While Hillary Clinton has been lobbing all kinds of broadsides at Barack Obama in recent days on the campaign trail, she once again last night decided not to go overtly negative in the final debate before the March 4th primaries.
The two candidates aggressively defended their plans on health care for example, in an opening 18 minute verbal tussle on whose plan would do what in terms of reform.

While spirited, there was no finger pointing, no zingers at each other and no jeers/boos/cheers from the crowd.  It was both candidates showing off their differences.

The Associated Press described it as "polite but pointed" - which is pretty much what I expected for this one-on-one debate.

Hillary Clinton's team realizes that throwing all kinds of mud at Obama on everything from health care to Iraq has not worked, and really doesn't work in a debate.  It's much better to go after Obama in a harsh manner on the campaign trail, not next to him on national TV.

As for Obama, he more than held his own again in this debate, keeping his Marshall McLuhan Medium Cool persona, which I bet impresses a lot of his supporters, who would much rather that he lean over and bop his opponent with a ball peen hammer, preferably live on TV.

SO where does this leave us in the Democratic race? 

Well, if you believe the polls - and I sure have issues about them - then the news continues to good for Obama, as leads for Clinton in both Ohio and Texas are evaporating, something that Clinton obviously cannot afford.