Hillary Clinton launched a searing attack on surging rival Barack Obama, as polls showed he could inflict a second body blow to her White House hopes in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.
Clinton used a tense face-to-face debate, three days before the next crucial 2008 test, to argue her rival was inconsistent, inexperienced and more fond of words than action.
”He could have a pretty good debate with himself,” a steely Clinton said.
Republicans, meanwhile, battled through an even more heated debate, with Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney taking heavy fire, as John McCain, who leads New Hampshire polls, attempted to close out the state race.
Clinton came out swinging after a humiliating third place in Thursday’s lead-off Iowa caucuses, which validated Obama’s soaring message of hope, change and cleansing America’s poisoned politics.
”You have changed positions within three years on a range of issues that you put forth when you ran for the Senate and have changed,” she said.
”You said that records matter.”
She also argued his powerful rhetoric did not mean he would be effective in driving reform, and said her quest to be the first woman president showed she was an agent of change.
”Words are not actions. And as beautifully presented and passionately felt as they are, they are not action.”
Obama, stature enhanced by his Iowa triumph, avoided serious gaffes, appeared unruffled by Clinton’s attacks, and smoothly deflected them with his own political message.
”What I think is important that we don’t do is try to distort each other’s records as election day approaches here in New Hampshire.
”What I think the people of America are looking for are people who are going to be straight about the issues,” Obama said.
Former senator John Edwards reeled off a ferocious strike of his own, branding Clinton part of the ”forces of status quo” who lash out whenever the Washington consensus comes under threat.
New polls, meanwhile, showed the effect of Obama’s Iowa momentum.
In a CNN/WMUR survey, one of the first since the Iowa caucuses, Obama and Clinton were locked up on 33% of likely primary voters. Obama was up four points from a similar poll in late December and Clinton was down one.
Another poll, by the Concord Monitor newspaper, had Obama with a slender one point lead over Clinton, 34% to 33%.
The Clinton campaign rejected the idea Obama was vaulting from victory in Iowa, to a win in New Hampshire, saying his poll ”bounce” was negligible.
In a rare moment of levity, Clinton was asked why people appeared to like Obama more.
”Well that hurts my feelings,” Clinton said, sparking laughter from the audience. ”But I’ll try to go on.”
”He’s very likable. I agree with that. … I don’t think I’m that bad,” said Clinton, showing the softer side her campaign has tried to highlight to head off claims that she has a polarising character.
Obama, adding bite to a sugary exchange, joked ”You’re likeable enough, Hillary,” before she went back on the attack.
”In 2000, we, unfortunately, ended up with a president who people said they wanted to have a beer with, who said he wanted to be a uniter, not a divider.”
”I’m offering 35 years of experience making change.”
The Republican debate was the more bruising.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who won the Republican Iowa caucuses, had to defend his remark that President George Bush’s foreign policy had been arrogant.
McCain, who tied for third in Iowa but leads polls in New Hampshire, said he was the one Republican consistently right on Iraq.
”I know how to lead, I have been involved in these issues and I know how to solve them,” said McCain.
Romney took countless attacks: at one point he accused Huckabee of mischaracterising his position and Huckabee shot back, ”Which one?”
McCain accused Romney of distorting his views on illegal immigrants.
”My friend, you can spend your whole fortune on these attack ads. But it still won’t be true,” McCain said.
Republicans gave Obama a taste of attacks he will face if he wins the nomination, in treatment which suggested he was now seen as the Democratic front-runner.
”Senator Obama does not have the national security experience and background to lead this nation,” McCain said. — AFP
