The CNN/YouTube Democratic Debate
I think I want to liveblog the debate this evening.
I’m no Arianna Huffington, and this blog really is meant to be more of a supplement to the debate than a summary.
Still, I’ll give it a go:
7:11 – Hilary Clinton wants to refer to herself as “progressive” instead of “liberal.” I’m highly bothered by this word choice. If the opposite of liberal is conservative, and Clinton makes a loose connection between liberal and progressive, this means that the opposite of progressive is regressive which is associated with conservative. If someone prominent makes this connection known, this may not play well with the other half of America.
7:12 – I like how Obama doesn’t want make this a Democrat/Republican dichotomy. He fights for America.
7:15 – This candidate video thing looks really stupid.
7:16 – Reparations? Someone asked the reparation question? I don’t think so. And Edwards still doesn’t answer the question after being told that they were all going to dodge the question. And Obama still pretends that he has a permanent tan. Kucinich brings the Bible in, but still avoids the issue. Can I at least get a solid no from everyone. Just tell me, I can take it.
7:19 – Already I can tell that Anderson Cooper is better at moderating this than Wolf Blitzer. More people are getting facetime that I can discern than Wolf Blitzer’s Barack and Hilary Hour in the first debate.
Chris Dodd looks pissed off about the Katrina issue. I’m happy about that. It’s like he channeled Joe Biden for a second there.
7:22– Richardson is still longwinded and uninteresting.
Supplemental: Obama isn’t authentically Black enough. Why is every candidate getting race questions but he’s the weakest on answering them? I thought I was getting represented, but he’s not even addressing things for me. He sort of has an explanation for his address on the issues, but it’s just not enough for me and many Negros are jumping ship as the days go by.
7:25 – Edwards denies the bigot vote. OH, SNAP!
7:26 – Edwards takes a stronger stand than most people on the stage and I appreciate that. I think the biggest truth talkers are Edwards and Biden. Gravel is close, but he’s just the cranky old guy that kills other people’s ideas. Although, I like how Clinton plays the room. Her husband was always really good at that.
7:28 – Kucinich says what’s right according to the Constitution. And that’s why he’s the dark horse candidate.
7:30 – Once again, Richardson gets shut up. I think his name should be changed to Sen. Bill Richardsontime.
7:32 – The pastor is in the audience? What is this Oprah? Maury? “We have a surprise for you! He’s right here!” But I will say, that Edwards takes the stand that I believe on the issue of gay marriage. I don’t think it’s right, but as the leader of the masses, you have to lead all of the masses, gay or straight, Christian, Muslim, atheist or scientologist.
7:35 – Is this debate not important enough for it to be commercial-free?
7:40 – UN Troops does mean American troops. I mean, who else sends more troops in affiliation with the UN. Richardson is out of his league.
7:41 – I believe Joseph Biden’s slogan should be “I am sick of this.” He would lead with anger and fatigue over the insufficiencies of the American government. He’s sick and tired but he’s not going to take it anymore, so he’s going to shake things up.
7:42 – I think Anderson caught onto the angry grandpa thing with Gravel. Gravel: no solutions but you clearly know these idiots aren’t qualified. Gravel: the litmus test.
7:44 – CNN: We give way better standing ovations to the troops than Fox News.
7:45 – The question posed is a good one. We’ve been in Iraq too long. It’s too late.
7:48 – Sen. Clinton stalls for time.
7:50 – Anderson Cooper is a moderator. Kucinich ran over time and we have to move on to Dodd. Once again, why I don’t care that much for Wolf Blitzer in this sort of thing. Dodd starts talking about Darfur instead of Iraq, he needs to explain himself. Richardson goes over yet again, he gets the call for time again.
7:53 – Gravel: “I like the question, I don’t get very many of them.” Yes, Gravel knows he’s not getting the attention that everyone else is getting. I love his ability to speak the truth.
7:55 – Forget about impeaching President Bush, let’s impeach the Iraqi Parliament. Too hot?!
