LA Debate: Hugs, Smiles, Laughs, Celebs, and a Defining Moment on Iraq

Some takeaways from the Democratic debate:

The Kodak Theater gave us a Kodak moment -- a post debate embrace that included beaming smiles -- that transcended the two hours of talking that preceded it. This was the first time the two leading candidates were alone on the stage, and the first time that you could see the two of them running together. The whole evening - save for a pointed exchange on Iraq -- had that vibe. And indeed, when Wolf Blitzer asked about the possibility of a "dream ticket" featuring the two of them, the question drew extended applause from the celebrity-filled crowd - and prompted a funny response from Obama who told Blitzer there was "obviously a big difference" between an Obama/Clinton ticket and a Clinton/Obama ticket. Tellingly, neither candidate rejected the notion. Indeed, after Obama gave an extended riff on what he'd look for in a running mate and members of his cabinet, adding that Hillary would make anybody's short-list, Clinton said, "I have to agree with everything Barack just said." Was this a preview of a night this summer in Denver, minus the falling balloons?

Early in the debate, it looked like it was going to be a big night for shoutouts to John Edwards. Obama kicked things off with an immediate mention in his opening remarks. Clinton followed suit in her own opening. She then quickly upped the ante with a second endorsement-luring mention of how her health care plan was similar to Edwards'. Obama matched that second mention with another of his own during a run about his -- and Edwards' -- fight against lobbyists... and there the Edwards Mention Count held for the rest of the night. Others getting mentioned frequently -- sharpening up for the general election, no doubt - were George Bush and John McCain.

Clinton definitely got off the top zinger of the night when, in response to a question about the possible Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton run of presidencies, she said: "It did take a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush, and I think it might take another one to clean up after the second Bush.

But despite talking a lot about her passion for health care reform and helping children, she seemed to get most excited when talking about the virtues of...the electronic medical records legislation she championed with Newt Gingrich and Bill Frist.

Question: did anyone spot Hillary's special "be there for me moment"? The Clinton campaign had held a contest, looking for someone to be Hillary's go-to eye contact person. "One of my favorite moments in any debate," wrote Clinton in an email blasted out to her list last week, "is when I look out into the audience and make eye contact with someone I know...Next Thursday, I want you to be that person. Would you come to an upcoming debate and be there for me in the audience?" I didn't spot any special meaningful glances during the debate. Perhaps it came when CNN was featuring one of the endless celebrity cutaway shots that gave the broadcast a bit of an awards show feel. Or maybe Hillary's special someone was, in fact, Garry Shandling. Or Steven Spielberg. Or Rob Reiner. Or Jason Alexander. Or Stevie Wonder (no, wait, that wouldn't work....)

The most engaging part of the debate had to be the extended, sometimes contentious, exchange over Iraq. It was the most effective sequence for Obama, and the most important for the country -- bringing Iraq off the backburner and placing it front and center, and highlighting the significant differences not only between Obama and Clinton but also between the Democrats and the Republicans.

Obama powerfully restated what is one of the essential themes of his campaign, that while it's important to be ready to lead from Day One, Clinton's mantra, it's even more important to be right on Day One. He deftly handled a question about the perceived success of the surge, saying that if the current situation in Iraq passes for success, then "we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." And he neatly punctured the "the surge is working" meme by saying that over the last two years "we went from intolerable levels of violence and a dysfunctional government to spikes and horrific levels of violence and a dysfunctional government, and now two years later we're back to intolerable levels of violence and a dysfunctional government."

He then made the case that it would be better for the Democrats to nominate a candidate who could say that he had always been against the war.

For her part, Hillary struggled once again to explain and defend her vote to authorize the use of force, saying that she hadn't supported an amendment by Carl Levin that would have forced Bush to actively pursue diplomacy before going to war because it wouldn't set "a good precedent." And she insisted that she had done an "enormous amount of investigation and due diligence" before casting her vote -- despite the fact that the record shows that she never availed herself of the opportunity to read the classified portions of the NIE that convinced Sen. Bob Graham, the head of the Intelligence Committee at the time, to vote against the authorization.

