Democratic Debacle or Debate?

I'll admit: I watched American Idol from 9-10 last night, and used the Philadelphia debate as my flip channel. So, for the last hour of the debate, I had to depend on the Internet and the media coverage afterwards.

A few observations:

American Flag lapel pins? Come on. I'm not an Obama fan, but the moderators should not have allowed that question. How does it have even the slightest significance? I suppose, we have had to listen to months and months of commentary about Clinton's pantsuits and hairstyles, so giving 5 minutes to Obama's accessories isn't all that bad. But, it was a sneaky way to put him on the defensive about something that should be a non-issue. If you want to question his patriotism, question it. There's plenty of material. But let's leave out the stupid wardrobe questions.

As a Clinton fan, it was a little refreshing to see a debate where the moderators were out for Obama blood for a change. I haven't watched every debate, but the many I have watched have most often featured moderators going after Clinton with both barrels, while they turn the soft focus lens on Obama. The only productive outcome of this I can see (other than personal satisfaction) is that, for a change, we saw Obama scrambling to reply instead of being able to retreat to the shadows and watch Clinton get obliterated. Obama was denied his Cheshire Cat moment last night, something I have always despised. It may have been unfair to Obama, but pretty much every other debate has treated Clinton that way. A taste of his own medicine can't be that bad.

I agree with the loudest buzz out there that there were no real substantive policy questions until the second hour. When those came, I think both answered them with aplomb and depth, but quickly descended into bickering over the details of execution. At least they debated something.

I noticed that Clinton used just about every line that has ever gotten her laughter or a standing ovation in past events. She also plugged her website at every possible opportunity. She also seemed much more prepared than Obama. I'm not sure if this is because the moderators were relatively relentless on him, or because he really wasn't prepared. I'm not sure how you could go into that debate, in the current climate of the presidential race, unprepared. At times it seemed like the moderators were trying to bait him, and his indignation did carry over into the Q&A's after. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but Obama has smugly watched Clinton choke it down so many times, I can't really feel sorry for him.

Just like the Austin debate 6 weeks ago, I think if there was a winner, it was the moderators. Clinton came off as more prepared, more eloquent (seems hardly possible), and more willing to show remorse for her "gaffes." The fact that she actually said she was embarrassed by the Bosnia thing tipped the balance in my mind. Clinton often says she has apologized for something when she really hasn't, but this time, she really did. Obama came across as unapologetic (something usually ascribed to Clinton), stiff and caught off guard. Before it was over, he was showing some signs of genuine anger, and it was pretty clear he'd rather be anywhere else. As for any real debate, I think it was a tie. I don't know why anyone would expect anything different at this point.