obama drew roars of approval Thursday when he mocked aspects of the presidential debate that had him on the defensive Wednesday night. He faced tough questions about his controversial pastor, his comments about bitter voters in small towns and his relationship with a 1960s radical.

Deadpanning, the Illinois senator said, "It does not get much more fun than these debates. They are inspiring events."

In criticism of his rival, he called the debate "the rollout of the Republican campaign against me in November" and said it represented textbook Washington politics that Clinton was very comfortable playing.

"They like stirring up controversy and they like playing gotcha games, getting us to attack each other," he said. "Senator Clinton looked in her element. She was taking every opportunity to get a dig in there. That's her right to kind of twist the knife a little bit ... that's the lesson she learned when Republicans did it to her in the 1990s."

The Obama campaign also sought to capitalize on the debate, sending out a fundraising appeal titled, "Gotcha," and soliciting $25 donations.

"Last night I think we set a new record because it took us 45 minutes before we even started talking about a single issue that matters to the American people," Obama told the North Carolina crowd. "Forty-five minutes before we heard about health care, 45 minutes before we heard about Iraq, 45 minutes before we heard about jobs, 45 minutes before we heard about gas prices."

ABC News' Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos pointedly questioned Obama, and Clinton politely challenged her rival.

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"When you're running for the presidency, you've just got to kind of let it ..." Obama said, pretending to flick lint off his pants and jacket.

Another debate between the two candidates seems unlikely. Obama had agreed to a debate in North Carolina on Saturday, Clinton has agreed to a debate April 27 in Raleigh, sponsored and televised by CBS News. The two camps have not agreed on a date.

"I'll be honest with you. We've now had 21," Obama said of the debates. "It's not as if we don't know how to do these things. I could deliver Senator Clinton's lines. I'm sure she could deliver mine."

Later, taking a question from a fourth-grade boy who said he had been elected his class representative at school, Obama asked, "How many debates did you have to have?"

"None," the boy replied.

"None! That sounds good!" Obama said.

[WATCH]

Comments

[MenopausalMick]

They best stop all the squabblin'. McCain has to be loving this. In a country where a majority of citizens are screaming to stop the war he advocates, the Dem's are gonna lose if they keep this up much longer.

Both of these folks represent a magical evolution for our country. If they keep throwing spitballs at each other, we may lose the opportunity that some of us have waited a long time to see. Honestly, both call to my heart with hope...so either is fine with me.

We have to repair all the damage that has been done to our democracy and make that our first priority other than who gets to hear "Hail to the Chief", or we can't address all this country's urgent problems.

We won't have that opportunity if pettiness does the Republican's job for them.
When will someone champion Democracy? Ahead of all else.

[MoreCowBellNowPlease]

I don't buy this whole thing that the fight in the democratic party is hurting us. The few that may defect and vote for repubs or not vote at all will be inginificant.

Also Hillary is not hurting Obama for the GE. Nothing Hillary has done wasn't going to be done by the repubs and when they get their chance they are going to try to crucify either Hillary or Barak. It's just the plain thruth. In fact, the longer this goes on the less amount of time the repubs will have to define the democratic candidate and throw the mud that they are going to throw at them. So, the length of this primary season is good for us.

If Obama gets the nomination and loses to McCain, that will not be Hillary's fault, only his own.

[MenopausalMick]

Sugar, I sincerely hope you are right. The thought of a McCain presidency scares me quite a bit. Not because he's Republican but because he's bound and determined to keep us on a path that is strangling this country in every possible way...and people will keep dying for oil.

My fondest wish would be the Obama/Clinton ticket in either order but the more they thwap away at each other the less this seems likely and the more like a sham it will appear if they do ever begin to work together. And that's a real loss for the country. We need all the bright minds we can find. In my eyes, these two shine pretty bright.

[Arawak]

How many Hillary supporters out there voted for Bush? C'mon be honest.

[desh7]

I haven't researched anything on this latest controversy on William Ayers. But I see what the media is doing. Painting a picture of Sen. Obama associating with people who don't like America.

Tony Rezko issue almost disappeared once he sat down and explained his connection to Rezko to Chicago newspaper. So may be it would be better to get all the details on their limited friendship out there so it doesn't look like there is something there.

I'm sure there is a % of people who won't be satisfied with any answer.

[SignifyingMonkey]

I look at it this way: would you rather have a president who associated with an advocate of black power or a president who spent her Vietnam years with her heels locked behind her ears, smoking dope with Bill Clinton?

