Clinton Wins Austin Debate Hands Down

Tonight in Austin, Hillary Clinton topped Obama in both her opening statement and in her closing words; in between, she managed to get off the best line in the debate.

Obama had earlier won the draw and elected to go second in presenting his opening statement. But Clinton had the advantage as she talked about her first political job of registering voters in south Texas and recalled living for a while in Austin and San Antonio. She mentioned the many friends she’d made during that period, including Barbara Jordan and Ann Richards. And she also managed to interweave several impressive accomplishments, including major successes in health care for two important groups:

“You know, 350,000 children in Texas get health care every month, because I helped to start the Children's Health Insurance Program. (Applause.) And 21,000 National Guard and Reserve members get access to health care, because I went across the party line and joined up with a Republican senator to make that happen.”

What Obama lacked in comparison to Clinton’s personal experiences in Texas, he supplemented with his usual rhetorical flourishes, presenting himself as the heroic challenger of the status quo:

“But understand that what's lacking right now is not good ideas. The problem we have is that Washington has become a place where good ideas go to die. (Applause.) They go to die, because lobbyists and special interests have a stranglehold on the agenda in Washington. They go to die in Washington, because too many politicians are interested in scoring political points rather than bridging differences in order to get things done.”

In the midst of the debate, Obama, reaching for an example of good judgment, for the umpteenth time boasted of opposing the Iraq War from the beginning, while failing to mention he wasn’t a U.S. Senator when the Iraq War Resolution was passed. He also conveniently forgot to mention his later admission that he didn’t know how he would have voted had he been eligible to do so.

When the issue of Obama’s recent plagiarism of Deval Patrick’s speeches was raised, Clinton didn’t let him get away with trivializing the charges as “silly.” That’s when she got off the night’s zinger:

“Well, 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. (Applause.) And you know -- you know, lifting whole passages from someone else's speeches is not change you can believe in; it's change you can Xerox.”

The two candidates engaged in reasonably civil discussions for the better part of the debate on substantive issues including economic policies, health care, and bringing the troops home from Iraq.

Noticeably rude, Cameron Brown, one of CNN’s questioners, cut Clinton off several times during the evening before she’d finished speaking. As I recall, Brown allowed Obama to finish what he was saying without once interrupting him.

To conclude the debate, the candidates were asked to describe a moment of crisis in their lives that tested them the most. Obama went first this time with a summary of the “trajectory” of his life that culminated in his self-described ability to bring people together.

It was Clinton’s response (transcribed by Federal News Service) that brought the crowd to their feet in a standing ovation:

SEN. CLINTON: Well, I think everybody here knows I have lived through some crises and some challenging -- (laughter) -- moments in my life, and -- (interrupted by cheers, applause).
And I am grateful for the support and the prayers of countless Americans. But people often ask me, how do you do it, you know, how do you keep going, and I just have to shake my head in wonderment because with all of the challenges that I've had, they are nothing compared to what I see happening in the lives of Americans every single day.

You know, a few months ago I was honored to be asked, along with Senator McCain, as the only two elected officials to speak at the opening of the Intrepid Center at Brooke Medical Center in San Antonio, a center designed to take care of and provide rehabilitation for our brave young men and women who have been injured in war. And I remember sitting up there and watching them come in: those who could walk were walking; those who had lost limbs were trying with great courage to get themselves in without the help of others; some were in wheelchairs and some were on gurneys. And the speaker representing these wounded warriors had had most of his face disfigured by the results of fire from a roadside bomb.

You know, the hits I've taken in life are nothing compared to what goes on every single day in the lives of people across our country. And I resolved at a very young age that I'd been blessed, and that I was called by my faith and by my upbringing to do what I could to give others the same opportunities and blessings that I took for granted. That's what gets me up in the morning. That's what motivates me in this campaign. (Cheers, applause.) And -- and you know, no matter what happens in this contest -- and I am honored. I am honored to be here with Barack Obama. I am absolutely honored. (Cheers, applause.)

SEN. OBAMA: (Off mike.)

SEN. CLINTON: And you know, whatever happens, we're going to be fine. You know, we have strong support from our families and our friends. I just hope that we'll be able to say the same thing about the American people, and that's what this election should be about. Thanks. (Cheers, applause)

MS. BROWN: All right. A standing ovation here in Austin, Texas. Our thanks to Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton. Appreciate your time tonight -- (cheers, applause) -- and to John and Jorge as well.

No question about it: Hillary Clinton won this debate hands down.