Did somebody say Sybil? I was worried there, for a minute; Hillary came out soft, her cheeks looking particularly dumpling like, for the early minutes of last night’s debate but then, with the predictable hand from ABC’s Charles Gibson (who, on top of everything else, holds a Nobel Prize for his work in economics), she got going on the bitter tea of General Obama.

First, the teachers tried to make them dance. Quoting some wacko idea of former NY Gov. Mario Cuomo about the candidate with the second-most votes becoming vice-president, Gibson asked the two candidates if they would pledge to name the other as running mate should they win the nomination (what is this, Washington-Adams?). Long, awkward silence. (“Go on, hold her hand, it’s not going to kill you”) Followed by kind, never-in-a-million-years dissembling from both candidates.

Then, not being able to resist anymore, Gibson mentioned Obama’s remarks regarding those embittered, bible-thumping, gun-toting voters in the lost hollers of Western PA. “Do you understand that some people in this state find that patronizing and think that you said actually what you meant?” asked the anchor, sounding pretty patronizing himself.

Obama made another attempt at an apology and then Clinton weighed in, reminding people of her midwestern Methodist bonafides and talking about the “wonderful,” “positive,” “resilient” people she has met traveling that great state. But she couldn’t stay on that high road for long. With more help from Gibson and former Clinton lieutenant (and co-moderator) George Stephanopoulos, she got to rag him about Rev. Wright again, even claiming that his remarks about 9.11 were all the more hurtful because the attacks occurred in “my city of New York.” (You know: Hillary from the block.) Now it was open season on Obama, and out came Louis Farrakhan, Hamas and, most surprising of all, former Weather Underground activist William Ayers.

Ayers, as part of the SDS splinter group, helped bomb a number of government buildings during the Vietnam War. He hosted a house party for Obama’s campaign for state senate, 12 years ago, but more importantly, he said he wished the Weathermen had blown up more stuff, and those remarks were published on 9.11. Get it? Stephanopoulos thought the affiliation cast Obama’s patriotism into question, and the senator used the moment to ridicule his interlocutors and the silly season in general.

“George, but this is an example of what I’m talking about,” he said. “This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who’s a professor of English in Chicago who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He’s not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis. And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values doesn’t make much sense.”

Well, it’s not about sense. But before the media and Obama’s enemies (and don’t worry, Hillary will be out of the running soon) twist themselves into too many contortions trying to find the next Swift-Boat, Willie-Horton, flag-burning-amendment issue to take him down with, remember the millennials who don’t give a rat’s ass about who did what during the Vietnam war, who went to Woodstock, who fought the man. Even September 11, 2001 (put your hand over your flag pin when you hear that date!) seems like ancient history to them. For those voters, who could very well swamp this election come November, the old dogs won’t hunt. They want to know that there might be job waiting for them and that they won’t have to live with their parents forever. Their parents want to know that they’ll be able to retire someday and won’t be spending their golden years dumpster diving. And both want to hit Reload, change the channel, pull the pitcher. The same old teams don’t cut it anymore.