Having fun and the young voters
10:28 p.m. - While there has been much discussion of the issues at the debate tonight, both candidates are still having a few laughs. Both laughing at themselves and a mis-timed clip played by NBC, they seem like they are having a genuinely good time.
Obama is excited to point out that he is the only one to beat John McCain in a general election. Right after that remark, in an answer to a Russert question on the future of Russia’s presidency, Clinton gives a fairly tame but strict response.
She is concerned with how we’re going to deal with Russia going forward, especially given that the successor to Vladmir Putin will be hand-picked. And note another funny moment of Clinton trying to pronounce the name of the successor to the Russian Presidency, after attempting a few times she says “whatever” to laughter.
To this point there hasn’t been much pandering to the youth vote directly, other than part of the discussion of healthcare. Odd, isn’t it, that there isn’t much talk directly targeting younger voters given the debate is at a university and the Unviersity of Cincinnati Ohio poll released Feb. 25 shows the candidates neck and neck among 18- to 29-year-olds.
The chaos is about to ensue in the spin room, down four stairwells from the press filing room. Members of the press are already begining to assemble in the hallway on their way to cover all of the spin downstairs.
We picked up a copy of The Columbus Dispatch on the drive in today, and I was particularly fond of the debate watching advice they gave. They advised viewers at home to turn off the television to make up their own minds, not to let the spin doctors on T.V. influence what they should think of the candidates.
- James Ramey III
