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Live Blog Philly

Be sure to check Hotline On Call this evening for the latest news and information from Philly as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama face off for the 21st Dem primary debate, 8 p.m. ET. ABC hosts the nationally televised, 90-minute event, held just six days before Keystone State voters (finally!) head to the polls for what is a must-win contest for Clinton.

The candidates last debated Feb. 26 in Cleveland. Since then ...

We've seen HRC score a critical victory in Ohio and a spiritual win in Texas, but later flub the Bosnia landing story, prompting renewed questions about her truthfulness.

We've been through the Rev. Jeremiah Wright fallout and Obama's subsequent speech about race in America.

The Clintons released tax returns showing that they've earned $109M since leaving the White House.

And the news over the last five days has turned on Obama's loaded small town comments.

So will tonight be a "bitter" battle? If HRC takes it to Obama, she risks prompting boos and a backlash. (Remember the pillow line? Fell flat. Memo to candidates: You will never be as funny as SNLers.) Or, to flaunt their general election potential, will each go after John McCain?

We're guessing it'll be a mixed bag. Stay tuned ...

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

5 Comments

Actually, the pillow line worked excellently, it helped her make the case that the media was being too nice to Obama and likewise was biased against her. After this and other proddings by the Clinton campaign, the media was far more critical of Obama and far less so of Clinton.

Obama better not slime Clinton with the "wal mart lawyer" line. It could backfire.

Ok, I've watched blogs like this and the media flog the "bitter" meme to death. Buy a clue, will you?

The issue isn't "bitter." The real issue is "cling to."

So the more problematic language choice for Senator Obama was not the word “bitter,” it was his use of the word “cling,” which he seemed to use as a pejorative to describe why small-town voters prioritize their opinions on cultural matters like religion and gun ownership over economic issues. And when he lists religion and guns in the same sentence as his reference to racist and anti-immigrant sentiments, it becomes much more difficult for him to establish the emotional connection with working-class voters that he has forged with the more upscale and academically oriented portions of the Democratic primary electorate.

Compounding the problem is that Obama never really apologized for the remark. He apologized only that people were offended by it. So if you take him at his word, he meant everything he said except he wishes that he'd found a nicer way to call rural Pennsylvanians rubes.

"a spiritual win in Texas" ??

By that you mean a LOSS in Texas.

"Obama's loaded small town comments"

WHAT THE F DOES THAT MEAN?

So sick of this insanity. Jen, do your job. You are a journalist, remember?

Let's hope that the questions asked are relevent the this campaign and not totally out in left field or stupid like most of the questions asked by reporters.