February 27, 2008

2/27: On Top Of His Game

As was the case last week, liberal bloggers thought that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both gave solid performances at last night's debate. That said, most bloggers felt that Obama won the debate because he successfully deflected most of HRC's attacks. Bloggers thought that HRC failed to land any meaningful blows and that her attempt at humor (in which she referenced a recent "Saturday Night Live" skit) didn't go over too well. However, the netroots saved most of their criticism for NBC's Tim Russert, who they felt did a terrible job as debate moderator. Bloggers were particularly incensed by Russert's repeated questions to Obama about Rev. Louis Farrakhan. Josh Marshall described Russert's questions as "a nationwide, televised, MSM version of one of those noxious Obama smear emails."

DEM DEBATE: Ain't No Love For Russert In The Netroots

TalkLeft's Big Tent Democrat: "This is a disgrace of a debate...I HATE Tim Russert. I HATE NBC."

Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher: "Tim Russert's letting Dick Cheney write his questions for him ('What would happen if we withdrew from Iraq and the terrorists took over? Does Louis Farrakhan control you? What will the Jews think?')"

Digby: "From tax returns to Farrakhan to footage shown by 'mistake' to the endless, trivial, gotcha bullshit, this debate spectacle tonight was a classic demonstration of what people really hate about politics...The problem is Tim Russert and all his petty, shallow acolytes who spend all their time reading Drudge and breathlessly reporting every tabloid tidbit and sexy rumor and seeking out minor inconsistencies from years past in lieu of doing any real work."

TPM's Josh Marshall: "It was borderline to bring up the issue of Farrakhan at all. But perhaps since it's getting some media play you bring it up just for the record, for Obama to address. That's not what Russert did. He launches into it, gets into a parsing issue over word choices, then tries to find reasons to read into the record some of Farrakhan's vilest quotes after Obama has just said he denounces all of them. Then he launches into a bizarre series of logical fallacies that had Obama needing to assure Jews that he didn't believe that Farrakhan 'epitomizes greatness'. As a Jew and perhaps more importantly simply as a sentient being I found it disgusting. It was a nationwide, televised, MSM version of one of those noxious Obama smear emails."

The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum: "Seriously, though, can someone please put a sock in Tim Russert? I didn't even see the entire exchange, but his badgering of Obama on the Louis Farrakhan issue was pretty wretched. It was maybe legitimate to bring it up in the first place, but to keep at it well after Obama had made his position crystal clear was beyond the pale."

DEBATE OBAMA: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Most liberal bloggers felt that Obama delivered a winning performance:

Daily Kos' MissLaura: "[I] think Obama took this one on the merits, in part because he carried in the energy and confidence of someone who's on an electoral roll."

AMERICAblog's Joe Sudbay: "In my view, the win goes to Obama. A clean win. And a win that sets him on the road to the nomination. We'll know next week at this time."

Daily Kos' Scout Finch: "No doubt [Obama] came off looking better tonight."

DEBATE CLINTON: No Game-Changing Moments

For the second straight debate, liberal bloggers felt that HRC gave a solid performance but didn't do enough to damage Obama:

Joe Sudbay: "There was no knock-out punch. And, Hillary Clinton needed one, badly. [...] [She] was good...had a few rough moments. The Saturday Night Live line was pathetic."

The Huffington Post's Marc Cooper: "You'd think that Clinton could leave the national political stage with some larger, meaningful gesture. But, unfortunately, the only memorable line that she spoke tonight was a poorly constructed joke, surely written by a staffer."

Kevin Drum: "I thought Clinton did about as well as she could have on the attack front, but it just wasn't enough. Obama seemed the better, more grounded debater tonight."

MyDD's Todd Beeton: "[HRC] certainly appeared to be the very image of the fighter she says she is, [I'm] not sure it helped her though."

DEBATE CLINTON II: Not A Classy Move

Several bloggers were annoyed when HRC accused Obama of not doing enough to distance himself from Farrakhan:

MyDD's Jonathan Singer: "That Hillary Clinton would stoop to making insinuations about Barack Obama being anti-Semitic or not sufficiently denouncing anti-Semites is really beyond the pale to me, just totally unacceptable. There can be attacks in this primary, and the candidates can disagree on issues. But I am just shocked that Clinton would stoop so low to make such insinuations. I am somewhat appalled, both as a Democrat and a Jewish American."

MissLaura: "Clinton followed Russert's attempt at a bullshit anti-semitism issue with Farrakhan's support of Obama with an even more bullshit moment in which she jumped on him for only denouncing rather than rejecting, and he agree[d] to do both while pointing out the silly vagueness of the distinction."

The Atlantic's Matthew Yglesias: "The way Russert handled the Louis Farrakhan issue was, I thought, pretty egregious but about what I expect from him. Clinton's classless handling of the aftermath was also about what I expect from her at this point."

