No doubt the format of this at-times questionable "debate" was overstated, underthought and more than a little stained with raw-meat and festering bacteria.

But in all honesty, Hillary took the gold ring on this go-round because she appeared the more electable, the more decisive.

Though I am by no means a Shillary fan, while Obama was protesting the nature of the debate, Hillary was running with it. Did she exploit the situation? Sure. That's a good thing to do at some times in some situations. That's what effective leadership does. It can also be a deplorable thing - and that's what effective power-mongering does.

That she did both yesterday - and many times throughout her carer - is gospel truth.

But Obabma on more than one occasion could have laid his critics low - as he did during his historic, silently stunning public treatise on race relations. He did not seize that occasion last night; instead he wasted words trying to defend earlier remarks. Something like this: "I understand how people might be offended by what I said because I really mangled it up, but I'm going to say it again right now anyway. Nyah nyah."

Look, Obama had a really easy go of it for a long time from the press and stages like this blogging platform. Hillary had to fight - and sometimes the blows were low, sometimes they really did rummage though her baggage. Now their roles have reversed. Fair's fair.

When she was being dragged thought the mud - and I was the guy who hog-tied her behind the horse - the complaints from the bloggers and other Obama-supporters were non-existent. They let it happen, and they were glad of it. Even though many of these same people voted for Bill and defended Hillary though thick and thin. All the way up 'til - oh, I don't know - say 18 months ago when this campaign started.

So now Obama gets knocked around by the same dunderheads who have ran this whole distorted political process since this particular spectacle began, and we cry foul? What?? It's alright for our guy and against their gal even though she used to be our gal back in the day, and she really hasn't changed one iota since then and then she really, really became our gal when she was done dirty by her guy, who used to our guy too but now he's just a dunderhead like all the rest, but we don't care how foolish and hypocritcal that makes us look because damn it, we just want to see our guy in that White house down in Washington way.... So NO it is not alright against our guy, even though he's being vetted by the same frustrating process that she underwent for so many months and all we could do then was laugh at her.

Got that?

In other words, Obama shouldn't win and Obama shouldn't be praised just because he's Obama and she's Hillary. Each and every issue they have to contend with has profound meaning to a hell of a lot of voters. For example, that "bitterness, clinging to religion" commentary by him truly is significant to hordes of people, and our kvetching that it's insignificant garbage means we don't understand the rural heart either.

It means that we condescend.

Our crying that this is trivial while that is substantial, and this attack on him was condescending and racist while that attack on her was sumptuous is the real problem with American politics: that it's all or nothing. Obama himself has said it a million times.

And yet we continue to embrace him while we cry "Obama or nothing!"

Maybe he's trying to teach us something without truly realizing what he's teaching himself. That self-sufficiency and independence of thought comes from truly being honest and brave enough to stand apart from the crowd. That's why so many of us love his message. But have you noticed how many of us are rushing to his defense willy-nilly no matter what he says or does because we have joined the crowd mentality??

What Obama really needs is the inner fortitude to man-up and admit he made mistakes, actually apologize for them, and seek advice from others on how to become a better person and more effective leader. And maybe as his true friends and supporters, we should tell him that.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: Hillary wants to lead the team and make decisions for them, while Obama wants to work with the team. He needs to start doing that now - and we need to be willing to help him. Not shout down Hillary and her camp, but actually help him to make this a better America.

Or we all just better shut the hell up.