Tonight’s ABC Obama vs. Clinton debate: What we learned.

Things we learned in tonight’s ABC Obama vs. Clinton Democratic presidential primary debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia:

According to moderator Charlie Gibson, tonight’s debate was “Round 15 in a 10-round event.”

Barack Obama apparently believes that the best defense is a good offense: He wasted no time in taking the offense on his recent “bitter” remarks about the people of Pennsylvania during his opening remarks.

 

Obama has been struck by the “core decency and generosity” of the people of Pennsylvania. (Editor’s note: No mention of whether or not any of those same folks are also clingy.)

 

Hillary Clinton wasted no time in plugging her web site, HillaryClinton.com and did so during her opening remarks.

 

After both candidates’ opening remarks, ABC wasted no time in making some money by going to a commercial break only 5 minutes into the debate.

 

The first commercial break included a spot for a fertilizer product…Befitting?

 

On the issue of choosing their opponent as their running mate, neither candidate jumped at the opportunity to talk about it. In fact, for the first time in memory, both candidates were momentarily speechless… But Obama is certain that the party will come together in August because they have “no choice.”

 

Barack Obama was the first to attack John McCain when he played the “John McCain is four more years of Bush” card only 9 minutes into the debate.

 

Hillary Clinton attacked the “failed Bush policies” only two minutes later.

 

Both candidates completely avoided the question of making the other their choice for VP.

 

Barack Obama will make more “mangled up” statements during the campaign.

 

Direct attacks using the name “Bush” during the evening’s debate: 5.

 

Hillary Clinton pointed out that she is the granddaughter of a Pennsylvania factory worker.

 

In Hillary’s viewpoint, people in Pennsylvania don’t cling.

 

Hillary Clinton believes that this is a caldron of a campaign. (Editor’s note: Interesting analogy from a woman who is regarded by some as being a witch.)

 

Barack Obama has large numbers of sportsmen and gun owners in his own state who have supported him. (Editor’s note: If one didn’t know better, one might assume Sen. Obama is now pandering to same people he potentially insulted only a few days earlier with his remarks in San Francisco.)

 

Barack Obama believes Hillary Clinton has beaten his “bitter” comments to death.

 

Barack Obama does not believe Hillary Clinton is an elitist.

 

Hillary Clinton believes that she has a 35-year record of “results.”

 

When speaking about the Reverend Wright controversy, Barack Obama’s words are chosen very carefully and delivered very slowly—almost like someone moving carefully through a mine field.

 

Hillary Clinton believes that you get to choose your pastor, but not your family.

 

Barack Obama’s life and campaign are about diversity.

 

Barack Obama has disowned his pastor…no, wait, he disowned the Reverend’s comments.

 

Hillary Clinton wants to overcome divisiveness and bitterness.

 

Hillary Clinton’s persistence on Barrack Obama’s relationship with Reverend Wright and Farrakhan was like watching a dog chewing on a bone. Subtle growling, teeth firmly chewing away at whatever the bone will yield, for as long as it takes…

 

Hillary Clinton believes that she may be a lot of things but she is not dumb. But she may need more sleep.

 

Barack Obama hasn’t commented on Hillary’s Bosnia comments…but his campaign has.

 

Barack Obama says that we have “income inequality.” (Editor’s note: Is that anything like economic class warfare?)

 

On wearing the American flag, Barack Obama wore it early in the campaign, later he didn’t, now he is wearing it once again after a veteran handed it to him. But he reveres the flag and this country.

 

Barack Obama once again pointed out that he was raised by a single Mom. (Editor’s note: In case anyone missed it the first few thousand times he mentioned it…)

 

On the subject of his relationship with admitted terrorist William Ayres, former member of the Weather Underground, Barack Obama explains it as he knows him, lives in the same neighborhood, served on a board with him, but doesn’t think it reflects on him personally because he was only 8-years old when the bombings in America happened.

 

Hillary Clinton wishes that the Republicans would just not run a candidate in this election and instead simply apologize for the past 8 years.

 

Barack Obama believes that he can take a punch—and that he has taken several so far from Hillary Clinton.

 

The second ABC commercial break came 46 minutes into the debate.

 

Hillary Clinton would order our troops home from Iraq within 60 days upon becoming president, even if her military advisors inform her that to do so would be a mistake, because she believes that’s the only way the Iraq government will accept responsibility for the current situation.

