Pure Horserace: Honing In On Hillary

Obama's Debate Performance And New Ads Show He's Getting Aggressive

(CBS)  In Monday night's Democratic debate, one of Barack Obama's highlights came when one of the YouTube questioners addressed the idea that Obama might not be "black enough" to win African-American voters. Obama drew a mix of laughs and applause when he said his difficulty in catching a cab in Manhattan was proof enough that he knows what it's like to be a black man in America.

Coincidentally, that response came one day before the Obama campaign announced its first ad campaign aimed squarely at black voters. Today, the campaign has launched a radio ad airing on three dozen South Carolina radio stations that cater to black audiences, according to The Associated Press. The ad uses soft jazz music as background for excerpts of Obama's recent speech before the NAACP, ending with him saying, "Despite all the progress that's been made, we have more work to do."

The same could be said for Obama himself. Topping Hillary Clinton in second-quarter fundraising was no small feat, but there is a growing expectation that Obama needs to show he can put that money to use by taking on Clinton and making inroads among those backing the former first lady. One of Clinton's main constituencies? Black voters. Yes, her support among African Americans may be due mostly to their affinity for her husband, but they won't switch to any other candidate, including Obama, without a strong effort — it looks like the new radio ad may be the start of just that.

Reading between the lines of last night's debate, it's clear that Obama is gradually stepping up his anti-Clinton rhetoric, even if he doesn't use her name. He cited the failure of health care reform efforts in Bill Clinton's first term — an initiative led by Hillary Clinton — as an example of the control special interests wield in Washington. The implication is clear: a Hillary Clinton presidency would offer more of the same, while he would bring about real change.

Obama needs to start becoming more aggressive if he wants to challenge Clinton's lead in the polls, but will need to be careful he doesn't overstep his bounds, as was also shown last night when Clinton used his response about meeting with the heads of oppressive regimes to paint Obama as naïve. But he can weather the occasional stumble, especially this early — as evidenced by the fact that some pundits and focus groups handed the debate to Obama anyway.

As the summer draws to a close and fall begins, expect Obama to become even more focused on challenging Clinton's grip on the front-runner spot. He's gone from just challenging her on Iraq to also questioning her capacity for reform and her appeal to African Americans — and it's likely that the list of criticisms directed Clinton's way is only going to grow. Whether Obama has the skill to make them stick is the big question. — David Miller


Debating The Debates: Forget the actual televised debates; the wrangling which goes on afterward is far more enlightening and informative. One minor flare-up from last night's debate has erupted into a minor brush fire today for the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Obama. A question about opening direct talks with leaders of nations like Iran and North Korea continues to bubble over.

During the debate, the candidates were asked if they would be willing, in their first year as president, to meet with such leaders "in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?" First to answer, Obama said: "I would." Clinton, obviously sensing an opening in that answer, said she would not commit to such meetings without first knowing what could be achieved, pointedly saying, "I don't want to be used for propaganda purposes."

Both candidates essentially gave the same answer — that diplomacy would play a greater role in their administrations than it has in the current one. But the exchange is gaining a bit more traction today, according to The Associated Press.

In a conference call with reporters, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright questioned the value of such presidential-level meetings without the kind of advance diplomatic work emphasized by Clinton during the debate. 'I would think that without having done the diplomatic spadework, it would not really prove anything," said Albright. The Obama campaign has pointed to a past statement by Clinton, who said in April that "I think it's a terrible mistake for our president to say he won't talk to bad people" to demonstrate that Clinton's position has changed on the issue.

And on it goes. Too bad we can't get some of these exchanges during the actual debates themselves. — Vaughn Ververs


Getting Hotter In Iowa: Yesterday we noted some stirring in the run-up to the Iowa Republican straw poll, with Mitt Romney scaling back some of the high expectations he faces there. Now, there appears to be some fierce fighting among those looking to score at least a big perceived win on Aug. 11.

The Des Moines Register is reporting on automated phone calls, paid for by Sam Brownback's campaign, going out to pro-life activists in the state and raising questions about Tom Tancredo's position on the issue. The call, according to the Register, inform activists of Tancredo's connection to a member of a Michigan Planned Parenthood group who has donated money to the Colorado congressman's campaign.

Tancredo, who opposes abortion rights, says the phone calls are "despicable" and told an Iowa radio show that "No one can attack me for my position on life — no one." Tancredo said his relationship with the man revolves around a shared position on illegal immigration, which has been the primary focus of the campaign and is a hot-button issue for Iowa Republicans. Romney has also been the subject of some Brownback phone-banking on the issue, where voters are reminded that his wife, Ann Romney, once donated to Planned Parenthood.

While Romney has developed a formidable Iowa campaign team, the relative absence of Rudy Giuliani and John McCain in the state have left the door open for some of the lower-tier candidates to steal a little of the thunder at the straw poll. For some candidates, a failure to show well there could signal the effective end of their campaigns and a win could provide some much-needed oxygen. Expect tensions to rise in the coming weeks. — Vaughn Ververs


Editor's note: Pure Horserace is a daily update of political news as interpreted by the political observers at CBSNews.com. Click here to sign up for the e-mail version.

[superetendar]

"even if he doesn't use her name. He cited the failure of health care reform efforts in Bill Clinton's first term %u2014 an initiative led by Hillary Clinton %u2014 as an example of the control special interests wield in Washington. The implication is clear: a Hillary Clinton presidency would offer more of the same, while he would bring about real change."

CBS's writing is a little over wrought, I certainly did not get the impression that Obama was blaming Hillary Clinton for special interests. In any case Obama should let us in on his magic formula for controlling special interests. Is he going to abolish pharma companies? Shut down insurance companies? Do tell Mr. Obama what your great plan is?