Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Debate Quick Takes



"Look, uh, my son did nothing wrong."

This debate had consequences. 

Biden blew it. 

Sanders looks healthy. 

Warren can stand her ground.


And after the debate, confirmation of who is up and who is down: Biden didn't raise much money, and AOC endorses Sanders.


Quick impressions:


Biden looked weak, embarrassed, and guilty regarding Hunter.

Warren looked evasive on paying for health care, but otherwise scrappy.

Sanders looked like the brave, plain speaking socialist, good as ever.

Buttigieg looked like a fearless young warrior, elevated now into a real contender.

Klobuchar seemed very sensible and electable, if people want calm and Biden is out.


Biden arguably had a strong debate by the end, but it won't matter because first impressions matter and the event started with the most predictable question, addressed to Biden: what say you, Joe, about Hunter Biden and corruption. Click to watch his response to the question:  Click: CNN clip

Anderson Cooper: "If it's not OK for a president's family to be involved in foreign businesses, why is it OK for your son, when you were Vice President?"

Biden was hesitant. His voice was soft. His head was down. He said the matter had already been disposed of. He didn't want to talk about it. He looked ashamed. 

No matter what came after that voters know two things for sure. One is that the issue has been confirmed as one Trump could use to make Biden the 2020 version of "Crooked Hillary." The second is that Joe Biden can't fight. This was a prepared answer. Biden would be a pushover.

Elizabeth Warren looks feisty and able to defend herself and her positions except on health care. Sanders knew what to say--that taxes would go up, sure, but paying for health care would go from the costs embedded in wages and copays into a progressive tax system. Sanders looked frank and clear saying it. Warren was unwilling to say it. Sanders looked good; her non-response made Warren look bad.


Buttigieg
The people who most made her look bad were Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar. They promoted health care choice, "Medicare for all who want it." The issue elevated them and put them into the position potentially to replace Biden. 

Mayor Pete does not look like the Alfred E. Neuman caricature Donald Trump tried to name him. He does not look or act like a kid. He looks like a serious, clean man and a breath of fresh air for people who want change but don't want revolution. He snapped at Beto, that he didn't need lessons in courage. He called the pullout from Syria a betrayal of our Kurdish allies. He showed he could be trouble for Trump.

Klobuchar looked solid, plain vanilla, sensible to the voters who lost faith in Biden. She has a niche: the normal, reasonable midwestern-nice Democrat who isn't Trump. Let Trump be the center of attention, make it a referendum on Trump. Klobuchar would be repositioned in Biden's absence: the Biden alternative who isn't Pete Buttigieg.

And Bernie Sanders. He can raise $30 million dollars and he can get the endorsement of The Squad. The endorsement of AOC is important because it did not go to Warren. Had it gone to Warren it would have been game-ending for Sanders, a signal that Sanders had had his turn and the heart attack ended his leadership of the Movement. Sanders is in the fight, now clear to the Convention.




17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who can say with a straight-face that Buttigieg is qualified to be president? The guy has been a poor mayor of South Bend, and the black voters hate him. If Pete weren't gay, then nobody would give him the time of day. Pete is a zero.

Klobuchar is an evil, nasty woman who has a history of verbal abuse against her own staff. She can smile to the cameras all she wants, but deep down she is a nasty woman, and she has zero record of accomplishment as a senator.

Biden is cooked. Enough said.

The media can fawn over Bernie, but when it's said and done, voters won't buy Bernie. People are scared to death of a real socialist, and Bernie qualifies. Bernie looks cute from a distance, but up-close, he's not so pretty.

Which leaves us with the winner by default, unless Hillary enters the race. Warren attempts to play both sides of the fence. She has no record of achievement as a senator, and she's proven herself to be a liar. Warren will probably get the nomination, and with that, she'll lose the election worse than both Mondale and Dukakis lost.

The bottom line is that the democrats are selling policies that the majority don't want to purchase. Americans don't want socialism. Americans don't want illegal aliens overrunning our country. Americans don't want the government controlling every facet of our lives. That's why Trump is going to win re-election.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, I agree with some of your points. However, Joe Biden is not cooked. That is wishful thinking.

Neither of the Bidens have been indicted for anything as far as I know. I think Joe is personally protective of his family, as are many politicians and public figures. We should all stick to the facts, not gossip and innuendo.

Anonymous said...

If you think that Biden is a still a viable candidate, then you had better research REAL HARD into his son's activities in Ukraine and China. There was influence peddling involved. I don't care what Anderson Cooper thinks. The facts will disclose that Biden and his son Hunter were involved in influence peddling, which is criminal. You can discount it, but the majority of voters (and perhaps the criminal justice system) won't discount it. I don't think that you know as much as I do about the subject, and I think that Joe Biden is FINISHED. If Biden is the nominee, then Trump will paint him into being Al Capone (a crook) and the Rosenbergs (traitors). It would be a huge mistake for the democrats to run Biden, but then that's fine by me. I'm comfortable thinking that Biden would get wiped-out by Trump.

