WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The high-profile spat between Sens. Clinton and Obama Wednesday is the latest sign the race for the White House has reached a feverish pitch even as the first wave of primaries are 11 months away, political analyst Stuart Rothenberg tells CNN.

"I think the whole flap is a reflection of the competitiveness of the race, the intensity at this early point, and the lessons that have been learned by candidates and political strategists that if you are attacked or criticized, you've got to attack immediately back," he said.

But are voters likely to remember this spat when most of them begin to follow the candidates closely in nine or ten months? Not likely.

"That today this looks like a big deal- it's the hot story," Rothenberg said. "Everybody is talking about it. But there are going to be dozens, hundreds, of hot stories between now and the end of the year."

"And I think this will be a blink come November and December, when Iowa and New Hampshire voters really start to focus on the campaign, and the election, and who they're going to support," he added.

Watch CNN's Candy Crowley report on Clinton v. Obama: Round 1

Watch Obama respond to Clinton camp

-- CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider