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Tonight, at long last, is the first of six scheduled Democratic Presidential debates. Enjoy one of the few that will be set for a weeknight; most of the paltry set of others are scheduled for weekends, because DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz really doesn’t want people to see them, the better to protect her mentor, Hillary Clinton, from a challenge. That’s part of why there’s so much buzz about the Republican race and so little about the Democratic one. Given that debates offer a good chance for the party’s candidates to connect with the voters, this is a truly bizarre defensive crouch of a strategy reminiscent of Hillary’s 2008 campaign. It also serves to prop up the front-runner at the expense of the success in the general election. (It’s my party; I can cry if I want to.)
Wasserman-Schultz has also helped to shield Hillary from her challengers getting too much public notice with a near-to-last-minute switch of the starting time from 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time to 5:30 p.m. — meaning that anyone who hasn’t checked the news for the day or so before the starting time is liable to miss the first half-hour of the debate. If there is some sort of power outage that prevents people from watching it, they should check Wasserman-Schultz’s teeth to see if she has recently chewed through an electrical cable.
Many Democrats may be singing lyrics much like these tonight.
Aside from hobbling the ability of Bernie Sanders and his less-widely celebrated fellow competitors — former Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Sen. Jim Webb, and former Gov. and Sen. (and Republican) Lincoln Chaffee — to reach voters, Hillary might not want too many people watching for an additional reason: she plans to pander like hell to the left wing of her party and she doesn’t want other people to see it. After all, she will probably abandon some or most of her progressive positions (except for ones involving feminism, reproductive rights, and child welfare, which she truly does believe) to various degrees as she runs to the right once she has been able to — if she is able to — clinch the nomination.
Hillary’s followers within the institutional Democratic Party (and in the milder sectors of the Republican Party as well) accept that “promise and release” is simply a standard tactic in politics, and that therefore no one should begrudge her a little exaggeration or temporary change of mind here and there. Its those damn voters who hate that sort of thing — because they are just so immature, or something like that.
So Hillary is going to be walking a tightrope tonight. The viewing audience of Democratic voters will want her leaning to the left — where Sanders’s fellow challenger O’Malley resides. That leaves her vulnerable to attack by the other two challengers , Webb and Chaffee, both generally to her right and both pitching their acceptability to the general electorate. Sanders doesn’t need to trip up Hillary; he just needs to introduce and ingratiate himself to the audience. Each of the others, though, has a great stake in getting noticed by being the one to tip her over. None of them, after all, are professed socialists (except Webb, as it relates to the military), so their only chance is to dislodge Hillary and then overtake Sanders if falters after he gets the “Emmanuel Goldstein Two Minutes Hate” treatment from the media.
For me and many other Democratic viewers, our eyes will be on what we call Hillary’s “authenticity” — outside of the controlled and scripted environment of the stump or Saturday Night Live, can she come across as actually believing in and firmly committing to the progressive ideas she wants to seem to favor (whether or not she does, if she actually knows whether she does.) I wrote a song (parody) about it, which you can sing to the easily recognizable tune in the video immediately below.
Will Hill Still Love Us Tomorrow?
by the ShirHilles
on the night of the first Democratic Presidential debate
You say you’re ours forever
You won’t betray us — no, never!
Today, you say, that you see things our way
But will you say it tomorrow?
You say “No KXL pipeline!”
And “TPP is a landmine!”
It’s such a veer from earlier this year
Will you reverse it tomorrow?
This fall your new positions
Reverse so many held before
If you win nomination
Will you run to the right once more?
Is this your lasting platform
Or will it quickly transform?
Shall I surmise these aren’t convenient lies?
Can we still trust you tomorrow?
So there we are! Enjoy the debate! It’s at 5:30 tonight on CNN, got it. 5:30! Not 6! Discuss it here before, during, and after.
Here’s a nice piece that leads one to doubt the resiliency and half-life of Hillary’s opposition to TPP.
http://usuncut.com/politics/heres-33-direct-quotes-of-hillary-clinton-lobbying-for-the-tpp-around-the-world/
It drives me mad that, after doing nothing to stop it before it got “fast-track authority” — less than nothing, as this article shows! — she may get away with soft-pedaling her opposition and then could get away with dropping her opposition anyway.
And we wonder why people give up on politics!
Liveblog begins here in comments.
Crowd applauded Hillary more than anyone. Maybe even some jeering of Sanders.
Chaffee a little weak, but established himself as a moderate. Webb did a very good job, for people who like his right-wing (compared to the rest) populist appeal. Not that impressed with O’Malley’s style, though his content is good.
Bernie is up. Ok, some of you will laugh, but he sounds like a Brooklyn Jewish JFK up there. Rousing rhetorical style, somewhat old-style. He seems to be connecting and is the first to be interrupted by applause.
