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Live Blog: Democrat Presidential Primary Debate #11 in Las Vegas, NV

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By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Time: 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET

Place: Paris Theater, Las Vegas, NV

Hosts: NBC, MSNBC, and The Nevada Independent.

Moderators: Lester Holt and Chuck Todd[1] of NBC, Hallie Jackson of NBC and MSNBC, Vanessa Hauc of Noticias Telemundo, and Jon Ralston[2] of The Nevada Independent.

Candidate Line-up:

Joe Biden (Former Vice President )
Michael Bloomberg (Former Mayor New York, NY)
Pete Buttigieg (Former Mayor South Bend, IN)
Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota Senator)
Bernie Sanders (Vermont Senator)
Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts Senator)

Podium order: Unknown. (Perhaps the hosts are having difficulty ranking a candidate who qualified according to the ***cough*** DNC rules ***cough*** but who hasn’t actually appeared before voters.)

How to Watch (or Listen)

CNET:

[The debate] will be broadcast on NBC and MSNBC. You’ll be able to stream it on NBCNews.com, MSNBC.com, the NBC News mobile app, NBC News’ and MSNBC’s Facebook pages, and the The Nevada Independent. As with the previous debates, you can watch Wednesday debate for free on NBC’s digital platforms without authentication, which means you won’t have to sign in at all, just start streaming.

You can also stream the debate live on NBC News Now, NBC’s streaming app for OTT devices including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV … Roku and Xumo.

Universo will show the Spanish-language broadcast.

I’m sure readers will have their own suggestions.

I don’t think there’s any point gaming out the debate, though I do hope that Sanders does his Borscht Belt comedian schtick. But just to get a handle on the coverage after the debate:

NOTES

[1] “NH Voter Says Live on MSNBC That Network’s Effort to Tear Down Bernie Sanders Made Her Vote for Him” [Common Dreams]. “Chuck Todd Cites Quote Calling Sanders Supporters “Digital Brownshirt Brigade” [RealClearPolitics].

[2] “Did Sanders Supporters Throw Chairs at Nevada Democratic Convention?” [Snopes]. False. “The Faux Fracas in Nevada: How a Reporter Manufactured a Riot” [Counterpunch]. “Jon Ralston, the dean of political reporting in Nevada, has spread nothing less than a pack of lies about what went down at the state’s Democratic convention on Saturday. And the fact averse oligarchic national media has run completely riot with the provable falsehoods. No chairs were thrown at the convention Saturday. No death threats were made against the chair of the convention Roberta Lange. And Bernie Sanders delegates were not simply mad because their louder shouting was ignored. Ralston has been the culprit behind each of these falsehoods; and the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, and a dizzying array of other outlets have swallowed them whole then regurgitated them for their much more massive audiences.”

* * *

As usual, this post does not update; readers may track the debate in real time in comments. Please keep your comments as informative and analytical as possible. There are no points at NC for context-free one-liners (“Boo ____!” or “Oh!”) that only those who are also watching can make sense of; that’s for Facebook or Reddit. I think it adds more value if you take a moment, use your critical thinking skills, then comment, and readers can discuss what you say. That way, those who cannot watch the debate — or can’t stand to do so — can get a good idea of what really happened by reading what you write. This is what the NC commentariat is so very good at, after all. Last time, the times before that, and this time. Thank you!

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About Lambert Strether

Readers, I have had a correspondent characterize my views as realistic cynical. Let me briefly explain them. I believe in universal programs that provide concrete material benefits, especially to the working class. Medicare for All is the prime example, but tuition-free college and a Post Office Bank also fall under this heading. So do a Jobs Guarantee and a Debt Jubilee. Clearly, neither liberal Democrats nor conservative Republicans can deliver on such programs, because the two are different flavors of neoliberalism (“Because markets”). I don’t much care about the “ism” that delivers the benefits, although whichever one does have to put common humanity first, as opposed to markets. Could be a second FDR saving capitalism, democratic socialism leashing and collaring it, or communism razing it. I don’t much care, as long as the benefits are delivered. To me, the key issue — and this is why Medicare for All is always first with me — is the tens of thousands of excess “deaths from despair,” as described by the Case-Deaton study, and other recent studies. That enormous body count makes Medicare for All, at the very least, a moral and strategic imperative. And that level of suffering and organic damage makes the concerns of identity politics — even the worthy fight to help the refugees Bush, Obama, and Clinton’s wars created — bright shiny objects by comparison. Hence my frustration with the news flow — currently in my view the swirling intersection of two, separate Shock Doctrine campaigns, one by the Administration, and the other by out-of-power liberals and their allies in the State and in the press — a news flow that constantly forces me to focus on matters that I regard as of secondary importance to the excess deaths. What kind of political economy is it that halts or even reverses the increases in life expectancy that civilized societies have achieved? I am also very hopeful that the continuing destruction of both party establishments will open the space for voices supporting programs similar to those I have listed; let’s call such voices “the left.” Volatility creates opportunity, especially if the Democrat establishment, which puts markets first and opposes all such programs, isn’t allowed to get back into the saddle. Eyes on the prize! I love the tactical level, and secretly love even the horse race, since I’ve been blogging about it daily for fourteen years, but everything I write has this perspective at the back of it.

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379 comments

  1. Bill Carson

    I’m pretty sure you can stream the debate on the youtubes.

    What I don’t understand is, why can’t you stream the debate from the beginning starting, say, 30 minutes late? We can put a man on the moon….

    1. Mason

      Gathered with the folks at the Charlotte, NC field office for Bernie. Let’s watch Bloomberg get pummeled.

      Tired talking points from Bloomberg, he doesn’t sound very confident.

  2. jrs

    No Yang of course and no Steyer. It’s just a pure pile on at this point, 10 against 1. In the latest series of propaganda masquerading as debate.

      1. Samuel Conner

        Sounds like a “bad bet” to me.

        If it’s true that in 2016, after the election, MB publicly affirmed that “Bernie would have won”, it would be sweet for that to come up in debate and for MB to be asked “what is different this time?”

        It’s important that the primary electorate understand that MB is running to defeat Sanders, not to defeat Trump.

      2. Jessica

        It’s an even worse bet if Bloomberg does win.
        Bloomberg would just be a more effective Trump. Even the superficial politeness would just let him do more bad things.

  4. Henry Moon Pie

    I enjoyed Tom Perez’s best attempt at an AOC imitation. There was this irresistible urge to shout, “Amen!” It was obvious the crowd was very moved as well.

  6. The Rev Kev

    Pity that Tulsi Gabbard isn’t there. She could have put down Mayor Pete once and for all. Who even remembers that Kamala Harris was once in serious contention for President. That is, until Tulsi took her down in a live debate.

    1. NotTimothyGeithner

      Harris was never serious outside MSM types. She never ate into Biden’s vote and her numbers out of Cali were appalling. She was smart enough to recognize her path to the nomination was closed.