But the lasting impression of the night may turn out to be not the differences between them, but the sense of them possibly coming together to take on McCain and the GOP.

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[audri]

I think one important thing to remember is that Obama did not vote against the war, he was not even in the senate when the vote came up. So many people do not seem aware of this distinction. When he did get into the senate I do believe all of his votes on the war were the same as Hillary's and it now appears their stategy for ending the war is the same. So the real question is would he have voted against the war had he been in the senate when the vote came up. His record in the senate is certainly more of a follower than a trail blazer.

[AnnaList]

Oops, "that,that."

[AnnaList]

First, I must say that I believe that Obama will get the nomination. I also think Barak Obama will not choose Hillary as his vice-president, but he will select a woman! This woman is a very, very smart, "pull no punches, clear thinker. No, it's not Oprah, although she is clearly qualified. I'll leave you all in suspense as to who she is...

[Jonahson]

Whether to support Obama depends on what kind of promises he makes now. According to him, once in power he will pursue Al Qaeda in Afgahnistan which is acceptable but he also mentioned that he will attack them in Pakistan even without Pakistan's approval which is not acceptable to Pakistan. When a country's sovereignity is violated there will be a lot of dissention, now Al Qaeda manage to get easy recruitment is because of precisely what Bush did to Iraq. Fighting insugency is primarily more of a war of hearts and mind in order to destroy their support base(no violence here). In Iraq, they particulary shot themselves on the foot when they carried out suicide bombings on their support base, that is, the citizens. Bombings once carried out by the US sometime miss their intentioned target and kill innocent people other times due to lack of ground intelligence they kill the wrong people. This made people to turn against the US.
All the bombings in Afghan certainly did not deter recruitments to Al Qaeda's fold and imagine the negative aspects of this action if Pakistan sovereignity was violated. The last thing we want is another Bush in different color.
Pardon me for being intellectually lazy so can someone please enlighten me about the plans Clinton and Obama has made to withdraw from Iraq. Or did they just said, 'I plan to withdraw from Iraq in six months once becoming President.'
Please don't jump to conclusion, I am not a Republican supporter. I still think a Democrat President is the better choice between the two evils provided they know what they are talking about during their campaigns.

[mclarke15]

It's time for Barack Obama to make the right choice: to choose patience over ambition.

After eight years as vice president, he'll have complete and unequivocal support for his Presidential campaign. Because he'll have gained global experience and wisdom by the fistful.

This is not 1960. The world is a subtle and dangerous place. We don't need another rookie with rousing rhetoric. We need wisdom and the experience to navigate the nuances - to hear the real questions being asked by and of this country, not just the contradictions within public comments.

Clinton/Obama '08 mobilizes women and minorities. It mobilizes the establishment and the next generation. It unites the experience of the past with enthusiasm for the future.

It's the only ticket that beats the Republicans.

[DeeperTruth]

On the contrary, Hillary truly inspires me deeply, with proven competence.

Although very well-educated, I am also in debt, and I really don't have money to back any campaign, but I stand for truth. And I am behind Hillary. Deep in my gut, I know without a doubt, that she is the most qualified, competent candidate we have to successfully govern our country.

Her administration would never have gone to war in Iraq. She thought that the threat of force was necessary for Saddam to comply with the weapon inspections.

I wish that she had voted against the war, but it is all so much more complicated than that.

The Clintons deserve much more respect, it is sickening how everyone blames them for everything and makes them their scapegoat.

Bill got too frustrated. He knows Hillary is much more qualified than Barack at this time. The Clintons know what it takes to run the country, and they know that Barack does not know how to at this time. Yet he gets away with saying that he would be perfect, but it is an illusion. Barack will make mistakes too, all leaders, and all Presidents do. An Obama administration would be slow and awkward getting to it's feet. They would have to learn all the ropes from scratch.

