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Democratic hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton participated in a televised debate on ABC on April 16, 2008 in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia debate was moderated by Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous. It was the first Democratic debate between the two candidates since facing off in Texas and Ohio before primaries in those states, and will be the only debate between the candidates before the Pennsylvania primary.
There were few contentious moments during the debate and the candidates agreed that the differences between them were minor compared to the differences they had with presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. Both candidates also agreed that either would be able to beat McCain in the general election. Neither candidate answered a question on whether they would be willing to name the other as vice president after the conclusion of the primary campaign.
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Fast Facts:
- Time: 8-10 pm EDT
- Network: ABC
- Moderators: Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous
- Place: National Constitution Center in Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania Primary: April 22
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Democratic Debate April 16 Liveblogging
- All times Eastern
- 9:51 PM: Debate concludes.
- 9:46 PM: Final Question: If it comes down to superdelegates, how will you make the case to them that you are the superior candidate?
- Clinton:
- We need a fighter back in the White House who will take on special interests. She'll take away $55 billion of subsidies to insurance companies, drug companies, etc. She'll give this money back to the middle-class.
- "We're going to make everybody feel like they're part of the American Family again." She can't do it alone. She needs people who believe in her and look at her track record.
- She's ready to be Commander-in-Chief and she will turn this economy around.
- Obama:
- Campaign is based on the idea that we're in a defining moment in our history. The American people have lost trust in their government, not just Democrats but also Republicans. People are disillusions.
- He made "a bet" on the American people - that they wanted politics that lifted the country up. He believes that "change does not happen from the top down. It comes from the bottom up." This is why he did not take PAC or federal lobbyist money. His bet paid off, because the American people have responded, and not just people who are accustomed to participating.
- He would tell superdelegates that, in order to improve schools, add jobs, get people health care, we need a new political coalition.
- 9:41 PM: Commercial break.
- 9:39 PM: Question: How would you use George W. Bush if she were president?
- Clinton:
- She thinks Bush was right to get his father and Bill Clinton involved after the Sri Lanka tsunami crisis. She's sure there's situations that will arise during her administration that would be similar.
- It sends a strong unified message to work with ex-presidents.
- Obama:
- The advice and counsel of all former presidents is important. He'd be more likely to ask George H. W. Bush than his son. He feels the first Bush's foreign policy was much more wise, an example of obtaining bipartisan agreement. He doesn't think Democrats have a monopoly on good ideas, but that parties have stopped listening to one another.
- 9:36 PM: Question: What will you do about gas prices?
- Clinton:
- She met with truckers in Harrisburg. She told them she'd investigate gas prices through the U.S. Department of Justice to prevent market manipulation. Compares the situation to Enron.
- Would stop putting oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
- Wants a windfall profits tax on oil company profits and put it into infrastructure and renewable energy research.
- We need a long-term energy strategy. We're more dependent on foreign oil today than we were on 9/11.
- Obama:
- People are cynical because energy policy doesn't change. He agrees with many steps that Clinton outlines. Also wants to investigate price gouging. Wants consumer relief and investment in renewable energy. He also wants to reduce demand. He will create a "Manhattan Project" for energy.
- CNN: Clinton, Obama take on Big Oil (April 2, 2008)
- Newsweek: Affirmative Action in '08 Race (March 13, 2008)
- 9:33 PM: Question for Obama: Should affirmative action be changed so that advantaged African-Americans don't excessively benefit? How, specifically?
- Obama:
- He wants to change the college admission process generally. We must ensure that we provide "ladders of opportunity for everybody." Race is still a factor in society, so for universities to take it into account is fair.
- It can only be the context of looking at "the whole situation of the young person." His children have had a pretty good deal, so race would not be a major factor. If there is a young white person who has been working hard and struggling "and has overcome great odds," that should be taken into account.
- He still believes in affirmative action as a way of overcoming discrimination but opposes quotas, or any non-holistic system for evaluating students.
- Clinton:
- We need generally affirmative action that's socio-economic, not race-based. She's against No Child Left Behind because we can do better to focus our education system on kids who need extra help. She wants more college aid, not predatory student loans.
- Wants to create conditions that allow people to live up to "their God-given potential." "Let's affirmatively invest in our young people."
- Newsweek: Obama's Affirmative Action Test (March 27, 2008)
- 9:28 PM: Question for Obama: Does he support the DC Weapons Ban?