7:56 – Dodd wants to force me to serve in some means. I’m not Swiss, and I’m not voting for you.
Supplemental: Clinton agrees and she just lost some points from me.
8:00 – Hilary Clinton announces that the world can take her seriously, despite background. She gets a few of those points back.
8:03 – Who is this guy that thinks he has first name basis with the candidates. You’re not on the internet anymore.
Supplemental: Does Senator Clinton know the names of the leaders of Iran, Syria, and North Korea?
8:08 – Joe Biden tells Bill Richardson that he has no idea what he’s talking about. Once again, vote for Biden.
Supplemental: You don’t follow the passion of Joe Biden with the term “comprehensive three point plan.”
8:10 – I don’t know if it’s the order of the videos or if it’s Anderson Cooper, but I think we need to move off Iraq now. Let’s transition to healthcare, education, or immigration.
8:15 – “Who is your favorite teacher and why?” Boo! Bad question! This was an absolute waste of my time. I’m watching CNN, not reading GQ.
8:18 – Richardson sounds pretty good on No Child Left Behind when he’s being simple about it. He should take note of that.
8:19 – Joe Biden worked with Paul Wellstone with NCLB. I loved Paul Wellstone, God rest his soul. His list of qualities get longer and longer.
8:21 – Biden’s a widow? He’s Catholic? Wow, this is an informative evening.
8:25 – I actually liked that Al Gore question from Tennessee, and I actually didn’t like what Biden said about the people who asked it. There are people like that and you have to court all of America. This is unless Biden doesn’t want to fight for Tennessee.
8:27 – Dennis Kucinich: Al Gore in 2000. He’s not charismatic, but he’s smart.
8:28 – Mike Gravel’s retail sales tax only puts a strain on the poor American. Poor people would then not think about how April is going to hurt but about how providing for families is going to hurt all year long.
8:32 – Clinton: “I’m agnostic about nuclear power.” This is your word choice?
8:39 – I like that proposal. The president should work on the minimum wage. Besides, the rent and utilities are free in the White House anyway.
8:43 – Apparently Bill Richardson knows what to do with Medicare and Social Security. I feel a little better right now. I wonder how long it’ll take for him to screw that up.
8:45 – Okay, let me definitively state again why I like Biden. We should all remember the talk about how Biden was long winded. He has mastered the short and sweet sound bite. He talks clearly, passionately, and briefly.
8:49 – I think Obama has pounded it in enough that he doesn’t succumb to lobbyists. I don’t really want him to stop saying it, but the point is getting across.
8:51 – Clinton stalls for time again.
8:52 – I like the placement of this question. Hopefully, this question will transition into a discussion on immigration. But it does look like Chris Dodd may derail this.
8:55 – 1) Guess I was wrong about the immigration thing. 2) I like how Hilary Clinton mentions her husband now. It works for her.
8:56 – Anderson can’t shut them all up anymore. Gravel goes on, Richardson goes on. Edwards and Clinton ran a bit long lately as well.
Supplemental: Obama recognizes that Gravel is the cynic here.
8:59 – Edwards says it again. The president leads 300 million people, whatever they’re beliefs may be.
9:01 – Okay, so Biden isn’t all for the 2nd amendment. That bothers me as a Texan. I think he has a strong opinion about gun owners that I don’t really support. It’s not a huge flaw, but it’s something that rubs me the wrong way. He can’t win with me 100% of the time.
9:05 – John Edwards: good answer about Hilary’s coat. It is a tad loud.
Supplemental: Anderson calls out Clinton’s subverting the question.
9:07 – At the end of the evening, Dennis Kucinich proves himself to be one of the smartest people in the room. He turns up the charisma and it helps. My golden boy, Joe Biden continues to do well. Obama didn’t wow me and Clinton could have been better. She was significantly better in the last one as opposed to this one. I think Gravel is on his way out. Richardson looks smarter here than in the two prior debates. Edwards continues with speaking the truth which I liked. Chris Dodd is a fuddy duddy. Is there anyone I missed? Let me know.
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