Did Hillary Throw in the Towel?

The results of the Texas debate.

Hillary Clinton has publicly staked her political fortunes on the results of the Texas and Ohio primaries. Having lost eleven straight contests, she was under pressure to perform well in this debate to re-energize her campaign. And instead of coming up big with her back to the wall, she seemed to shrink from the task.

Clinton's strategy to stop the Obamamentum has changed over the last few weeks. During the days leading up to Super Tuesday, she tried being friendly and polite, worrying that voters would be turned off by negativity. When that didn't work, she turned up the venom in the Wisconsin contest, accusing Obama of hiding from voters and being unwilling to engage in a debate. That didn't work, either. With two make-or-break states coming up, advisers have recommended a "scorched earth" policy for Clinton, ratcheting up criticism to as-yet-unseen levels. It doesn't seem like she went for it. She was presented time and time again with opportunities to attack Obama, and time and time again she opted to make the debate about issues. She presented the facts about her platform - ably, mind you - and tried to let them speak for themselves.

The problem is that the Democratic race is no longer about issues. For all intents and purposes, Obama and Clinton don't have many significant differences in policy. Either of them would accomplish similar things if elected. The fact is, however, that America is no longer voting based on issues. They're voting on electability. Obama has the momentum, he has the money, and he has the delegates. Now that the Republican race is (effectively) wrapped up, the Democrats want someone to unite around. It looks more and more like they're gravitating toward Obama. Clinton seemed to get a sense of that as the debate went on. Obama responded impressively to her cry of "let's get real" by saying that "the implication is that...the people who have been voting for me or involved in my campaign are somehow delusional," earning applause from the audience. She responded with a jab at the recent charges of his plagiarism, saying "lifting whole passages from someone else's speeches isn't change you can believe in; it's change you can Xerox." The comment actually drew boos from the audience, and seemed to catch her off guard.

The real stunner that made it seem as though Clinton was effectively conceding the race came at the end of the debate. While answering a question about a time in her life when she had been tested, she said that she was "honored to be here with Barack Obama." She went on to say that "whatever happens, we're going to be fine." Those words sounded ominously familiar - John Edwards used them in his concession speech on January 30. Clinton may or may not have been intending that same effect when using them, but the comparison is apt. It's unlikely she'll still be in the race after Texas and Ohio. It's possible that she wanted her campaign to go out gracefully rather than shrill and grating.