- Obama:
- He has not looked at all the evidence. He believes, in principle, that the Constitution offers an individual right to bear arms. But he thinks local government can "constrain" that right through zoning ordinances.
- It's important to reconcile two realities: the tradition of gun ownership with the reality of crime.
- Do you still favor the registration and licensing of guns?
- Obama:
- He has never favored an all-out ban on handguns. He wants common sense approaches to the issue of illegally-obtained guns. We can make sure criminals and the mentally deranged cannot get hold of handguns.
- He wants to get past the politics of guns and find out what works.
- Clinton:
- The DC Weapons Ban divides even the Bush Administration. Dick Cheney has filed a brief trying to stop the ban. She supports sensible regulation.
- Is that the DC Ban?
- Clinton:
- She doesn't know the facts, but she doesn't think we should tell DC or Philadelphia that they can't come up with reasonable compromises.
- Does she still favor licensing and regulation of handguns?
- Clinton:
- She favors what works in New York. One set of rules for the inner city, another for rural areas. Blanket rules don't work.
- Wasn't she for those blanket rules when she ran for Senate?
- She always recognized the need to cater gun laws to different regions.
- WashingtonPost.com: D.C.'s Gun Ban Gets Day in Court (March 16, 2008)
- 9:24 PM: Gibson notes that today is the one-year anniversary of Virginia Tech shooting. Question: Both candidates have supported strong gun control measures. Now, they emphasize that they believe in an individual's right to bear arms. Why don't they emphasize their record on gun control?
- Clinton:
- Wants to talk about what we can do to lower crime rates such as that in Philadelphia. (Philadelphia has the highest per-capita murder rate in the U.S.).
- She will bring back the COPS program to put more cops on the street. She wants to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban, which helps police officers. She wants to make sure police departments get access to federal information so they can track illegal guns. Republicans keep this information from local law enforcement.
- She respects the Second Amendment and the rights of lawful gun owners. She also believes that most lawful gun owners support measures that ensure guns stay out of the wrong hands. She wants to bridge this polarizing divide which doesn't reflect American common sense.
- On The Issues: Hillary Clinton On Gun Control
- On The Issues: Barack Obama On Gun Control
- 9:20 PM: Commercial break.
- 9:08 PM: Question for Obama: You've said you favor an increase in the Capital Gains Tax. When the rate dropped in the '90s, revenue increased. Why raise it at all?
- Obama:
- He said he would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. The top 50 hedge fund managers last year made $59 billion. Those who can work the stock market amass huge fortunes pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries, and this isn't fair.
- He doesn't want oppressive taxation, but he wants to make sure the tax system is fair and allows us to pay for what America needs, like education and health care.
- McCain wants to spend Chinese money to give people tax breaks. Obama believes "you pay as you go," and you don't propose tax cuts without getting the money from somewhere by eliminating spending.
- But history shows that when you drop the tax rate, revenues go up.
- Obama:
- The bigger problem is the housing crisis. If we stabilize that market, stocks will do well and we can generate revenue we need to run the government.
- Clinton:
- We have to get back to an economy that works for everyone. Bush has helped only those already doing well. She wants an economy like that of the 1990's, when everyone got lifted up by the economic boom.
- She doesn't want to take one more penny of tax money from anybody, but wants to make smart investments. She brings up the Strategic Energy Fund as an example of expenditure that can "put Americans to work" and "get the economy moving again." She wants to tackle the housing crisis. If she were President, we could have already dealt with the mortgage crisis by freezing interest rates and foreclosures.
- Governor Ed Rendell has been successful in holding the line and staving off the worst of the economic crisis. "What is it we invest in that will make us richer and safer tomorrow?"
- Would you say no, I'm not going to raise capital gains tax?
- Clinton:
- She would not raise it above the 20% levels of the Bill Clinton Administration.
- Would you raise it at all?
- Clinton:
- She doesn't want to raise taxes. She disagrees with Obama's plan to raise the cap on the payroll tax. She's going to have to "look and see where we are."
- Obama:
- He proposed that we raise the cap on payroll tax because $97,000 is the limit anyone has to pay for anyone. Because we'll have fewer workers and more retirees, then Social Security benefits will eventually be cut.
- But, Senator, that's a tax.