  7. cripes

    Does anyone have time or interest in pasting together Bllombergs phony “I’m here to defeat Donald Trump” ads with Bloomberg voice clips to tell the truth in a satiric ad that could go viral?

    How about “I’m here to defeat (Bernie Sanders)” Raise the Minimum wage (I’ll always oppose a minimum wage) or “I’ve hired hundreds of talented women” (and told them to give blow jobs)

    Ridicule is the best weapon.

    Enjoy the debate

  8. urblintz

    It is not true that I find no value in these debates. And although politics really is show business for ugly people, it’s not for the entertainment alone that I watch. Occasional moments of authenticity can matter.

    Stiil, a willing suspension of disbelief is required.

    That 6 people running for POTUS are reduced to begging for attention from partisan pundits asking queered questions is beyond absurd.

    That said, much appreciation to Lambert for creating this forum and apologies for any one-liners I posted last time. I’ll try to be more engaging tonight.

  17. Hamford

    Wow this audience is stacked. Laughing at bloomberg and buttigieg one liners ad nauseum. Crickets for anything sanders says.

  19. Lee

    Mayo Pete seem to specialize in scurrilous unfounded assertions. He’s playing the deportment card. Weak crap.

  20. cripes

    Sniveling snake Buttigieg wont let go of Bernie Bros “ugly” twitters. STFU

    Klobuchar: electing a woman will end mean talk on the internet?
    STFU

        1. NotTimothyGeithner

          Both. She’s running for president and doesn’t know the president of Mexico. She’s a disgrace.

          1. OpenThePodBayDoorsHAL

            How can a woman who is supposedly sick and tired of men getting a better deal “because they are men” then ask us to vote for them “because they are a woman”?

            Somebody enlighten me please

      2. inode_buddha

        So… she’s OK with bestiality because it isn’t sexist to do it with animals? My guess is she hasn’t been on the net long enough to know about Rule 34.

    2. flora

      And because she believes in private health insurance because that will keep the ACA in place. ???? really.

      1. flora

        ooooh, hizzzoner is a fan of ACA, he says. (he then autocratically shut down Biden who tried to say something. ….)

    1. nippersmom

      Bernie, if you’re going to bring up 2016, you need to talk about the false reports about chair throwing that were spread throughout the media.

    2. Dwight

      Bernie probably knows it is more likely domestic dirty tricksters that made the attacks on Culinary Union officials that set up this whole fake issue. I guess he thinks he can’t say that, so he blames Russia. I despise the whole Russiagate hoax for many reasons, and hate that Sanders has gone along with it, but in this case, maybe he slid in the idea that anonymous internet attacks are not necessarily real Sanders supporters. So I’ll give him a pass this time, and hope this is the last time I hear him perpetuate the Russiagate garbage.

  24. Typing Chimp

    “Did Sanders Supporters Throw Chairs at Nevada Democratic Convention?” [Snopes]. False.

    I find this and a lot of the other attacks against Bernie supporters interesting.

    If a candidate is constantly attacked not based on what he says or does, but rather on what his supporters purport to do, you gotta think his opponents are reaching peak desperation.

    As an aside, I would have thought that Bloomberg would’ve emulated Trump’s strategy of staking a very strong novel claim about something in his first debate (“I’m going to build a wall”) and use that to generate a lot of debate around him…Maybe he isn’t quite as good with this media manipulation stuff as I thought.

    2. lordkoos

      I’m not able to stream it all even though I have a decent BB connection – the online audience must be huge.

    1. Shiloh1

      Ha ha – “he has a PowerPoint”.

      Wirh that, Mayo Pete who is a McKinzie alum, should be CEO of woke insurance brokerage somewhere.

  27. Carey

    Sanders really hammering it on healthcare, and the Working Class.

    You da man, Senator.

    Bloomberg so out of place (and above it all)
    up there.

  28. TMoney

    Batman and Robin ? No it’s Bernie and Liz. The caped crusader’s utility belt has Medicare for All Spray in it and Liz in green tights. Sock ! Pow ! Biff !

    Mayo Pete as the Riddler.
    Uncle Joe Biden the Penguin.
    Amy K as Poison Ivy.
    Mike B as Harvey Two-Face Dent

    The Donald “The Joker” Trump is waiting in wings for the General Election !

    1. NotTimothyGeithner

      Mayo Pete is like calendar man or one of those worthless batman villains they go to for alfred to foil.

  30. Monty

    Biden really charged up! It looks like he did a hit of meth and then someone wiped a mashed ghost pepper around his rectum.

    2. Monty

      I think Bernie did great on unions and healthcare so far. Better than ever. Also, (in my opinion) Pete, Amy and Bloomberg getting rekt!

  32. flora

    Hizzzoner claims his stop&frisk was a good plan that got out-of-control. uh huh. Nothing to do with a judge finding the program unconstitutional.

  33. Oh

    Lester is asking MB about stop and frisk and MB is saying he was lowering the “too many stop and frisk”. Dirty uncle Joe keeps invoking Uncle Tom’s worthless actions and ACA. If the ACA were so good why do most people want M4A?

      1. Samuel Conner

        I doubt that he’s squirming at the pressure of the questions. He’s unhappy about how much he’s going to have to spend to drown this out before Super Tuesday.

        MB knows one Bible text very well, I reckon: Eccles 10:19b; “money is the solution for everything”

        1. Dan

          Exactly. His eyes and mannerisms indicate no sense of shame. He just looks annoyed that he has to go through this even though he knew going in that he would. He simply can’t handle anyone questioning his actions. This is simply an annoyance for him.

          Call me crazy, but I believe his degree of sociopathy is more extreme than Trump.

          2. albrt

            I suspect he thought the DNC would stick to its rules and he would not have to participate in the debates.

            Silly Mikey!

  35. flora

    Sanders looking strong. Mod askes about his health records. Challenges mod to keep up with him on the campaign trail.

  36. Democrita

    Wow, I’m delighted to see bloomie is so stiff and unappealing on stage/camera! I did not know. It makes him a nonstarter, i would think, unless by some freak quirk people find it humanizing–like bush’s malapropisms. But he’s not at all folksy.

    As an added bonus, he’s got Biden wound up and doing a screaming old man thing. Camera has them side x side, one looking deranged, the other clueless.

    1. richard

      Whoa, bernie starts talking they interrupt with an ad right away (my “feed” anyway)
      if they don’t want me to say tin foily things then they’ll need to stop with the tin foily actions

    3. OpenThePodBayDoorsHAL

      Can’t resist, must repost my comment the other day about Bloomberh The First:

      I took one for the team and watched the entire Mini Mike interview on the Stephen Colbert show.

