Obama Decries "Gotcha" Debate Focus

(CBS/AP)  Democratic Sen. Barack Obama dismissively talked about his debate with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and the line of questioning from ABC News' moderators, arguing that it focused on political trivia at the expense of the problems facing average voters.

At a rally in the May 6 primary state of North Carolina, Obama drew roars of approval Thursday when he mocked aspects of the presidential debate that had him on the defensive Wednesday night. He faced tough questions about his controversial pastor, his comments about bitter voters in small towns and his relationship with a 1960s radical.

Deadpanning, the Illinois senator said, "It does not get much more fun than these debates. They are inspiring events."

In criticism of his rival, he called the debate "the rollout of the Republican campaign against me in November" and said it represented textbook Washington politics that Clinton was very comfortable playing.

"They like stirring up controversy and they like playing gotcha games, getting us to attack each other," he said. "Senator Clinton looked in her element. She was taking every opportunity to get a dig in there. That's her right to kind of twist the knife a little bit ... that's the lesson she learned when Republicans did it to her in the 1990s."

The Obama campaign also sought to capitalize on the debate, sending out a fundraising appeal titled, "Gotcha," and soliciting $25 donations.

"Last night I think we set a new record because it took us 45 minutes before we even started talking about a single issue that matters to the American people," Obama told the North Carolina crowd. "Forty-five minutes before we heard about health care, 45 minutes before we heard about Iraq, 45 minutes before we heard about jobs, 45 minutes before we heard about gas prices."

ABC News' Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos pointedly questioned Obama, and Clinton politely challenged her rival.

"[Clinton] is always best when she can be on policy grounds, so the second half of that debate was a strong point for her," CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield said.

"When you're running for the presidency, you've just got to kind of let it ..." Obama said, pretending to flick lint off his pants and jacket.

Another debate between the two candidates seems unlikely. Obama had agreed to a debate in North Carolina on Saturday, Clinton has agreed to a debate April 27 in Raleigh, sponsored and televised by CBS News. The two camps have not agreed on a date.

"I'll be honest with you. We've now had 21," Obama said of the debates. "It's not as if we don't know how to do these things. I could deliver Senator Clinton's lines. I'm sure she could deliver mine."

Later, taking a question from a fourth-grade boy who said he had been elected his class representative at school, Obama asked, "How many debates did you have to have?"

"None," the boy replied.

"None! That sounds good!" Obama said.

[bud28dy]

DEMOCRATS FOR MCCAIN!

JOIN US AND LET OBAMA KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IN NOVEMBER!!!

First of all, we hope Clinton will win. However, things don''t look good and if she loses, do any of you Clinton supporters think you can vote for Obama? Of course not. Just read what he said in this article. Then read the vitriolic nonsense his supporters are saying to you.

Could you ever join these Obama supporters? NO!!!!!!

See how smug they are in November when their Messiah goes down in flames. He will be finished and Hillary will be free to run in 2012 when McCain retires.

JOIN MCCAIN AND OPPOSE THE OBAMA GESTAPO!!

[myshiba]

Obama is toast!

[eroosevelt08]

The crowd certainly reacted to Obama''s offensive hand gesture.

[taotxzen]

Dont you just love the morality lecture that we Godless, fact mongers are receiving from a bunch of neocon boot lickers - priceless.

[rowdytexan2]

Daley said Ayers "worked with me in shaping our now nationally renowned school reform program."

Posted by taddles at 05:38 PM : Apr 18, 2008

Daley would say that of COURSE! Their school reform is to teach black liberation theology! Just like Michelle and Barak Obama were doing at Chicago University when they invited the Ayers trash to help them! Teaching ENGLISH my arse!

Richard Daley has sparked a huge surge of fraud investigators to descend on Chicago because there''s so much government fraud in that city and they''ve come right out in the opoen to do it! Richard Daley is where Obama gets his support base! He''s part of it!

So let''s just CHANGE Washington politics to corrupt Chicago politics, yeah that makes sense!

[obama8years]

After 22 Debates , I think America has a pretty good Idea what Obama is going to do about the war in Iraq, Economy and illegal immigration. What we dont know is Obama character and associations, he seems to dodge those questions. For once Obama is asked legitimate questions and the left radicals think its not fair or appropriate. This is the President Of The United States were talking about. I think relationships with anti-american groups and terrorist should be questioned until it is answered, not avoided and evaded like what Obama is doing.

[prinzowhales]

The ABC moderators didn''t ask hard questions because if they did the agenda of all three mainstream candidates would have been put on display. If they can get morons to argue over ''who will most likely bring change'' then why confuse them with real issues?

There is no real difference between Clinton and Obama...one can waste one''s vote as readily on the one as on the other. McCain makes them both look good...for the time being.

If you want to deal with open borders, the war, high energy prices and soaring food and health care costs, you are going to have to vote Third Party. The Demopublicans have taken us on a downward spiral into moral and spiritual decay...bad policies and corruption.

Just look at the backers of all three candidates... George Soros has supported all three. All three have pledged to keep America in thrall to the international bankers. Their handlers are Trilateralists, CFR-ers and Skull & Bonesmen.

If you will recall it was George W. Bush who in 2000, promised America "a more humble foreign policy" in response to Clinton''s interventionist foreign policy adventurism. How''d that go for ya''?

Frankly, I almost wish Obama would win just to see the expression on the faces of his cow-eyed young college supporters when they get their draft notices... Cheers!

[dthor2]

Obama and his camp are indicating that there have been 21 debates and what would another one tell the voters. Well in the 21 he is talking about, he was never asked a hard question. Last week he was finally asked a few things that tell something about him and his associations. That is the first time, and we all should be wanting and hoping to know more - sooner rather than later.

The questions asked by the ABC moderators may have been hard on Obama, but we haven''t heard from him since all of his nightmares have come to light. It was enlightening to me.

[dthor2]

Now I see that Obams seems to be leary of another debate in NC. He says he needs to spend more time on the campaign trail. Could he just be a little leary of another performance like last week where he was asked some questions that have been in the news lately and he stumbled badly. Seems to be a chance to clarify your message to all voters, NC and the others coming up. But maybe you know best? Enlighten us! We like to see your squirming again.

[michael0004]

Anyone who wonders how this election has played out like it has should go to the following URL:

http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Winter08/2008Election.html