- Obama:
- Clinton in Iowa said she'd consider the idea of raising the cap. It's an option he'd strongly consider because it's better than the alternatives - raising the tax on everybody, cutting Social Security benefits.
- Gibson continues arguing that these are tax hikes.
- Obama:
- You can't get something for nothing. If you care about Social Security, you must ensure it's there for future generations. We should be honest in presenting our ideas and not just promise to form commissions to deal with the problem (as he implies Clinton has done).
- Clinton:
- She's committed to salvaging Social Security, and if we'd continued on the path set by the first Clinton Administration, it'd be safe now. Bush is the one who took us to war without wanting to pay for it. Fiscal responsibility is the most important step to saving Social Security.
- The last time we had a crisis in Social Security was 1983. It was saved by forming a commission.
- Obama:
- The commission raised the payroll tax AND the retirement age. It burdened middle-income Americans. It's not a magic solution.
- Clinton:
- There are more progressive ways of doing it. "We will work it out."
- International Herald Tribune: Top hedge fund managers collected windfall fees in 2007 (April 16, 2008)
- Reuters: Obama blasts McCain on tax stance (March 13, 2008)
- 9:04 PM: Question for Clinton: McCain says taxes are the #1 issue of this campaign. Can Clinton promise there will be no new taxes for anyone earning less than $200,000 a year? Will she persist in rolling back Bush's tax cuts?
- Clip of McCain stating that Democratic candidates want to raise taxes.
- Clinton:
- She will roll back taxes on those making more than $250,000. She doesn't believe this will have a negative effect on the economy. In fact, it had a good effect when they did it during the '90s. She will not raise any taxes on middle-class Americans.
- Her plan includes $100 billion in tax cuts for the majority of Americans to help with health care, education, housing costs. We can't do it all at once, but her website lays out how she plans to pay for her plans.
- A commitment...No middle class tax increases.
- Clinton:
- That's her commitment.
- Obama:
- His plan actually cuts these taxes. He wants to provide middle-class tax relief.
- We have seen wages and incomes flat or declining when costs are going up. We learned from George Bush's (and John McCain's) economic policies is that "pain trickles up." Lack of oversight and regulation has, in part, caused the Subprime Mortgage Crisis. This is the fault of the "rules in Washington," who wrote the tax code to help the most well-off. We must "change how business is done in Washington."
- The New York Times: Tax Cuts at Center of McCain's Economic Plan (April 16, 2008)
- Related: Hillary Clinton on Tax | Barack Obama on Tax
- 9:00 PM: Question for Obama: Iran is still working on a nuclear weapon, threatening Israel. Should it be U.S. policy to treat an Iranian attack on Israel as an attack on the U.S.?
- Obama:
- Keeping nuclear materials away from Iran will be one of his top priorities. He believes that includes direct talks with Iran. We have to directly engage, offer them carrots and sticks, and make our position totally clear.
- He will take no options off the table when it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. That includes threats to Israel, or any other allies. An attack on Israel is an attack on an ally whose security we consider "paramount." It's unacceptable.
- Clinton:
- We need an umbrella of deterrence that goes beyond Israel. An attack on Israel would incur massive retaliation, but so would an attack on other allies in the region.
- Bush's policy towards Iran has failed.
- This is an opportunity for skillful diplomacy, for the U.S. to start a security agreement towards Iran. We have to begin diplomatic engagement, and we want the world to understand we're serious. She'd begin those discussions "at a low level." She would not meet with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
- We must convince other countries that they don't need nuclear weapons. We need to provide a deterrent backup. We can't allow Iran to become a nuclear weapons power. The administration has failed to convince the world of the severity of this threat.
- CBS News: Obama: I Would Still Meet With Ahmadinejad (September 24, 2007)
- Related: Iran Nuclear Development | Iran Nuclear Crisis
- 8:56 PM: Question for Obama: Your campaign manager promised we'd be out of Iraq within 16 months. Would you give the same pledge as Clinton?
- Obama:
- The Commander in Chief sets the mission. Bush has said he's taking cues from Petraeus, but the President sets the mission. The military then carries out the mission. The military has performed a bad mission brilliantly.
- It is time for a strategy that makes Americans safer. Once he's given the troops a new mission, he will listen to them with respect to tactics.
- We will have no permanent bases in Iraq. "The buck stops with me as Commander in Chief." The current strategy is not sustainable.
- 8:52 PM: Question for Clinton from Video: Does she have a plan to get out of Iraq or is it just campaign propaganda? It's really unclear.
