Today's Sentinel: "Who should Obama pick for VP?"

The editors at the Sentinel and Enterprise must think following politics is a little like watching the olympics--you know, how you stay away from hearing the results so you can watch it on TV as though it were live. Apparently, they figured that all of their on-line readers would check out over the weekend and wait until later today to find out Obama's pick for VP, since they posted this article just before 8:00 this morning:

The article also includes this gem:

Former Gardner State Rep. and current Democratic state Senate candidate Brian Knuuttila was just as supportive of Clinton, but "doesn't think it's going to happen..."

Knuuttila said Obama could also do well by nominating a conservative democrat, such as Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, to boost support in the south.

Um, Florida Governor Charlie Crist is a Republican...

The Sentinel posted an article titled "Obama introduces running mate Biden" a full two minutes later. Guess they didn't want to keep their readers waiting very long.

Tags: Massachusetts Sentinel and Enterprise Election 2008 Democratic Barack Obama Joe Biden

Joe Biden, good choice

I have always been a fan of Joe Biden, so I was happy with this morning's announcement that he will be Obama's running mate. Of all of the candidates that have been considered "serious" in recent weeks, he was definitely the best. Just a couple of quick thoughts...

1. He is the perfect candidate to solidify the "I'm with you" narrative that McCain has allowed with his gaffes about his many houses, etc. Biden is the least affluent of the 100 senators, famously (or soon-to-be famously) commuted by train from Wilmington, Del. to Washington every night during his early years in the Senate. And was a single parent with young children for years after his first wife was killed in an auto accident (compare that with McCain leaving his wheelchair-bound first wife for a young blond heiress). Hopefully McCain will choose Mitt Romney to help solidify the rich, multiple house-owning, out-of-touch Republican ticket.

2. Not everyone likes him. Michelle, for instance, doesn't like him at all. She thinks he is a smarmy know-it-all. I don't imagine that will change her vote to McCain (I'm guessing nothing short of Obama choosing Clark Rockefeller as his running mate would do that), but I wonder how he will play with other young women, or it if will even matter.

3. The GOP is already out with a couple of ads showing Biden saying Obama isn't ready to be president, that he like McCain, etc. Ultimately this wont matter a whit--every candidate has bad things to say about a rival--but the GOP has to do it because they're expected to. These things are a lot like the pitcher throwing over to first base to check on a runner over and over again. Most of the time it doesn't result in an out, but the pitcher has to do it anyway in attempt to slow the runner down a step.

4. I love the idea of sending out the text message at 3:00 AM. After so much talk in the primary about who would be ready to take the call at 3:00 AM, it seems perfect. But I'll bet that some Hillary supporters will see it as a slap to the face, and we'll start to see stories come across the wire any minute now about peeved Clintonites feeling like their candidate was being mocked. Deal with it.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Barack Obama Joe Biden

It's Edwards to win in Iowa

What will most likely turn out to be the most exciting, interesting--dare I say, fun--two months of politics most of us will ever witness kicks off tomorrow night with the Iowa caucuses. This is the first completely open election of my lifetime (where neither a sitting president nor vice president is on the ballot) and the run up to the first contest has been as entertaining as any of us could have hoped. And there is a real possibility that tomorrow's results will be the climax that political junkies have hoped for each year: the results could throw the campaign even further into chaos and leave us essentially where we were a year ago, no closer to a pair of nominees.

But someone has to win. So in front of that backdrop, here are my predictions for what will happen tomorrow in Iowa and next Tuesday in New Hampshire, starting with the Democrats.

The polls in Iowa are all over the place, but I have a hunch that John Edwards is going to barely win what essentially will be a two-way tie with Barack Obama, with Clinton trailing by six or seven points. Edwards has won in Iowa before, and his organization and liberal turn will resonate with enough of the state's working-class Democrats to eke out a victory (man, do I sound like a real pundit or what).

Obama will do well as college students return to campuses a little early and independents choose the Democratic caucus over the Republican contest. I don't think that will be enough to give him a win, but it will be enough that he can try to spin the result as a tie.

Clinton is already starting to lower expectations (she claimed this morning that girls don't caucus well!) and probably realizes that she's not going to take the state. She is strong enough to finish near the top, and the real test will be in how she is able to frame the finish. If she's successful is claiming that she did very well in a state which was very tough for her (given Edwards' strength and Obama's celebrity) she will be positioned to be the Comeback Kid II with a good showing in New Hampshire. If the narrative that comes out of Iowa is that Clinton blew a lead and is vulnerable, she might in fact be.

