Hillary Clinton on Tuesday night hammered Barack Obama on his commitment to universal healthcare and his grasp of foreign policy, using a last debate before a set of crucial primaries to try to expose her opponent’s potential flaws.
Following 11 straight primary wins for Obama, the debate was seen as critical to Clinton’s chances of reviving her campaign for the Democratic nomination and she came out swinging. However, her attacks at times seemed more flailing than focused.
After so many debates, there was little new material. However, Clinton came the closest she ever has to date to expressing contrition for her 2002 vote authorising the war on Iraq. She acknowledged she wished she had not cast the vote.
The contentious start set the stage for a 16-minute exchange on healthcare, which saw Clinton repeatedly speaking over the presenters to accuse Obama of failing to provide coverage to all Americans in his healthcare proposals.
“It would be as though Franklin Roosevelt said, let’s make Social Security voluntary. That’s, you know — that’s — let’s let everybody get in it if they can afford it. Or if President Johnson said, let’s make Medicare voluntary,” Clinton said. She accused Obama’s campaign of producing misleading campaign literature, and said the US media had treated her unfairly.
For Obama, who has been cutting into Clinton’s lead in the opinion polls ahead of next week’s contests in Texas, Ohio and other states, there was comparatively little pressure to deliver a knockout punch.
While Clinton was focused on showing up the differences with her opponent, Obama’s demeanour was relaxed and conciliatory. He repeatedly noted points of agreement with Clinton and praised her as an able senator.
When Clinton once again accused him of lacking substance to back up his soaring rhetoric, Obama responded mildly. “I am not interested in talk,” he said.
“I would not be running if I wasn’t absolutely convinced that I can put an economic agenda forward that is going to provide them with healthcare, is going to make college more affordable, and is going to get them the kinds of help that they need not to solve all of their problems, but at least to be able to achieve the American dream.”
