The Austin Debate

I saw the last half hour of the debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, and I'm watching the analysis now. I can't claim to have seen a ton of debates, I catch a little here and there, but I thought Obama sounded very good in this one. Articulate, passionate at times, presidential in bearing.

But I have to say that Clinton really deserves a lot of credit for her performance tonight. Conventional wisdom, and traditional politics, would dictate that she come out on the attack, that she go negative, try to tear Obama down a little and stop his momentum. Except for a couple of mild jabs (one of which earned her some boos) she did not go negative.

And that last statement she made was really one of the best moments I've seen from her. It was generous, compassionate, and statesmanlike. Hearing her say she was honored to be there with Obama, hearing her talk about how no matter what, she'll be fine, I had to think that maybe she was preparing herself, and her followers for an eventual loss. But that strong finish might have helped her, just maybe, to put that day off a little longer.

And one other thing struck me: this crowd liked both of these candidates. Both drew strong applause. The only negative reaction was when the candidates got negative. It was almost as though the audience was feeling protective of both of them. I think this is typical of how Democrats are seeing this election: they like both of these candidates. Sure there is some sniping between camps, but the average D voter would embrace either candidate.

A good night for the Democratic party and for the country as a whole.