If there is a viable fourth-place candidate (and by viable, I mean at least double-digits), I think Joe Biden could pull off a minor surprise and be the one. Indications from the state show that crowds at his events have been picking up and if Biden is the second choice of a number of the other lesser candidates, he could sneak back into the race, although I don't think he'll be anything more than a long shot.

The second-place aspect of the caucus also could swing a few points in the direction of one of the leading candidates and make the difference. Kucinich has already suggested that his supporters caucus with Obama if Kucinich is below 15% at a particular caucus. While he does not have enough supporters to make a huge difference, someone like Bill Richardson does. Richardson has been considered close to the Clintons...could his supporters move en masse to Hillary in precincts where Richardson is not viable? Polls suggest that his level of support is high enough to tip the scales completely in favor of one candidate or another should his voters move together.

Of course, Richardson is currently in fourth place in polls, so it could be him and not Biden who hangs on for another week.

Trying to pinpoint the numbers, I predict:
Edwards....29%
Obama.......28%
Clinton.......23%
Biden..........11%
Richardson..6%
Dodd.............2%
Kucinich.......1%
Gravel..........0%

What would those results mean for New Hampshire? If Edwards wins, it won't matter whether or not Clinton or Obama is second or third, the two sitting senators will remain frontrunners, setting up a monumental showdown in the Granite State.

If Obama wins, I think he rides a wave of momentum to the nomination. If Clinton wins, Obama can still remain viable if he finishes second, but he must win in New Hampshire. Clinton or Obama are only in big trouble if they finish third and the other wins.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich Iowa

"Rudy Giuliani doesn't know what the heck he's talking about." and other thoughts on tonight's Dem debate -- part 2

On with the second half of tonight's debate. Part 1 is here.

• Social Security question for you, Joe Biden. Would you raise the cap on SS taxes so that people who make over $97,500 pay tax on all of their earnings? Yes.


• Hillary Clinton? Let me talk about other stuff. Why would I ever give a yes or no answer to a yes or no question? Hillary refuses to talk about her options until there is fiscal responsibility. Why is she afraid to talk about specific policy points? Is it because Democrats won't like them or because she doesn't have any? She ran and hid on Iran, and she's hiding now on Social Security.


• Richardson would not raise the cap. Russert is pressing him on his idea that we can "grow our way out of this" (Russert's words). Both Biden and Dodd are grinning, they appreciate Russert carrying the ball on this one.


• Edwards: "Specifically, let me be very specific..."


• Dodd mumbling fast again. If it looks like a senator, walks like a senator, and quacks like a senator, it must be a senator.


• Hillary basically says, trust us we're Democrats. I mean, that works for me, but that's not going to fly with most people. She's not going to win without outlining some policies.


• Oh good grief, where are these questions coming from? First a question of whether or not to pass a federal law banning smoking in public places, now a question about whether we should allow states to lower the drinking age. Clearly, this debate has gone on too long. No one is going to go for that. Now everyone is going on and on about the evils of alcohol. What a waste of time.


• Gravel: If they're old enough to die for our country, they're old enough to drink.

Third break. On to the lightning round. And there is actually a "lightning round" graphic and clock on the screen. Nice.

• Hillary, is it healthy to have a Bush-Clinton political dynasty? I'll answer this one: No.


• Kucinich makes a joke about his height. Ho ho. What a clown.


• Dodd, would you ban Chinese toys, at the risk of leaving your children without toys for Christmas? Yes. (Wow, I didn't expect that).


• Bill Richardson, would you be the honorary chairman of the boy scouts, even though they hate gays? No. I don't like that answer. I'd like to see the president use that position to help change the Boy Scouts.


• Somehow, Richardson has changed subjects onto the Iraq war and he ended up going way over his 30 seconds. I've said before, there is no way he can answer a question in less than 30 seconds. He cannot do it.


• Mike Gravel wants to build five million windmills over the next five years. Bet Ted Kennedy won't be happy about that.


• Clinton wouldn't rule out nuclear power, "but it's not one of the options that I favor." Good night, take a position. Please, give me a reason to vote for you. Why can't you just answer a question?


• Russert's hypothetical: "We get lucky and get the number three guy in al Qaeda..." What is this, the NBA draft lottery? Can the guy shoot the three?


• I hate these stupid hypotheticals. Russert tries to "gotcha" Hillary by suggesting that the hypothetical about torturing the al Qaeda swingman was from Bill Clinton. Hillary reminds Russert that Bill isn't standing here tonight. Her best moment of the night.


• Gosh, we still have 10 minutes to go. Richardson has gone over his 30 seconds again. One thing I liked about the Fox debates was the little bell that went off in the hall when a candidate's time was up. We could have used one tonight.


• Russert's continued use of BIll Clinton's positions as a battering ram to take on Hillary is getting old.


