The Democratic Candidates

I missed the beginning and the end.  My perspective from the middle:

Biden - Joe continues to struggle.  He is trying to balance showing energy and talking fast with actually saying meaningful things.  He is struggling.  The debate stage is not his friend.

Bernie - angry old man. 

Warren - did a nice job but seemed to have less time then I would have thought (so did bernie actually).  She tones down her anger to a below-bernie level and is able to get out words when talking fast.  She beats Bernie and Joe here.

Harris - had some of the funniest lines. I know it shouldn't matter, but she often sounds like she is slurry words...drunk.  Weird and hard to listen to at times.  I thought they (the panel) attacked her pretty hard on her actually being a liberal working in a system and not just pie in the sky ideas.  They seem to hate her being too moderate.

Pete - love the guy, super smart answers again but didn't shine.  He's more of a steady leader we actually need but people won't vote for this time around I do not think.  Was hoping he would kill it.

Booker - really comes alive on the gun issue.  making himself into a strong VP candidate once his campaign dissolves, and it will.

Castro - barely saw him speak except for the attack on Joe about riding Obama coattails for wins and distancing on the losses.  Stupid attack.

Yang - I honestly don't remember a thing.

Amy - didn't get much time when I was watching.  She has a nice, calm, moderate approach.  So in a primary of running to the free everything...she stands little chance.

Beto - this may sound bad, but he is really taking advantage of the shootings in Texas to revitalize his campaign.  He is finally not a robot, shows extreme passion.  Really making a move in my opinion, but I'm not the real target voter.  If he had started his campaign here, he would be sitting at #4 with an opportunity.  As it is, he stumbled out of the gate and unless Joe gives it up and his voters look elsewhere, I don't  see a path to victory for Beto.  

I do wonder what this race would look like without Biden and Bernie.  Warren the likely leader...but who would the moderates choose?  Beto? Amy? 

I really enjoyed the gun portion of the debate as it's one of my biggest issues and the one that I most align with the Democrats.  

I never figured Super Polygrip would figure into the democratic nomination. 

cincybearcat said:

Hi! said:

Biden dominated.

Really?  That's interesting.  Cause the part I saw he was mostly terrible.  How did he dominate?

Like I said I missed the first 20 or so minutes and the last bit as well.

He controlled the healthcare debate, he had the energy, the first 20+ min were his strongest, which in a televised debate are probably most important. Yeah, he’s old. Bernie looked just as old and Warren didn’t inspire me at all. I thought Yangs little thing at beginning was inappropriate and Castro is a punk. Lol, IDK. Biden did well or at least exceeded expectations which as the front runner is important. Buddha didn’t do so well. IDK

Jearlpam0925 said:

cincybearcat said:

Hi! said:

Biden dominated.

Really?  That's interesting.  Cause the part I saw he was mostly terrible.  How did he dominate?

Like I said I missed the first 20 or so minutes and the last bit as well.

Ha, what people want to believe is so interesting. He did not, in fact, dominate.

Lol, maybe a little exaggeration. How do you think he did? 

Hi! said:

Just got off the phone with my 70+ Yr. old parents to get their perspective.
They liked Beto the best
Thought Biden did well and think he’s probably best to go against Trump
They really like Pete, but he can’t win
They like the idea of Medicare for those who want it, not Medicare for all.(They have Pensions)
They like Sanders, but thought he seems angry.

Did y'all only talk about the white males on stage?

Hi! said:

Jearlpam0925 said:

cincybearcat said:

Hi! said:

Biden dominated.

Really?  That's interesting.  Cause the part I saw he was mostly terrible.  How did he dominate?

Like I said I missed the first 20 or so minutes and the last bit as well.

Ha, what people want to believe is so interesting. He did not, in fact, dominate.

Lol, maybe a little exaggeration. How do you think he did? 

I think anytime he tried to make a cogent point he kept spinning his wheels.

My hot takes for the internet black hole to shout into the nothing:

All of those candidates will be in a cabinet together, except for Joe - he'll retire.

Debates on network/cable tv will always have questions couched in a way that are leading and infer fact when they're opinions.

For everyone bitching that anyone but Joe couldn't handle Trump in a debate? 'the fuck? Did you see last night? Based on that you think he's the no-doubt-about-it masturbater, I mean master debater to "take" Fuckface on?

I absolutely loved the host's question  to Harris about being on a historically black college and calling out her criminal justice history. Loved that, incredibly poignant. 

Also for calling out Amy for being a fucking cop, too. Loved it. Also, Amy was all over the place in her "we're on the same team", but then pushing that she's not the one pushing us to extremes. You don't get to have it both ways. Either separate yourself or shut the fuck up about being a 'centrist' when you're really not (I hate the term 'centrist' to begin with). This is a primary, you better find a way to actually stand  for something or GTFO. Loved that Castro called her out for it, too.