      Firstly I can happily report that I do not think this man will be president. His entire persona reads: awkward. From demeanor through to body language through to content. He emits a steady stream of banalities, packaged responses to zingers, non sequiturs, and head scratchers. But most interesting is the effect he seems to expect from his flow of anodyne oddness: he expects oohs and aahs and adulation from it. This is a man who for a very long time has been completely out of touch with any people willing to disagree with him. Noblesse oblige with an enormous dose of entitlement, capped off with the palpable bastardry of the corporate titan. No real vestiges of self-awareness, certainly not any situational humility, even in the face of pursuing the august mantle of the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth.

      I also could not detect any political philosophy, apart from a few trendy catch phrases like “inequality” and “sustainability”. It’s clear that he has programmed himself to say things about those topics, and even spend lavishly on them, but it is not clear in the slightest that he believes any of them. His conviction is clear on only one point: that he can be president if he feels like it.

      He made Elizabeth Warren’s attempts to appear approachable and human look authentic, which is saying alot. I left with the feeling that he is not even a person, more of a brand and a cipher and a corporate construct. FDR had charisma; JFK had charisma; Reagan had charisma; Obama had charisma. This man could bathe in an ocean of charisma and emerge without a single drop on him.

      1. Big River Bandido

        I met Bloomberg very briefly when he was about 10 months into his first term. I was singing in a choir for an event, on a very crowded stage. As soon as we finished the sound check I turned to my right and a very short man robotically extended his hand and said “hi, I’m Mike Bloomberg”. I introduced myself and there ended the encounter, in part because I uncharacteristically had nothing to say.

        The brief encounter left me with a very strange feeling — I had the clear impression of a man who wasn’t really there, who seemed to be going through the social graces by rote (as many of us do I suppose), but in his case without ever actually connecting with people in the process. I felt like I was talking with someone whose reflection wouldn’t be visible in a mirror. “Awkward”? Yeah, that’s a pretty accurate word to describe Michael Bloomberg. I sensed no evidence of a soul.

        It was also a huge surprise to me that the advance work for this event was absolutely shoddy, slapdash, and amateurish in every way. It was so bad it was embarrassing. That was totally unexpected to me. I can’t imagine that his team has not improved with experience in the intervening 17 years but I suppose anything is possible if the staff is as out of touch as the executive. But this too should be a warning. If bad advance work doesn’t keep you out of the mayor’s office, might it likewise cease to be a hindrance in a race for the White House? Bloomberg can’t improve on Clinton’s performance in the Rust Belt, and most likely he’d do even worse. And yet, his billions bought him 12 years at Gracie Mansion, when an average person with his social and political skills wouldn’t get through the front gate. I can’t discount what a threat he poses.

      2. Saint-George

        “noblesse oblige???” Language should not be abused like that. This phrase has a manifest meaning that should be unmistakeable even to an American. “noblesse” means “nobility.” “oblige” means “oblige.” Nobility, whether of status or ability or character or soul, requires the *obligation* to do right for all others even at great cost to one’s own wealth, status, reputation, or life itself. Examples: the Duke of Brunswick who drowned trying to rescue a peasant who had fallen into the river. Even greater example: phillip égalité, former duc d’Orléans and cousin of Louis XVI, the greatest noble in France, cast the decisive vote for the execution of the treasonous king in full knowledge that by doing so he was not merely making his own speedy execution inevitable but incurring total obloquy within his own class and its historians.

        1. OpenThePodBayDoorsHAL

          Touche!

          I should have said “noblesse sans obligation”. Or maybe just “corporo-fascist monster”

        2. GramSci

          Ah! The exception proves the grammar rule! Around here I think we pronounce the term “noblesse oblige” with a silent /s.

        3. Harold

          “

          I do not mean by ‘gentlemen,’ people of scented hair and perfumed handkerchiefs, but men of gentle blood and generosity, fulfilled with all nobleness,’ who, like the Cid, give the outcast leper a share of their bed; like the dying Sidney, pass the cup of cold water to the wounded soldier who needs it more. For what is the oath of gentle blood and knighthood? What but to protect the weak and lowly against the strong oppressor?'” — Emerson, January 6, 1859, Speech at Salem, Mass., in honor of John Brown

  38. Dan

    Mike Bloomberg should just lock himself in a room by himself and continue his attempt to buy the election. He can’t put himself anywhere near the public.

    1. ChiGal in Carolina

      true dat, so glad he has to expose himself. before it started they showed a graphic of him leading in a number of super tuesday states. scary!

  39. Henry Moon Pie

    Buttigieg is sporting a pretty close facsimile of Nixon’s five o’clock shadow. I think he’s wrapped up the portion of the electorate that loves smug know-it-alls.

  41. Debra D.

    I wonder how much Bloomberg would have to fork out to get 17,000 people to fill a stadium in Tacoma? Bernie Sanders had 28,000 people in two rallies on the same day.

    1. Samuel Conner

      In this economy, $100 per head and beer should be more than enough. That’s chicken-feed to MB, less than 24 hrs income.

      Perhaps we could think of MB’s free-spending as a kind of pilot JG program. Just as long as it doesn’t accomplish its intention.

      1. Debra D.

        I doubt he could purchase the attendance of 28,000 people. I just don’t think there are 28,000 people who would make the effort. Not for $100 and beer.

        2. Late Introvert

          I would show up throwing fingers and yelling family blogs while drinking his beer. I’m Scotch/Irish you family bloggers. Where’s my 100 dollars you family bloggers.

    2. dcrane

      From early February:

      https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/mike-bloomberg-philadelphia-rally-constitution-center-20200205.html

      On Tuesday night, Bloomberg rented the entire Constitution Center and spoke from an elevated lectern in the center of the lobby to supporters surrounding him on the floor and on the upper level. The campaign spared no expense, with catered food, wine, a DJ, and lighting design cast onto the ceiling. Signs reading “Philadelphia Will Get It Done” — a play on his “Mike Will Get It Done” TV ads — and “PA Likes Mike” were hung around the grand hall.

      1. John Anthony La Pietra

        The linked article says the Bloomberg campaign estimated the crowd at “close to 2,000 people” — which probably means nearer 1,500 if that. Has anyone seen independent estimates?

    3. funemployed

      I tuned in to my first debate of the season solely for the puerile pleasure of watching a tier 1 oligarch be gang-defecated upon, and have not been disappointed.

      But the predictability of has raised a deadly serious question: By allowing Mike onstage, was the DNC stupidly trying to help him, or cleverly trying to sink him?

      1. lordkoos

        I think the DNC is just shooting in the dark at this point, trying anything — but it’s too late to stop Sanders now. No matter who they’ve encouraged to get in the race, it’s just not working out for the DNC.

  42. flora

    interesting to watch pete and klobuchar try to figure out where the best opportunity is – anti-hizzzoner or anti-Sanders… heh.

  43. Carey

    Sanders is the strongest I’ve seen him in the debates. Awesome!

