An active-postive President in the making?

While hardly an election-changing event, Thursday's Democratic debate allowed Senator Obama to look like a front-runner. He earned the praise of David Yepsen, the "dean" of Iowa political reporting, and the general wisdom is that he has finally "hit his stride" as a candidate. This afternoon, he projected authority, poise and a good sense of humor.

The moderator pointed out that some of the big names among Obama's foreign policy advisers once worked in the Clinton White House. How, then, would he "still deliver the kind of break from the past" promised to voters?

Hillary, off-camera, responded with a boisterous laugh that could barely contain her sarcasm: "I want to hear that!" she cackled. Obama, undaunted, brushed off Hillary's response with a disarming smile. Demonstrating a newfound grasp of the art of the soundbite, he coolly told the one-time frontrunner that he was "looking forward to you advising me as well."



While definitely trivial in the grand scheme of things, this episode suggests Obama's increasing confidence as a candidate. Previously, he seemed uncomfortable engaging in the nitty-gritty of campaign warfare. Now, however, he appears to have found a way to make it interesting for him and, as a result, be able to deliver convincing performances at debates.