What I learned from the CNN/YouTube debate
1) I’m a lousy live blogger and who cares. But for a great re-cap, see Catherine Morgan’s video highlights here
1) Hillary Clinton, to my knowledge, was the only candidate tonight to directly address those who submitted videos on YouTube by name, as if they were audience members. Example: at first, I thought she was looking away during perhaps the most moving part of the evening, the health care crisis montage. I thought, this could be a Bush looking at his watch moment…But no, she was noting the names of the questioners, and she addressed them right back. I appreciated this very much.
Even though tonight’s debate was enjoyable, fast-moving, snappy…there was definitely a wall between the giant YouTube screen and the candidates.
Only Hillary broke this barrier.
(New: Hotline’s Blogometer calls Hillary the clear winner, at least…on blogs? But I thought blogs don’t like Hillary?
“Unlike CNN, we did not conduct a post-debate focus group, but we did spend an inordinate amount of time in Daily Kos and MyDD debate comment threads and we can confidently say that Hillary Clinton was, again, the consensus winner of 7/23 CNN/YouTube debate. As favorability straw polls conducted by DailyKos‘ founder Markos Moulitsas demonstrate, HRC is by far the netroots’ least favorite of the big three. Yet somehow after every single one of HRC’s debate performances so far, the Daily Kos comments boards read like Clinton campaign press releases.The strengths that the debates highlight (the depth of her knowledge on the issues, her willingness to take command of the forum, and calm of her presence) all reinforce the campaign line on why she is a better choice than Barack Obama and John Edwards: she is ready to lead now. If Edwards and Obama are losing ground among the only demogrpahics predisposed not to like HRC, what hope do they have with the rest of the electorate”?
2) I also thought the debate touched on gender in a striking way. Hillary had a “go, girl” moment but she also asked John’s question about whether her gender would negate her status among Arab leaders. Why did she have to answer this? Did Condi have to answer such a question in her interviews? Curious why CNN chose this question. Seemed a deliberate attempt to be provocative.
3) I thought this debate was striking because there was a lot of discussion of race and gender, as open and frank as we tend to get in presidential politics.
…we learned Obama’s not black enough until he catches a cab in New York.
And we learned Hillary can be too female (at least in the Middle East), and yet not female enough, at least according to Elizabeth Edwards.
I thought Hillary was good and tough- I loved her quote about not meeting with leaders such as Hugo Chavez or Castro, simply for propaganda purposes. Strong stuff. But she looked feminine, and she had glossy makeup on. Subtle signal, but made me smile. And Katherine Seelye in the NYT Caucus blog noted
“Perhaps the most visually adventurous move was Mrs. Clinton’s selection of a coral jacket, a striking statement in the long gray line of presidential candidates. (It prompted a few comments from the other candidates at the end of the debate. Mr. Edwards: “I admire what Senator Clinton has done for America, what her husband did for America. I’m not sure about that coat.â€
Mr. Obama disagreed. “I actually like Hillary’s jacket. I don’t know what’s wrong with it.â€
Comments
About Me
Morra Aarons-Mele utilizes social media strategies to help employers, employees and communities connect. She also consults with leading organizations on how women can use the internet for professional and personal development. In her spare time, Morra enjoys blogging about women and politics. Read her full bio >>
Recent Posts
- Entrepreneurs: not who you think they are
- 10:25 am, Tuesday
- Read His Lips: Workplace Flex Not a Women’s Issue
- Blogging from the White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility
- Wolf at BestBuy- Women’s Affinity Group with Bottom Line Effect