- Gibson adds that Clinton's campaign has promised to remove troops regardless of what the military says. If the commanders on the ground told her this was a mistake, would she still order the troops home?
- Clinton:
- Yes she would, because we have a strong tradition of civilian military control. Bush constantly changes rationale and moves goalposts on Iraq, and she believes it is in everyone's best interests to pull our troops out.
- She will begin to withdraw, in a responsible manner, within 60 days. Iraqis no longer have a blank check from the President of the United States. Only if we commit to withdraw will the Iraqis commit to carry out what they have promised for five years.
- Petraeus said the gains in Iraq are fragile and reversible. Does she know better?
- Clinton:
- No one can predict what will happen.
- It's not just about Iraq, but ending the war there will allow us to pay attention to other important areas, like Afghanistan.
- Also, we know that staying in Iraq will not help, because it has not helped up until this point. We will not be able to reassert leadership and moral authority around the world until we leave Iraq.
- Related: Hillary Clinton Iraq | Barack Obama Iraq | General David Petraeus
- 8:46 PM: Commercial break.
- 8:41 PM: Question for Obama about Bill Ayers, a former Weather Underground member who has never apologized. An early campaign meeting was held at his house. Can you explain the relationship with Ayers?
- Obama:
- This is a professor of English in Chicago. Obama knows him. He has not received any official endorsement from him, and they don't regularly share ideas. Because Obama knows a man who engaged in detestable acts when he was 8 doesn't reflect on him or his values at all.
- He's also friends with Tom Coburn, a conservative Republican who once said that you could apply the death penalty to abortion doctors. "Do I need to apologize for Mr. Coburn's statements?" He calls this "a game" and says the American people are too smart for that.
- Clinton:
- Obama was on a board with Ayers. Their relationship on this board continued after 9-11 and Ayers controversial comments about that event. This is an issue that people will be asking about, she insists, and though she knows Obama is a good man, the Republicans will raise this issue.
- She wishes Republicans would apologize for the disaster of the Bush-Cheney years and feel that they should just not run for President in 2008.
- Laughter
- Clinton:
- She has a lot of baggage, but everyone has rummaged through it for years. She comes to this campaign with a strong feeling that she'll be able to withstand Republican attacks.
- Obama:
- He doesn't think Clinton would make it through her own standards. He notes that President Bill Clinton pardoned members of the Weather Underground.
- Republicans will attack either of them. He's proven he can take a punch from Clinton. He's looking forward to debating McCain and polls indicate he fares just fine against McCain in a general election.
- The National Review: The Bad Company Of Barack Obama (April 14, 2008)
- Politico: Obama once visited '60s radicals (February 22, 2008)
- 8:37 PM: Question for Obama from a Video: Why doesn't he wear an American flag pin on his lapel?
- Gibson adds that this might be a vulnerability in November.
- Obama:
- "I revere the American flag and I would not be running for President if I did not revere this country." His story is only possible in America - being born to a teenage mom, raised by a single mother, and now in a place where he can run for President.
- He shows his patriotism by supporting veterans in Congress, by speaking forcefully about ending the Iraq War, by talking about restoring economic fairness. "That's what I love about this country."
- He's confident that, in a general election debate with John McCain, people won't be questioning his patriotism. They'll question how he can improve people's lives.
- Obama calls this a "manufactured issue."
- FOXNews.com: Barack Obama Stops Wearing American Flag Lapel Pin (October 4, 2007)
- Los Angeles Times: Breaking News: Obama Caves! Flag pin returns to his coat lapel (April 16, 2008)
- 8:35 PM: Question for Obama: He has said that Clinton was not fully truthful about what she was do as President. Do you think she's been truthful about her past?
- Obama:
- Clinton has a strong record to run on. He has not personally commented on the Bosnia sniper incident.
- Your campaign has.
- Obama:
- Because they were asked about it.
- They want to deliver a message to Americans about what they would do as president. Sometimes the message is "imperfectly delivered." He thinks Clinton deserves the right to make errors once in a while. He admits he makes errors.
- What's important is not to get obsessed with "gaffes." They should focus on this being a defining moment in American history. Discusses problems facing America. Their campaign is about "specific solutions" about moving issues forward and identifying the need to change the culture in Washington.
