Tonight’s will be the third-to-last debate the Dems have scheduled. There’s another one this month, on the 25th, and the last one will be March 15. I know that four years ago many of us complained that there weren’t enough debates, but this year I think they’ve worn it out a bit.
The participants will be Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Sanders, and Warren. For the record, Tulsi Gabbard and Tom Steyer have not yet withdrawn their candidacies; they just didn’t make the debate cut. I don’t believe anyone else is still running.
This will be the first time much of the country will get a good look at Bloomberg. I don’t want to predict how well he will do. He’s a smart guy and will be well prepared, but he’s not known for his charm or empathy. He is known for having a temper, and he will probably be working very hard to keep it in check.
This debate will be moderated by NBC. The scheduled moderators are Vanessa Hauc,
Lester Holt, Hallie Jackson, Jon Ralston, and Chuck Todd. At least it’s not CNN.
If you watch, you are welcome to leave comments here.
Stuff to Read
Charles Pierce, The Buttigieg Campaign Made a Godawful Mess in South Carolina and Failed to Clean It Up. The Buttigieg campaign might very well hit the wall in South Carolina.
From The Guardian, Donald Trump ‘offered Julian Assange a pardon if he denied Russia link to hack’
Reuters, Exclusive: Ahead of 2020 election, a ‘Blue Wave’ is rising in the cities, polling analysis shows
I'm not watching the debate (it's enough for me to read summaries) but it occurs to me that Bloomberg's presence is good for EW – they're foils for each other. Wondering if this will resurrect EW's numbers.
Love Charlie Pierce's remarks about Mayor Pete (still can't spell his name). I can't believe the desperate measures candidates go through to garner support. Good for that restaurant in South Carolina who told his people to pound sand.
Bloomberg is going to be a factor, and people will differ as to the value or detriment of his presence. It would not be a surprise if voters could not reduce the field to a point where there is someone is delegate rich enough get the nomination before the convention. The shallowness of the debate process seems to deprive voters of much of the information they need to decide on how to vote rather than make the choices clear for them.
In spite of a range of voices, no one is a champion of the public sector and a spokesperson of the commonwealth. This leaves both parties at a loss in defining the proper role of government and government services to provide for all of the people. This includes proper supervision of private industry to avoid gross exploitation and disenfranchisement of so many. In comparison to Republicans, all the Democratic candidates seem to understand our present problems in these areas. The commonwealth of a habitable earth seems at least a priority for all of them. The provision of minimal health care floor of services for all has common ground with many devils in the details. All is not without promise. We must continue to have faith in the power of positive pessimism. Keep the bar low, this is going to be a long hard struggle.
Warren destroyed Bloomberg and possibly emerged as the alternative to Bernie. Buttigieg totally flustered Amy and admitted to being a Bernie fan. Not much else moved.
Liz was on fire!
Mike got scorched.
Bernie needs to find a succinct way to smash the whining about "paying for Medicare for All". And he needs to sprinkle in a bit more humor, to balance his "Get off my lawn!" image.
Joe is too old, and it' ain't his age. Look, here's the deal: uh, what was the question?
Pete sounds great saying nothing (google "Mayor Pete Platitude Generator"). Like a white Obama, minus the Progressive parts.
Amy is sharp, in mind & tongue, and that's Good. I disagree with her positioning on several issues, but she's good at Politix.
If I ran the zoo, the Dem ticket would be Sanders/Klobuchar. Warren as SecTreas or some other top Cabinet job.
Warren as A/G
We need to quit raiding our Senatorial cupboard for other positions such as A/G etc..We need every Democrat we have in the Senate!
Warren is Senator from MA, a safe Blue State, with Dem Gov (I think) who would appoint another Dem to replace her. Dems NEED to promote some younger Dems up the ladder to visible positions like Senate. As we saw at this debate, "Dems with national experience" is a small set of rather old people.
I didn't watch the debates either. I know enough of the policy positions to have made a list in order of my favorites and least favorites. I like Warren for her wonky approach. That she's not a 'socialist' is a distinct advantage. Sanders is my number two pick. His ability to bring young voters (Why does Sanders connect?) into the mix is essential to the survival of democracy. I don't like any of the 'B' candidates – Joe, Mike or Pete. They are far too 'central' or Republican lite for my taste. Amy isn't going to break out and she never hung it out on any issue – health care or corruption.
Many of us boomers were lucky to live our working lives during the post-WWII boom. If anyone wants an idea why young people like Bernie, look here.
And this video at Time is a gem.