« Previous | Main | Next »

Obama Tempers Debate Expectations

Share

February 26, 2008 12:20 PM

ABC's Sunlen Miller and David Wright Report:  Going into the debate in Ohio tonight, Obama likened himself and Senator Clinton to two football players, trying out to be quarterback on the same team.

The football analogies flew as Obama fielded questions anticipating a fiery debate, after Senator Clinton over the weekend challenged Obama with a "meet me in Ohio!"

Obama said he realizes the debate may be contentious, "I'm sure we're gonna have a vigorous debate," but countered that his expectation is that they will each point out differences in a civil fashion.

"Let's play to win, but let's make sure that we are maintaining the kind of campaign that win or lose we will be proud of afterwards," Obama said dampening down pre-game hype during a press availability in Cleveland Ohio, "I think that's probably a good note for all of us to take."

The press, trying to gauge Obama's temperature just hours before he takes the stage for the 20th Democratic debate of the campaign season, shot back with questions on the tone the campaign has taken after a weekend of back and forth jabs from the two contenders.

Obama said in the final weeks of the campaign things naturally get more competitive as the stakes get higher – chalking that up to the "very strong willed candidates in the campaign."

"I think things have gotten a little hotter over the last couple of days, but these things have gone sort of in ebbs and flows," he answered.

One time Obama has ebbed more than flowed, was the January debate with Clinton in Myrtle Beach, where he admitted his tone got the better of him.

"When I looked in retrospective at that debate -- although I think there were some legitimate differences that were put out there -- I'm not sure that my tone was always the one that I'd like to communicate.”

The two candidates head into the tonight's debate in Cleveland, just one week ahead of the March 4th primaries. Both have been campaigning heavily in the hotly contested states of Ohio and Texas. After spending four days in Ohio, Obama will head back to Texas tomorrow afternoon.

goo

February 26, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (48)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Dear Hillary, I have one request from you during this debate... Could you please , please , please stop telling me that you understand the middle working class? You continuously speak on my behalf without my permission- YOU senator do not know anything about the working class. Until you have put a hand me down on your precious Chelsea, until you have had to choose between paying to heat your house or saving for your childs college fund..until you have gone to a job where you were held accountable for every decision you made and could not slide your way out of even the decisions that you made in error... Try it Hillary go for it for a month and see what working class is all about! One month of using coupons at a grocery store, another month of putting off going back to college because daycare is over 600 dollars a month ONE month of getting up and going to a dead end job because you have to keep putting off college ( see above). I have grown tired of so much of your rhetoric and your "anti-hope" campaign. Sometimes Senator when life keeps throwing you one thing after another all you have is hope. Meanwhile don't speak for me and my peers, you don't know the first thing about struggling to just be what your exit polls call "uneducated, white, and making less then 50K". I was supposed to be one of your "girls"- hope you missed my vote in Wisconsin. Now why don't you go back to your drawing board and show me what you're all about besides dirty politics, slander, and getting all misty.

Posted by: not4uHillary | Feb 26, 2008 1:02:30 PM

I will never vote for Obama!

Posted by: Kay | Feb 26, 2008 1:22:30 PM

Up to now there are ten million of us Clinton folks, of that two million will vote Obama should Hillary lose, the rest of us will NEVER vote Obama. Never! Never! If anyone in the McCain camp got one brain cell left alive then they had better start putting out feelers and soon because we have enough on our own to check Obama in place. Maybe we'll just do a write in campaign for Hillary if she loses. The Clinton have no home in this democratic party with this Obama crowd. You made your point Obamabots, you hate us and it sure as hell shows.

Posted by: Wil | Feb 26, 2008 1:30:04 PM

Clinton or Obama, it doesn't really matter to me. The party is bigger than the person. It doesn't matter who is the nominee as long as he or she can win the White House. Right now that appears to be Obama. The US does not need one more minute of republican rule after the election. Either canidate, Obama or Clinton is miles and miles better than what we have now in the WH.

Posted by: Censor me | Feb 26, 2008 1:30:16 PM

not4uHillary, I have a lump in my throat after reading your eloquent post it voices my thoughts and feeling, thank you.

Posted by: Sandra | Feb 26, 2008 1:32:43 PM

I'm with you Wil. The Obamabots never say anything about the Republicans, they hate us far more than Bush. You're right the Obama zombies have made their point.

