Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Appear on "Sixty Minutes" on February 10th

Steve Croft interviewed Barack Obama on "60 Minutes" on Sunday, February 10^th, while Katie Couric did the same with Hillary Clinton. How did they fare? What did they sound like? Here is an assessment from a viewer.

I particularly enjoyed this Obama comment, "I feel that the longer we're in this race, the stronger we get." Kroft asked Obama this question:

Q: "Aside from the Harvard Law Review, what have you ever run?"

A: "I've run my Senate Office; I've run this campaign."

While that answer may have been underwhelming, Obama went on to speak clearly and articulately about how he was different from his opponent, Hillary Clinton. He explained that, in regards to Iraq, as a nation, we were going to "have to send a clear message that they (Iraquis) are going to have to solve their sectarian violence themselves." Citing the half a trillion dollars spent on the war so far, Barack stated that staying in Iraq as long as front-running Republican John McCain wants to is not a good idea, saying, "I think that is a recipe for disaster."

Obama also said that, before every primary or caucus, the Obama election team plays basketball, because that's what they did before the first big Iowa win. He cited his "even temperament" and said that he would be the strongest candidate to run against the Republican nominee because, "I don't start off with 47% of the electorate saying they won't vote for me." (Point well taken: see my recently posted article on AC about Hillary's lack of "likeability").

Then Hillary had her moments onscreen, with Katie Couric questioning her. I thought that Katie asked questions that were more hard-hitting, but she asked them in her "girlsy" style, as though she really meant no harm. Baba Wawa she is not, however, and I felt that she was letting fly with some quality zingers, such as:

Q: "Why him (Obama) and not you?" A: Experience, of course.

Next, Couric wanted to know how Hillary keeps at the drudgery of campaigning so long and hard and doesn't lose heart or become ill.

A: "I'm doing this the only way I know how to do it. The only way I know how to do it is to believe in my heart that I'm going to be successful."

Q: What if it's all for naught?