I don't see how Castro is hurting his chances as VP. If anything he increased his chances last night with anyone not named Joe Biden. And I don't think his attack on Biden was out of line. Joe's up there pumping the 'Merika bullshit and 'I love Obama! I was a part of that!' when Castro had the balls to call him out that you don't get to own some things that are good and not the things that are bad (immigration). Joe wants to run on the coattails of Obama, but then when pressed on the immigration issue by Castro, and the Spanish host, he essentially threw his hands up and resigned himself to say "I was VP" to separate himself. And regarding healthcare Julian called him out for saying basically "you keep telling everyone they will be covered but not unless they opt in", and Castro's point is that he's not acknowledging those presently marginalized. 

Loved Bernie's response about those uninsured, under-insured and out of work.

Kamala came for the jokes and zings.

Yang needs to take his collar and Willy Wonka golden tickets and drop out.

Buttigieg I think is only able to talk in grand platitudes and shape his message for white people in the midwest. If anyone wanted to make a legity case strictly on the basis of an empty candidate that could beat Trump in a debate it's Pete not Joe.

Beto was strong. He's going all-in on the shootings and gun control and I'm here for it.

Bernie came off as the curmudgeon that he is. He is sinking for me while others are rising - the biggest reason is I've really delved into his view on the Supreme Court and I don't like it.

Program was set up for the first half hour to make the three favorites go at it with the healthcare debate. Nothing new was learned here. Warren is trying to be holistic in her point about medicare for all. But honestly I'd like her to some out and just say, "yes, you're taxes will go up", then follow it with your total costs will go down. Of course she won't because the term "middle class" isn't even a thing anymore so to answer it it will identify with people that are in fact not middle class (they're upper-middle to upper-) but like to still pretend they identify as middle class and they'll clutch their fucking pearls.

I came for the health insurance, education, criminal justice reform, gun violence, and climate change topics. Refreshingly, Cory hit the right answer on nearly all of them. But when did he become a steward for Medicare for All? 

I keep coming back to the fact that the more Joe talks the more he's exposed. Based on pure health reasons - that I base on nothing but his appearance on the tee vee - I don't know if this guy's not going to be a skeleton by the actual elections.

If I had to rank choice right now I'm going 1) Warren 2) Beto (he has creeped up for me going all-in on the gun issue) 3) Julian 4) Cory  (both Cory and Julian have been solid in every debate, just are never going to get traction) 5) Bernie (sinking quickly for me). Everyone else can get out. It's down to five candidates for me for the primary.

Anyway, that's my mouthful of hot garbage.

Warren/Castro 2020

Beto losing my support based on his approach to gun control (mass confiscation essentially).  I do still admire his airdrumming and Napoleon Dynamite mimicking though.

HesCalledDyer said:

Everyone always says Bernie seems angry.  I say democrat, republican, and everyone in between: we should ALL be as angry as Bernie Sanders right now.  We have a fucking clown for President trying to become a god damn dictator.  We have corporations buying the government.  We have corporations writing laws.  We have corporations and individuals with billions of dollars in profit & worth not paying a fucking dime in taxes.  We imprison, starve, strip, foreclose, demolish, gentrify every minority community in the nation.  Most of the country can't afford medicine, some can't even afford to go to the doctor. Most of the country can't pay for college.  Mass shootings almost daily and nothing EVER gets done.  If I spent 50 years fighting against all that and continue to see the greed, corruption, hatred, & division growing stronger around me when I'm the only one fighting for the People, I'd be pretty damn angry, too.

I don't disagree. If you are not angry then you are either complicit or not paying attention. 

HesCalledDyer said:

Everyone always says Bernie seems angry.  I say democrat, republican, and everyone in between: we should ALL be as angry as Bernie Sanders right now.  We have a fucking clown for President trying to become a god damn dictator.  We have corporations buying the government.  We have corporations writing laws.  We have corporations and individuals with billions of dollars in profit & worth not paying a fucking dime in taxes.  We imprison, starve, strip, foreclose, demolish, gentrify every minority community in the nation.  Most of the country can't afford medicine, some can't even afford to go to the doctor. Most of the country can't pay for college.  Mass shootings almost daily and nothing EVER gets done.  If I spent 50 years fighting against all that and continue to see the greed, corruption, hatred, & division growing stronger around me when I'm the only one fighting for the People, I'd be pretty damn angry, too.

If you spent 50 years fighting it, and you are still fighting it and trying to be the leader to fight it...you've been unsuccessful for 50 years, why should you get the top spot to be unsuccessful for another 4-8?

Bernie is the only candidate on that stage that I will not vote for at this point.

cincybearcat said:

Hi! said:

Just got off the phone with my 70+ Yr. old parents to get their perspective.
They liked Beto the best
Thought Biden did well and think he’s probably best to go against Trump
They really like Pete, but he can’t win
They like the idea of Medicare for those who want it, not Medicare for all.(They have Pensions)
They like Sanders, but thought he seems angry.

Did y'all only talk about the white males on stage?

Because that is who white women vote for?