This is best demonstrated in the debates. Hillary is undeniably the most qualified and competent at this time. Obama doesn't really know what he's talking about too often. I have plenty of inspiration in my life. I don't want another inexperienced president. If there's anything I've learned in the last 7 years it's that speeches and rhetoric mean nothing, proven competence means everything.

Hillary inspires me! True Proven Competence!

[researcher]

in their hearts most americans are imperialists and many are war mongers. bush still maintains a 30% approval rating even through he lied about wmd's and the purpose of the iraq war changes daily.

what could win the election for the repubs is immigration and not the war. americans are feeling the pinch in their wallets and rather than look for the root cause of that pinch capitalism they will blame the illegals.

as far as mc cain the soldier we call a hero for fighing in that other illegal war called nam. imperialism defined. he is upset because he was shot down and did not get to kill more vietnamese with his bombs.

he wants to win a war any war even an illegal war.

make your soldiers heros for fighting in your illegal wars and that is imperialism or worst.

blood for oil baby the american way.

[old91A10]

I'll repost this, since it was apparently rejected. I have never written an abusive or foul comment. This article taken with the comments seems to be encompassing and ambiguous beyond a few topics. I believe it appropriate, since the other article I am interested in disappeared very quickly from the main page (Karen Mulhauser, "A Women's Right to Choose...a President", Posted January 30, 2008).

From my comment on the article: "... 'present' means 'I object' ... a strategy cooked up by the supporters of women's choice and him. Please, show me statements, ..., or publications contemporary with that vote that support this later day, unsubstantiated characterization."

From a comment by Ciccina on the article: "Does this mean Barack preferred to placate people who are mixed or anti-choice rather than standing on principle...?", "Its not like every Democrat voted 'Present,' Karen.", "Only the ones who were wavering did. ... who wanted political cover."

Even if Karen Mulhauser participated in this strategy, a later day statement is not a sufficient. A dubious strategy, seemingly contrary to the organizations' charters, would have required discussion amongst some of the organizations' elite and Obama. There ought to have been some conversation with constituents of NARAL or Planned Parenthood generating a paper or electronic trail.

Show me evidence contemporary with the vote. Without it, one might consider these characters deceitful. With it, one might still consider them sleazy. Dubious strategy or political timidity? Is there a problem here with principles and honesty?

For the most part, this is one of the issues that has been glossed over by both the MSM and non-MSM. It is far enough below the radar that I was able to paraphrase it in a discussion with a half-dozen of my friends (all ultra-progressives and of mixed age and sex). They were outraged -- arms flailing, comments full of invectives and unsubstantiated claims. I sat back and listened. When I corrected my paraphrase with "Oops, I should have said Barack and Illinois, not Hillary and New York," they changed their tune to STFU.

[ColonelRay]

Gallup, Rasmussen, and Real Clear Politics, listed below have all shown gains for Hillary Clinton since the debate. Arianna, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. The more people write and talk about Obama the more they see an empty suit. In Idaho today he is for gun ownership, in CA yesterday he was for drivers licenses for Illegals and said he would learn spanish,in Kansas last week he admitted he is half-white­..........­The flim-flam-man

REAL CLEAR POLITICS AVERAGES
Election 2008 Republicans Democrats
National McCain + 12.4 Clinton + 9.8
California McCain + 8.3 Clinton + 11.7
New York McCain + 31.3 Clinton + 21.5
Illinois McCain + 14.0 Obama + 28.3
Missouri McCain + 5.0 Clinton + 12.0
New Jersey McCain + 17.3 Clinton + 10.0
Georgia Huckabee + 5.7 Obama + 8.3
Tennessee McCain + 5.3 Clinton + 17.3
Alabama McCain + 6.5 Clinton + 1.5
Connecticut McCain+ 22.0 Clinton + 3.4
More Feb 5 States Republicans Democrats
Delegate Race McCain + 34 Clinton + 76