TalkLeft's Jeralyn Merritt, on the other hand, thought HRC was right to criticize Obama: "Big Tent Democrat thought Hillary should have praised Obama when she had a chance to respond to his answer about whether he would reject [Louis] Farrakhan's support and endorsement. I didn't think she needed to do that. I thought [Obama] was trying to have it both ways -- not alienating his Jewish supporters or Farrakhan's."

CLINTON: Nearing The End?

Open Left's Chris Bowers thinks "the end is nigh": "Clinton's Texas situation is growing dire, and her lead in Ohio is also slipping. At this point, I would now be stunned if Obama failed further increase his pledged delegate lead between now and March 11th...It won't be long before [Obama] leads even when superdelegates, Florida and Michigan are included, even while receiving zero delegates from Michigan. Clinton's slim hopes now rest on perfect storm of Ohio, Pennsylvania, the credentials committee, and stopping the flow of superdelegates to Obama. But even in all of those areas, Obama continues to slowly gain ground."

Jonathan Singer: "Faced with the situation in which Clinton needs to win the remaining contests with about 60 percent or more of the vote from here on out in order to take a lead among the pledged delegates, even a narrow victory in Ohio (particularly if coupled with a loss in Texas) might not be enough for her to realistically stay in the race."

CLINTON II: Media Matters

Several liberal bloggers are discussing the Clinton camp's recent criticism of the news media:

TPM's Greg Sargent: "[I'm] generally sympathetic to the notion that the press treats Hillary unfairly on a regular basis...The question, though, is this: Do these sorts of attacks on the media from the Hillary campaign itself work to Hillary's advantage in the context of the campaign?...Such complaints, whatever their validity, run the risk of making Hillaryland look frustrated and in search of a scapegoat, something that spooks supporters and donors."

Big Tent Democrat: "Does the Clinton campaign's pointing out this truth help? My thought is this -- it can't hurt."

Atrios has a more nuanced view: "It's certainly true that the media, in a lot of ways, isn't exactly kind to the Clintons. Though I have to say that it's also the case that their bizarre obsession with the Clintons has helped her keep the campaign going. While there's a degree of cheering on of her downfall from many quarters, I also think that if the tables were turned and Obama was seen as the presumptive loser by a similar margin they'd be treating him like they treat [Mike] Huckabee now, as a peripheral figure."

On a related note, Daily Kos' DHinMI criticizes HRC for "courting" the conservative media: "If there's anyone alive who would not trust the vast right wing conspiracy, one would think it would be the person who coined the term, Hillary Clinton. Nevertheless, the Clinton team, especially Bill Clinton, have courted the conservative media since beginning of her first term in the Senate. [...] If Hillary Clinton fails to win the nomination -- and right now just about every indication and trend is that she won't -- one of the most fascinating subjects for the campaign autopsy will be why the campaign wasted so much time courting the conservative press, and why they were so naïve that they thought the conservatives wouldn't turn on her like they always do."

OBAMA: He's A Contender

Most conservative bloggers think that Obama gave a strong debate performance last night and that he will be a formidable general election opponent:

RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh: "Obama was cool, confident, comfortable in his own skin and looked like a winner. I take no joy in writing that because I would much rather have John McCain face Hillary Clinton in the general election; it would be a far easier campaign for McCain to win, after all. [...] Republicans will be in for an epic battle."

Power Line's Scott Johnson: "Watching the Democratic debate last night, I thought to myself: I would buy a used car from Barack Obama. He is smart, disarming, adroit, and likable. [...] For John McCain to prevail against Obama, McCain will have to deploy an intellectual rigor in exposing Obama that he has yet to display on the campaign trail."

NRO's Rich Lowry: "[Obama] was in command, his stature enhanced by his standing in the race and by Hillary's ineffectual attacks. It was entirely possible to imagine him on a stage with John McCain, and more than holding his own."

NRO's Stephen Spruiell: "Have you ever seen a candidate extract himself from such a maddeningly stupid argument so adroitly? [Obama] read viewers' minds -- we were all thinking, 'What's the difference between "denounce" and "reject?"' -- and made Hillary look silly for trying to create a distinction. It's this seemingly effortless ability to rise above the tedious semantics of American politics that makes Obama so difficult to attack. Even if you play better than him, he's better at mocking the game. McCain's got his work cut out for him."

OBAMA II: When Denouncing And Rejecting Ain't Enough...

Some conservative bloggers who watched last night's Dem debate don't think Obama adequately addressed Farrakhan's endorsement:

NRO's Jim Geraghty: "Barack Obama's pastor has praised Louis Farrakhan, traveled with him to meet Moammar Gadhafi and Farrakhan has praised Obama as 'the hope of all the world.' Soccer moms in suburbia are big fans of the Nation of Islam, right? Obama offer[ed] an answer that seems to be hedging a bit -- denouncing Farrakhan's anti-Semitic comments, but never quite saying what Obama thinks of the man himself."

