Thought Biden did well, staying above the fray, and sounding like he knew about policy on the few opportunities policies were discussed.. Klobuchar got in the most zingers -she probably gained some voters. The first hour was an utter waste with canned speeches already perfected on the stump. Warren and Mayor P seemed to constantly go at it over what looked liked personal attacks. Considering they probably don't appeal to the same voters, I didn't get why they wasted their time that way. Can't see how either gained in this debate. Sanders still seems like Larry David, and not a real candidate. Sorry, my bias - he probably played well to his base, but I just didn't see him picking up voters with the same old all billionaires are bad stuff again and again and again. Yang seems like everyone's nerdy, little cousin. It was funny how his answers were just so different than everyone else's. Steyer - got nothing other than what was he doing on the stage? Thoughts?

I didn't watch the debate as I was at a holiday party, but Buttigieg and Warren are surprisingly competing for the same well-educated white voter demographic, which is why they are clashing. Why Warren is trying to attack him on being cozy to other rich white people when she is trying to take the well-educated white person vote (whom I would assume are similar to those rich white people) is questionable.

Other thoughts, I still like Yang because of his non-normal answers and think he'd do well against Trump in a national (even if the current polls don't support this) because he is the only candidate that I think would actually be able to cut off some of Trump's base with his factual non-judgmental approach..

Steyer just needs to quit.

Some debate analysis. Long video, but informative and thoughtful.

No. The field is still too large.

I watched some of the debate. In general I'm not a big fan of debates, but I thought Biden showed some fight and I liked his demeanor. Here is where I stand as of today:

1. My brain likes Biden. He'd be my vote today but that's not locked in.
2. My heart like Warren.

3. My brain is ok with Klobuchar
4. I don't like Sanders supporters and that impacts my view of Sanders probably more than it should.

5. I don't trust Buttigieg.
6. Yang may be the candidate of the future, but not today
7. I am very disinclined to support a billionaire for President.

At the end of the day, vote blue no matter who!

I watched a decent amount of this debate - probably more than I've seen of every other debate combined.

I think everyone did well for themselves and it was unlikely to have moved the needle. Biden maybe did the best for himself because he showed he can be sharp and perform which was definitely a concern for him.

Of the rest, I agree Steyer doesn't belong but I would add Yang to that. Yang in some ways bothers me the most because he basically has no qualifications other than being a good talker. I think people accept him at face value but if he were a more legitimate candidate there would be a lot of tough questions for him. In particular he holds himself out as a tech entrepreneur and a data/math/technologist, but as far as I can tell he was the CEO of a very small test prep company (no tech) and then ran a small non-tech nonprofit that did far less than he's claimed. His background is generic well-educated biglaw lawyer (who practiced for a year) with a non-tech background but he presents himself as Elon Musk like, only without the experience of having built any successful enterprises. As someone who works with data scientists everyday and has been working with successful entrepreneurs for a number of years, I don't buy his schtick. There is a phenomenal tech entrepreneur in the field but his name is Bloomberg.

I would also say on Bernie, I don't think he will win nor do I think he would beat Trump or accomplish anything he says he would do as president, but I'm coming around on him and wouldn't mind if he actually became our president. I like his personality and trust that he wouldn't embarrass us daily, even if he wouldn't be able to drive his aggressive agenda.

Yang is the only non-establishment, non-ideological candidate, which is what a lot of the self proclaimed enlightened Left desires.

I would argue every candidate is ideological? Every candidate needs to believe in something and that is their ideology. Trump was not a traditional Republican but he has ideology. I would say Yangs ideology is about changing what america values away from raw economic output and profit and success and towards quality of life.

GBear4Life said:

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Yang is the only non-establishment, non-ideological candidate, which is what a lot of the self proclaimed enlightened Left desires.

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He is smart and funny. I would find a job for him in the Administration if Dems win and if he wanted it. I like him a lot.

Being ideological means your ideology dictates the response to a particular kind of problem and issue, rather than the facts and circumstances of that problem and issue informing the the response.

Ideologues can use canned responses to specific problems -- like in attempting to solve education achievement gaps "we need to pay teachers more"..."we need to invest more in public education" -- while a non-ideologue can acknowledge something relatively obvious but never recognized by partisan ideologues which is that most of educational achievement is a result of factors outside the classroom.

Conservative ideologue think achievement is wholly based on effort and will power

Liberal ideologues think achievement gaps would be eliminated if you just equalized social circumstances.

Both are profoundly wrong. Neither ideology can seriously address such issues because ideology is not so much concerned with facts (e.g. the high variance and biological aspect of IQ, the early child rearing that impact mental cognitive abilities) but only with serving...it's own ideology narrative

golden sloth said:

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..Trump was not a traditional Republican but he has ideology....

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Yeah, growing the tRump Brand and increasing Crime Family net worth wrapped in the camouflage of any ideology that advances those goals.

wifeisafurd said:

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Thought Biden did well, staying above the fray, and sounding like he knew about policy on the few opportunities policies were discussed.. Klobuchar got in the most zingers -she probably gained some voters. The first hour was an utter waste with canned speeches already perfected on the stump. Warren and Mayor P seemed to constantly go at it over what looked liked personal attacks. Considering they probably don't appeal to the same voters, I didn't get why they wasted their time that way. Can't see how either gained in this debate. Sanders still seems like Larry David, and not a real candidate. Sorry, my bias - he probably played well to his base, but I just didn't see him picking up voters with the same old all billionaires are bad stuff again and again and again. Yang seems like everyone's nerdy, little cousin. It was funny how his answers were just so different than everyone else's. Steyer - got nothing other than what was he doing on the stage? Thoughts?

