BARAK OBAMA needs to welcome the "EXPERIENCE" question. He needs to explain why he would consistently make the correct decisions as President. One question that people are anxious to know about is how will he handle those who try to undermine his Presidency. He needs to sight examples where his judgements were just as sound as Hillary's. He should not get defensive about the experience question because it is a legitimate concern. He needs endorsements of people he's work with in the past. People need to hear testimonies. If he is unable to bring all factions together how will he deal with it as President. He should mention that he learned from the Clinton's and studied them closely. He's learned from their successes and their mistakes and he has incorporated their experiences with his own. That the Clinton's experiences have only added to his life-long experiences. The true test is when things go wrong. Will Obama be able to keep things together. Hillary has proven that when things go wrong she can handle it.
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A Flat Finale
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Romney took a mild shot at Huckabee, saying he disagreed with Huckabee's boast that he had "the most impressive education record." "I don't believe you had the finest record … because there's another one on the stand," Romney said, talking up his own résumé. Oh snap? Yeah, don't think so.
Thompson, whose campaign has been flooding reporters' in-boxes with e-mails attacking Huckabee on immigration and spending, missed a chance to score points with the GOP base by bringing up Huckabee's ties to teachers' unions back in Arkansas. The National Education Association, Thompson said, was "the biggest obstacle" to improving public education. (Memo to Thompson: if you want to stay in the game, maybe blame the governor?) It fell to Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado to make the point the fiscal hawks were dying to hear about arts education: "That's not the job of a president," said Tancredo, a former Education Department official in the Reagan White House who is languishing in the polls. "It's the job of a governor. That's what you should run for if you want to dictate curriculum."
Meanwhile, where was Giuliani? The national front runner was hardly heard from during the debate—perhaps reflecting the fact that he's not competing seriously in Iowa. His most notable moment of the afternoon came when he was asked about security expenses incurred during trips to see his then-girlfriend when he was mayor of New York that were spread out—and obscured—among different city agencies. Asked what he would do to make sure a Giuliani White House was "open with information," the former mayor argued his life, and his career, had been an open book. "My government in New York City was so transparent that they knew almost everything I did when I did it," Giuliani said. "I haven't had a perfect life. I wish I had, and I do the best I can to learn from my mistakes."
There has been much criticism about the debates this year. Some say there have been too many. Others have complain about over-the-top productions and showboating moderators. Today's event seemed geared toward avoiding the gotcha moments that candidates just don't like. It's a noble goal. But if Wednesday's event shows anything, it's that defanging political discourse leaves a lot of people on stage gumming each other. The ultimate goal is to learn something new or telling about the candidates—something voters don't get from a TV ad or a stump speech. Unfortunately, that didn't happen in Iowa Wednesday afternoon.
© 2007
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