The first half belonged to Obama. He was smooth and confident. He responded to questions about his relative inexperience without backtracking. When accused of lacking substance in his policy positions he responded by saying that his opponent and her supporters just seemed unable to accept that anyone could support him. Somehow they were ”delusional”. He knew who he was and what he had to offer. It came through in those first 45 minutes. Then came health care.
Both candidates answered, responded, and re-responded, and did so aggressively. However I came away with the sense that on this issue in particular, Hillary’s argument that she was offering more substance than her opponent was an accurate one. And she seemed to regain her sea legs during this portion of the debate. When the conversation turned next to foreign policy, again Senator Clinton seemed cool and in control, ready to assume the role of Commander-in-Chief with no need for on the job training. It was not that Obama let slip any major gaffes. It was just that he did not seem as in command of the issues facing America on the foreign policy front as did his esteemed opponent.
Then came the finale. Asked about a time in their lives that tested their mettle, Obama gave a good response. He talked about there not being one specific moment, but rather a process of learning that he alone was responsible for his actions and their consequences. Fair enough. Hillary, however, took it to a personal level.
She touched slightly on her travails during her husband’s Presidency (read as Monica-gate), however only in a few brief words and without being specific. After this first response, she pivoted and talked about seeing wounded warriors and the struggles that they faced. She talked about how many blessings she has enjoyed in her life that she used to take for granted. And she said that making sure that those blessings and opportunities are extended to others is what gets her up in the morning and motivates her to continue her fight.
Hillary Clinton had some fight left in her tonight and it showed. Score this one for Senator Clinton.