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I love that Bernie is out there, but every time I see him as a serious candidate I think of this and it is so dead on it kills me

wifeisafurd said:

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Thought Biden did well, staying above the fray, and sounding like he knew about policy on the few opportunities policies were discussed.. Klobuchar got in the most zingers -she probably gained some voters. The first hour was an utter waste with canned speeches already perfected on the stump. Warren and Mayor P seemed to constantly go at it over what looked liked personal attacks. Considering they probably don't appeal to the same voters, I didn't get why they wasted their time that way. Can't see how either gained in this debate. Sanders still seems like Larry David, and not a real candidate. Sorry, my bias - he probably played well to his base, but I just didn't see him picking up voters with the same old all billionaires are bad stuff again and again and again. Yang seems like everyone's nerdy, little cousin. It was funny how his answers were just so different than everyone else's. Steyer - got nothing other than what was he doing on the stage? Thoughts?

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Consensus is Klobuchar did really well and Biden did really well by doing sorta well.

Klobuchar has an outside shot because Iowa is first and if somebody kneecaps Buttigieg, she has a shot at picking up his support there. Honestly, I don't know if I would vote for her, but she is a much better candidate than Buttigieg. I wish she'd take over his lane.

The Pete B American Psycho parodies are pretty good

How about a Biden/Klobuchar ticket?

Anarchistbear said:

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The Pete B American Psycho parodies are pretty good

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I never saw that movie but at the end of that clip I recognized local actor, Matt Ross (lives in Elmwood District).

bearister said:

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How about a Biden/Klobuchar ticket?

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Too white. If Biden gets the nomination and doesn't pair up with Harris he's making a mistake.

okaydo said:

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I wasn't even sure if she was being serious here, but it looks like she really meant this, unreal.

It's kind of funny how Hollywood people like her are so out of touch. Wine Cave Pete got torched last night, about time he got exposed.

Given the horror stories about her campaign, I dont know if I'd trust her in that role. Here is the thing, people talk about needing to energize the minority base, but when you look at the polling numbers, they dont support their minority candidates, so why would a minority vp help energize the base?

Women dont seem to support Warren or Klobuchar in unusually large amounts, just like Booker and Harris didnt get an unusually large amount of support from the black community.

Perhaps the majority of those underrepresented groups dont care about the identity politics of it all, and just want a candidate they agree with or will beat donald trump.

Perhaps the reason these candidates dont do better isnt because of institutional barriers or biases but because they didnt have good organization or messaging which resonates with voters.

dajo9 said:

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bearister said:

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How about a Biden/Klobuchar ticket?

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Too white. If Biden gets the nomination and doesn't pair up with Harris he's making a mistake.

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But what about the precious mom and pop votes in the key Electoral College states that will worry that if Joe croaks in office then they end up with, God forbid, a minority female POTUS?

I think Biden will pick Stacey Abrams of Georgia. Unlike Harris she comes from a state where a lot of African Americans live and can relate to them in other ways than throwing them in jail

bearister said:

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dajo9 said:

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bearister said:

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How about a Biden/Klobuchar ticket?

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Too white. If Biden gets the nomination and doesn't pair up with Harris he's making a mistake.

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But what about the precious mom and pop votes in the key Electoral College states that will worry that if Joe croaks in office then they end up with, God forbid, a minority female POTUS?

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It's all part of Putin's plan

Cal88 said:

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okaydo said:

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I wasn't even sure if she was being serious here, but it looks like she really meant this, unreal.

It's kind of funny how Hollywood people like her are so out of touch. Wine Cave Pete got torched last night, about time he got exposed.

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Billionaires that are altruistic and vote against their own financial interests are cool but those that vote to further their chokehold on wealth are simply the Piggies George Harrison wrote about.

Anarchistbear said:

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bearister said:

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dajo9 said:

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bearister said:

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How about a Biden/Klobuchar ticket?

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Too white. If Biden gets the nomination and doesn't pair up with Harris he's making a mistake.

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But what about the precious mom and pop votes in the key Electoral College states that will worry that if Joe croaks in office then they end up with, God forbid, a minority female POTUS?

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It's all part of Putin's plan

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His plan is simple. Unsecured voting machines in the few states that matter because of the Electoral College. It is like shooting fish in a barrel.

Election security: The scramble to secure America's voting machines


https://politico.com/interactives/2019/election-security-americas-voting-machines/

dajo9 said:

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bearister said:

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How about a Biden/Klobuchar ticket?

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Too white. If Biden gets the nomination and doesn't pair up with Harris he's making a mistake.

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Stacey Abrams.

Anarchistbear said:

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I think Biden will pick Stacey Abrams of Georgia. Unlike Harris she comes from a state where a lot of African Americans live and can relate to them in other ways than throwing them in jail

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I heard Abrams interviewed on a light hearted radio show. She was really funny, intelligent, charismatic. Was really impressive.

okaydo said:

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I'm not an Iowan, but I played one in the movies.

I think Selena Montgomery would be good, I guess.

The author of this piece is also responsible for finding Mitt Romney and James Comey's burner Twitter accounts.

OaktownBear said:

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dajo9 said:

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bearister said:

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How about a Biden/Klobuchar ticket?

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Too white. If Biden gets the nomination and doesn't pair up with Harris he's making a mistake.

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Stacey Abrams.

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That's a big promotion from State legislature

dajo9 said:

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OaktownBear said:

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dajo9 said:

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bearister said:

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How about a Biden/Klobuchar ticket?

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Too white. If Biden gets the nomination and doesn't pair up with Harris he's making a mistake.

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Stacey Abrams.

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That's a big promotion from State legislature

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The Vice Presidential candidate's job is to get the Presidential candidate elected.

I supported Harris, but she was terrible on the campaign.