Posted by: Mike | Feb 26, 2008 1:35:49 PM

Blue states, Red states, Purple states...whatever happened to voting for the person that best represents your own beliefs and morals? Never will you agree completely with everything one person believes in..we are given the freedom to elect the person that best represents us... and only one person out of the major players right now actually acknowledges how much we can all disagree. Only one candidate has actually mentioned even listening to what the public wants not just what they want. I am not a "cultist" as so many of you say I am just sick of elected officials playing mother knows best with us. All of the smearing and lying and he saids she saids..it is disgusting and I for one am fed up with it. All I want is a leader... and unfortunately it has come down to race, age, gender and dirty politics again ( and on all sides no one candidate is innocent here). I think all of you should spend some time researching where your political views fall within your candidates agendas... it is frightening to see people say they won't vote for someone because of rumors or heresay- make an educated decision - if everyone would do that then the best candidate would win. One of these 3 is going to be the next President and all we can do is try to make sure that whether it is our favorite or not at least we can say we tried our best to make an informed decision. In my humble opinion anyway.

Posted by: sara | Feb 26, 2008 1:38:48 PM

She will be in her high temper beyond control and there where OBAMA will beat finally. She is already desperate.

Posted by: I.A.T Smith | Feb 26, 2008 1:39:07 PM

All you republicans in texas and ohio, please vote for Hillary...not Obama...the republicans have a better chance of beating hillary than Obama.

Posted by: norm | Feb 26, 2008 1:40:01 PM

Nice points there not4uHillary. Perhaps you could detail for me in step by step fashion how Obama will correct your situation as you described. And when. Under which programs that will begin and when and where you will be able to access them. I'll wait for your response.

Posted by: Wil | Feb 26, 2008 1:43:33 PM

stella, I have googled the information you gave about Cynthis Miller and Jennifer Mason and nothing came up that backs up your statement.

It's easy to throw around accusations and most people don't go ahead and research it so theu buy it hook, line and sinker.

I won't let you be so free and lose with the facts just because Bush is a chimp doesn't mean the rest of us are.


Posted by: Sandra | Feb 26, 2008 1:45:26 PM

If Rush Limbaugh is saying it, it must be true.

Posted by: ryaple | Feb 26, 2008 1:45:31 PM

Sorry Norm but the Republican don't have enough voters to vote for themselves. Ask McCain.

Posted by: Mike | Feb 26, 2008 1:47:49 PM

Really Wil have ANY of these candidates addressed that? I didn't say he had! I am just saying that she continuously saying she "understands" us and she doesn't..perhaps I should have put that in there...that no one can say they understand it. It just gets to me that she presumes to know what I go through everyday, I may have to vote for her if she wins I just want her to be honest if it comes to that... I will vote Democratic this year don't get me wrong, I just have a higher opinion of one over the other. I wish both of them would cease all of these attacks and SHOW us what they can do... -don't hate me for that

Posted by: not4uHillary | Feb 26, 2008 1:48:34 PM

Sandra, my husband is trying to find the site and will put it on this site.

Posted by: stella | Feb 26, 2008 1:49:19 PM

I do not hate you not4uHillary I merely asked for programs that Obama will put in place to assist you in your needs. I asked because I understand this is all about a Federal vote and Federal policies at the national level. All such programs therefore are trickle down and if any reach the state let alone local level at all then I'm completely in the dark. Perhaps you can show me how Obama does it differently. I'll wait for your response.

Posted by: Wil | Feb 26, 2008 1:55:37 PM

Thanks, norm and stella. :)

And I support your post not4uHillary I thought your post was heartfelt response not the usual negative statement. :)

Posted by: Sandra | Feb 26, 2008 2:02:37 PM

Well Wil..what I did was go to his website and look at his outline plans for things such as the economy, education, and Iraq. Then I went to Hillary's and researched her plans...and of course then I went to the really scary one where McCain outlines his plans. I also checked into things like NAFTA and lobbyist contributions to each candidate and other "blemishes" in their past. I can give you the links to these if you would like but other than spending the next hour writing you a thesis on my findings you may just have to believe that even one of the "Obamabot cultists" actually researched the candidates prior to making their decision. I am of the opinion that each of us deserves to have our own opinion, but I think you may just be reading the lines inside of my posts that you want so you can be justifiably infuriated.

Posted by: not4uHillary | Feb 26, 2008 2:06:50 PM

Do you think the debate tonight between Hillary and Obama will be heated?

Posted by: stella | Feb 26, 2008 2:10:07 PM

I've only read as far as your Post at 1:02 pm, and I had to stop and thank you for saying what many of us feel about Hillary. Very articulate!

Posted by: dream on | Feb 26, 2008 2:15:43 PM

Post a comment