Starting Gate: A Super Ticket?

Now we know what happens when the irresistible force meets the immovable object – not fiery collision and upheaval and but peace and harmony.

Hillary Clinton is the immovable object in this race, her stature, name and establishment support blocking the path of her challengers for the Democratic nomination. Barack Obama, with his big South Carolina victory, Kennedy endorsements and $32 million raised last month alone has become the irresistible force. When they met last night for the first time in a one-on-one debate, what could have been an explosion turned into a display of agreement and mutual admiration.

The candidates are now all about addition, not division as they head into the Super Tuesday contests that could decide the Democratic nomination but is more likely to prolong the competition. Both campaigns are burning the midnight oil, doing the complex calculations to find individual delegates to pick off in the flood of states to vote on Tuesday, searching for something that will give them an edge going forward. There is no time for bickering.

Chastened by voters in South Carolina (and Ted Kennedy) for going negative, Hillary Clinton put on her best smile and brought out her most glowing compliments right from the start. In fact both candidates nearly tripped over themselves in rushing to show that the hard feelings which have been on display have disappeared – at least at the moment.

"I was friends with Hillary Clinton before we started this campaign; I will be friends with Hillary Clinton after this campaign is over," Obama said in his opening comments. "The differences between Barack and I pale in comparison to the differences that we have with Republicans," Clinton chimed in. "Neither of us, just by looking at us, you can tell, we are not more of the same. We will change our country," she added.

To be sure, those differences Clinton referenced were on display but in the most agreeable manner. Clinton showed once again her mastery of policy detail and fared best in the discussion on health care. Obama rose to the moment, matching Clinton's intellect and gaining an upper hand when the topic turned to Iraq.

It must have seemed to Democrats something of a dream – a black man and white woman, one of them assured to be their party's nominee, talking about health care, energy, taxes and war with civility.

And it was completely natural when the questions turned to the prospect of seeing both candidates on the national ticket next fall. In a "super" week -- Super Bowl, Super Tuesday -- did we see last night the Democratic Party's Super Ticket? It might a hard thing to avoid, no matter who ends up as the headliner.


The Rich (Campaigns) Get Richer: Obama's campaign pre-empted the rest of the presidential candidates yesterday by announcing they had raised an astonishing $32 million in January alone to spend on the primary campaign. Year-end reports for 2007 are trickling out after last night's deadline. Clinton and Obama raised over $100 million last year, with Clinton just edging out Obama by about five million. Clinton also reported having about $38 million on hand at the beginning of January.

Mitt Romney raised $54 million for the year and spent $35 million more of his own personal fortune. John McCain entered the year with just about $3 million in the bank and with a debt of over $4 million. But his campaign has said McCain raised $7 million in the first three weeks of January and his fundraising has picked up in the wake of wins in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida. Ron Paul raised nearly $20 million in the third quarter of last year alone.


Trying To Get The Band Back Together: The emerging theme of Romney's campaign – and that of his supporters and McCain's detractors within the Republican Party – supposes that if conservatives who have so far split their votes between multiple candidates would just rally around Mitt, he would defeat McCain on Super Tuesday and win the nomination.

CBS News' Scott Conroy reports on a strategy memo sent out by a Romney political strategist arguing just that: "We are now in a two-man race and a few points’ movement among conservatives is all that’s needed to tip the scales in favor of Gov. Romney.” Standing in the way is Mike Huckabee, who will almost certainly get a share of the blame from Romney supporters should McCain win the nomination.


Around The Track

Clinton's campaign is heavily promoting their national town hall planned for Monday night, so much so that the candidate herself was humorously rebuked by last night's debate moderator for plugging it. The campaign has purchased an entire hour on the Hallmark Channel to air the debate which will also be carried on her campaign Web site. Think women voters aren't critical to Clinton's hopes?

Don't look now but there are more debates planned. CNN announced they will hold debates for both nominating contests in advance of Ohio's March 4th primary – unless the nominations are wrapped up by then.

Elizabeth Moynihan, the widow of the late New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan has endorsed Obama. Clinton was elected to Moynihan's senate seat in 2000 and announced her campaign with the Moynihan's. "I know Pat would approve, applaud and encourage me to join Caroline Kennedy in supporting Barack Obama's candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States."

McCain has stolen one of Michael Bloomberg's biggest fans in Arnold Schwarzenegger, is he also stealing his rationale for an independent presidential bid? In a visit to Google's offices in New York yesterday, Bloomberg said once again that he isn't a candidate, then added a new twist, saying he will "stay that way."