Power Line's Paul Mirengoff: "Obama did struggle, however, with 'the Jewish question.' He failed to explain his allegiance to a pastor who has honored Louis Farrakhan. Indeed, Clinton had to goad him into a fairly half-hearted rejection of 'Minister Farrakhan's' support. Obama's initial position was much weaker; he said that if someone thinks he's a good guy, that's okay with him."

Surprisingly, The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan, a longtime Obama booster, agrees: "Does Obama understand that saying he has consistently denounced [Farrakhan] is not the same as simply saying, 'I denounce him'? A weak response -- reminiscent of [Michael] Dukakis...[This was] his worst moment in any debate since this campaign started. I'm astounded he couldn't be more forceful. His inability to say by himself, unprompted, that Farrakhan's support repels him and he rejects it outright really unsettles me."

OBAMA III: Hit Him On What He Says, Not On What He Doesn't Say

Many conservative bloggers are praising Stephen F. Hayes' Wall Street Journal op-ed about Obama:

Commentary's Jennifer Rubin: "Stephen Hayes raises a key point about Barack Obama: rhetoric really does get you far in presidential politics and Obama has enough substance to get by. Attacking his overzealous rhetoric was a sensible but ultimately losing tactic for Hillary Clinton, who could not easily quibble with Obama on actual policy positions and was trying to win on 'experience.' However, the best argument for John McCain in the general election is not that there is nothing in all the rhetorical haze (although I think it entirely appropriate to point out that a cult of personality is not exactly in the best tradition of American democracy); it's that what is there is wrongheaded and downright dangerous."

Hot Air's Allahpundit: "The experience contrast will serve McCain better than Her Majesty, but hammering [Obama] for being a lightweight with a knack for prose won't work since it makes it that much easier for Obama to prove his heft by showing command of the details. It's a stupid line of attack anyway: If you want to motivate the base and capitalize on Maverick's appeal to the middle, you don't argue that Obama has no ideas, you argue that he has lots of ideas, all of them quite dogmatically liberal. McCain is the real centrist, much to the chagrin of most conservatives."

Power Line's John Hinderaker: "I agree with [Hayes]. Barack Obama is a very able man and a formidable opponent. Conservatives complain about Obama's vagueness mostly because they want to expose the dedicated liberal lurking behind Obama's moderate demeanor. In truth, though, Obama's liberalism is no secret...[His] appeal lies, in part, in his ability to make liberalism seem palatable. Unlike Hillary Clinton and John Edwards, he is generally not shrill or hectoring. He comes across as calm and reasonable. In this, he really does resemble Ronald Reagan...[That said], Reagan was devoted to conservatism, which is essentially true, while Obama is devoted to liberalism, which is essentially false. This means that Obama's policies, no matter how smoothly he may advocate them, will never be as successful as Reagan's."

MCCAIN: Vice President Palin?

Several conservative bloggers are discussing the prospect of McCain choosing popular AK Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate:

Captain's Quarters' Ed Morrissey: "Palin would make an interesting choice. She would be the first woman on a major party ticket since Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, assuming Hillary Clinton fails to win the Democratic nomination. Palin could be the first Alaskan on a major-party ticket as well. She's young and popular in the party, and her pro-life credentials are beyond dispute. She also has a history of demanding better ethics in politics, resigning a position on a state board because of ethical lapses by fellow Republicans. However, Palin has a few drawbacks as well. She's younger than Barack Obama and has held the governor's office for less time than he's been in the Senate (2006, versus 2004 for Obama)...She [also] has not yet been tested in any kind of major-media election process."

Daily Standard's Michael Goldfarb: "[Palin]'s only been in office for a year, her state only has three electoral votes, which McCain is almost guaranteed to get despite his stubborn refusal to consider drilling in ANWR, and before her election to governor the highest office she'd held was Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Still, Palin's got pizazz."

Townhall's Matt Lewis: "The GOP could do a LOT worse [than Palin]."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Obama's Most Impressive Diplomatic Triumph

The New Republic's Jonathan Chait explains:

"On Sunday, Barack Obama spoke about Israel in Cleveland. [TNR Editor] Marty [Peretz], who of course is a very strong Israel hawk, read the remarks and declared himself satisfied. Matthew Yglesias, who is seized with intense disdain for Israel hawks in general and Marty in particular, also read the remarks and declared himself satisfied.

Maybe he really can bring America together."

LEST WE FORGET: Bush Vows To Make It Up To Country Somehow

From The Onion:

"WASHINGTON -- Amid allegations that his thoughtless and insensitive decisions have damaged his relationship with the nation, President George W. Bush vowed Monday that he would, starting now, 'make everything better.'

'This time I'm serious,' Bush said. 'I am ready to make a fresh start if we can just put the past behind us. I promise.'

An estimated 35 million citizens listened to the president's televized remarks while silently crying behind locked bathroom doors.

Though Bush told all Americans they owed it to him to give him one more chance, he admitted that there was no excuse for his mishandling of national affairs.

'Things have just been so crazy at work lately,' he said."

Posted by Ian Faerstein at February 27, 2008 01:02 PM