Dem Debate Changes Nada — Hillary’s The One
Here’s what happened in Las Vegas at the Democrats’ first presidential debate: Hillary Clinton went in as the overwhelming front-runner and she came out as the overwhelming front-runner.
She was the only candidate on the stage who consistently looked and sounded presidential and she demonstrated why the Republicans were so worried about her they cooked up a special congressional committee on Benghazi specifically to knock down her popularity.
Her message, as we said in one of our myriad Calbuzz live tweets: “I’m a woman, I’m tough, I’m smart and I know how to get things done.” (Decrepit geezers might recall Dianne Feinstein’s famous “Tough and Caring” tag line from her 1990 California governor’s campaign. We name no names).
Another of our live tweets: “Don’t see what opening Biden can find based on HRC’s surefooted debate performance.” Joe Biden could have looked like a class act if he had bowed out before Tuesday’s debate. Instead, he continued to dither. Now, he’s gonna look like a weenie when he declines to run.
Capitalist Manifesto Bernie Sanders, who comes across like a cross between Leon Trotsky and Professor Irwin Corey, tried to explain how the United States of America could benefit from the examples of Denmark and Norway, which was laudable but (how can we put this nicely) naïve.
When Hillary defended small business entrepreneurs (AKA petite bourgeoisie), Bernie had to admit he is a little bit of a capitalist after all. What he couldn’t do was answer what we noted in another tweet: “HRC a progressive who like to get things done – that’s the issue for Bernie.”
“I know how to find common ground, but I know how to stand my ground,” HRC added for emphasis.
But you gotta give The Bern the best line of the night – even if it was a gift to Hillary, when he agreed in this tweetworthy statement:“The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails.”
Benghazi Benshmazi Hillary (who had called the Benghazi committee “an arm of the Republican National Committee”), was obviously grateful (and not just to Kevin McCarthy). She reached over and shook Bernie’s hand and the two old war horses smiled at one another. A classy moment.
Which you might not have seen coming from earlier in the debate when Hillary got up in Bernie’s grill about his votes against the assault weapons ban and for shielding gun makers from liability damages.
Right to Arm Bears Bernie’s defense: he’s from Vermont, where people have lots of guns because they hunt. But as we tweeted: “Bernie’s rural state defense of his gun record won’t work with urban Democrats” – which pretty much defines most of the Democrats who vote for Democrats.
“All the shouting in the world won’t do what we want,” Bernie said about gun control To which we tweeted: “Shocker: Bernie opposes yelling.” Which was surprising since it was not clear that he even had a microphone.
Oh, yeah Lincoln Chafee (who described himself as a “block of granite”) was the most pathetic guy on the stage. He explained one stupid vote on the fact that he’d just gotten to the Senate and his father had just died. We tweeted: “Chafee to America. Duh.” And we added helpfully, “Chafee: the dog ate my homework. Vote for me anyway.”
Martin O’Malley who is tall and Jim Webb who whined a lot were there, too.
Oh, and Anderson Cooper, who was smart, informed, respectful and firm, did a terrific job as moderator. All the networks should just use Anderson for all the debates.
This debate was a clash of ideas about gun violence, taxation, college tuition and education debt, women’s health, use of military force, and mass incarceration. Compared with the two other debates this year, it had a very high content of policy protein and a low content of entertainment fat. It was cerebral and not visceral. No doubt the ratings suffered.
It was refreshing last night to hear a substantive and issue-oriented political discussion between thinking and informed adults, unlike the circus of the damned that was the two recent GOP debates. The contrast between the two parties at present could not have been more stark and striking.
Lincoln Chafee deserves credit for recognizing that Edward Snowden was right in exposing the NSA illegal activity, and that he should be allowed to return to the U.S. without being tried.
A small point, perhaps, but after dismissing O’Malley and Webb, watching Sanders who has the best platform waste it on his curmudgeonly palaver on socialism vs capitalism and a mindless defense of his gun control votes, and then hearing Clinton skip around key points because she knows how to debate…I suddenly got very disinterested in this election.
Yes, of course, none of the Republicans should be allowed anywhere near the White House, but wouldn’t it be grand if a real, quality leader showed up to get America back on track? Because we certainly haven’t seen one at any of the debates.
As regards Biden, he might have done well, but he gets the wuss-of-the-century award. (Reminds one of Mario Cuomo, doesn’t it?)
Ultimately, the fact is that anything can happen…and it will.
For some reason I’m reminded of FDR’s quote: “I consider it a public duty to answer falsifications with facts. I will not pretend that I find this an unpleasant duty. I am an old campaigner and I love a good fight.”