    Buttigieg… no comment. Hope Klob goes after him again tonight.

  45. Monty

    Bloomberg: “I have no tolerance for the kind of behavior i have been accused of, unless its on my friend Jerrfery’s Lolita express/ private island”.

      1. Democrita

        Yeah, that was kind of epic. The pros ganging up on the snotty upstart. Warren, then Biden, then Bernie swooping in about Bloomberg’s support of Bush and the GOP.
        So glad I watched tonight.

      2. Deschain

        Gotta say Liz is bringing the heat tonight. Probably too late for her but Bloomberg has to be asking himself at this point if running for president was a very very bad bet.

        Bernie doing fine. All he has to do now is not interrupt others while they are making mistakes.

        I’m expecting Amy to shiv Pete with a stiletto any second now.

  49. flora

    Warren is taking down hizzzoner on legal terms of NDAs with former employees . Hizzzoner looks put upon. heh. Biden picks up on the attack and looks sharp and on point.

    1. Deschain

      Yeah gotta give props to Biden for staying the obvious about how these 1 sided NDAs work in the real world.

  50. lordkoos

    Since I can’t watch streaming tonight and have no cable, can anyone tell me if they put Mini Mike on a podium so he’d measure up?

      1. lordkoos

        OK, I did see a shot of the debate, they’ve obviously worked on getting everyone to a more or less equal height, lol.

        I’ve watched some of Bloomberg’s speeches online, he has the charisma of a parking meter.

  52. Jessica

    Deep gratitude to all of you who are watching this so that I don’t have to.
    I tried. Really I tried. Multiple times. Couldn’t take Amy or Pete.

    1. Bill Carson

      Every time I went on there tonight, they had a banner ad covering up the top 2/3rds of the screen.

  56. cripes

    Klob is about to blow an anuerism.
    Bad under stress, trembling.
    Saved by Liz, even though she’s a know-nothing mediocrity.

      1. Shiloh1

        I bet he would know Gus on Breaking Bad and Del from Ozark were the big Cartel guys, like Tyrone Power as the Pony Soldier.

      1. Phillip Allen

        Or best, if you’re a predator and use scent to alert you to and track your prey.

        The symphony of pheromones on that stage must have been epic.

  61. richard

    great hopping satan, trying to watch this on my I-pad is a nightmare, ads blocking content, no sound
    i know i know
    not a bug but a feature

    1. OpenThePodBayDoorsHAL

      Have to repost something I said a few days ago:

      I took one for the team and watched the entire Mini Mike interview on the Stephen Colbert show.

      Firstly I can happily report that I do not think this man will be president. His entire persona reads: awkward. From demeanor through to body language through to content. He emits a steady stream of banalities, packaged responses to zingers, non sequiturs, and head scratchers. But most interesting is the effect he seems to expect from his flow of anodyne oddness: he expects oohs and aahs and adulation from it. This is a man who for a very long time has been completely out of touch with any people willing to disagree with him. Noblesse oblige with an enormous dose of entitlement, capped off with the palpable bastardry of the corporate titan. No real vestiges of self-awareness, certainly not any situational humility, even in the face of pursuing the august mantle of the leader of the most powerful nation on Earth.

      I also could not detect any political philosophy, apart from a few trendy catch phrases like “inequality” and “sustainability”. It’s clear that he has programmed himself to say things about those topics, and even spend lavishly on them, but it is not clear in the slightest that he believes any of them. His conviction is clear on only one point: that he can be president if he feels like it.

      He made Elizabeth Warren’s attempts to appear approachable and human look authentic, which is saying alot. I left with the feeling that he is not even a person, more of a brand and a cipher and a corporate construct. FDR had charisma; JFK had charisma; Reagan had charisma; Obama had charisma. This man could bathe in an ocean of charisma and emerge without a single drop on him.

  64. flora

    Interesting how many candidates are gravitating to Sanders’ positions on a number of issues.

    Hizzzoner is starting to remind me of H.W.Bush Sr. in his Clinton/Perot ’92 debate, as in, ‘do I really have to be here and do this? ‘

    1. inode_buddha

      Sanders doesn’t have to fake authenticity. He also doesn’t have to pay people off. I wish once again to thank everyone who has the stomach to watch and report. Getting rid of cable TV has been the single best thing I have ever done for my spiritual health. That and deleting FB.

    2. Shiloh1

      Wasn’t that the one where Poppy kept looking at his watch on camera?

      As they say in Texas…it may have been Tennessee.., he didn’t know if we should wind his watch or take a sh-t.

    1. sam Adams

      His debate prep team weren’t even stains on their father’s ceiling when Nixon rocked the sweating 5 o’clock shadow.

      1. ChiGal in Carolina

        ha! I went to the grocery store today and commented on the preceding shopper’s purchases that it looked like she was having people over to watch the “sh*tshow” and he said, You know who came in here today? John Edwards, haven’t heard that name in years, but I recognized him right away.

        I asked if he was with his wife or his mistress, bad form it occurred to me later if his wife in fact succumbed to cancer. Anyway, he was alone.

        1. Craig H.

          This spot from 2016 has info from his baby mama and love child. Apparently he does dad stuff and is not a shameless sociopath! Which puts him ahead of at least three of the Democratic contenders.

          https://abcnews.go.com/US/rielle-hunter-relationship-john-edwards-today-life-daughter/story?id=40758376

          I got my primary ballot in the mail from the state of CA today. It was perfectly legible although I am not a Democrat or a Republican according to the drivers license bureau so I only got a couple of things to vote on and I cannot cast a vote for anybody who could win.

          1. aaccckkk

            Yo Craig,

            Take that ballot to a voting center and ask for a crossover Dem ballot. I mean, if you’re actually interested in voting for someone who could win…

              1. Michael

                Make sure you get the crossover ballot specifically. If they give you the Democrat ballot your vote won’t count. It’s insane.

                1. Spring Texan

                  SO INSANE, but that’s exactly right, it needs to say ‘crossover.’

                  So reasonable people who asked for a Democratic ballot think they have voted and it will count but NOT SO.

                  1. drumlin woodchuckles

                    Its probably in the hope that most people asking for a Democratic ballot would be Sanders voters. The goal would be to passively “trick” them into casting non-counted votes in the hopes of reducing vote-count for Sanders.

                    The Sanders operation should make very sure that every Sanders wanna-voter in California is heavily briefed in detail on all the treacherous deceitful tricks the CalDem Party will use to try tricking SanderVoters into casting non-counted votes.

    3. chuck roast

      Yeah, he is pretty astonishing. He can go on for four or five minutes and say absolutely nothing. A kind of glib vacuity. I have been trying to think of someone to compare him to, but I come up empty. Please, tell me he is not one of a kind.