[MoreCowBellNowPlease]

Never. You really are buying all this bs that Hillary and Bill are like the repubs. Maybe you should look at her record instead of blindly believing what the Obama campaign is saying. Her entire life has been supporting liberal causes. Even in the senate she is consider a radical left democrat, even more left than Obama.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=300022

Th goal of the progressive movement is to be a critical thinker and not a blind follower. Facts are your friends and as J Adams said, "Facts are stubborn things."

[DoninJoisey]

I "stole" this from another poster... IT IS GREAT!
says it all.
I wonder how much a TV ad in Pennsylvania costs???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exsmFDYyK4U

[amanda08]

It’s not her fault, she's in her element, we understand, she just “out of touch” poor things trapped in a “political time warp”!!

[ClevelandTom]

The really funny thing about the debate is that because Obama was apparantly targetted by both the moderators and Hillary for most of the first hour, he will probably enjoy a bit of a bump in the polls. Nobody likes to see someone ganged up on, especially over entirely trivial matters.

[jamo]

I think Obama claims he was only eight when Terrorist William Ayres was setting bombs, I was young when Hitler went on a rampage-but I sure wouldn`t been friends with him, and OBAMA SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN FRIENDS TO TERRORIST WILLIAM AYRES!

[ClevelandTom]

Who has ever said they were friends? Ayers is a community activist in Chicago. So was Obama. The fact that they are acquainted should come as no suprise.

[ILliberalPedagogue]

I think you are confusing the word "activist" with "terrorist". His people said they were "friendly"
You haven't seen the last of this. Can you say Swiftboat?

[cdhoward21]

hahaha, you're an idiot.

[Tinkeraw]

They sat on a board together. Have you ever sat on a board? You are friendly and polite because you have a job to do ... run the organization and make decisions to better that organization. I have sat on Boards, attended meetings with people, who knows what some of those people do in their other lives. I sure don't want to be responsible for their personal lives, previous lives and future lives.

This is getting silly.

What about Hillary saying she wants to put the Middle Eastern countries under an umbrella and if Iran attacks one, WE go in and fight the battle. That is scarey. Jumping from the frying pan in to the fire. Why in goodness name aren't the message board people and the pundits talking about that!

[TinaFreeman]

Agree on both counts...I've worked on community boards with people and it's typically no more than an hour a month meeting.

The "Milddle East Umbrella" thing is whacked. When did Hillary move right of Bush?!!!!!

[Krazime]

I can see the conversation now.....

Chelsea Clinton is running against Joe Smith in 2020...."Joe sat in that classroom for 16 weeks and listened to William Ayers teach nothing but hate.....you can't pick your family members but you can pick your professor....I would have left that classroom, he wouldn't have been MY professor...."

Where does the madness end? Just knowing someone now, someone considered a collegue working at the same institution, lives in the same neighborhood....
We're talking about Chicago. So not one person living in or near Chicago can ever run for president because of associations?
Where does it end?

[NABNYC]

Clinton said in the debate that if Iran attacked Israel, and she was president, she was lead a massive and devastating attack on Iran. Why this commitment to Israel when she has no commitment to the people of this country. Does Israel just give her bigger bribes? She's sent our jobs overseas, she and her husband have taken millions of dollars in bribes from the corporations to sell us out, and she's campaigning for the Republicans.

When did Clinton adopt the Bush regime re-writing of the constitution to say that the president can declare war? Why didn't Georgie and Charlie ask that question?

What if Iran had said that if the U.S. attack Iraq, Iran would lead a massive and devastating attack on the U.S.? But they didn't, of course. It is always the U.S. under the Bush regime that is threatening other countries. And Hillary, who cannot wait to have her own wars, is already threatening other countries who have done absolutely nothing.

If the U.S. is trying to create peace, to punish aggressors, shouldn't we stop invading other countries, and shouldn't we have attacked Israel for its recent attacks on Syria? Unprovoked, I might add.

Why does Clinton assume the U.S. military should be sent to fight for Israel? If Israel cannot live in peace, then they should leave. I don't want to support Israel anymore, arm them, or send Americans to fight to defend the stolen land on which Israel sits.

[ILliberalPedagogue]

We defend them because they are our allies. What part of that concept don't you get? Guess if you were in charge in the 40's, they'd be selling knockwurst in front of Buckingham Palace right now.

[nomobull]

and how with a stretched army or do you plan to volunteer have vietnam and iraq taught us that we cannot police the east.

[asere]

What if Russia says,'If you attack Iran we'll attack you, they're our allies '.
Would you be willing to start W W 3 to defend Israel ?

[AndrewInToronto]

A very relevant point on the role of the President vis-a-vis Congress in declaring war.

