Gerard Baker: what happened to the smackdown? | Celebrity endorsements

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama last night sought to replace the bare-knuckled brawl that has characterised much of their fight for the Democratic presidential nomination – with gentle sparring.

From the outset of the televised debate at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, the two candidates stressed the values they shared rather than bitter rivalry which threatens to damage Democratic hopes of winning the White house in November.

"I was friends with Hillary Clinton before we started this campaign," said Mr Obama, "I will be friends with Hillary Clinton after this campaign is over."

Mrs Clinton expressed similar sentiments. "The differences between Barack and I pale in comparison to the differences that we have with the Republicans," she said.

In the absence of John Edwards, who this week dropped out of the race, she contrasted the historic nature of a contest in which either a woman or a black man will be the Democratic nominee. "Just by looking at us, you can tell, we are not more of the same," she said. "We will change our country."

Last night disagreements were framed in terms of policy rather than the venomous personal attacks that marked their previous debate in South Carolina.

Mrs Clinton was challenged on her vote in 2002 authorising President Bush to take military action against Saddam Hussein. She said her intention had been to bolster efforts to send weapons inspectors into Iraq and suggested Mr Bush had pursued a reckless course.

"There were legitimate concerns about what [Saddam] might do. So I think I made a reasoned judgment. Unfortunately, the person who actually got to execute the policy did not,” she said.

The focus now should be on what to do "going forward", she added, citing the apparent determination of John McCain – the frontrunner for the Republican nomination – to keep troops in Iraq.

"It will be important, however, that our nominee be able to present both a reasoned argument against continuing our presence in Iraq and the necessary credentials and gravitas for commander-in-chief," said Mrs Clinton.

Mr Obama replied: "I will be the Democrat who will be most effective in going up against a John McCain... I will offer a clear contrast as somebody who never supported this war, thought it was a bad idea. I don't just want to end the war, I want to end the mindset that got us there in the first place," he said.

Times Recommends

• Tehran cannot live up to its rhetoric
• The new unicycle that will ‘change the world’
• We cannot wish away Iran’s bomb