• Oh boy, the gotcha of all gotchas: Hey you godless Democrats, what is your favorite bible verse?


• Obama: The Sermon on the Mount. (That's Matthew 5-7, if you're scoring at home. Probably doesn't count as a verse). Because it expresses a sense of empathy. Man, did he struggle on that one. He's talking about gas bills and stuff.


• Clinton: The Golden Rule.


• Gravel: The most important thing in life is love. (Not a verse)


• Kucinich: the prayer of St. Francis (not a verse).
• Edwards: What you do unto the least of those, you do unto me. Now that's a Bible verse.


• Richardson: Sermon on the Mount. He's totally cribbing off Obama.


• Dodd: The good Samaritan would be an example of what we all should be like.


• Biden: Christ's warning to the pharisees. I guess I'm going to have to look that one up.


• What the heck? I don't expect these guys to be religious scholars and I certainly won't be voting for or against any of them on the basis of religion, but since they all claim to be Christians, I'd at least expect a little knowledge of the Bible.

I'm not going even going to acknowledge the stupidity of the Red Sox/Yankees question. That's it. Winners and losers tomorrow.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich

"Rudy Giuliani doesn't know what the heck he's talking about." and other thoughts on tonight's Dem debate -- part 1

You're looking live at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. for what might be described as the first real Democratic debate of the 2008 season. We'll see if Labor Day is really when the campaigns ratchet up to full speed, or if it's just more of the same. Now, to Tim Russert...

...who apparently needs to say nice things about Dartmouth before we start. I'd normally say that he's taking time away from the debate, but it's two hours long and...hey, now he jumps right into it.

• Barack, how do you end the war on January 20, 2009 since there will apparently still be 100,000 troops in Iraq? And he's already punting, talking about how he wants to end the war before it gets to that point. He doesn't have an answer. Pull in the joint chiefs, etc. etc. And he won't even promise that they will be gone by 2013... Wow, did he blow that one.


• Hillary won't promise to get them out, Edwards won't promise to get them out. Please, please, please ask this question of Bill Richardson next. Edwards is going a little farther than Obama and Clinton, hitting Clinton on her openness to continue combat in Iraq. But he will go back in if there is genocide.


• Richardson says the senators want to change the mission, he wants to end the war. But he muffed on the specifics. He'd leave some light equipment behind? How long will it be before someone suggests that by leaving equipment behind, we'd be allowing (inset group here) to attack us and our allies with our own equipment? Tonight, next week?


• Biden with a real good answer. Best answer I've heard him give. If his political solution doesn't work, they get out. If it does, he'd leave a residual force like we did in Bosnia. I'm not sure I've heard him describe his position in quite that way before.


• Dennis Kucinich wants Abe Lincoln to be the next president of Iraq, or something.
  


• Wow. Gravel hammering Clinton for voting for the Lieberman amendment which some suggest may allow us to go to war with Iran. Clinton really looks uncomfortable. Her first response was a forced laugh that sounded almost sinister. She doesn't look like she was ready for it, and is stammering around a bit about the revolutionary guard and terrorists and such. That might be as defensive as I've seen her in any of the previous debates.


• And now Russert is piggybacking Gravel's idea that the Democrats should force Republicans to filibuster to kill their bills by calling for votes daily on the issue. Good for Gravel for being able to set the debate, if only for a moment.


• Hillary, would Israel be justified in bombing Iran if they found out Iran had a nuclear device. She refuses to answer, on the grounds that it is a hypothetical. She's on the defensive again. Russert lets her off the hook by letting her talk about practicing diplomacy with the Iranians.


• Obama rambling in response to the same question, saying that pension funds can divest from Iran to pressure them or something. So far, neither of the frontrunners sound comfortable or confident on Iran.


• Edwards also giving it to Clinton on the Lieberman resolution. Says she should have known better than to give Bush the first step toward war with Iran.


• Richardson says he will guarantee that Iran won't be a nuclear power if he's president, because his brand of diplomacy works. His resume suggests that is true.


• On another note, it looks like he's gaining weight again. He was looking particularly svelte earlier in the debate process.


• Hey, it's debate afterthought Alison King of NECN, who is going to suck all of the momentum out of the debate by asking some silly question from the Internet. Sounds like she's deepened her voice for the occasion. She asks a tortured question about immigration and posits it to Richardson, who jokes that he must be getting it because he's Hispanic.


• Biden: "Rudy Giuliani doesn't know what the heck he's talking about. He is the most uninformed person on American foreign policy now running for president." Biden is clearly jacked up tonight. He is ready to be on fire if he can get a question or two.


• Dodd starts his answer on immigration like a Senator always does when he doesn't have an answer. He mumbled something so quickly that it was unintelligible until he got his footing.


