Democratic Party Presidential Candidates for 2020

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

I haven't yet watched the debates last night or tonight. They're sitting on my DVR right now. Are they worth watching? Or were they just a mud-wrestling match, and not the good kind?

 

[NyteWytch]

I loved tonight's debate. About time some of these outliers stand up and call out the "chosen" candidates. Booker finally won some points with me, he felt very meek and unsure the last time I saw him. Was glad to see some call out Kamala's hypocrisy. I didn't really see people slamming Obama's presidency as much as they were calling Biden out for riding the Obama coat tails. He wanted to boast as every Obama thing was personally his and never even answer pointed questions. I still feel this is all being driven to a Biden nom and hope some of it has swayed some thoughts. Would love to throw Yang a few bucks but he doesn't have a chance in hell. My dream team is still Warren/Buttigieg because I'm enamoured with the idea of a pres/vp pick being intelligent and well spoken for a change.

 

[Eunoli]

I would rather (and would have cared more) if they spent their time calling out Trump and focusing on how they're going to get him out of there.

 

[NyteWytch]

I felt they all were spouting the "GET TRUMP" line ad nauseum. I want to see them be passionate and questioning...not pat each other on the back and sing camp fire songs. This is the time to go to bat and make noise not play patty cake. I love that a few are being boisterous about being progressive and making grand changes, not just chanting trump is bad. The people who need to know...know trump is a piece of shit....the others dont care sadly.

 

[Kara Spengler]

And of course, this newage stuff also goes against what scientific herbalists believe, which is that herbs that work (like cannabis and St. John’s Wort) do so for reasons that are eventually scientifically demonstrated. So she’s also no friend of the sensible faction among Pagans.

Yeah, I really get annoyed when people lump all Pagans in the same pile. You have woo-woo people like Williamson then you have people (myself among them) who are atheists but enjoy the company. My entire time at my Circle was like one long joke and everyone there knew it.

 

[Kara Spengler]

I haven't yet watched the debates last night or tonight. They're sitting on my DVR right now. Are they worth watching? Or were they just a mud-wrestling match, and not the good kind?

I have yet to watch them either. From what I heard CNN's format made a mockery of an actual debate and, at least on the second night, most of the time was spent in a circular firing squad.

 

[Aeon Jiminy]

Does anyone think that Kamala Harris can recover from the accusations Gabbard threw at her? She didn't really respond. I mean, keeping an innocent man on death row, keeping people in jail for cheap labor? Crowd gasps. It looked like Dorothy threw a bucket of water on the wicked witch.

 

[Eunoli]

To be honest, it seemed like a format for "lets make sure that the progressives/moderates don't show up for whoever we choose after the primary is done". I also don't care that much what people did fifty years ago compared to what they've done lately. Coming to a debate with a boatload of "gotchas" from the past versus "here is my unique plan to do xyz" seemed like a cheap way to score points without studying for the test.

My other big issue is when they dismiss tough questions about how to pay for stuff with the "Republican talking points". Trump was /ALREADY/ running commercials last night asking those questions. Yeah, they /are/ Republican talking points. To me, that makes it more important they have a ready answer for them. Elisabeth Warren has plans that are supposed to pay for these things. That needs to be the answer, not "don't bring that up". If it looks like there's a bunch of plans to spend money and no way to get that money, or "we're going to tax you more but you'll save money elsewhere" there is very little chance the Dems can win anywhere.

 

[Kara Spengler]

To be honest, it seemed like a format for "lets make sure that the progressives/moderates don't show up for whoever we choose after the primary is done". I also don't care that much what people did fifty years ago compared to what they've done lately. Coming to a debate with a boatload of "gotchas" from the past versus "here is my unique plan to do xyz" seemed like a cheap way to score points without studying for the test.

My other big issue is when they dismiss tough questions about how to pay for stuff with the "Republican talking points". Trump was /ALREADY/ running commercials last night asking those questions. Yeah, they /are/ Republican talking points. To me, that makes it more important they have a ready answer for them. Elisabeth Warren has plans that are supposed to pay for these things. That needs to be the answer, not "don't bring that up". If it looks like there's a bunch of plans to spend money and no way to get that money, or "we're going to tax you more but you'll save money elsewhere" there is very little chance the Dems can win anywhere.

Yeah, back in the last election Bernie did not even want to point out that he had been a student activist back in the civil rights era because he considered it too far back to be relevant to what was going on now.

As to paying for stuff I wish they would just say something like acknowledging it will cost more but since there will be savings too people will actually save money. They just have to be careful how they word it so Rs can not just clip the sentence and make it sound like they are solely raising taxes.

What is frustrating is when Rs get people to buy into the logic that an average 20ish person is healthy so does not need insurance. Therefore nobody needs insurance. Everyone eventually gets sick and/or old.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

As to paying for stuff I wish they would just say something like acknowledging it will cost more but since there will be savings too people will actually save money. They just have to be careful how they word it so Rs can not just clip the sentence and make it sound like they are solely raising taxes.

