The Texas Debate was quite an event. Both candidate seated sedately in the Great auditorium of Texas, Austin, a campus where more than 30 years ago the first of several campus shootings took place, the latest being De Kalb. Hillary Clinton was at here charming best and Barack Obama looked confident: just the right mix of reserve and openess to look presidential. The debate raised several questions and at the end of it the lead of Barack Obama will become impossible for Hillary to bridge.
Hillary Clinton's campaign is now in shambles: she has had to fire her long time campaign manager and is facing questions about campaign finances. An unfortunate end to what was a remarkable comeback for a woman who has shown courage to dust herself and reinvent herself. It is the end of the road for her and it will be, I think, Barack Obama all the way.
The debate centred around the issue if immigration and Barack Obama was very convincing when he asserted that his "comprehensive immigration reform bill" will address the issue. Very astutely he brought in the Dream Act by which the children of immigrants get a chance to go on to college without any problem. I think by his answer he clinched the support of the hispanic population which accounts to nearly a third of the population of Texas. By refusing to play to the gallery he displayed integrity. Hillary Clinton's attempt to rake up the "plagarism" charge fell flat and the audience just booed.
For the first time in the Primaries, Obama was asked about his Iraq policy. He has credibility on this issue as he opposed the war right from the very beginning and Hillary Clinton's weak knee attempt to distance herself from her senate vote was hardly a convincing performance. She, however, did score a few points on the Health Plan issue, but that would not be enough to overtake the unassailable lead of Barack Obama.
What does a Barack Obama victory mean the rest of the world. At one level, it will mean a surge in the political support for American leadership,and a recognition that USA is no longer willing to impose its will on the rest of the world by force of arms and is willing to listen and negotiate. This new position will bring down the temperature around the world. The statecraft of Obama will be more consensual rather than confrontational and that will be in US interest. On the race front, the entry of Barck Obama into the White House will set to rest a long and at times difficult history that the USA has had. This is because, Obama is not a candidate of Liberal tokenism but has demonstrated his support across all sections of US society.
The camapign has entered the last phase and in the debate with a weakened John Mccain, Obama will do well. I do think that the New York Times is playing unfair in its so called exposure of John Mccain's relationship with a lobbyist. If there has been an improper relationship it is only a testimony to the strenght and vitality of the Republican candidate and nothing more.