Quick Thought: The Democratic Debate, Part 2

How can I describe the second Democratic debate? I could call it a debate, but I would call it more of a brawl then a debate, which at least led to some variation. That variation can divided in three ways, Bernie and socialism, Biden and the legacy of Obama, and Democratic rhetoric for the rest. There were a couple times I even our right laughed during this debate, so let us delve into a few highlights.

Probably the most amusing part was Senator Kamala Harris not wanting this debate to become a "food fight". A noble sentiment, we all want a debate thats civil and remains on topic, a debate that is clear an concise, but obviously that is not going to happen and its more soundbite material to make her look more moderate and appealing. Of course, that's not hard standing next to Senator Bernie Sanders who pushes a socialistic agenda.

Speaking Sen. Sanders, I agree with him on his stance on ending the continuous and endless wars we've been in for close to two decades, reigning in the President's war powers, and making the President go to Congress to authorize military force. However, when it comes to Health Care, not only do I disagree with his position, he comes out with completely no plan on how to implement his single-payer, government run system. The other candidates suggested plans phasing private health insurance or allowing for both, Bernie meanwhile would rely on people turning against their private health insurance in some form of revolution, basically a hallow plan that relies on an honor system.

Former Vice-President Joe Biden, despite being the front runner and likely their best bet to beat Trump, came off looking like a tried politician with little to nothing other than "I was Obama's VP". Standing on someone else's record is not a good strategy, it doesn't build confidence that you can do a good job without that other person being there. If he can focus on his record in Congress and ability to work across the aisle (as well as trying to gracefully confront some of the "racial" aspects of it), perhaps that can help him, along with his more charming personality.

Also, lets not forget the most bizare points of this debate, Andrew Yang's plan to given everyone a $1000 a month, a plan that has no basis in reality and will never make it past Congress. And Marianne Williamson, who will defeat Trump with love and will call New Zealand to tell them... their cool...

Aside from those point, most of the debate was the same echos we heard in the first debate, calls for gun control, we need to fight climate change, ect... They're all playing it safe, while some like Sanders stand out with his more radical views, they'll play to the base and not go so far that they jeopardize there candidacy. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that appeasing the "dude in the diner" is sacrificing the electorate, what fails to understand is that Trump won appealing to that "dude", because he or she is the electorate.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287166468

Quick Thought: The Democratic Debate, Part 1

As King Theodoen said as the Battle of Helms Deep kicked off "So it begins." Last night was the first of the Democratic Party primary debates, and as far as debates go, it was rather mild. Much of it was the same emotionally filled rhetoric we hear throughout the elections, a tug on the heart strings with domestic policy that are really the prevue of Congress. However, to step aside from my usual cynicism, lets looks a few highlights of this debate.

One of the few brights for me, surprisingly, was Senator Cory Booker, who when asked about the guns & shootings in this country, took an approach more that was more trying to get to the root of the issue, rather than than simply banning. There honestly needs to be a more pragmatic approach that analyzes the issue, just as we try to solve any problem.

Another highlight was Representative Tulsi Gabbard and her anti-war position, an opinion that seems to be more often heard coming from libertarians and far leftists like Senator Bernie Sanders. Americans need to come to grips with the fact that we've been at war since 2001, that's nearly Two decades of war in multiple Middle-Eastern and North African countries. It should also be noted that we haven't "Declared War" since 1942 against Hungry (a member of the Axis powers during WWII), and yet the Korean War, Vietnam War, Iraq War, ect. have all happened since then, something to think about.

One last highlight to glance upon is the healthcare debate, which focused on the slipt between a single-payer government run system, or allowing for people to keep their private insurance as well. I personally prefer the latter, giving people the option is fundamentally better as it allows for more freedom on health issues. Plus, with a government system in place, it could force private insurance companies to be more competitive and offer more customizable plans, as well as insure that people get the care they need.

So that's my take away from last nights debate, and now we move on to the second debate, the real heavy hitters, Bernie, Biden, and Harris going to face to face. This will be a far more interesting debate as go across the Democratic Party spectrum, from moderate and centrist, too the extreme far left, grab your popcorn as the real show is about to begin.