Trailhead

Vegas Live: ROTC

All three candidates agree to enforce the law that cuts off federal funding for schools that don’t offer ROTC programs. In their answers, Obama and Clinton take a few minutes to praise soldiers serving in Iraq. Edwards turns his answer toward veterans’ benefits. Seeing a missed opportunity, Obama and Clinton both butt in and follow up with 30 seconds on veterans.

A friend points out: Watch Russert bring this back in two years when the candidates realize they would be forcing schools to violate their own nondiscrimination policies. (The subtext to the whole question is that many schools oppose Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.) If so, he has just introduced a brilliant new questioning tactic: the future gotcha!