Democratic debate news stories on Newser

...Takes On Cool, Lecturing Obama

Jason Farago — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:01:19 CDT

Barack Obama is famous for his soaring set-piece speeches, but his facility with oratory hasn't translated into success in debates, writes John M. Broder in the New York Times . At last month's Saddleback Church forum he sounded every bit the law professor, offering complex, humorless analysis to the sound bites...

Obama Says No to More Debates

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:33:20 CDT

Barack Obama today rejected the idea of additional debates against Hillary Clinton, the Chicago Tribune reports. “I’m not ducking. We’ve had 21” debates, the senator said, insisting he prefers face-to-face talks with the kind of blue-collar voters who helped clinch Clinton’s Pennsylvania win.

Dems Complain About Rival's Complaining

Rob Quinn — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 11:02:46 CDT

The Democratic candidates are down to grousing about each other's griping, Reuters reports. Hillary Clinton said Barack Obama's complaint about tough questions in their recent debate showed he couldn't take the pressure. "I'm with Harry Truman on this—if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen," she...

Stephanopoulos Sticks Up for Tone of ABC Debate

Caroline Zimmerman — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:27:29 CDT

George Stephanopolous has drawn fire for posing too many "gotcha" questions at last night's Democratic presidential debate on ABC, but the pundit is sticking to his guns. Stephanopolous says he didn't focus on electability over policy issues by accident. "It's not only, who will be the best president, but who...

Dems Wrangle Over Health, Iraq

Neal Colgrass — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:32:10 CST

A week before the make-or-break primaries in Texas and Ohio, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama sparred wearily, sometimes testily, in their 20th and perhaps last debate, on issues from health care to Iraq to who is more committed to Israel, MSNBC reports. Clinton blasted a recent Obama mailer that said...

Pentagon, Army Captain Differ on Obama Tale

Katherine Thompson — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:03:51 CST

Pentagon officials moved quickly yesterday to rebut Barack Obama's tale of an Army captain whose platoon, deployed in Afghanistan, was stripped of men and so lacking in equipment that they resorted to using captured Taliban weapons. "I find that account pretty hard to imagine," an Army spokesman said of the...

Now Hillary's Accused of Plagiarizing Edwards

Rob Quinn — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 07:19:00 CST

Hillary Clinton wisecracked last night that Barack Obama was promising "change you can Xerox"—prompting the Obama camp to suggest Clinton may have cribbed part of that speech from John Edwards, writes Isaac Chotiner in the New Republic . It was the latest battle in the heated war of lifted words...

'Likable, Schmikable'... Right?

Nick McMaster — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:17:28 CST

“Likable, schmikable. Isn't the nation at war?” asks the Chicago Tribune 's Julia Keller. Yet America's love for likable candidates (think George W. Bush) took center stage at a recent debate when Barack Obama defended Hillary Clinton's likability. Some candidates have won without it, but it gives voters "a sense...

Obama Parries 2 Clintons in Harsh, Personal Debate

Jason Farago — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:31:04 CST

Last night's acrimonious Democratic presidential debate saw Barack Obama confront an increasingly aggressive Hillary Clinton, reports the Washington Post , but the Illinois senator was really countering two Clintons at once. Over the past two weeks Bill has led the charge against Obama's credibility and record, most notoriously with his "fairy...