• Russert asks if anyone would "shut down these sanctuary cities." What a miserably stupid question. Are we going to go in and board up New Haven, Conn. and kick 150,000 people out of their homes? Perhaps wipe them off the earth with a volcano? Who's talking about shutting down cities?

First break. Biden looks good, Clinton has been shaky. I'm going to get a Diet Coke.

• Dodd, Why should Bush want Hillary to be president? Oh, he's not going to answer that. Why waste the 60 seconds.


• Tim Russert looks like the fat California raisin.


• I've got to say, I'm not fired up about the health care debate. The discussion is essentially about whether or not the so-called "Hillarycare" proposal of 1993 was a bad thing or a really bad thing.


• Edwards is proposing to end the congressional health care plan if they don't vote for universal health care. He's not going to do that. What a transparent pander.


• Russert wants to know why Obama is running for president when he hasn't passed any major legislation and told voters that he wasn't running for higher office. Obama says (among other things) that people want politic ans who tell the truth. The irony is lost on him.


• Apparently we're in a stretch where Russert points out all of the warts on a candidate and asks why he or she should be president.


• Mike Gravel, you can't balance your own checkbook, how can you run the country? He ran up credit card bills standing up for the American people. I wonder if that will fly with Michelle next time I use the credit card.


• Dennis Kucinich, you bankrupted Cleveland, how will you keep from bankrupting the country? I did it on purpose to save the electric company.


• Richardson, your state sucks and you make a gaffe a week, why should you be president? Hey, nobody's perfect.


• Back to the deeply resonant Alison King for a question about teaching second graders about gays. Would you be comfortable having a story about a gay couple getting married read to your second graders? (Prediction: all will answer yes. Because it's a stupid question.)


• Edwards: yes. I expect my children will be more enlightened than I am. Oooh, but second grade might be early. But let me talk about gay issues generally.


• Obama: My kids already know about same-sex couples.


• Clinton is not going to answer the question. "That's a matter of parental discretion." OK, my turn to get on the soapbox here. Gay marriage is the law of the commonwealth of Massachusetts (which is where the issue that spawned the question was raised). Teaching second graders about something that is legal in Massachusetts is absolutely appropriate. The question was fundamentally flawed, because that is not the case anywhere else at the moment.

That's the end of part 1. Biden is still winning (although he was essentially shut out of the second segment). Clinton still has it rough. Back with more in a bit.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich

"What I believe in is love." and thoughts from today's Democratic Debate -- Part 2

You are looking live at Des Moines, Iowa, site of the 458th Democratic Presidential debate. OK, again not live, since I have better things to do at 9:00 am. Obama says he's out of the rest of the debates (other than the "official" debates), but I'm not! I'll be here for all of them.

The first part of the debate is discussed here. Part two starts now...

• Well hang on a minute George. Why don't you tell us what's been going on for the last 30 seconds, or roll some video of what we missed. Don't tease us like that.


• So the first video question was from a farmer in overalls, and the second question was from some guy standing in front of what looks like an elementary school bulletin board, speaking so fast that they needed to add subtitles. Those were the two best questions ABC could get?


• Mike Gravel, when have you lied to your constituents? I haven't been truthful about just how lousy my opponents are.


• Biden says he's never not told the truth, in fact he says too much. How about you start with this answer.


• Kucinich also hasn't ever lied. Your nose is getting longer, Dennis.


• Obama says he doesn't talk enough about the cost of energy efficiency. Whatever. This is obviously a stupid question. No one wants to answer it.


• Edwards said it was when he voted for the war and didn't speak about his concerns. Hillary is saying the same thing, but without the sincerity. She just can't say she made a mistake without qualifying it. Can't do it.


• Richardson says he makes a mistake a week, but despite that, he'll be a great president who loves America and the constitution.


• Dodd says he's upset that he didn't filibuster the Military Commissions Act. And he got a hearty round of applause.


• I'm distracted by the fact that Dodd has snow white hair, and heavy dark brown eyebrows. I wonder if he'd look better or worse if his eyebrows were white as well.


• George qualified his question on education with the admission that no one was talking about it. I've got to say I'm not paying attention.


• Except that Richardson seems to be the only one who got real support form the crowd, with his suggestion that he has a one-point plan for No Child Left Behind and his proposal to add 100,000 math and science teachers.


• Gravel is reinforcing the idea that he is bat-shit crazy.


• Whoops, ABC just flashed the closing credits on the bottom of the screen as Biden started talking. Guess we know the producer wants to get out of here as soon as possible.


• How can you ask a yes-or-know question about the banking and mortgage crisis? What kind of a stupid idea is that. We could have an entire debate on this issue.