  67. Hamford

    Bloomberg on Climate Change and working with China , “Their people are going to die, just like our people are going to die”…. a brief, freidian glimpse into elite everyday conversations perhaps?

  68. Monty

    Bloomberg comes across like an unsympathetic character off of Curb Your Enthusiasm. So whiny. Fully and completely p’wnd by Bernie.

  69. cripes

    Pete is performing his smartest mckinsey intern Sunday-school version of energy policy for school kids and Lester shuts him up.

    Thanks god.

    Condescending ass.

    I think Klob, Bloomie and Lil’ Pete are shoveling dirt on their own graves. Bloom in his element babbling about biz topics as long as its not about him.

    Biden good, sclerotic, bu good for him.

    Warren prepared and brutal, like the opportunist she is.

    Sanders good sticking to his guns, let viewers see his basic honesty and integrity. It could work.

    2. inode_buddha

      Nailed it. And in a very public way. Thank you for posting this. Getting rid of cable TV is the single best thing I have ever done for my spiritual health.

    3. albrt

      When I was a union organizer we always asked for a seat on the board in the first stage of contract negotiations. Never got it, even though it would cost nothing. The management lawyers always said it would be a conflict of interest to have an employee on the board.

      I have since become a lawyer and have seen much worse conflicts on boards managed without much trouble, but whatever.

  73. Carey

    Bloomberg really digging himself a hole now on taxes. So unbelievably haughty.
    #deluded

    Sanders hammering MB now- bravo!

    Butti’s speaking style is wretched, along with his #content.

    1. albrt

      Klobuchar is the one with the “talk to the manager” haircut.

      I just found out that was a thing this week. Kids say the darnedest things!

  76. Deschain

    Pete made a really dumb mistake, teeing up the Denmark comparison for Bernie (who smartly nailed it in his excellent answer). Pete too busy proving how smart he is to think tactically.

    1. cripes

      Yes, but praying he would jump in with “because Denmark has universal medical for 70 years, and living wages they can live the “American Dream” now and Americans can’t”

      But he was polite and waited.

      1. jrs

        It’s actually much more central than that, because they have it they can address the climate crisis, at least as much as anyone does at this point (noone is sustainable entirely). The current Social Dems in Denmark are all about climate change as a top priority.

  78. Monty

    Anybody who doesn’t feel they could vote for Senator Bernard Sanders after this is undeserving of a vote.

    2. anon y'mouse

      “bloviating” you said?

      i could really see him becoming a TV political pundit.

      and then i could shoot my own eyes out when it happens.

      1. inode_buddha

        Better still: SAIC, the company that rebuilt NYC after 9-11, was employee-owned at the time. SAIC is a Prime DoD contactor, one of the biggest. They got a whole new phone network in over a weekend….

  81. cripes

    Bloomie has a paid cheering section vainly trying to make noise when he says something.

    Then he accuses Sanders of being communist.

    But he can’t afford to get dental work on those gawdawful lizard teeth of his?

    1. flora

      So why is hizzzoner getting most of the groans and Jeers… They must have misread the memo… “CHeering section, people. Not Jeering section.” heh.

    1. Deschain

      Liz is having a really good night, maybe she fired all the ex-Clinton people. Biden seems to have disappeared in the last half hour or so.

  83. Parker Dooley

    Wow, does the fact that this debate is being held in “Paris” account for the feistiness level? Aux barricades, citoyens!

  85. OpenThePodBayDoorsHAL

    Just thinking about the cartoon archetypes represented here. Bernie: An Honest Man. Pete: An Undercover CIA Agent. Liz: A Wronged Woman. Amy: A Midwestern Office Lady. Bloomberg: An Evil Corporate Titan. Biden: Agitated Dementia Patient During A Lucid Spell.

    2. meeps

      Whoa, what a mess that was with the interruptions in the streaming and melee at the mics. Still, I heard Ol’ Bloomers characterize Sander’s long tenure in DC as, “the problem.” This from a guy who thinks he deserves to be President, and after he used that shopworn “you own three houses” talking point from Clinton’s 2016 campaign. MB is incapable of seeing himself in context and worse, he displays not one, singular charm one would think would be required in a meritocrat.

  88. Monty

    I think this has been the most enjoable debate thus far. I come away with renewed enthusiasm for both Warren and Bernie who have been great at every opportunity.

    2. Bill Carson

      It’s a shame that Warren hasn’t shown this fire and consistency all along. She let herself get hijacked before and during the Iowa debate. I would have preferred not to have lost respect for her.

      1. Spring Texan

        Yep, but she’s still doing cheap attacks on Sanders, “we all have to be responsible for our supporters,” and in one interview suggested he was building on a “foundation of hate.” Very happy to see her take down Bloomberg though.

        She’s all ambition and opportunism, though.

        I too would have preferred not to have lost respect for her, very sad.

  89. Dan

    Why doesn’t Bernie bring up the fact that tax rates on high income in the past have been over 90% and that was when the U.S. really flourished. I know he’s mentioned this before. It should be brought up on the debate stage.

        1. Heraclitus

          Effective tax rates during the Eisenhower administration were only about 5% higher than now. I think only eight people nationwide actually paid 90%. Rich people invested in real estate and got extraordinarily generous deductions. It’s why the US has twenty times the per capita real estate that France does.

          The actual federal taxes collected have always been about 20% of GDP, under high marginal rates and low. If we hadn’t had the ninety percent marginal rates, we’d have flying cars now.

          2. False Solace

            During Eisenhower’s day the share of federal taxes paid by corporations was far higher. The tax burden has dramatically shifted toward income taxes. Today’s wealthy have it better than ever. The .1% hog virtually all income gains and pay less in taxes than anyone would have dreamed back then.

          3. GramSci

            That’s the point of 90% tax rates: minimize the number of oligarchs and prevent flying cars. Flying cars? Very funny, Heraclitus!

    2. Bill Carson

      I think a very effective point could be made if Bernie would just point out how many billions Bloomy saved by way of Trump’s tax cuts.

  90. zagonostra

    Why are the debates hosted by Commercials networks?

    Hell I’m sure Joe Rogan would let the candidates use his platform? This is absurd…

    1. Monty

      I am feeling a bit sorry for him because he seems to be suffering from a severe case of Imposter Syndrome and that might render him with some PTSD.

  92. Carey

    Just imagine having to have mental calculations going continuously, like Buttigieg.
    Poor guy (seriously).

    D.T. Suzuki: “calculation, which is miscalculation..”

      2. Lambert Strether Post author

        > She’ll definitely get a little bounce from this.

        She’ll certainly get good press from it. But she needs the bounce to show up in NV, in votes (which Reid might help with; he got her into politics).

  95. Lambert Strether Post author

    Buttigieg takes down Klobuchar on immigration (she voted for English as a national national language).

    Then he over-eggs the pudding and goes into Spanish!