Anonymous said...

Where are the indictments? Seeing is believing.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever heard of a two-tiered justice system? One system for the rich and entitled, and a different system for the poor commoners like us. OJ Simpson got away with murder. Numerous FBI agents (like Comey) are guilty of treason and trying to overthrow the government. They haven't been indicted yet. Just because Biden doesn't get prosecuted doesn't mean that he's not guilty of the crime. The voters will be the ultimate jury, and once the Trump campaign lays-out the evidence to the public, then Biden will lose his support. The media has gone out of its way to cover-up for Biden.

Anonymous said...

Ask yourself, "Why hasn't Barack Obama publicly supported and endorsed Joe Biden for president yet?" After-all, presidents usually always endorse their vice-presidents once they themselves leave office. Obama endorsed Hillary, yet he hasn't publicly endorsed Biden. Obama knows Biden well. That should tell you all you need to know about Joe Biden. Obama won't even publicly endorse Biden (for a reason).

Anonymous said...

I can think of a few reasons why President Obama has not endorsed Joe Biden, and none of them mean that Obama is anti-Joe Biden at all. Think...I am not going to write a book.

Trump obviously hates Biden. Do you really think that Trump, Barr & Company would hesitate to indict and arrest and Bidens if they could? That is absurd.

Diane Newell Meyer said...

Peter, I do wish that you would require identification in the comments. I cannot even tell if anonymous is arguing with him/herself or with another anonymous!

Andy Seles said...

Hmmm...who IS this anonymous Anonymous? Anyway, I agree with Peter's take completely. Mayor Pete is a Biden doppelganger, ready to keep America's imperialist, neoliberal hegemony going at full tilt. His exchange with Tulsi Gabbard was enlightening...both ex military but only one (the latter) willing to get out of foreign entanglements. Anonymous #?...consider: 1. Who is against bank bailouts, 2. Who is against NAFTA, CAFTA, CRAPTA? 3. Who is against the TransPacific Partnership? Who supports working families and is for affordable housing? Who supports caring for our veterans and strengthening social security? Who wants to lower prescription drug costs? Who wants campaign finance reform? If you answered the majority of Americans (not Republican or Democratic elites) you would be right. That's why, head to head, Bernie beats Trump in the nationwide polls...even by FOX:
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_sanders-6250.html

Some of you folks should "get out more..."

Andy Seles

Suzy Q said...

I don't take polls showing Bernie beating Trump too seriously at this date. Wait until it is a one-on-one contest, and then the media (and Trump campaign) can focus on Bernie more intensely. Right now, the Media is giving Bernie a "gloss-over". They're really not investigating the viability of his proposals, or how they'd impact the average voter. Once people look "hard" at Bernie, then they won't like what they see. There is no "free lunch", and someone pays for it in the end. Besides that, Bernie is in bad health, and he's about ready to expire. If people vote for Bernie, then what they are really getting is his vice-president, because Bernie won't make it 4 more years.

Anonymous said...

Diane, For heaven's sake, it is at least TWO people. It should be obvious to a perceptive reader. Second, even if it was the same person (WHICH IT IS NOT), so what? It is ok to play devil's advocate. Readers should focus on the content, not who wrote it. WHO CARES???

Anonymous said...

Anonymous-es, just grow up and sign your name!


Suzy, read this article on dick Cheney, who still lives.


https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/19/us/dick-cheney-gupta-interview/index.html

Diane Newell Meyer said...

OOps. the last comment was by me, Diane.

Anonymous said...

Diane, For you're info, some people have valid reasons for remaining anonymous. It is none of your business. People could lose jobs, for example. Maybe you should grow up and join the real world. We're not in Kansas anymore.

Suzy Q said...

Obama endorses Justin Trudeau (Mister Black Face) for re-election as Canadian Prime Minister, but he won't endorse Joe Biden for president. I wonder why? You know why.

Andy Seles said...

Dear Doctor Suzy Q,
No free lunch? Where have you been for the last thirty or so years? Plenty of money for imperialist wars and pork barrel projects. All you gotta do is press a few keys at the Fed and kick the can down the road...

Suzy Q said...

Andrew....unfortunately, those wars have been started by both democrats and republicans. Both parties have been bought by the "war machine". Bomb makers love wars. The same with pork barrel projects. They are the stuff of the establishment. You're correct in saying that both parties have kicked the can down the road. You could say the same thing about Kate Brown and PERS. Both the Fed and the State are deeply in-debt from poor financial management.