• It sounds like Kucinich wants the federal government to take over the mortgage industry. I'm not sure that would be a better idea.


• What was the decisive moment in your life:
• Kucinich: living in a car as a child.
• Obama: Going to college.
• Biden: The civil rights movement.
• Richardson: When my wife agreed to marry me.
• Gravel: When I realized that representative government was broken.
• Edwards: When he saw his father watching PBS. (no really)
• Dodd: Decision to join the peace corps. (He now has the fly on his head).
• Clinton: The women's movement. What a boring, pandering, unfulfilling answer.


• I want to know what Richardson resented. In his last answer, he started to say that he resented...and then Stephonopolous cut him off. I'd have liked to hear what he was upset about.

I'll be interested to see what everyone else thinks about the debate. For the first time, I thought Richardson did very well, and was the "winner." He was able to set himself apart on the war and on education, and his opponents were on the defensive in response to his positions (especially on the war).

If there was a loser (other than Gravel, who might as well be running for president of Saturn), it was Edwards. I think he's losing traction a little, despite the fact that the arena was obviously stuffed with his supporters. I also thought Clinton was a little less impressive than usual.

Until next time...

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich

"What I believe in is love." and thoughts from today's Democratic Debate -- Part 1

You are looking live at Des Moines, Iowa, site of the 458th Democratic Presidential debate. OK, again not live, since I have better things to do at 9:00 am. Obama says he's out of the rest of the debates (other than the "official" debates), but I'm not! I'll be here for all of them. And away we go...

• Hey Hillary, Obama's not ready, right? Ho ho, ha ha. I'm not going to criticize a naive, inexperienced candidate on this stage, George.


• Senator Dodd, you've said Obama's completely out of touch. Should he be president? What kind of stupid questions are these to start? Why ask the seven candidates what they think about the eighth? What is that supposed to prove?


• Richardson takes the early lead! You've got Obama who represents change and Clinton who represents experience. Both are important, which is why you should vote for me.


• Obama with a nice line about the bumper cars at the fair. After talking about Pakistan, he says "there is one more thing I believe..." I hope to hell that he believes in more than Pakistan and just one other thing.


• George pins Hillary on nuclear weapons. I wonder if George feels like he needs to be tougher on Clinton, since he worked for the former president. Kind of like a father who coaches his son and is tougher on him so that he doesn't appear to be playing favorites.


• Looks like this is going to be the Hillary and Obama show.


• Hey, Obama has a fly on his forehead. Wonder if that's an indication that he's full of shit?


• Senator Edwards finally has a chance to speak and he starts by guffawing about hope and optimism? Clunk. He says "actually" when he's talking about his points. I find people who talk in those kind of terms to be a little shady.


• Michelle says Mike Gravel is "out of his mind." I like him because he gives me a chance to catch up with the blogging.


• Richardson seems engaged for a change.


• Again, here we go with the Clinton-bashing from Stephonopolous. Why would he ever start a question with Karl Rove's premise. Is it at all possible that Rove is talking badly about Clinton precisely because he is most afraid of her, not as some sort of objective observer? If Rove says Clinton is unelectable, I immediately suspect that he thinks she is the most formidable.


• Obama says he believes he is the best person to lead the country. Edwards counters that he "has a different view." Well no kidding, Mr. Obvious. If you didn't disagree, you would drop out and support Obama wouldn't you? I just don't see how this Washington lobbyist thing gains enough traction to help him.


• Clinton is right about Rove's obsession with her, as am I. Pardon me while I pat myself on the back.


• I guess all we are going to do for the next five minutes is argue about the influence of lobbyists. I guess the fact that the game is being played on Edwards turf right now is a good thing, but I just don't think this a huge issue.


• Chris Dodd is right about "situational ethics" where candidates think their donors are good and the opponents' donors are bad, but no one is listening because he is Chris Dodd and he sounds and talks like a generic senator.


• Hey, Kucinich is there! And he's pissed that he hasn't spoken for the first 15 minutes. He's talking about health care, but he's still pissed. He doesn't seem as happy as he has in previous debates.


• Tee it up for Richardson...and whiff. Don't use words like tri-partite. You turn people off by using big ambassador words. He should have started by saying he will bring the troops out, not adding that as an addendum to the end of his question.


• Hillary, help a brother out, yo! Michelle is tired of her not being specific on how she'd take the troops out. This is good for Richardson, in that he gets to stand out as the only one of the "top tier" who is committed to a quick withdrawal. Anytime every candidate is debating one candidates, position, it's a good thing for that candidate.


• Gravel wants to ally with Iran and Syria and let them have Iraq. Hoo boy!


