It came in the last minute but boy what a moment. My goodness. I had a chill running up my leg. Oh, wait. That's Chris Matthews! But seriously, tonight's debate in Austin will be remembered for Hillary Clinton's last answer. In a word: phenomenal.
Both candidates were asked the following: "What was the moment that tested you the most, that moment of crisis?"
Obama didn't name a single moment but then came Clinton. Her answer was powerful, emotional and authentic. It's exactly the type of answer that she needed to give and it's exactly the type of answer that could catapult her campaign. It was "that" kind of moment. It was a "real moment."
Read the transcription below and watch the video above.
CLINTON: Well, I think everybody here knows I've lived through some crises and some challenging moments in my life. And.And I am grateful for the support and the prayers of countless Americans. But people often ask me, "How do you do it?" You know, "How do you keep going?" And I just have to shake my head in wonderment, because with all of the challenges that I've had, they are nothing compared to what I see happening in the lives of Americans every single day.
You know, a few months ago, I was honored to be asked, along with Senator McCain, as the only two elected officials, to speak at the opening at the Intrepid Center at Brooke Medical Center in San Antonio, a center designed to take care of and provide rehabilitation for our brave young men and women who have been injured in war.
And I remember sitting up there and watching them come in. Those who could walk were walking. Those who had lost limbs were trying with great courage to get themselves in without the help of others. Some were in wheelchairs and some were on gurneys. And the speaker representing these wounded warriors had had most of his face disfigured by the results of fire from a roadside bomb.
You know, the hits I've taken in life are nothing compared to what goes on every single day in the lives of people across our country. And I resolved at a very young age that I'd been blessed and that I was called by my faith and by my upbringing to do what I could to give others the same opportunities and blessings that I took for granted.That's what gets me up in the morning. That's what motivates me in this campaign.
And, you know, no matter what happens in this contest -- and I am honored, I am honored to be here with Barack Obama. I am absolutely honored. Whatever happens, we're going to be fine. You know, we have strong support from our families and our friends. I just hope that we'll be able to say the same thing about the American people, and that's what this election should be about.
Words on a page don't do this answer justice.
The reason it was so powerful is because she didn't try and offer a generic answer. Everybody in America knew what her moment of crisis was and she didn't back away from it. But the beauty of the answer was how she weaved it into the plight of ordinary Americans. Then, she began getting emotional during the answer. In Olympic gymnastics, that's called a 10. Hillary Clinton was Mary Lou Retton in 1984 in Los Angeles, It was that good. Watch that famous "10" here.
OK, so it was a great answer but how does this change the campaign?
Time will tell but Hillary's issue has never been a lack of policy plans. The substance has always been there. It's the emotional connection part where Barack Obama has her beat. This answer very well could begin to change the equation. People want to see this side of Hillary.
Cynics may say it's staged but give the woman some credit. This felt like it was from the heart.