Thats getting 'tough', yea right! This is how aggressive Democrats SHOULD have been five damn years ago.

Also I love how they felt that mentioning the woman's age was important. Golly, that overly tough Barak might have given her a heart attack!

agreed- what does the questioner's age have to do with anything.

that is getting tough?? that should be the casual rhetoric. getting tough was comparing hillary to the GOP front runners - that was unnecessary.

there will be 9 republicans and 8 democrats on the primary ballot. wtf.

I'd be curious to see how Matthews portrayed Obama's answer. It's sad to see folks still accusing those of us who don't want to banish immigrants and who don't think killing families and friends in Iraq helps win the hearts and minds of "not wanting to protect America."

I swear, some people won't be happy until there are prison camps to throw away everyone they blame for their own crappy lives.

This clip brings to mind a feeling I don't often have: I feel sorry for the candidate (Obama, in this case.) Obama got "tough"? I'd be fighting back one hell of a lot "tougher" response. I would so want to tell the stupid woman to shut up, go back to her home in Dubuque, and choke on her ridiculous paranoid delusions.

Maybe that is why so many candidates are idiots - who but an idiot could put up questions like her's day in and day out.

This "securing our borders" argument is the weakest I've heard in terms of national defense against terrorism. Note that while the terrorists on 9/11 could have crossed over through the TJ border and passes as illegal Mexicans, they came to this country LEGALLY with VISAS, trained in aviation HERE, and then proceeded with their attacks (no illegal border crossing required). I am in no way saying that immigration isn't an important issue to discuss, but in terms of it being a hazard for potential terrorism to seep into this country is just rubbish. If anyone wants to have a serious discussion about immigration I'm all ears.

It takes either an idiot or someone with seemingly boundless patience.

"Gets Tough" deserves to be in quotes. Not to be a parrot, but Obama merely did what he's supposed to do.

Regarding the person being a 64 y.o. woman, the cynic in me believes that she was planted to ask the question (likely not by another Democrat, but rather a neo-con wanting to keep their version of reality in the media), and her demographics serve as an emotional cudgel rather than a coincidence.

Hey, at least democrats take questions from people - even ones they don't agree with.

If this was a Republican, the audience would be background-checked, screened, and then forced to sign a 'loyalty oath" before they could even get within 50 yards of the candidate!

I was just thinking...LOYALTY PLEDGE!

This kind of timid rhetoric (and yes, Obama was stepping it up a notch has become popular since the PC atmosphere in the USA took hold.

To paraphrase my beloved Christopher Hitchens (one of the many reasons I love OneGoodMove): "I'm offended" is not an argument". Don't treat it as such, and perhaps we'll be able to get something done.

This is really part of the repulsive arrogance of the media. During primary season they want to pick winners. So they zero in on some gaffe--a tear, a scream, a heated exchange and play it over and over until it's a millstone around the candidate's neck. Of course Howard Dean comes to mind. But there was a very revealing column David Broder wrote years ago about how he ruined the candidacy of Ed Muskie by pumping the false story that he was in tears in a speech. Read the following, where Broder admits to killing Muskie's campaign in 1972:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mim1316/isv19/ai_4696993/print

In this, case, of course, my guess is that pumping the story will do as much to help Obama as hurt him. But who knows--when liberals get tough, it doesn't compute in the media's mindset, so they're called crazy, unhinged, etc.

As long as stupid hicksin Iowa think that terrorism is the number one issue in America we are pretty much doomed to have retard leaders like Bush or Giulianni.

Dende has hit the nail on the head.

The media love to make up silly narratives about Democratic candidates (Kerry is a flip-flopper, Gore is boring, crazy, a liar, etc)

You should take a look at the blog Daily Howler - he covers the media's insanity every day...

www.dailyhowler.com

Obama's saying the right things, albeit not very strongly. He could use a better speaking coach to learn how to more effectively run those hecklers back to Fauxland. Have a look at Dennis Kucinich's great example when he slam dunked Wolf Blitzer when questioned on his vote against the (so called) Patriot Act.

http://boskolives.wordpress.com/

Can anyone hear what the woman is saying when she interrupts Obama? Because it sounds like something pretty dumb and it would be funny to know.

Good on Barack for saying this but for much much too long, this has been the exception and not the rule and the country has suffered.

Colbert gravel kucinich paul nader perot carter [conyers?rangel?] united for truth elicit fear smear blacklist.

The people know too much, democracy rising democracy now. Rage against the machine.

Honesty compassion intelligence guts.

No more extortion blackmail bribery division. Divided we fall.

Obama is wasting his breath trying to redefine reality for these people.

Until he starts screening his crowds and talking like an illiterate inbred hillbilly with a tater-diggin' eye and three teeth, he doesn't stand a chance.