• Richardson wants to know what the purpose of Clinton's and Biden's "residual force" is. Good question. Turn it on them. He overtalked the question, and lost some of the impact of it, but that's what he needs to do, force them to explain why troops need to stay.


• And even better news for Richardson: Obama agrees with Edwards, Clinton and Biden. The point has been made: Richardson is the only member of the top tier who is willing to stand up to take our troops out. He has to be thrilled with how this is going.


• Stephonopolous pinned Obama down on specifics, and Obama is starting to stammer a little. I don't think he wanted to get pinned down.


• Kucinich is still mad. He blames the "Democratic Senate" for going along with the war. Were the Democrats still in charge when the war was authorized? I'm going to half to look that one up.


• Do you believe in a personal God? Hillary says she can't hear the question. Sounds like she's trying to buy time to come up with an answer. That is not going to go over well with the religious folk (not that they were going to vote for her anyway).


• Dodd says we don't do anything "without [God's] approval." None of these guys sound convincing so far.


• Gravel: "What I believe in is love." Hasn't that been obvious throughout the debates? He is really a big cuddly teddy bear.


• Richardson seems sincere. Biden also seems sincere. And he's a martyr.


• Obama is speaking now. I've got to say, I'm looking past him. I can't wait to hear Kucinich's answer. Obama would pray for strength and wisdom. That's actually a pretty good answer.


• Kucinich: "I've been standing here for 45 minutes praying to God that you would call on me." Now that is the most candid answer of the night!


• Oh come on, they get a guy with overalls to ask a question? He can't be real, can he? He's got to be straight out of central casting.


• Chris Dodd wants the Internet in every farmer's home. That'll do it.


• Edwards has a number of supporters in the hall. I think he could advocate the torture of all dogs under 35 pounds and get a hearty round of applause.


• Obama always says that "every proposal that has been talked about is a good one" before adding his two cents. Every single time.


• Richardson gets 20 seconds to finish this segment. Much as I'm rooting for the guy, he couldn't recite his social security number in 20 seconds. And he gets cut off.

More to come.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich

"I'm the Seabiscuit of this campaign." and other thoughts on tonight's Democratic debate -- Part 2

(Part 1)

On to the audience questions...

• Oh come on, a "celebrity questioner?" I feel bad for her, but I don't like the idea of ringers. Worse, how can Biden deflect the question of a mine widow to talk about Iraq? He got appropriately booed by the crowd.


• Kucinich is still on fire. Although calling it "the Workers White House" will probably have the conservatives breaking out in hives.


• Richardson apparently wasn't paying attention to the questioner from Michigan, as he just said he was in his town in Iowa.His answer on job protection was weak, the response on health care for veterans was much better.


• A fantastically emotional question from a disabled steelworker, gets a standing ovation from the crowd. Question goes to Edwards, which is right in his wheelhouse. He'd give workers the same benefits as their CEOs, and he'd push for universal health care. He gets a huge ovation for shouting down Olbermann's effort to enforce the rules.


• Clinton doesn't answer the question she was given, but she answers all the rest of them. The curtain behind her nearly blows into the distance.


• Obama: I think it's possible to be a nation of laws, and a nation of immigrants.


• Joe Biden is pandering to nurses, but not answering the question. Apparently the debate has devolved into a question of who has walked more picket lines than the other. Blah, blah, blah. He is not connecting at all.


• Kucinich wants Medicare for all. Ooooh. I don't know about that. Universal health care, yes. Universal Medicare? Count me out.


• Now Edwards is going on and on about how many picket lines he's walked. OK, we get it. He spends a little too much time saying "I want to say something about this."


• The graphic says "Robert Flynn, insulator." That's kind of cool.


• The crowd is starting to get tired of candidates going back to answer questions that they haven't been asked. Dodd booed for talking about health care instead of energy independence.


• Even Hillary getting booed for postponing the question. Sounds like someone in the audience is trying to shout her down.

Third break. Kucinich continues to be the only candidate that has connected consistently. Edwards did well, but the crowd started to tire of his "I picketed more than you" exchange with Biden. Biden is withering on the vine. He's been brutal.

-------

Lightning round...

• Richardson's VP would not be Dick Cheney, and would be a member of executive branch. Makes the old joke about how any of the other candidates would make a good VP.


• Oh look, there is a lightning round clock. So we can see how long Hillary will avoid answering the question about lobbyists.


• Barack what about bundling by lobbyists? I don't have any lobbyists bundling for me. Oh, and I walk picket lines.


• John Edwards, how are your rich lawyer donors better than Hillary's rich lobbyists? They just are, Keith.


• Joe Biden, would you appoint a Republican to Homeland Security? He'd consider it. Not the answer we're looking for, Joe. The Republicans have proven to be incompetent.


