Clinton-Obama: The Texas Debate

Last night's debate saw neither Clinton nor Obama able to strike a devastating blow against the opposition. True, both candidates had their moments in sounding familiar themes. Clinton trumpeted her vast experience that will enable her to assume the role of commander-in-chief on day one. Obama spoke of his superior judgment on vital issues, particularly Iraq, and his desire to move beyond the partisan divide to forge coalitions to get things done. Clinton, having the greater need to distinguish herself from Obama, repeated the charge of plagiarism. "I think that if your candidacy is going to be about words, then they should be your own words. That's, I think, a very simple proposition. And, you know, lifting whole passages from someone else's speeches is not change you can believe in, it's change you can Xerox." But Obama effectively dismissed the charge as "silly" and admonished her to move beyond personal attacks and talk about the issues people are concerned about. It is unlikely that the debate swayed voters to either side, and, in that sense, Clinton came up short because she did not gain any ground.