Clinton Attacks Obama's "Electability"

While Oregon's wonks and other West Coast watchers wait for a delayed broadcast to see the presidential primary debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the New York Times is reporting that Clinton employed broad attacks on Obama's potential general election weaknesses.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton went on the attack against Senator Barack Obama on a variety of issues during a contentious debate Wednesday, warning that he would be deeply vulnerable in a general-election fight if he won the nomination.

Helped along by the questioning of the moderators, Mrs. Clinton mentioned several areas in which she said Mr. Obama was vulnerable, including the incendiary remarks by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., and his service on a board with William Ayres, a former leader of the radical Weather Underground. She even cited Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader, who has endorsed Mr. Obama.

In their final face-to-face encounter before the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, Mr. Obama largely refrained from taking the bait when offered the opportunity to go after Mrs. Clinton, like when the focus turned to her honesty and her claims of facing sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia.

Hillary did finally admit that she believed Obama could beat McCain in November, but she said also believes she can do a better job.

"Obviously. That’s why I’m here," she said.

It may be obvious to her -- not so much to many others.