The Observer, February 29, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 19
Cleveland State U. hosts final Democratic debate before primaries
Obama. Clinton. Either way, it's history – as was Tuesday night's Democratic debate at CSU's Wolstein Center.
As 9 p.m. approached and the raging blizzard intensified, so did the raucous chanting of Obama and Clinton supporters who gathered on the north side of Prospect Avenue. Clustered around the Cleveland All-City Marching Band, Obama and Clinton supporters bellowed chants and unleashed a torrent of cheers in favor of their candidates.
"Two-oh-oh-eight, Hillary we nominate!"
"Cleveland Baracks!"
Despite the biting wind and comments, the atmosphere was fiery. "The hope that Obama gives us keeps us warm!" shouted one woman.
Signs for Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul also dotted the sidewalk. Supporters of Kucinich didn't care that his campaign is now solely congressional. "Either way, his platform rings true," said Helena Marcus. Of the other Kucinich sign-holders, Marcus said, "People are out here for what they believe in. That's what they're here for, not a rubber stamp of 'this person can win.'"
Paul's supporters showed up to the Democratic debate for the press. "There are cameras out here, that's what we care about," said one man, holding up a "Ron Paul for President" sign. Even though it seems that McCain will take the Republican nomination, Paul's supporters at CSU said they won't back down until the delegates make their final votes.
Heading west on Prospect, the candidates' cheers gave way to interest groups shouting for various causes. The largest of these was a group holding signs reading "Kosovo is Serbia" and "Serbia Loves Kosovo." Farther down were proponents of clean coal technology and opponents of the war in Iraq shouting, "Money for health care, not for war! Money for education, not for war!"
Even before the candidates let the comments fly, supporters were in the midst of a heated debate. "Let somebody else give it a try," said one Paul supporter to a woman holding a Clinton sign, referencing the former President Clinton's eight years in office.
Inside the Wolstein Center the atmosphere was more reserved (and warmer) but no less enthusiastic. Attendees ardently traded opinions on the topics Brian Williams and Tim Russert would highlight during the debate. Several audience members hotly disputed the pros and cons of the candidates' health plans, a theme that was to be a major contention during the debate.
CSU president Michael Schwartz took the stage around 8:15 p.m. to address the audience and thank the candidates for accepting to debate on such short notice.
"We felt privileged and honored to host this final debate before the March 4 primary. This was a great opportunity for Ohioans to hear firsthand from two outstanding individuals – one of whom will be the Democratic candidate and perhaps the next president," said Schwartz.
Ohio governor Ted Strickland and Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson also made opening remarks before the battle began, Strickland appearing to a standing ovation.
Brian Williams, host of NBC Nightly News, then took to the stage brandishing a Cleveland Browns helmet "for good luck," placing the helmet in a "non-partisan location" behind the debate platform. Tim Russert, moderator of "Meet the Press," next appeared and gave a hearty "hello" to both the CSU Vikings and the Blue Streaks of his alma mater, John Carroll University.
After briefing the audience on the rules of debate, Russert and Williams busied themselves at their desks in preparation for the candidates' arrival.
Clinton was the first to appear on stage, receiving massive applause and occasional hooting. But Obama stole the spotlight as he entered stage right to raucous cheering. The balcony was especially vocal as Obama took the stage, chanting and hooting at the towering candidate.
But the crowd was soon hushed and returned to their seats in fervent anticipation of the debate ahead.
The contest got off to a fiery start with a 16-minute back-and-forth between the candidates about their proposed health care policies. Despite Williams' attempt to switch topics, Clinton aggressively attacked Obama's health care policy, effectively claiming ownership to the term "universal." But the debate ended in a stalemate, each candidate claiming his or her policy would cover more Americans at a cheaper cost.
Tensions mounted in the audience as Russert turned to the topic of NAFTA. Clinton cut through the silence by observing that she often got the first questions of the debate. "Well, could I just point out that, in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time? And I don't mind. You know, I'll be happy to field them, but I do find it curious. And if anybody saw Saturday Night Live, you know, maybe we should ask Barack if he's comfortable and needs another pillow."
