Showing posts with label 2019 3rd Democratic debate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2019 3rd Democratic debate. Show all posts

Friday, September 13, 2019

Input on who won-lost #3 Democratic debate


FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 NEWS BYTES

My take...no winners, no losers... 
Sanders/Warren-Is there something we should know?

I watched the debate without any distractions and felt most of the contenders did a good job. No one was great. No one was lousy. When it was over, I frankly could not pick a winner or loser, unless you consider Joe Biden a winner and Julian Castro a loser for Castro's criticism of Biden's memory. The audience didn't like it and the pundits didn't like it. But to me it was meaningless, and, anyway, I questioned whether it was some kind of movement to bring Biden down.

Cody Fenwick in RawStory says the debates began "unfortunately" on the health care question and "failed to focus much on foreign policy." It is true that health care has been labored over repeatedly in past debates, but it is clear that, along with climate change, they could be leading issues in 2020 for both sides. Donald Trump has no foreign policy [only bizarre antics], so anything the Democrats do will be an improvement.

Debates were heavy on health care...

         
Since Fenwick's winners/losers did not even include a Bernie Sanders mention, I looked further and found that the Washington Post agrees with me, "The winner of the debate? Nobody." Molly Roberts mentioned Beto O'Rourke's mandatory buyback on assault rifles adding, "it’s too late for him." Then, Kamala Harris came on too strong too soon, as has been her approach in earlier debates. Roberts commented...
"Of course, candidates are going to take shots at one another, sometimes tinged with substance and sometimes all sound bite. Of course they’re going to “go on … twice over!” as Joe Biden complained. How else are they supposed to get noticed?
Julian Castro got noticed in his attack on Joe Biden's memory suggesting he might be a little old for 2020. Roberts thinks his intentions are for a vice president slot, of course, with another candidate. In a continued analysis...
"Did anything stick? We’ll see soon enough. Mostly, though, the evening seemed winnerless. Slightly longer answers offered slightly more substance; distinctions on policy points became more distinct still, especially when it came to health care. The debate wasn’t useless for America, but it might have been relatively useless in changing anything meaningful about the race. So congratulations to Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders."
Want to watch full debate?...


Look at the RealClear Politics polls and notice the drop offs that occur after Biden-Sanders-Warren. Kamala Harris dives a full ten points from Warren, Buttigieg 12 points, Yang almost 14, O'Rourke and Booker almost over 14, then it's 1.3 for Gabbard down to 0.7 for Bennet. In between are Klobuchar, Castro and Steyer; Tom Steyer has just qualified for the debates and think he should be heard. Otherwise, it is time to cull the candidate to focus on strength.

Right now the strength is definitely Joe Biden [26.8 on RCP], Bernie Sanders [17.3] and Elizabeth Warren [16.8]. But keep in mind Joe Biden was 41.4 back in May. Since hitting 26 territory the beginning of July, he has been pretty consistent with some up and down fluctuations. Kamala Harris, perhaps Pete Buttigieg might be able to make substantial gains, but that will have to be done fast, certainly before debate #4, Tuesday, October 15, and may extend to Wednesday, October 16.

As they say, it is time to fish or cut bait, the reckoning of who you want to be the next president. International Business Times says, "Biden Weathers Democratic Debate But Uncertainty Persists."...
"In extended exchanges that highlighted the party's ideological schism over health care and the cost of shifting to a government-run universal coverage system, Biden was often in the limelight, occasionally going on the offensive against rivals."
But is that good enough to beat Donald Trump? 

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