As a resident of NY I have to say I, and many other people I run into have been largely disappointed by the current Governor Eliot Spitzer. He came into office with a large amount of hope and great experience standing up for the people of NYS. So far he has done little except get himself into scandal and a few weeks ago surprised everyone with a plan to give illegal immigrants in NY a drivers license.

The plan has been met with overwhelming opposition and is sure to spark a great fight within the state. I didn’t think it would spread to the presidential election so quickly and so forcefully and honestly I thought if it did, Clinton would have a better handle on it.

There is a growing desire in almost all states to do something about illegal immigration. There is also a growing desire in the Democratic party to court and secure the hispanic vote. Democrats are trying to talk tuff through one side of their mouth while trying to make themselves look like they aren’t vilifying the relatives and friends of a very important voting block.

I was left wondering last night what exactly Clinton was trying to do while she stumbled through her answer, seeming to take every position and not commit while committing. Was she simply courting the hispanic vote while trying to sound tuff? Was she protecting a friendship she has with Eliot Spitzer who is going through a ruff time? Was she simply being called out on a habit she has of avoiding questions?

The moment wouldn’t have hurt so much had there not been an entire debate before it centering around her clarity and her ability to be forthcoming. Truth be told Chris Dodd who challenged her did not seem to have a real position either, but no one was really challenging his waffling. Barack Obama who was eager to attack but not so eager to actually answer the question and who muddled through it himself before committing, wasn’t clear or concise either. But again, he didn’t have to be.

Clinton messed up big time with that question. She fell into the trap set by Tim Russert, who had spent the night doing everything he could to knock Clinton off her pedestal. She fell for it, she fell into it and she fell flat on her face and with blood in the water the rest of the Democrats attacked. For a candidate who has been so polished, so on point and so organized, it made no sense. Why not simply answer the question or take some kind of definitive stand?

I doubt this moment alone is going to hurt her, I doubt most people were watching. It will however energize her opposition and remain a moment that was stupid for the campaign. Stupid because she could have easily avoided the trap, stupid because without that moment the debate wouldn’t have been her best performance, but it wouldn’t have been her worst.

Instead, she blew it.