    Buttgieg really gets under Klobuchar’s skin. But she keeps saying “in the arena.”

    Klobuchar: “You memorized a bunch of talking points.”

    Buttgieg: “Leading a diverse city is in the arena.” <-- This is fair, but K whiffs on calling him out on his South Bend PD record

  96. cripes

    Uh oh, Klob is blowing her fuses under Lil Pete’s interrogation. Lawyer doesn’t like being on the stand.
    Cannot be challenged. Cannot be challenged.
    Android meltdown.
    Don’t give her the attache case codes!
    Not good under pressure.

    Chuck saves her.

  97. flora

    Klobachar is falling back on standard ‘heart warming, inspirational stories’, nodding to GOP pres TRs fortitude claim of “in the arena” , making a nod at the tech sector with ‘do the math’, and looks like she’s going to snap any minute and stab pete with her stiletto, heh.

    1. Calvin

      Klobuchar would be a great C.O.O. for an animal rights non-profit. The animals would love her.

      Bloomboligarch looks like a dried out lizard gloating about his money.

      Buttigig looks like the kid who cheated and didn’t get caught, but just can’t control his face.

      Warren, “Momma got run over by a train…”

      Biden; “Why’s everybody pickin’ on Little ‘Ol me? I’m just a punching bag, what about daddy!” My eyes, they’re out of control!

      Sanders; Sticking to his message, repeating the numbers, this guy looks like a winner.

    3. Henry Moon Pie

      There is a video of the reporter who caught Klobuchar and Steyer on AMLO telling Pete that he was the only one who got the question right. The look on his face is priceless.

      2. inode_buddha

        Actual Democracy would be a huge improvement over Hypocracy. :)

        I think there is only one canidate who is aware of this.

    4. Henry Moon Pie

      Good news: as Lawrence O’Donnell (broken clock) pointed out, that means that NONE of the other candidates believe they have the chance to end up the delegate leader at the end of the primaries.

    1. Carey

      Yep, though the that task is looking a little tougher each day, I’m glad to say.

      Glad Bloomberg was there for contrast. ;)

    1. Henry Moon Pie

      If he tries that BS again in the SC debate, I hope Bernie notes that the American people aren’t looking for a second boss in the WH. They’re looking for a President who will actually represent them.

  105. Phemfrog

    I’m going to chime in on Mayor Pete. (I’m a Sanders supporter, to be honest).

    I haven’t listened to him speak at length before.

    I don’t think that most people I know under age 40 would think he sounds robotic or too scripted. Practiced, sure, but that’s not a bad thing. His attacks land on Klob and her record makes them believable. I know he’s full of it on Sanders, but only because I know his policies well. Many viewers don’t.

    I guess my larger point is that we, the NC commentariat, may find him off. But I can see why many people find him believable, even sincere, and educated.

    Love all the hits on MB.

    1. Lambert Strether Post author

      > I don’t think that most people I know under age 40 would think he sounds robotic or too scripted.

      I don’t think Buttigieg sounds robotic or scripted. (If there was a robot in the debate, it was Klobuchar, when Buttigieg made her lose her mind and she kept repeating “in the arena” and “100 pieces of legislation!” It wasn’t as bad as Rubio’s* four-times-repeated “And let’s dispel once and for all with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing. He knows exactly what he’s doing,” which was a complete sentence, that Chris Christie deked him into (hat tip to Christie, here, probably the one useful thing he’s done in his life). But it was pretty bad. It was a little uncanny, because there’s no such thing as a female model of a Mean Midwestern Office Manager robot. No call for them.)

      To me, there’s something about Buttigieg’s cadence that is toothgrindingly offputting; I termed it “prehensile sincerity” (which I stole from William Gibson). The little catch in the voice, the pauses, the repetitions of the same tone to hammer a point (the verbal equivalent of That. Thing. Liberals. Do. on twitter), the rising emphasis followed by a fall… It’s elevated political speech in some way — none of them are in any way conversational — but the way that it’s elevated gives me the creeps. Somebody should study it. A debate coach would tell him to tone it down.

      * I wonder why Trump, building on his success with “Little Marco,” hasn’t gone with “Little Mikey.” Perhaps he’s keeping his powder dry.

  111. cripes

    Closing statements rated:

    Klob – talks too long, says too little besides me, me me, 0

    Bloomie – talk “qualifications” bidness, acccountability, 0

    Lil Pete – I’m not revolution, not status quo, vote for me I’m nothing, -0

    Liz – Log Cabin speech again, “fought for” yawn, 0

    Biden – log cabin, scranton, my dad knocked down…gets a point for demonstrators!, 1, take a point away he rambled so long, Lester shut him down, 0

    Bernie: We agree on beating Trump, lets talk about the rest we don’t agree on, on point! 3

  112. timotheus

    Just posted on FB by a friend: “I lived through his reign of terror. I was stopped in broad daylight 5 minutes from my front door. They said I fit the description… but the first question asked was “where are your drugs?” It is by the grace of God that drugs were not planted on me or that I was part of the day’s quota.”

    1. Lambert Strether Post author

      > They said I fit the description

      I remember when I lived in Philly, more than a decade or so ago now, there was a big fad for black teen-agers wearing baggy white t-shirts, no insignias or logo. They all “fit the desription”! That was the rationale…..

    1. Dan

      Amen. Thank you to all and thank you to Yves and Lambert for your tireless work. There’s simply no other place on the internet quite like this. Truly unique.

  114. Deschain

    My hot take on ranking the performances

    1) Liz – her best night so far – as usual she came across as prepared on the issues but also landed some solid shots on the competition without looking shrill. Best moment of the night was challenging MB on releasing people from NDAs
    2) Bernie – did what he needed to do, stuck to his guns, avoided mistakes, emphasized the fact that he is in fact winning
    3) Pete – I don’t like him but he is pretty good in the format. Doesn’t fluster. Did the best among the vanilla centrists.
    4) Joe – would have ranked him 3 for the first hour but practically disappeared in the second hour.
    5) Amy – let Pete rattle her. Didn’t have much to talk about other than her centrism.
    6) Mike – he just isn’t good at this. I guess he didn’t totally implode, but he had several lines that he clearly thought were good that landed really badly. Really took a beating on the sexism angle.

    1. anon

      Agreed. Warren has gotten on my nerves for much of this primary and I have to admit that she was fabulous tonight. She gave it her all probably because this may have been her last chance to rise in the polls and prove she’s still a worth opponent in this contest. Tonight’s performance alone won’t be enough for her to win, but she was great at attacking Bloomberg and pivoting on questions that encouraged her to criticize Bernie.

    2. Lambert Strether Post author

      > he had several lines that he clearly thought were good that landed really badly.

      I’m picturing his staff telling them they were awful and Bloomberg saying “No, these are great.” I suppose the other picture is his staff won’t tell him anything, out of sycophancy.