• Dodd makes sure to mention that Homeland Security doesn't allow collective bargaining.


• Kucinich, what has congress accomplished? Well, nothing, so I'll talk about how I'm tilting at windmills with all these bills I can't get passed.


• Obama, would you honor Barry Bonds at the WH? Heh, heh. Don't ask me that, Keith.


• Hillary, what would you do to fix Katrina? I'd have a 10-point plan that I can't tell you about.


• Joe Biden, would you pledge to stop no bid contracts? Yes.


• Question for all:Would it bother you that the next campaign will start as soon as you're inaugurated?
• Richardson didn't hear the question, so he's talking about bringing the country together or something.
• Obama says yes, campaigns are too expensive and long.
• Biden would be such a good president, that no one would want to replace him.
• Hillary will be too busy to worry about it.
• Dodd says the campaign started early because people hate Bush.
• Edwards is talking about the guy with the cleft palate again. At least the second debate where he's talked about the guy. He's connecting.
• Kucinich: "I'm the Seabiscuit of this campaign." Lots of jokes there.

That's it. Kucinich won, but that doesn't really matter. Edwards also connected well with the crowd and was a close second. Clinton and Dodd also did well. Obama was alright. I think he's still too cautious.

If there was a clear loser, it was Biden. He didn't connect at all. Richardson had a very lackluster showing.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich

"I'm the Seabiscuit of this campaign." and other thoughts on tonight's Democratic debate -- Part 1

You're looking live at steamy, sweaty Soldier Field in Chicago where the eight Democratic candidates are going to do their best to keep cool and not faint from the heat. Anyone left standing at the end will probably be a winner.

Everyone in the crowd appears to be clothed, so that's a start. Although I can't see too far into the upper deck, where the sun is.

If the president of the union doesn't stop speaking soon, I'm going to collapse from the heat and the boredom.

Air conditioning? They have air conditioning? Is that a joke, or do they actually have AC in their podiums? They shouldn't. they should have to sweat.

• Dodd would have been better off saying "I'm a Bud man and a Cubs fan." He's also not really talking about infrastructure. And he's yelling. Someone should remind him that he has a microphone. He doesn't need to yell to speak to the back off the audience. Michelle says it's the most passionate he has sounded. She's probably right. I'm just cynical.


• Hillary: "Da Bears!"


• Obama: "Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears, Da Bears!" Michelle notes that he's not answering the question and that he goofed in saying we're not safer that we were after 9/11.


• Biden: "We don't need any more commissions," Hillary. Ah, and he's going after Giuliani. That's the ticket. Giuliani went after the Dems at the debate Sunday (and probably won). Biden obviously was watching.


• Edwards thinks that he's got something on this lobbyist money issue. He obviously thinks that's his way to get at Hillary.


• Kucinich is basically saying that it's his fault that the Browns left Cleveland, since he wouldn't build them a new stadium to replace the dilapidated stadium.


• Obama: "Da Bears!"


• Richardson is against privatizing roads and bridges. That should be a no-brainer, but there are an awful lot of people who think we should sell our infrastructure for a quick financial fix.


• Hillary, how would you fix NAFTA? The only good answer for this crowd would be to say that she'd scrap it (as Kucinich has). But she's just nibbling around the edges trying to make it sound like she's more against it than she is.


• Would you scrap NAFTA or fix it?


• Richardson would "fix it," and toss all the union-busting lawyers out on their ears.
  


• Obama will immediately talk to the presidents of Mexico and Canada (which is a prime minister, but who's counting). So now we're going to talk to Iran, N. Korea, Cuba, Canada, and Mexico.


• Biden would go one better, taking the leaders of Canada and Mexico to the mat. That would be worth watching. Perhaps they could duke it out in a cage, too.
  


• Dodd stands with labor, and it looks like the stage is about to fly off into the sky.


• Edwards says NAFTA has cots America 1 million jobs. He just smacked someone for being on the cover of fortune. I'll have to look it up. Apparently it was Hillary.


• Kucinich will scrap NAFTA within the first week.


• Hillary is trying not to lash out at Edwards. She wants to be our gal.


• An excellent question, how do you explain that Made in America is better if other items are cheaper. Obama says it's because people would pay more if it meant they kept their job. But that's a little naive. Most people's jobs aren't tied to the manufacturing sector.
  


• Is China an ally or an adversary? Richardson: China needs to do better in a host of areas, including human rights.


• Obama: China is a competitor, but doesn't have to be an enemy. Good line.


• Biden: The problem is that they "own the mortgage on our house." He wants to cut taxes and reduce the deficit? Is he a Reagan Republican now?