[stanjz]

Manipulation by CNN Reaching Astonishing Levels

CNN is at it again with most of their commentators praising Senator Clinton no matter how she does in the debates. More importantly, the last several days they have had stories front and center on their website highlighting abuses of women. The Clintons have shifted from the race card to the gender card. The other day it was about a story about gang rape of a woman. The next day is a story about mentally disabled women being used as bombers. Front and center today they have “Slain Pregnant Marine Laid to Rest With Unborn Child.”
The behind the scenes manipulation being done for the Clintons is evident to a sea of Senator Obama’s supporters. We’re never going to forget this and come November, you will see the result if Senator Clinton is the nominee!

[roncraw]

It.s easy to say your against the war when your comments aren't on the congressional record. His voting since it's on the record is a carbon copy of Clintons. There's no rebuttal.

[belladawna]

quote:"prompted a funny response from Obama who told Blitzer there was "obviously a big difference" between an Obama/Clinton ticket and a Clinton/Obama ticket. Tellingly, neither candidate rejected the notion. "

i've been saying this for months.... if these two don't team up it's going to be a horrible mess of a country.... these two are saying the same thing~ work together or else... :)

[TrustMeImASalesman]

Arianna this is a good article! It amazes me to hear, read and listen to Hillary Clinton supporters still hanging on to someone who is so incompetent!

Senator Clinton is paid over $15,000 per month, a sum all of us should be lucky enough to earn; and yet she didn't read the security briefing??? What in the hell is she doing for the dough we pay here? And on something so vital as a pending war? What in heavens was she doing?

Then re-funding the war(not so bad if...) voting but not demanding certain bench marks...WHAT THE F...is truly getting done?

What is distracting her or what is she focusing on? And if this is her standard operating procedure; then why in Heavens name do you want her finger on the nuclear button? Can Hillary choose to do what is necessary namely DUE DILLIGENCE in the function of her job as Senator and then possibly Chief Executive of the Federal Government.

Experience shows that HILLARY CLINTON will not perform as expected and needed! It's time to ask for here resignation! Or fire her!

[REBroker]

I believe that it is time for the Democratic front runners to start distinguishing themselves from the Republicans.

Such as :

1) On The Iraq War : There is nothing to WIN, That was accomplished some time ago. We are in an occupation. The Iraqui's are tired of being occupied hence the killing goes on.

2) On Making the Tax Cuts Permanent : Stop cheering, those tax cuts are only for the top 1% in the nation. For those earning that kind of money they would be more than happy to for-go them for more consumer spending aided by a middle class tax relief.

3) On Job Creation : The Republicans think that it is a matter of re-training the displaced workers. Why, are we not still using Washing Machines any more?

4) On all of the issues : Democrats need to start breaking it down. Don't just talk about the hope. Tell us how you will do it. Treat it like a recepie. Don't just tell us that the Chocolate Cake will be tasty. Tell us what is inside. Believe it or not we will be smart enough to understand.

[CHARLESTHETENTH]

When is War hungry McCain going to stop using "support our troops"...and those brave and wonderful hero's etc...laying quite a "guilt" trip on the American people to bolster his Iraq War policy. This administration put all these soldiers in "harms say" to begin with and the American people are forced to pay the price. Sad to say the American people are falling for it all over again...Fe­ar..Fear..­.Guilt Guilt...It is just mind boggling how well McCain is doing in this election process considering he is in full support of this War. He is in favor of many more years of War and will most likely include Iran too!! I guess we the American people will get just what we deserve...we got Bush didn't we!! It just goes to show how the people in this country are so out of it and not on the same reality wavelength. Makes you wonder how many read the news and current world events to know what is really going on. When you see McCain spewing his misguided rhetoric about the success in Iraq and the people applauding it makes you sick. It's not the politicians that are destroying this country but the people who elect them.