A moment like that happened outside the debate, between Chris Matthews and Elizabeth Warren. Matthews was bent on forcing Warren to say, as an isolated statement, that she wanted to raise taxes to pay for universal healthcare. Warren refused to do so without including the fact that the rise in tax would be less than the drop in individuals' and families' medical bills, but Matthews repeatedly interrupted her with demands for his isolated soundbite:

 

[Eunoli]

A moment like that happened outside the debate, between Chris Matthews and Elizabeth Warren. Matthews was bent on forcing Warren to say, as an isolated statement, that she wanted to raise taxes to pay for universal healthcare. Warren refused to do so without including the fact that the rise in tax would be less than the drop in individuals' and families' medical bills, but Matthews repeatedly interrupted her with demands for his isolated soundbite:

To be fair, I think Elizabeth Warren would be the very first person to defend Chris Matthews in this. She is a staunch advocate of holding politicians accountable, just as she is corporations - and I think she would feel the exact same way when its her that is on the hot seat. I am more than willing to bet that she has a precise, detailed answer that cuts through all the bull next time someone asks her.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

A moment like that happened outside the debate, between Chris Matthews and Elizabeth Warren. Matthews was bent on forcing Warren to say, as an isolated statement, that she wanted to raise taxes to pay for universal healthcare. Warren refused to do so without including the fact that the rise in tax would be less than the drop in individuals' and families' medical bills, but Matthews repeatedly interrupted her with demands for his isolated soundbite:

 

[Romana]

A moment like that happened outside the debate, between Chris Matthews and Elizabeth Warren. Matthews was bent on forcing Warren to say, as an isolated statement, that she wanted to raise taxes to pay for universal healthcare. Warren refused to do so without including the fact that the rise in tax would be less than the drop in individuals' and families' medical bills, but Matthews repeatedly interrupted her with demands for his isolated soundbite:

I don't usually watch him. Is he as much of a jerk as he's coming off as in this clip?

 

[Beebo Brink]

I don't usually watch him. Is he as much of a jerk as he's coming off as in this clip?

He's always a first-class ass-hole and verbal bully. I can barely stand to watch him.

 

[Dakota Tebaldi]

She is a staunch advocate of holding politicians accountable, just as she is corporations - and I think she would feel the exact same way when its her that is on the hot seat.

I'm sure that's absolutely true - but Matthews wasn't trying to hold her accountable there, in my opinion. Warren (and Sanders, in all fairness) have never, ever tried to hide or deny or avoid stating the fact that their plans require tax raises - it's common knowledge. He was not making her "admit" something she has been trying to avoid saying. He just wanted to make her say she wanted to raise taxes period, without also being able to say that the tax raise still means families save more money per year.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

Does anyone think that Kamala Harris can recover from the accusations Gabbard threw at her? She didn't really respond. I mean, keeping an innocent man on death row, keeping people in jail for cheap labor? Crowd gasps. It looked like Dorothy threw a bucket of water on the wicked witch.

It was no different than the accusations she's been hit with for years. The problem last night was that there wasn't any time to give a full response to the details. I'd put more weight on what happens over the next 2 debates when each candidate has more time to frame a response.

I love Tulsi, though - she's probably not going to get a nomination but I think she'd make a great VP or cabinet pick.

 

[Cristalle]

I have to say tonight's debate was depressing. Watching the attacks against each other that were obviously just to gain points was off putting. Most of them did it and it went back and forth - both ways. Lots of hate against the Obama administration. Trump must have been gleeful watching.

That said, I loved Bennett's speech about segregation and bussing. I loved Governer Inslee's climate change remarks. Tulsi Gabbard surprised me a few times. Corey Booker almost impressed me, but for his continued attacks against Biden: enough with the circular firing squad - tell me what you believe and will do.

Who lost? All of us. Not a one of them spent significant time pushing for public action to push the Senate to protect the election from hacking and foreign interference. If we don't do that, all this is just academic and will be remembered as our last election before the Great Leader showed us the way.

I agree we all lost, because the time to answer is insipidly short and we can never get any deep discussion of any policy topic. We are generally dumber for having watched, with few exceptions.

But as for the whole kid glove thing... you know, I tire of this. People's records are people's records. Do you think that their records won't be used against them in the general? Get that stuff out of the way now. People have to own their past and show how they've grown, not spin it away. If you think Trump won't throw anything and everything at the nominee, you're kidding yourself. His oppo research team is certainly ready for the likes of Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, etc. For everyone. It doesn't matter if a Democrat points it out, it will come out and will get used at some point. Whoever the nominee is needs to be able to bear the worst of the Republican smears that will come with checkered pasts, so they had better start practicing now. We do not need some snowflake victim crying, we need someone tough AND honest, prepared to show growth and leadership.

 

[Beebo Brink]

Republicans don't clutch their pearls nearly as much as Dems do over the rough-and-tumble of primary politics. It's theater and posturing and a dash of true conflict. The point of debates at this stage is far less about policy -- as if you could learn anything in 2 mins -- and more about just seeing how candidates react under pressure. I don't really care what Kamala Harris accused Joe Biden of doing or not doing, what I care about is how quick he is on his feet and whether he can duck and swing back without breaking a sweat.

Mostly I like the answers Warren gives, but I'm much more focused on the fact that she's passionate but upbeat, she doesn't shrink from hard questions, she doesn't shrink from voicing unpopular opinions, and she has quick reactions, she can keep up. As a character test, she passes the debates with flying colors so far.