That’s my read–a temporary lull before things start blowing again. Everyone was on his or her best behavior, and it would be nice if it could stay that way. It was a decent, informative exchange of ideas, and on points I’d give the debate to Clinton. She scored on accusing Obama of voting for the Dick Cheney energy bill, in neutralizing Iraq as an issue, and won the managing the bureaucracy issue. The last one you could argue was a toss up depending on whether you think managerial competency or vision is the more important attribute.
Everybody made nice regarding the race and gender brouhaha of the preceding week, and so the question remains who comes out of that in better shape. Assuming that it doesn’t break out again, which I don’t think likely, Obama wins. But I still think there are too many advantages for Clinton in pursuing that line for her to let it go completely. We’ll see if the Clinton campaign doesn’t break it out again as Super Tuesday approaches.
There was a good comment on the matter in response to a debate article in Salon this morning. You can read it after the jump:
The Clinton/Obama squabble over race is over for now. I imagine both candidates received a flurry of angry phone calls from party stalwarts imploring them to cease the destructive behavior and both soon saw the imperative need to get off that track.
The question now becomes, what will the consequences be for both candidates now that the dust is settling?
I believe that ultimately this episode will work to Clinton’s disadvantage and Obama’s advantage for a few reasons.
First, though both camps engaged in this debacle, there’s no getting around that Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and their surrogate fired the first shots in this exchange and fired the most shots in this exchange.
And lets be honest, some of the statements made against Obama, particularly by Bob Johnson and Representative Charlie Rangel, were vicious and unpalatable.
Second, Obama was the first to signal the truce. But what is more important is that he did so in a manner that was truly genuine in its approach. There was not a touch of sarcasm nor a hidden barb in Obama’s tone or words as he praised the Clinton’s records on civil rights. Clinton’s follow-up was equally sincere in tone and message, but what choice did she have when so gracious an olive branch was extended?
So, why do I think that Obama comes out on top? To begin, I think the Clinton’s attacks on Obama will alienate a lot of black voters. I am not black, but I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must be to see one of the most positive and powerful black politicians in American history cruelly denigrated by black supporters of his white opponent.
But I also think Obama comes out on top because the Clintons failed to achieve their primary goal from this whole tussle about race. It has been speculated by many pundits and political observers that Hillary Clinton was pushing the race issue as a way of scaring white voters away from Obama by forcing him to focus on his race and his relationship with black America.
I don’t think Hillary succeeded in part because Barrack deftly ended the feud so early. For all this talk about race, the focus of the arguments were always on the Clinton’s commitment to civil rights and Obama’s perceived smearing of that commitment. By affirming the Clinton’s civil rights record and simultaneously ordering his campaign to stop commenting on this issue, Obama stopped the process before it could redefine the racial image he portrays to America.
During last night’s debate, Obama worked hard to regain his former image, an image of a politician who believes his approach is fundamentally different and can bring about fundamentally different results. It is an image that is not hampered by his black skin.
Over the next few weeks, Obama is certainly not going to reignite the civil rights issue again. And I can’t see how Clinton or her supporters can either. So, Clinton goes into Nevada and South Carolina with diminished support from African Americans while Obama gains African Americans supporters while retaining his initial base.
— ceytron
I agree with ceytron that Obama wins in the short run because he is perceived to have taken the initiative to end the food fight. It’s to his advantage in every way that there be no food fight. But I doubt the truce will hold. Unless, of course, Clinton develops a commanding lead. Too much is at stake to expect the candidates to continue to play nice.
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