6th Democratic Debate Open Thread

By
Greg Diamond
– December 18, 2019Posted in: Fresh Juice

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If you don’t recognize someone, it’s probably Tom Steyer, but go ahead and ask in comments. (Note: this is not the cast of “Cats.”)

The 6th Democratic debate begins at 5:00 p.m. (our time), is scheduled to continue until 8:00 p.m., and may be watched on PBS, including on its app, or listen to it on KPCC 89.3 FM and probably other NPR stations.  It’s taking place at Loyola Marymount University in Westchester, and is probably wreaking chaos on the 405.

I’ll put in some comments in real time, when I can, and look forward to seeing your comments as well!

COVERAGE BEGINS HERE!

I guess that Biden’s still considered the front-runner, standing in between Bernie and Liz.

First question is on “Impeachment — how will you build support?”  Biden gives a solid answer, a little unresponsive.  Bernie slices up Trump on both ethical and policy grounds, “can’t have a President with that temperament.  Warren gives a good answer about corruption, how do we run against that?  Need a strong anticorruption opponent.  Klobuchar quotes Madison, notes continuity with Nixon.  Why doesn’t Trump have top people testify? Pete B: House had to do it, can’t give into helplessness and cynicism, while his allies laugh.  This our chance to cast off the cynicism etc.  Steyer: started “Need to Impeach.” Need to have Admin officials testify, public opinion is what matters.  Yang: differences based on different news sources. They miss why stump won: loss of manufacturing.  Focus less on impeachment, more on policy.

ECONOMY:

Trade Agreement. Will support USMCA?  Sanders: Modest improvement, but need climate change focus, so won’t support.  Klobuchar: enough change to support, agree with Sherrod Brown.  (This difference may represent that no one cares about Klobuchar’s benediction, while Sanders’s settling for less would be a bombshell.)

What about the good economy?  Biden: it’s not so good for the middle class.  Butti: don’t measure by Dow Jones, but by ability to pay bills.  People not getting paid enough.  Yang: stats are at record highs, but so are depression and suicide.  Lic: government works great for rich, not for rest of us.  Bernie: much like Liz.

Tax increase: Liz, how to handle economists who say tax hikes will hurt society?  Tax then mom snd invest in Americans.  Steyer: agrees with Liz: but we need to take Trump on re growth — can expose Trump as a fraud.  Butti — false choice: be smart about promises we make, like free college to rich?

CLIMATE CHANGE QUESTIONS:

Relocate people?  Steyer: very geed answer.  Buttigieg: carbon tax.  Biden: cogent answer.  Sanders: focus on saving the whole planet.  Need a national emergency, lead the world, cut weapons $.

Nuclear energy?  Warren?  Need to keep some by now.  Yang: Thorium!  Steyer : current alt-energy tech is enough.

Post-Trump: have to cooperate with Republicans when can.

DEMS SO WHITE:

Yang: Corey will be back.  Demographic numbers make it hard for blacks and Latinos.

Sanders: can I go back to climate change?  NOPE!  POC will suffer most.  [Note: Choosing him and only him to answer this question was a hit job.  And the hand-selected crowd loved it, being VERY anti-Bernie!

(TAKE OVER, I’M WORKING!)

My main impression right now is that everyone is above average, and Steyer a clear #3 after Bernie & Liz.)

Well, almost everyone.  I’m sorry , but Klobuchar (who is getting ovations from the centrist audience) is really bad.  It may be deservedly born of desperation, but everything ends up as an ad  — “go to my website” ALL THE TIME; “I’m best on freedom of the press because my father was a journalist.”

NPR is discussing the audience reaction to Bernie’s being the sole white candidate there who was asked to explain why the candidates of color were doing so poorly.  You see, the audience was wildly happy to see Bernie forced by the moderator not to answer the question that had just been asked of others about climate change — a request usually granted, especially when a candidate had been trying to join that discussion — but to focus on the failure of campaigns by candidates of color — which everyone knew would be the hardest question  for a white candidate to answer given its delicacy.  AND THEY NEVER EVEN ASK THE PRIOR QUESTION OF WHO DETERMINED WHO WOULD BE INVITED INTO THE AUDIENCE!

THAT is ”soft” corruption — but corruption highly valued by political operatives, and so common to California Democrats.

About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)