The Résumé Gap

Clinton called herself a change agent, with 35 years of experience, but emphasized that the presidency involves managing the bureaucracy and insisting on accountability -- not just setting goals. A perfectionist, she acknowledged that an impatience for results is at times a problem for her.

She faulted President Bush as much for his mismanagement of recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina and other problems as for his policy judgments, prompting Obama to counter with the argument that it was a lack of vision and candor, not simply of management, that made Bush a failure.

The discussion provided more clues to the differences among the three Democrats than voters had previously been given. In concept, Clinton's definition of the office is more complete than either of the others', probably reflecting her own close-up view of the presidency during the eight years she lived in the White House.

But the very failings she and Obama acknowledged earlier in the debate, when apologizing for words and actions by their supporters that had inflamed racial tensions in the campaign, showed the difference between discussing leadership and practicing it.

The burden of proof of readiness to be president is heaviest on those who have never borne executive responsibility. And that is something voters will have to weigh, whichever of the Democrats is the nominee.

davidbroder@washpost.com