      Either way!

  115. Phemfrog

    Just got blocked trying to show a tweet about what protesters were yelling.

    Fwiw Twitter says it was about deportation

  116. jax

    Gawd, that was entertaining.

    Democratic debate closing statements:

    Klobuchar: I won in 4th grade.

    Bloomberg: You people are amateurs.

    Buttegeig: I’m new.

    Biden: I’m experienced.

    Warren: I’ve been poor.

    Sanders: Fight the power!

    (Anybody else think they gave Bloomie a box to stand on?)

  117. Lambert Strether Post author

    Sanders, as leader in the polls, doubled down on his message. That, and Bloomberg sounding like the manager you always hated, is the takeaway for me. Plus Buttigieg and Klobchur, Buttigieg on points. And Warren getting the Warren mojo back (albeit with a closing statement written by Clintonite staffers). Biden, who is he again?

    I wonder how long it will take Bloomberg’s staffers to crank out an ad about Denmark, along with doom-y music…

    2. Bill Carson

      I haven’t watched the debate yet, but I hope that Bernie treated Bloomberg as a stand-in for Trump. This is 100% Bernie’s chance to show that he can defeat Trump in the debates. In fact, Trump may not even agree to any debates, and so that makes it even more important for Sanders to go after Trump indirectly by going after Bloomberg.

      1. Lambert Strether Post author

        I gave the direct exchange between Sanders and Bloomberg to Sanders on points (though Sanders unfortunately cannot point out that Bloomberg pays the bills for a good half of the Democrats’ vast and ineffectual NGO network, so he could not punch as hard as he should have). If the “three houses” talking point — hat tip, Hillary Clinton — sticks, Bloomberg will have done some damage, but so far it hasn’t.

    3. Carey

      Sanders seemed warmer and quite a bit more flexible than in past debates; also, less finger-wagging and jabbing, though he still uses his hands effectively. Love what he
      said about Social Democracy, and our present socialism for the rich. Outstanding!

      Now, to just get him to invoke/evoke FDR..

  118. John Anthony La Pietra

    Would any watchers identify their favorite fair and substantive question? (If any, of course.)

    1. anon y'mouse

      there are not substantive questions, and no time for actual answers to any.

      thus we suffer by turning our politics into spectator sports.

      having watched the superbowl halftime show, what i saw out there wasn’t a whole lot different. just involved more clothing.

      1. John Anthony La Pietra

        Thanks — and sorry to hear it. I know there’s not enough time for a full and substantive answer, but I do retain a small streak of Micawber-ish hope that something substantive will turn up now and then….

        Okay, then — what about the momentmost likely to change hearts, minds, and/or votes?

  119. urblintz

    It’s clear to me that PB actually believes he can win the election.

    Irrational thinking – disqualifying

        1. Ian

          That may have to be recalculated after the recount. As it stands, he got 2 more delegates for .08 of a provincial delegates. I believe.

  120. Plenue

    Warren was effectively Sanders attack dog. She said things that needed to be said, but allowed him to keep being the nice guy..

        1. Cripes

          Yeah, she played attack dog with bloom, klob and Pete and blocked for Bernie as he pushed his message. Hard to tell if it was coordinated or serendipidy.

          Maybe making amends for her cheap shot last month, while raising her visibility and angling for cabinet or VP position.

          She must have done the math and realize she made a mistake attacking Bernie with cheap idpol slurs.

          1. Darthbobber

            She just knows who she needs to take votes from to have any shot. Sheer rational opportunism would dictate this, even in the absence of any principles.

  121. chuck roast

    They lobbed a lot of softballs at Biden; flung a lot of accusations at Bernard and asked the others, “How will the unhealthy, radical, com-symp Senator Sanders win the election against Trump?”

    MSNBC…lower than whale shit.

  122. cripes

    OM-fucking-G

    First Bloomie Ad Onslaught (Chicago market) after the Shew was him saying “If I were born black things may have come out differently for me…”

    Goes on with some slick fluff about building black wealth and Bloomie walking around with some well dressed black extras as they “build wealth” for which he’ll donate.

    Christ, this philanthropist pissant who thinks spraying money all over the black political class (remember a lot of them are SuperDuper Delegate whores) is how representative Gov works. I hope to christ it doesn’t. For him.

    Bloomberg has tied up 95 endorsements, mainly SuperDelegates, more than any other candidate. He’s playing a fucked up but effective game, if only he could stay off camera and never face questions or answer them.

    See table: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-endorsements/democratic-primary/

    But these goddamn ads are packaged and scheduled and geographically distributed to maximize absorption into uncritical teevee watchers in the same way as potato ship and beer ads, its dangerous.

    2. Jeff N

      Yes, I listen to many different radio stations here in Chicago, and Bloomberg narrates a different commercial on each one. The black radio station has him talking about the “born black” and structural racism

  123. JCC

    Overall, what little I watched of it was not pleasant, but it was fun watching some of the others pile on Bloomberg.

    He’s pretty much in the line of a jerk and Trump would chew him up.

  124. urblintz

    Answers to the last question about a brokered convention will be spun to suggest that only Bernie voters will break the required “unity” to beat Trump.

    Balderdash

    1. John k

      Well, many dem elites would prefer trump to sanders, and would vote that way, so there’s that.
      But many sanders voters won’t vote for any dem lesser evil, so imo that’s one more reason why only sanders cam beat trump.

    1. John Anthony La Pietra

      The problem with a brokered convention is who gets to be the brokers — and how much of a commission they get. . . .

      How many of the 90% or 99% even have our/their own brokers — much less have good experiences with them? Stocks, real estate, insurance? . . .

      Maybe we need another, more pungent term to replace “brokered”. My head’s trying to come up with a good way to shift from “brokered to “broken”, or get “smoke” or “smog” into the phrase. . . .

      Or maybe we can call those involved the “deal-brokers”?

  126. Cpm

    Great debate. Best of the modern Democrat era.
    Bernie clear winner.

    It’s clear to me he will beat Donnie in first debate like Frazier beat Ali.
    His style is just right, move ahead take the cheap shots, deliver the body shots.

    Liz was fantastic with Bberg. He was flabbergasted as she continued to slap him in the face. Like the young Clay toying with Liston. He will get another shot, but he’ll go down in six. He’s untrainable. Too many underlings telling him he’s the man.

    This is the most hopeful I’ve felt. It was the true Naked Lunch. Easy to see what was on the end of each one’s fork.

    Bernie was the only honest eater. Everyone else was eating their own vanity. Tho Liz has a gourmand’s taste.

  127. Michael99

    In Senate hearings and again tonight Warren has shown she knows how to administer a good grilling. I wonder if she would be good as Treasury Secretary or Attorney General in a Sanders administration.

