StrictConstruct

While there have been many Democratic debates held to this point, few provided any real “winner” or “loser.” In many ways tonight’s debate was no different, except in that Obama was significantly outperformed at a time when momentum was already swinging to Hillary Clinton. The debate focused on many of the gaffes committed by either candidate, and even featured the creation of a what might be a new one on Clinton’s part as she emphatically stated that Obama would win in a general election against McCain.

But Clinton managed to do more harm to Obama, by needling him over Jeremiah Wright and stating “you can’t pick your family, but you can pick your pastor.” And Obama managed to do even more harm to Obama, in attempting to defend his comments that occured at the San Francisco fundraiser. Falling back to the “it was poorly worded” defense, he re-iterated his earlier statement that people turn to religion, and voting against gun laws, when they become frustrated by economic troubles. He even went so far as to say “the problem we have in our politics is you take one person’s statement, if it’s not properly phrased, and you just beat it to death.”

But the word choice wasn’t the issue; what was objectionable was the ideas behind them. It seems incredibly dismissive to try and explain people’s support for the right to bear arms as merely a side effect of economic troubles, regardless of the words you use to state this. It additionally seems incredibly dismissive to try and explain small town people’s faith and religion as merely a side effect of economic woes, regardless of the words you use to state this. This is the problem, not the words.

While Clinton was certainly not without fault in the debate, Obama failed to address his previous controversial statements in a way which will be appealing to the key voters in Pennsylvania he was attempting to court - and, until recently, seemingly was. Obama needed to have a good performance, and he really didn’t have one. While I hesitate to call Clinton the winner, it is safe to say that Obama was the loser.

(Photo credit to jmtimages.)