Did She Really Say That?

I thought Obama's statement -- and Clinton's "rebuttal" -- was one of the most enlightening segments of the debate.

I loved how Obama endorsed diplomacy and engagement.

I also appreciated Clinton's further elaboration on the pitfalls that can occur without proper preparation. Clinton pissed a lot of progressives off with that comment; some even compared her to Bush, which was preposterous.

The exchange highlighted Obama's freshness and Clinton's experience -- the very traits that they've used to brand their campaigns.

I'd be thrilled to have either one become the next president.

From Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation:

In signaling that he was willing to meet with the leaders of these countries, Obama was signaling that the United States has the confidence in its values to meet with anyone. But he also signaled a certain humility that reflects the understanding that the next president must reach out to the rest of the world and not merely issue conditions from the White House and threaten military force if it does not get its way.

Much ado about nothing from what I saw. When Obama said, "I would," it could easily have meant he was willing to, presuming the circumstances were right (Hillary's "experienced" view), not that the minute he was sworn in he was going to embark on a despotism world tour.