      1. deplorado

        Yves, not Prof. Stephanie Kelton for Treasury? Curious whether you don’t see Kelton as a far more reliable ally to Sanders and far more qualified for that post than Warren?

        2. Yves Smith

          Please tell me why an economist is qualified to run Treasury? I like Kelton but Treasury is not at all close to what she knows about. Larry Summers had to be the Deputy Secretary under Rubin for quite a few years before he was considered up to the task.

          Treasury has 2500 employees. The IRS is part of Treasury. It is also a financial regulator. It does NOT set the deficit level. That come out of the budgeting process and the reality is that there is a monster black budget for Defense.

          Warren has demonstrated that she has administrative chops. I am convinced Obama tasked her to start up the CFPB on the assumption she’d flounder and they could politely be done with her. Instead she did it quickly and well. A start-up is much harder to pull off than running an established operation.

          Kelton would be better as a Fed governor or head of the CEA.

  128. Bill Carson

    Just got home from a prior engagement, and I can’t seem to find a full replay of the debate anywhere. NBC has tons of clips, but I’m not looking for selective replays. This is maddening.

  129. anon y'mouse

    here’s what i heard:

    how much we are going to do for the immigrants and the dreamers.

    how much money we are going to give to get POC entrepreneurs going. how the immigrants are our future.

    how we are going to not take away your healthcare, because your union fought for it and earned it.

    how you will still have the chance (my gods, the chance!!) to earn as much money as you think you deserve.

    how socialism has been tried and failed and is generally evil.

    how much everything costs (notable by its absence), and how 2 cents is going to solve the issue.

    how we are going to go “green” with myriad of schemes, but have nothing to tell people out of work RIGHT NOW, nor those that fear that “retraining” means what it did when we passed NAFTA (“you will all get better jobs. where your clothes don’t have to get dirty”—still waiting on those).

    how the new NAFTA is a good thing, and how Bernie didn’t vote for the dreamers to come here and participate in the American Dream (which seems to be to throw actual americans under the bus and hope even poorer, more destitute people will eagerly fill the gap there).

    they all seemed united in tearing down Bloomie, but didn’t do enough to build up their own things.

    Warren was surprisingly strong and convincing. and i say that as someone who heartily dislikes her. if she were smart, which she hasn’t really been politically before, she would become Bernie’s VP. but she will stick around wasting everyone’s time until it’s over instead.
    Bernie hammered away at his thing. which is fine. i believe in his thing for reasons of my own. i just don’t think he made the best showing. his inability to bring the true fire makes one wonder if he isn’t too frail now (sorry, but it’s true). people who don’t understand his thing won’t be convinced. shouting about “billionaires” doesn’t put over the message and doesn’t make people want to know more, necessarily. i imagine that he is a million times better in the format of take and give with actual people down on the floor rather than attack-counterattack that this format requires.

    i pray Bloomie is toast. but never trust that a snake is truly dead until you’ve cooked it on a spit over a roasting fire.

  130. Cpm

    Klobuchar and Pete are running for sophmore class president, high school. They both hate the seniors, but hate each other more.

    Joe is the alumni president. A non-factor from here on out.

    Down to 3. Liz will told, no cash.
    Who will she try to take down with her?

        1. cm

          No way!!! Are you saying Warren lied???

          “I don’t believe democracy should be for sale to billionaires and giant corporations. I don’t take corporate PAC money. Shoot, I don’t take PAC money of any kind.”

          — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), during a campaign event in Des Moines, Jan. 5

          “I don’t take corporate PAC money. Shoot, I don’t take PAC money of any kind.”

          — Warren, during a campaign event in Manchester, N.H., Jan. 12

  131. Skk

    I used the NBC stream on FB, vpned as if I’m in the Uk. Worked very very well. I picked it up halfway and when it was over and they started again from the beginning I watched that until it crossed my start point.
    Like somebody else said, most hopeful I’ve been for ages. The bloody questioners mostly behaved themselves !
    Sanders was great.
    Elizabeth warren, did really well. Wtf happened in the previous weeks ? O well.
    The rest ? Bloomberg was dead, dead last imo.
    Again, I’m feeling hopeful again , about a free press, about democracy, USA style

    1. Bill Carson

      I finally found where I could join the replay in progress on nbc snooze dot com, but apparently they want to play the replay all the way through with commercials or something before they release the full video in the usual places. It is maddening.

  132. Detroit Dan

    Ethos, logos, pathos — reputation, logic, emotion

    At this point, it’s all about ethos. Logic and emotion are inconclusive, with craziness and passionate infighting. Bernie is the only candidate with any sort of consistency and reasonable expectation moving forward. The others are clearly superficial, in my opinion.

    The two outliers include Bloomberg, who is not only superficial but also largely detached from reality. Warren is the legitimate contender who bowed and broke in the face of the first challenges to her commitment.

    So Bernie has a free run to the nomination. He may be sidetracked by treachery, but the movement will prevail, in my humble opinion.

  133. deplorado

    I know the debate is over but I wish someone asked Bloomberg, if he is so sure he can beat Trump, why didn’t he run in the Republican primary?

    (and yeah, Detroit Dan – Bloomberg looked and sounded as if he didn’t care. I think he’ll fold when it gets on his nerves more.)

  135. bob

    I can’t find a video yet, but there was one point where Bloomberg was “ASKING TO SPEAK” and every one of the others, in series, looked to the left and said “please, go on….” The camera work was perfectly in sync. That should be the take away. Mike Bloomberg finally gets his chance- to spite himself.

    I saw Schiff was on one of the response shows. The vicar must pass judgment! Who lets him anywhere near a camera? He’s a logo label for a constipation cure.

  136. Cripes

    It’s true, I have never seen a candidate as detached and uninterested in the task.

    I imagine soon he’ll be telling his billionaire buds he doesn’t want to be bothered, just throw some more money into media and buying superdelegates and let me know how it works out.

    It’s a new low even for feeble American democracy now stooped to a Berlusconi level politics, but without the charisma, only the naked oligarch corruption.

  137. Amy Fargochar

    It was tie between Bernie and Warren. I agree Warren would make a great Treasury Secretary. Who would make a great VP for Bernie? It would be the most important VP pick in the history of politics. It needs to be someone who can step in and lead seamlessly with Bernie’s program should Bernie’s stents fatally fail. In toherwords, it can’t be a Dem establishment moderate.

    How much wood can a wood chipper chip if a wood chipper chips human flesh instead?

  138. Expat2Uruguay

    I thought that decision by the 9th Circuit Court was supposed to stop the police from ticketing and jailing homeless people. Well this article summarizing the program that continues in Santa Rosa to break up homeless camps is hard to square. I guess the police aren’t ticketing and jailing homeless people they’re just making them tear their camps down and move somewhere else and I guess that doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the decision from the 9th Circuit Court?
    https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/10722742-181/homeless-camp-forming-dismantling-cycle

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