She shows she stands by her decision to vote to authorize Bush the powers to declare war unilaterally without going to Congress for approval.

Does anyone think that declaring war on Iran will be any less tragic all around than in Iraq? Can anyone imagine cost in human terms, the state of the American economy, the value of the dollar against other countries, the regional instability which would ensue...if the US bombed and invaded Iran while Iraq is in the state it is?

Clinton for Rogue President.

[Pammy1151]

One thing last night showed was that Obama is definately a gentleman as he did not go after Hillary when he had many opportunities ot do that. I suppose you Repubs here on HuffPo will say that makes him weak. Actually not so. However, after saying that Hillary sure showed her self as having NO class at all. GOD do we need another trailer trash person in the white house???? George who can't put two sentences together and Hillary who has no class. They actually deserve each other.

[Arawak]

Hillary knowingly lied about being shot at. O.G. Hillary wanted to represent. She lied to show she is all hard, but she is all soft.

[kevenseven]

It was a mistake.

I'll freaking say.

[AndrewInToronto]

If it was a mistake, then it was at best a strategic one BUT it was above all else a repeated lie going back to December 2007. That for which she is sorry is not lying but being caught in the lie.

[MenopausalMick]

All the lies...I am sooooo tired of all that. Politician should be spelled POLIETICIAN.

When we've been told the kind of huge whopping foul smelling lies that got us into the Iraq war and NOTHING is done about it year after year...I guess we feel the need to focus on the lies that aren't getting people killed.

Who wrote what part of what speech.

Who had flowers instead of snipers.

Politicians: I'm very tired of being treated like a three year old when I'm having hot flashes. So please tell me the truth about each and every thing down to the color of socks you are wearing.
If any politician is wearing striped brown socks and I ask 'em what color their socks are...they better NOT say "red" or even "brown".

They better say, "these dark brown socks have a silver stripe and were purchased at Target." And they better have the receipt in their pocket when they do...And it better have TARGET printed at the top.

That starts happening...I'll not only vote for 'em...I'll hand out pamphlets.

[kfdan]

Clinton did look and act comfortable in the shallow, snipping, gotcha game that has become the basis of her campaign. This type of political process keeps the interest up for trailer trash, soppy reality T.V. shows and that's about it. It just shows the level contempt that Washington politics and the news media giants hold for the American public ~ pathetic!!!

[OnePartyEqualsTyranny]

In her element HA, Blessed Be HRC you in your own words “yes,yes,yes” Trice

[ohioangel]

And just like Meg Ryans "yes yes yes" in Sleepless in Seattle, she was fakin' it. Unless she's a liar.

Hmm...

[dpep]

I think that was Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally.

[AndrewInToronto]

Remember when the "Yes, yes...yes" was said and with which tone: in response the question being asked a second time.

[ILliberalPedagogue]

THIS JUST IN:

Obama literally craps Tiffany Cuff links following dismal showing during last nights debate.

In addition, scientists say Obamas smile appears to be reversing global warming.

[deedrdo]

he would say that. i say it was a wasted first 45 minutes because we had to sit there and watch his lame ass squirm under a low heat. he can't take the heat and last night was proof of that.

[Kalima]

You call that heat?
I would call it 3 fishwives gossiping about a neighbour, over the garden fence.

[democraticjack]

I guess that explains the frenzy among Obama supporters and surrogates.

[HypocrisySlayer]

Sorry this wasn't MSNBC or CNN barry, dear!

[kevenseven]

That you call him by his childhood name is perfect evidence that you are a flaming a**hole ra**ist.

You have nothing but hatred to offer. Go ki** yourself.

[MoreCowBellNowPlease]

Wow--that's not very Obama-like of you. So much for belief of non-divisive language.

If you're an Obama supporter I wouldn't worry too much about the debate and the negative stuff that is being thrown at him. It really isn't. I don't buy this whole thing that Hillary is hurting Obama's candidacy in the GE. The debate was a joke, but it's nothing compared to what the repubs are going to throw at him. They would be doing that regardless of what the Hillary may do.

[democraticjack]

Barry is ra*ist? Please explain. Seriously, I don't see the logic in your post which, incidentally sounded full of hate itself.

[mickeyrat]

This post was so funny I was laughing out loud. "You have nothing but hatred...go ki** yourself".

[AWest]

You're right... looked much more like Fox.

Too bad ABC has sunk this low, but it's certainly consistent, isn't it?

[WWJD2]

Please quit picking on Barack !!! Leave him alone!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvUNFmB7Jl8