Hillary is speaking pretty clearly, but she does not soar. She speaks over an incipient ovation for profit-sharing. Finally allows one for pay equity. Ends with a pitch for her symbolic importance.
Cooper comes out strong on Hillary’s chameleon-like pandering. She’s ready for it. But her answers sort of buttress the idea that she is willing to switch. Presents herself as a pragmatic progressive.
Sanders: explains that democratic socialism is not boogeyman so ialism: people already like it. He is Ted Kennedy-style semi-yelling. Cooper comes back hard: Sanders says he’s going to raise turnout. Sanders says he’s not part of the broken-down part of capitalism. Hillary saves him, in a sense, saying that we need to save capitalism from itself. Bernie: you need to change who gets the money — only 1% or everyone.
Chaffee gives a decent answer on his switching parties. He is “a block of granite on the issues” which meant shifting parties.
O’Malley gets a hard question on crime in Baltimore. He gave a much better answer than I expected.
Webb gets challenged on opposition to diversity programs. He says that he favors affirmative action for African Americans due to their history; rest should be based on class, not race.
Sanders gets the gun control hard fastball — and was ready for it. Sanders explains the nuances of his positions. Hillary goes after Bernie for opposing Brady bill. Bernie says that those policies won’t do what’s desired: background checks, mental health, etc.
What’s being debated? How big Hillary’s head is so the right sized crown can be made?
O’Malley does well on the gun question, goes after Bernie on allowing immunity for gun manufacturers. Bernie says that he can bring rural state interests and urban interests together on what they agree on.
Webb is the only real pro-gun guy; he says background checks are ok, but we need to respect people’s desire to defend themselves. Chaffee calls for common ground, including NRA. O’Malley talks about defeating the NRA in Maryland by writing directly to voters.
Hillary wants to be tougher on Russia. Sanders says Syria is a quagmire. Sanders: keep out of quagmire; Arab countries have to lead. Too high a cost.
Dana Bash asks Chaffee why he says Clinton unqualified due to Iraq vote. Bad judgment. Hillary says: oh yeah? Well, Obama made me Secretary of State, take that. Name drops killing of Osama.
Back to Sanders. (1) she wants no-fly zone in Syria, bad news. (2) he heard same evidence.
Sanders voted for Kosovo war, to get Osama. Doesn’t like unilateral action. Would defend us and allies.
O’Malley says can’t ever take for e off the table, but he’d be more reluctant. Enforcing no-fly zone is bad idea.
Hillary says that O’Malley endorsed her in 2008, so she must be ok. Diplomacy is how to get Russians into the table.
Webb: Russia is in Syria because of (1) Iraq invasion, (2) Arab Spring, (3) Iran deal. He wants to focus on China — go after them on South China Sea, cyberwarfare.
Sanders: Putin will regret Syria intervention. Already regrets Crimea and effect on economy.
Clinton defends Libya intervention as part of coalition, where Arabs had to get on the ground. But diplomats are always at risk. O’Malley: we need better investments in human intelligence.
Webb: had plenty of time in Libya to get Congressional war authorization.
Cooper asks Webb to hit Sanders over his CO status during Vietnam. Webb pushes his own qualifications, but does not hit Sanders. Sanders: not a pacifist, supported Afghanistan intervention. Could take nation into war as a last resort.
Chaffee disagrees with Webb over the Iran deal.
Greatest security threat facing us:
O’Malley, Webb: middle east,
Clinton: nukes into wrong hands
Sanders: Climate change
Webb: China, cyberterrorism
A break after the first hour: whew.
This is one of the best Presidential primary debates I can remember. Partly, it’s good candidate responses, but a lot of the credit goes to Anderson Cooper.
Clinton: emails were allowable, but still regrets the decision. Hillary turns tables on committee as a Republican electoral tool. They didn’t offer to let her testify in public before.
Cooper, come on, not totally political. Hillary: we should talk about other issues.
Sanders swings for the fences: she’s right, people don’t care about your emails.
Chaffee — is a huge issue, need to repair intl reputation, we need someone with best ethical standards. Cooper: Hillary want to reply? Clinton: No. (CHEERS)
O’Malley: see, DWS, this is why we need more debates.
What a relief, I was worried that I might have no way to know what GD thinks about a debate, in real time. Crisis averted!
Oh, I’m sorry, nipper — I didn’t know you’d be reading. If I’d known, then of course I’d have changed all of my plans to avoid offending your tender sensibilities.
I think Ill liveblog the Correa-Dunn-Brandman-Bao debate on Saturday.
Don’t worry, I wasn’t reading.
That’s part of what makes you so special.