- The New York Times: Obama: Clinton Has Not Been Fully Truthful With Voters About What She Would Do As President (October 27, 2007)
- 8:32 PM: Question for Clinton: Voters don't necessarily find her honest and trustworthy, specifically as regards the Bosnia Sniper Fire story.
- A video is shown questioning the veracity of her Bosnia story.
- Clinton:
- She's not dumb. She wrote about it in a 1994 book. She misspoke and is embarrassed and has apologized. She's proud that she went to Bosnia, which was a war zone. Points out her support from General Wesley Clark.
- Soldiers were in battle gear, there were concerns about potential dangers. On a few occasions, "I was not as accurate as I have been in the past."
- She has gone to more than 80 countries and has represented the United States, and this gives her a strong advantage against McCain. She says she will try to "get more sleep." Inaccuracies happen when you talk as much as she has to talk.
- The Washington Post: Poll Shows Erosion Of Trust in Clinton (April 16, 2008)
- 8:29 PM: Question for Obama: Does Reverend Wright love America as much as you do? How will you deal with the Wright issue as president?
- Obama:
- If it's not this, it will be something else. And Clinton would have lots of attacks leveled at her, too.
- He has confidence in the American people that, when you talk to them honestly and directly, they will understand. The notion that they will be "distracted once again by comments not made by me, but somebody who is associated with me that I have disowned," doesn't give the American people enough credit.
- You've disowned him?
- Obama:
- The comments.
- Is he as patriotic as you are?
- Obama:
- He's a former Marine. But he's angry about injustices he's seen.
- Clinton:
- These questions about Reverend Wright have received many different answers. She thinks this deserves "further exploration." Democrats have to figure out how to bring people together in a way that overcomes anger and divisiveness.
- As leaders, they have a choice about the people with whom they associate. She brings up Obama's relationship with Louis Farakkhan and a willingness to meet with the leader of Hamas.
- Associated Press: Obama reassures Jewish leaders on Hamas, Wright (April 16, 2008)
- 8:26 PM: Question for Clinton: There are 8,000 members of Obama's church, and there are many great things that Wright has done. Should all these people leave the church?
- Clinton:
- One's choice of pastor is based on what one is seeking in church. She was asked a personal question and gave a personal response.
- Pastor Wright blaming the U.S. for 9-11 would have been intolerable for her. She would not have been able to stay in the church. It's a personal reflection, regardless of any good he or the church may have done.
- Obama:
- He did not hear these objectionable remarks because he wasn't in church that day.
- Gibson: But you did rescind an invitation to him...
- Obama:
- But that was entirely different circumstances.
- He feels Wright has maintained "an extraordinary ministry for many years." He wasn't aware of all these statements. He understands how people might take offense. The church, however, is a community that extends beyond the pastor.
- Unless we can bridge these divides, we can't solve problems. His work has been to unite people of many races and get them to work together. His own life "embodies that diversity."
- CNN: Clinton: Wright would not have been my pastor (March 25, 2008)
- 8:22 PM: Question for Obama: Asking about his speech about Jeremiah Wright. According to Wright, "you can get kind of rough in sermons." What did Obama know about Wright's statements that caused him to rescind an invitation to him a year ago? And why did it take him a year to publicly distance himself from Wright's remarks?
- Obama:
- Didn't know about Wright's comments that wound up on YouTube. He knew he was controversial but hadn't heard those specific, "objectionable" comments.
- The body of Wright's work were not represented in the snippets shown on TV.
- He had tried to speak to a broader context, about anger in the African-American community, expressed in "the barbershop and the church." His candidacy represents an attempt to move beyond this anger and "connect with people."
- The reason he's generating excitement is that he bridges racial lines, and people recognize that this is the only way "to deliver on the promises that people hear every four years."
- Related: Jeremiah Wright | Trinity United Church of Christ
- 8:16 PM: Question for Clinton: When Bill Richardson told her he was endorsing Obama, she said he can't win. Does she think Obama can beat McCain?
- Clinton:
- She believes the Democrats MUST be McCain and that the next president will be either her or Obama.
- McCain will be a formidable candidate. He has "a great American story to tell," but he has the wrong ideas about America.
- Her experience with campaigning against Republicans informs her that Democrats must go after every vote.
- But can Obama win?
- Clinton:
- Yes, but she would be a better candidate with a stronger coalition. She also believes she'd be the best president.
