Jan. 15 Democratic debate transcript

Former Sen. Edwards:  Well, I think that the decision for every voters in this election should revolve around first whether you believe America needs change. If you do, who you think will be most effective in bringing about that change. We have different perspectives on that.

I think the system in Washington is broken. I don't think it works. And I think the American people, middle-class Americans, are struggling and suffering.

They can't pay for their health care. They're losing their jobs. They can't pay for their kids to go to college.
This is a very personal thing for me.
Hillary mentioned a minute ago that I grew up in a family of millworkers. I was the first person in my family to actually be able to go to college.

And so this battle for real opportunity for everybody, the kind of chances I've had in my own life, is central to everything I do. It is central to this campaign. It is a personal, personal fight for me.

And I think the decision that voters make about who can best fight for the middle class, who will never give up on the fight for universal health care, who will actually stand up strongly and affirmedly to -- for the right to organize, for unions to be able to organize in the workplace.

These things are not academic for me; they are my life. I believe in them to my soul and I will fight with every fiber of my being to make sure that everybody gets that kind of opportunity, and I think there are some differences on policy and perspective between the three of us, and I hope we get a chance to talk more about that tonight.

Morales: Senator Edwards, as a follow-up to Margaret Wells' question, what is a white male to do running against these historic candidacies?

Former Sen. Edwards:  You know, I have to say on behalf of my party, and I've said this many times, I'm proud of the fact that we have a woman and an African American who are very, very serious candidates for the presidency. They've both asked not to be considered on their gender or their race. I respect that.

I do believe, however, that it says really good things about America. I think I actually believe that both through these primaries and caucuses and in the general election, that the American people are going to make decisions based on who we are, what we stand for, and what we're fighting for.

Williams: Question for Senator Obama. You won the women's vote in Iowa, but Senator Clinton won the women's vote in New Hampshire, and there probably isn't an American alive today who hasn't heard the post-game analysis of New Hampshire, all the reasons the analysts give for Senator Clinton's victory. Senator Clinton had a moment where she became briefly emotional at a campaign appearance.

But another given was at the last televised debate, when you, in a comment directed to Senator Clinton, looked down and said, "You're likable enough, Hillary."

That caused Frank Rich to write, on the op-ed page of the New York Times, that it was "your most inhuman moment, to date." And it clearly was a factor and added up.

Senator Obama, do you regret the comment, and comments like that, today?

Sen. Obama:  Well, I absolutely regret it because that wasn't how it was intended. I mean, folks were giving Hillary a hard time about likability. And my intention was to say, "I think you're plenty likable."

And it did not come out the way it was supposed to.
But, you know, I do think that, during the course of that debate, there was a tendency to parse out what is, I think, not an issue.

I think all three of these candidates are good, capable people. And what we really should be focusing on is who's got a vision for how we're going to move the country forward?

And I believe that, right now, the only way we're going to move the country forward is if we can bring the country together, not just Democrats but independents, Republicans who have also lost trust in government, and we are able to push aside the special interests and the lobbyists, and we are truthful with the American people and enlisting them in changing how our health care system works, how our economy works, what our tax code looks like.

And that is going to be an issue that, I think, all of us are going to have to struggle with over the coming days. It's not going to be an issue of, you know, who's got the nicest smile or, you know, who's going to be fun to have a beer with.

It's going to be, who can provide the leadership that makes sure the country is moving forward through what I anticipate are going to be some difficult times, and who is going to be able to transform how Washington works in a fundamental way.