Obama appeared nonplussed, but certainly the younger audience members appreciated the reference – the deadened silence that hung over the audience lifted in favor of snickers and chuckles. Many analysts observed Wednesday that many Americans would come away from the debate only remembering Clinton's attempt at cultural relativism.
But Clinton soon returned to the topic at hand, commenting that she has been a critic of NAFTA from the very beginning, but as a member of the administration that proposed the legislation, remained silent about its potential negative impact on the industrial sectors of America.
"It is not working. It was, unfortunately, heavily disadvantaging many of our industries, particularly manufacturing. I have a record of standing up for that, of chairing the Manufacturing Caucus in the Senate, and I will take a tough position on these trade agreements," said Clinton.
Obama swiftly responded that Clinton has effectively flip-flopped her opinion of NAFTA, first claiming it had positive effects in New York and Texas, but now stating that it needs to be renegotiated. Although Clinton had momentum on her side during the beginning of the debate, aggressively challenging Obama's proposed health care policies and slanderous attacks about her campaign, the tides promptly turned as Obama outlined his concerns with NAFTA.
"We can't have toys with lead paint in them that our children are playing with," said Obama. "We can't have medicines that are actually making people more sick instead of better because they're produced overseas. We have to stop providing tax breaks for companies that are shipping jobs overseas and give those tax breaks to companies that are investing here in the United States of America."
Powerful words, and an equally powerful response from the crowd as heads scattered across the seats vigorously nodded in unison.
Clinton got an equally enthusiastic response on the topic of creating jobs. Russert called into question Clinton's plan to create 5 million new jobs over the next 10 years, citing a previous push for 200,000 jobs in upstate New York that ended in a net loss of 30,000. Clinton told the Buffalo News that she "might have been a little exuberant." Russert wondered if this promise was similarly exuberant.
"No, Tim, because what happened in 2000 is that I thought Al Gore was going to be president and when I made the pledge, I was counting on having a Democratic White House, a Democratic president, who shared my values about what we needed to do to make the economy work for everyone and to create shared prosperity," said Clinton, to laughs and cheers from the audience. She went on to indicate that as president, she would be more easily able to keep her promise.
The two candidates engaged in a lengthy discussion of the war in Iraq in which they defended previous votes and speeches regarding the war and generally agreed that withdrawal was in America's best interest.
This was followed by a video clip of Obama accusing Clinton of taking credit for her husband's better ideas as president and absolving herself from the worse. He defended himself, saying that he did not begrudge her claiming that experience but wanted her to take responsibility as well as credit for ideas.
Obama got in another dig at Clinton on the topic of a bill on credit cards that he voted against. "Keep in mind, I objected to the entire bill, a bill that Senator Clinton, in its previous version in 2001, had voted for and at one of the debates with you guys said, well, I voted for it, but I hoped it wouldn't pass. Which, as a general rule, doesn't work. If you don't want it to pass, you vote against it," said Obama.
His confidence faltered, however, on the topic of Louis Farrakhan supporting his campaign. Farrakhan is known for anti-Semitic comments that have been denounced by Obama and other politicians. Obama danced around the idea of outright rejecting Farrakhan's support for a few minutes until pushed by Clinton and Russert to make a formal stand on the matter.
As a final round of questions for the two candidates, Russert asked each what Senate votes they would take back. Clinton promptly expressed regret over her vote to authorize war in Iraq. "I would certainly, as president, never have taken us to war in Iraq. And I regret deeply that President Bush waged a preemptive war, which I warned against and said I disagreed with," said Clinton. "But I think that this election has to be about the future. It has to be about what we will do now, how we will deal with what we're going to inherit."
Obama expressed his wish to take back his vote in the Terri Schiavo matter that allowed Congress to enter the decision-making process of families. "It wasn't something I was comfortable with, but it was not something that I stood on the floor and stopped," said Obama. "I think that's an example of inaction, and sometimes that can be as costly as action."
Although the debate did not bring to light much new information on the candidates, viewers were able to see how they reacted to each other and to their own campaigns. Although she, of course, views herself as the best candidate, Clinton summed up the Democratic race that night: "I feel that either one of us will make history."
