Democratic debates

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I'm not sure who did or didn't watch. I did.
I thought Bernie effectively inoculated HRC and the democrats in general against more of the email bullshit with his line "ENOUGH WITH THE DAMNED EMAILS ...".

[JBCuzISaidSo]

After tonight, I can honestly say Sanders/O'Malley 2016. I think Sanders saw his running mate as Clinton until tonight.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Two people who really had no business there, Chaffee who looked like an elderly burnt out Peewee Herman and Jim Webb.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Just watched Chaffee on Chris Matthews and his strategy is to basically hope everyone else dies before him.

[Atheon]

I didn't watch it, but I have heard that the Dem debate was more like an adult discussion, while the Repube debates were like squabbling kindergartners trying to out-horrible each other.

[Shiranu]

I think the two debates honestly showed a key difference between the two sides...

The Democratic debate; God was mentioned all of three times (all by Hillary), no one was screaming over each other, no one was saying we need to fear Mexicans and Muslims, global warming was completely accepted and considered an issue to be addressed and the general theme was hope and a positive future.

The Republican debate; Fear. Hatred. Anger. Shit-slinging.

The two ideologies just appeal to two different "base" emotions; the progressive to optimism and hope, the conservative to fear and anger. There are a few exceptions on the Republican side of course, and of course just because progressives appeal to these things does not mean they will actually follow through with them... but I think it does show a psychological difference on what one must pander to if you want to win on your side.

[JBCuzISaidSo]

Hate how right you are, Shir. But to affect change of any sort, I feel like I have to vote at all, and it has to be for Bernie. VT born & raised aside.....

[TomFoolery]

The two ideologies just appeal to two different "base" emotions; the progressive to optimism and hope, the conservative to fear and anger. There are a few exceptions on the Republican side of course, and of course just because progressives appeal to these things does not mean they will actually follow through with them... but I think it does show a psychological difference on what one must pander to if you want to win on your side.

I always assumed it was politicking on the RNC's part to recruit the most outrageous talking heads they could, along with one or two "real" candidates, have them scream at each other until most voters regardless of party pointed to the straw men and said "No way those guys can be president!" and they dropped out, in effect making the one or two real candidates look like Jesus fucking Christ with a genius IQ and a record of getting shit done.

Only this time around the puppet candidates are out-crazying each other and people love it and there are like five real candidates who really suck. Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul, John Kasich, and Marco Rubio are literally shouting over the din to have their opinions heard and even they've had to jump on the crazy-shit-Republicans-say train just to get any attention for themselves.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I always assumed it was politicking on the RNC's part to recruit the most outrageous talking heads they could, along with one or two "real" candidates, have them scream at each other until most voters regardless of party pointed to the straw men and said "No way those guys can be president!" and they dropped out, in effect making the one or two real candidates look like Jesus fucking Christ with a genius IQ and a record of getting shit done.

Only this time around the puppet candidates are out-crazying each other and people love it and there are like five real candidates who really suck. Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul, John Kasich, and Marco Rubio are literally shouting over the din to have their opinions heard and even they've had to jump on the crazy-shit-Republicans-say train just to get any attention for themselves.

The rub is that every single one of the rube candidates are little more than mouth pieces for the likes of the Koch brothers and Sheldon whatthefuckerson.. Without the billionaire funding none of them stands a chance so they will keep repeating the oligarchy line as if handed down straight from GOD almighty and nearly everyone knows it. Don't be fooled by tRump either. He's appealing to the same money so the choice is stark.Oligarchy rule by an uninclusive party or Democrats. 

[TomFoolery]

Oligarchy rule by an uninclusive party or Democrats.

I watched the debates last night with my husband and I thought Hillary did a bang up job. My husband hates her and gave me the stink eye when I said I'd vote for her if she ended up on the ballot (which she probably will). Then I asked him who he would vote for against Hillary, and he really struggled before saying maybe he could vote for Jeb Bush.

Yeah, exactly.

[NakedTracyBlack]

Doesn't really matter who is on the ticket, I'll vote for them over any of the Republicans.  They're all a bunch of religious Zealots who want to ban gay marriage, ban abortion, and keep government out of people's lives except in those two cases.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I thought HRC came of too scripted saying things her handlers told her to say for the most part.  She had a few moments, but Bernie saved her ass with the email thing. Sanders fell over his own dick on the gun issues and didn't really explain away the "socialist" labeling very well.
On the gun issue he said he's from a rural state with not much gun related problems which is all good and well except he's not running for governor of Vermont now. By implication he's basically said big cities need gun control, but not rural areas?  He's just way too inconsistent there which will probably come back to bite him in the ass with people who want more gun control. He's also pretty weak on foreign policy.
Don't get me wrong. I like Bernie Sanders and I'd vote for him, but again, he's not running for governor of Vermont. He's running for president of the United States so he'll have to appeal to a much broader demographic.
I think Shultz screwed the pooch limiting the debates and letting Chaffee and Webb on stage just left me thinking that they were only there to prop up Sanders and HRC. 

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Doesn't really matter who is on the ticket, I'll vote for them over any of the Republicans.  They're all a bunch of religious Zealots who want to ban gay marriage, ban abortion, and keep government out of people's lives except in those two cases.

Yes and no. They want to control everything in your life including the security state. They will tell you they want small government, but once in power they want to grow government to serve themselves and nobody else.

[Jason Harvestdancer]

The viewer poll said Bernie won the debate by a large margin.  CNN therefore declared Hillary the winner.  Interesting.

As a Ron Paul supporter in 2008 and 2012, I can't imagine what that must feel like.

Telling question and answer: How are you different from Obama?
Bernie:  Policy differences.
Three other guys: Policy differences.
Hillary: I'm a woman.

[mauricio]

if you think the democrats are not, specially someone like hillary, puppets of the big oligopoly of corporations you are deluded. A politician like hillary pisses on you while telling you it is raining that's the only nice thing she will do for you compared to a republican, who does the same for his own constituency.

https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cycle=Career&cid=n00000019

When you have bullshit like that the phrase conflict of interest is a complete understatement. Democracy is and will remain dead as long as huge sums of money are needed to be even have a minuscule chance of being elected. This circus is not meant to be taken seriously.