Politics

Starting Gate: Better Now Than November?

By Vaughn Ververs

April 18, 2008 / 9:46 AM EDT / CBS News

A detailed examination of the differences between the Democratic presidential candidates on the minutia of the federal tax code was not a part of Wednesday night's debate. Then again, policy disagreements between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton don't have much to do with the campaign at this point either.

If there's one thing that has been proven after a years worth of campaigning, it's that the differences between the Democratic candidates are far more about tone, likeability and personality than on policy differences. After a debate focusing predominantly on Obama's problems in those areas, however, there's suddenly a great outcry to for more examination on the impact of the candidate's tax policies on the price of tea in China.

Obama led the outrage yesterday. "Last night we set a new record," he told supporters. "It took us 45 minutes … before we heard about health care … forty-five minutes before we heard about Iraq … forty-five minutes before we heard about jobs. That's how Washington is." Anyone who's sat through a subcommittee hearing on health care knows that Washington is a little different than that, but it is what this Democratic race is all about at the moment.

Oddly enough, Obama didn't seem to mind it all that much when Clinton was going through a week's worth of cavity searches that exposed the falsehoods she was telling regarding her visit to Bosnia in the 1990s. Nonexistent sniper fire doesn't have a thing to do with the future course of the Iraq war but it did say something about the candidate and helped reinforce the perception that she's willing to stretch the truth an awfully long ways.

Right now, the debate is not being conducted as much for the benefit of voters in Pennsylvania, North Carolina or Indiana. It's about convincing superdelegates that one candidate has a better shot at capturing the White House than the other. And, in the realm of health care, the war and jobs, isn't that job number one for either party's policy agenda? Obama's relationships with Rev. Wright and William Ayres or his comments on small-town America do say something about him and his candidacy. How he deals with such questions says even more.

Obama seemed to have a bad night on Wednesday but there's no signs it's harmed him among voters yet to participate in the primaries, among the superdelegates who will ultimately decided the nomination or even among the broader electorate for the general election. In fact, he may very well end up being thrilled to have been asked these questions well before November.

A Deeper Shade Of Purple: A Gallup survey of the "purple states" – those won by either George Bush or John Kerry in 2004 by 5 percentage points or less – shows an edge for the Democratic candidates heading into the general election, regardless of who gets the nomination. Both Obama and Clinton led John McCain in a poll of those states 47 percent to 43 percent. The swing states included in the survey were: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Colbert's Hat Trick: Both Democratic candidates joined John Edwards as guests on the "Colbert Report" last night, which has been on the road in Pennsylvania this week. Clinton made a personal appearance, joining the show with a plug toward her image as a problem solver by "fixing" come of Colbert's technical difficulties. "Wow, Senator Clinton, you are so prepared for any situation," host Stephen Colbert exclaimed after Clinton got his satellite feed working once again. "I just love solving problems. Call me any time," she said. "Call me at 3 a.m." Later in the show, Obama appeared via satellite and once again ripped into the questions he was asked at the debate Wednesday night. "I think the American people are tired of these political games and petty distractions," he said before putting "manufactured distractions" on the show's "notice board." For his part, Edwards declined to endorse either candidate but did share a moment with Clinton backstage. No word on how that conversation went.

Around The Track

Those uncommitted Superdelegates aren't being swayed by the flaps about Obama, reports the New York Times. They also aren't likely to be moved by the outcome of Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, reports the USA Today.

The Boston Globe deconstructs how Obama's relationship with William Ayers made it from the blogosphere to Wednesday night's debate.

"Some of the things they'll be in favor of, I'll agree with. Some of the things they'll be in favor of, I won't. But at least we'll have an adult in office who can lead and can accomplish something." – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on the three remaining presidential candidates.

"This is a contact sport. If you don't want to play, keep your uniform off." – Bill Clinton, responding to Obama's complaints about Wednesday night's debate questioning.