Black Lives Matter question:
O’Malley: as a nation have undervalued Black lives. If were burying white young men at the rate of Black young men we’d be freaking out.
Sanders: good stuff. Missed most of it.
Clinton: need to tackle mass incarceration, is a chance for real progress. Need children students.
Webb: every lives matter, but he’s risked his political career by supporting status of Blacks.
Income inequality:
Sanders: we’re better off than 2008. Gives his list of ideals. Infrastructure.
Clinton: didn’t come from money
O’Malley: in MD, did raise wage. But need to reinstate Glass-Steagall.
Clinton: have to deal with too big to fail, but also have to deal with other institutions. Her plan is tougher.
Sanders: not true that Hillary tougher. Fraud of Wall Street ruined the economy. I fought against deregulation. Three largest are bigger.
Clinton: respect passion, but she went to Wall Street and said STOP IT. She wants to send bad executives to jail.
Sanders: Wall Street regulates Congress.
Clinton: be more comprehensive. Protect Consumer Protection
OMalley: I want Glass Steagall, you don’t.
Clinton: we all change positions sometimes. Been big on climate change.
Sanders: told Hank Paulson, make them bail out economy.
Webb: neither party takes on Wall Street. I called for windfall profit on execs. Since crash, Wall Street now managing 55% rather than 45%.
Chaffee: Glass-Steagall was first vote, was 90-5. Let’s talk income equality. Need to fix tax code — reinstate middle tier.
Biggest applause yet – Bernie to Hillary: “The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your DAMN E-MAILS.”
Education: free college, doesn’t matter if also goes to rich kids. Tax wall street to cover college tuition.
Clinton: college affordability. Let students refinance. Thinks tuition free ok, but want them to work 10 hours/week.
Dana Bash: Sanders wants to expand Social Security. Clinton: want some of that. Sanders: lift the cap and can expand.
Sanders: immigration reform — Sanders: voted against legislation due to guest worker program, semi-slavery. We need comp immigration reform, path to citizenship.
Clinton: want to cover immigrant children? Not exactly.
O’Malley: i want to go further than Hillary or Obama. Generous, compassionate USA.
Webb: wouldn’t have problem with undocumented getting Obamacare
Clinton: would support states that want to give in-state tuition
O’Malley: we did this in Maryland.
Sanders: was Chair of Veterans Committee for two years, which is when we passed it. Best move in improving health care.
Chaffee — PATRIOT ACT, was 99-1. Favor if have warrant.
Clinton: Don’t regret vote. Bush chipped away at process.
Sanders: would shut down NSA. Also stop corporate Ametica.
Chaffee: would bring home Snowden, no jail time.
Clinton: don’t bring home.
OMalley: not safe
Sanders: penalty for breaking law: consider that for mercy
Webb: need to stop data gathering
How differ from Obama?
Chaffee: middle east
OMalley: harder on Wall Street, Glass-Steagall
Clinton: woman and presciption drugs
Sanders: need political anti-corporate elite revolution
Webb: restrain use of executive authority, no revolution
Sanders: need higher turnout, need activated populace
OMalley: eliminate fossil fuel energy by 2050!
Clinton: outsider bc woman, but also need insider?
OMalley: keep hearing “new leadership” and “getting things done”
Clinton: don’t vote based on last name, but policies
Sanders: ppl want real change
Climate change:
100% clean renewables, need pres leadership
Webb: how solve energy problems? All of the above, including coal and nuclear. Need global solution. China/India not doing enough.
Sanders: scientists say need to move aggressively
Clinton: needed to get China and India on board, broke into mtg
Paid Family Leave:
Clinton: Fiorina says has had effects. Hasn’t had bad effcts. Can design system not to hurt small business.
(Another govt program?)
Big govt elsewhere. Not be pralyzed by Republicans.
Sanders: every other country does this except us? GOP wants to give away money.
OMalley: i agree. We did this in Maryland.
Recreational marijuana n v:
Sanders: Stop ruining lives put people in jail.
Clinton: wait and see. Do support medical marijuana. Agree too many in jail.
how get GOP to compromise.
Sanders: Obstructionists. Need to use people power against them.
Final question: which enemy proud of:
Chaffee: coal lobby
OMalley: nRA
Clintons: Insurers
Sanders: wall street pharm companies
Webb: enemy soldier
at least sanders is honest about the fact that he is going to take almost all my money and give it to people who do not work and do not deserve it
True for some values of “almost all” — such as defining it as “an easily tolerable amount more.” And of course the final “not” must be some sort of typo.
The final TWO “not’s” – most of the poor people I know work HARD.
I took his statement as applying only to the non-working poor rather than an assertion that the poor do not work.
If mike intended the latter meaning, he’s been smelling a bit too much of his own fumes.