 

Barack Obama would set the mission as commander-in-chief and bring our troops home within 16 months. We will proceed deliberately and orderly out of Iraq and will not maintain a military presence there after our withdrawal.

 

Barack Obama is in favor of direct talks with Iran to keep nuclear weapons out of their hands and believes that we can offer them “carrots and sticks.”

 

Hillary Clinton would order a “massive retaliation” on Iran if they attacked Israel.

 

Low level diplomatic engagement with Iran, deterring other countries from acquiring nuclear weapons, and not permitting Iran to become a nuclear power is the answer to the Middle East region’s problem—in the eyes of Hillary Clinton.

 

No tax increases for anyone earning under $200,000 per year? Hillary Clinton is absolutely committed to it if she becomes president. Barack Obama feels the same and is even going to cut taxes for the middle class if he becomes president. Barack Obama’s ceiling for the middle class is somewhere between $200,000-$250,000.

 

Hillary Clinton’s second plug of her web site came at 9:06 pm ET, just slightly more than one hour after the first plug.

 

“Pain trickles up,” according to Barack Obama.

 

Even when Charlie Gibson presented historical facts that revenues actually go down when the upper class is taxed, neither Obama nor Clinton seemed to let that fact affect their plans to tax the upper class if elected.

 

Hillary Clinton believes that an economy that “lifts everyone up” is best for the country, even though she plans to tax the upper class. Apparently the upper class is not part of that same “everyone” in Hillary’s view.

 

The third ABC commercial break came just 12 minutes after the second break, at 9:18 pm ET.

 

Barack Obama believes that we need to “capture some revenue” to save the social security system. (Editor’s note: Sounds so much less painful than a “tax increase” doesn’t it?)

 

On the subject of guns, Charlie Gibson pointed out that both candidates were strong advocates against guns in the past but both have also seemingly softened that stance during the campaign. Why? Hillary Clinton countered the she respects the Second Amendment and the rights of lawful gun owners.

 

Barack Obama said that he has never favored an all-out ban on handguns but believes we can make sure illegal guns don’t end up in the hands of criminals.

 

Neither candidate answered the original question and instead danced around the issue until the subject changed.

 

Both candidates claimed during the debate that they would “bridge the divide.”

 

Hillary Clinton believes that Vice-President Dick Cheney is a “fourth special branch of government all by himself.”

 

On the topic of Affirmative Action, Barack Obama believes in it but also believes that his own two children should not benefit from it, but perhaps a poor young white child should.

 

Hillary Clinton is against the current “No Child Left Behind” program.

 

Hillary Clinton believes that we have a gap between incomes in this country. (Editor’s note: Barack Obama refers to that as “income inequality.”)

 

On the subject of rising gas prices, Hillary Clinton is going to investigate the prices for “market manipulation.” She also believes that when gas prices reach $4 per gallon, people won’t be able to drive to work.

 

Barack Obama is in favor of a windfall profits tax and wants to increase fuel efficiency standards for new automobiles and would spend $50 billion over 10 years to achieve the needed efficiency.

 

Barack Obama would be more likely to seek the consult of George Herbert Walker Bush, rather than George Walker Bush if elected president.

 

The fourth ABC commercial break came at 9:41 pm ET.

 

In her closing remarks, Hillary Clinton said that she “can’t do this alone” but noted that she is ready to be commander-in-chief, going to lead us out of Iraq, and then turn this economy around.

 

In his closing remarks, Barack Obama said that he believes that our planet is in peril, the people have lost trust in our government, and that people are tired of politics. (Editor’s note: Would someone please pass the anti-depressants? For someone who repeatedly talks about hope, Sen. Obama certainly paints a picture of doom, despair, and hopelessness…)

 

The debate was officially concluded at 9:51 pm ET, just in time for ABC to take a fifth commercial break.

 

The last few minutes before the end of the broadcast were used for a very brief moment of reflection, enabling ABC to take an amazing sixth and final commercial break—much to the ire of the debate’s on-site audience who could be heard moaning and groaning in the background, clearly annoyed by the repeated commercial interruptions.

 

So what did we learn overall in tonight’s debate? That you can spend about two hours talking but not really saying very much new or enlightening—and that ABC can stuff a lot of commercial breaks in-between the chatter to make the event even more excruciating.