- Obama:
- He thinks Clinton can win against McCain, but that he'd be better.
- Responds to Clinton calling him "elitist" and "condescending." He can't condescend to people of faith because he's a person of faith and he's spent his campaign reaching out to people of faith. Democrats make an error when they don't speak to people's faith.
- Same is true of speaking to gun owners. He's supported by sportsmen in his home state and they support him because he listens to them.
- The problem in our politics is that "you take one person's statement, if it's not properly phrased, and you beat it to death, and that's what Senator Clinton's been doing for the last few days." He understands that, but it's not helping average Americans.
- Recalls Clinton being attacked for asking whether or not she should be "home baking cookies." The American people don't want distractions, but to figure out how they'll deliver.
- Clinton:
- Her comments were about Obama's remarks. It wasn't just her responding, but everyone who heard them. Many people felt they were "aimed at their values, their quality of life, the decisions they have made."
- As Democrats, they have to get enough votes to win in November. Republicans are shrewd and will jump on these kinds of comments. What's important is what they stand for and what they have done to improve circumstances for Americans.
- She has a proven record of results and a passion for helping people.
- U.S. News & World Report: Obama Cites Clinton Attacks in a Fundraising Appeal (April 16, 2008)
- MSNBC: Clinton: 'Obama Can't Win' (April 3, 2008)
- 8:11 PM: Question for Obama: He's asking about the small-town comments made by Obama in San Francisco. Does he understand that some people find his comments patronizing?
- Obama:
- He can see how people were offended. His statement was "mangled up." Wants to clarify what he meant: People are going through difficult times. "This is the first economic expansion, that we just completed, in which ordinary people's incomes actually went down."
- The point he was making was that "when people feel like Washington is not listening to them, when they are promised...that their economic situation is going to change and it doesn't, politically they focus on things that are constant, like religion."
- Wedge, or hot-button, issues take prominence in our politics, and overwhelm the more important but more dry issues. "What we're seeing in this election is the opportunity to break through that frustration."
- Clinton:
- "I am the granddaughter of a factory worker from Scranton." She discusses her grandfather's religious background. She doesn't believe her grandfather or father "cling to religion when Washington is not listening to them." Calls this a "fundamental misunderstanding of the role of religion and faith..."
- She also does not think people cling to traditions like hunting out of frustration. "That doesn't mean that people are not frustrated with the government." But she can see why people are taken aback and offended by Obama's statement.
- We're a stronger country because we understand and discuss our differences. The American people are resilient.
- ABC News: Dean: Dems Will Not Win if Divided (March 28, 2008)
- 8:07 PM: Question: The candidates have appealed to different constituencies in the Democratic Party. Will they pledge that, whichever one wins the primary, they will take on the other candidate as their running mate?
- Obama:
- Calls the primary an "extraordinary journey" and he thinks highly of her record. He still feels this question is premature. He's certain that, come August and the 2008 Democratic Convention, the party will come together, because they have no choice.
- John McCain wants 4 more years of Bush foreign and domestic policies. He's confident that Clinton and Obama supporters will both back the Democratic nominee.
- Gibson reads from the Constitution, which suggests that the person having the second-greatest number of votes gets the Vice Presidency.
- Clinton:
- Overriding goal is a Democrat in the White House. Once the nominee is resolved, it's imperative that the Democratic Party "close ranks...that we become unified."
- She will make sure her supporters support the nominee and she knows Obama feels the same way. Differences between them "pale in comparison" to their differences from McCain.
- The Boston Globe: How to avoid a Democratic disaster by Mario Cuomo (March 29, 2008)
- 8:04 PM: Clinton Opening Statement:
- Neither her nor Obama were included in the Founding Fathers vision of America, but nonetheless they mean to solve problems. She wants to provide jobs, education, health care and restore America's standing in the world.
- She wants to fulfill the promise offered to successive generations in Americans, starting in Philadelphia.
- Wants Americans to look at both their records and their plans. (Mentions her website, Hillary.com.)
- 8:03 PM: Obama Opening Statement:
- Struck by the decency and generosity of the American people, but also the frustration.
- "People are frustrated not only with jobs moving and incomes being flat...but also that special interests have come to dominate Washington." He wants to transform that frustration into something more hopeful.
- He wants Americans to be heard in the White House.
- Related: Obama Bitter Comment
- 8:00 PM: Debate begins with Charles Gibson discussing the rules.