• Hillary: I'm with Biden. "I don't want to eat bad food from China or give my children toys that will get them sick." That's the best answer so far. Meets people exactly where they are.


• Dodd: We need to be able to flood China with cheap American goods to make the playing field even.
  


• Edwards: No one is mentioning human rights abuses. He didn't hear Richardson's answer, apparently. Looks like Hillary stole his thunder on toys and food.


• Kucinich:"If you dig a hole deep enough you'll get to China. Well, we're there."

First break. Kucinich is winning so far, Clinton has also been strong. Since Kucinich isn't actually going to win, it looks good for Hillary so far.

--------------------

We're back, and on to Iraq.

• If you get us out of Iraq and al Qaeda takes over, what will you do, Bill Richardson? Richardson is essentially rejecting the question and giving a mushy answer on long-term goals. He should have hit that one out of the park, since he's been calling for an immediate withdrawal.


• Biden smacks Obama on Pakistan.


• Hillary wants to redeploy smartly. Blah blah blah. What does that mean, exactly? She actually sounds like she's for the surge. I'll bet that won't play well.


• Dodd said something I didn't get.


• Edwards would draw down 50,000 now, and then practice diplomacy. What will happen with the other 100,000 troops?


• Kucinich is on fire.


• Barack, who did you wait until the last minute to vote on the supplemental? He's filibustering. He has to, because he waited for 50 votes on one side so he could vote without worrying about the consequences. Same thing for Hillary Clinton, despite her bloviations.


• Chris Dodd, is Barack naive and reckless? Yes, he's irresponsible for threatening to bomb an ally. Obama says he's amused, but he doesn't sound like it. How can someone who voted for the war credibly tell me about foreign policy?


• Hillary says you shouldn't always say what you think when you're running for president. The crowd doesn't like it. Actually, I don't like it. If you want to be president, you'd better damn well tell me what you're thinking. Obama doesn't like it either. "The American people have a right to know."

Second break: Kucinich is still winning. Obama did a pretty good job in the exchange over Pakistan. Clinton did not.

Part 2 coming up...

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich

"This is a ridiculous exercise." and other thoughts on tonight's debate

You're looking live at The Citadel, South Carolina, for the first "official" debate of the Democratic Presidential cycle (although I don't imagine this one will be any more important that the previous million debates). This is the You Tube debate, where the questions have been submitted by You Tube users via Internet video.

I'm highly skeptical of the format. Hopefully, CNN will choose questions that deal with important issues, not trivial ones. And hopefully the questioners won't be total goofballs. And how should the candidates respond. Do they thank Hotguy69 for his question? Do they look into the monitor to respond?

I think the candidates have a very high chance of looking incredibly foolish. I hope it doesn't turn out that way, but I fear that the whole thing will be gimmicky and diminish all of the candidates. If it had been up to me, I'd have chosen the questions in advance, and them brought the questioners to the debate to ask the questions live, not using video at all. Maybe that's how they'll do it. I guess we'll see...

• OK, this is already goofy. They're all looking up at some goofball in a hat using his fingers to do quotation marks while he lectures the candidates to answer the questions asked. He is condescending.
  
• And apparently Biden tried to stuff the box, busted...
  
• Anderson Cooper is tumbling so often, I wonder if he's been drinking.
  
• See, this guy from Utah might have a great question, maybe not, but the giggling girl in the background and the "Oh, I'm running out of tape!" makes the whole thing seem like a joke.
  
• Dodd talks like a senator. I can't get past that to hear his answer. I guess that's my fault, but I can't get into him at all.
  
• At least this is fairly fast paced...Kucinich standing up for his anti-war "strength through peace" message at The Citadel. Good for him for not standing down.
  
• Michelle: Hillary's make-up looks awful. I agree. She looks really pale, almost unhealthy. She did make sure to note the questioner's name, however.
  
• Rob Porter is a smarmy ass. Hillary, are you a liberal? She prefers the word "progressive" and considers herself a "modern progressive." I suppose.
  
• Gravel whacking Obama for his contributors and their bundling.
  
• If you had to pick a GOP running mate, who would it be, Joe Biden? Chuck Hagel, Dick Lugar. Edwards? Hagel, but let's not talk about that, let's talk about change. Takes a nice whack at Bill Clinton's "triangulation" strategy.
  
• Chris Dodd, with a funny video about white hair and rabbits. Not bad.
  
• Will, just ask the question! Reparations for slavery? No dipping and dodging (although dippin dots night be tasty). Edwards...No. but let me talk about something else. Power to the people.
  
• Obama doesn't answer the question at all, but says we need more money for poor minority schools in "The Corridor of Shame." Sounds like someplace David Vitter has visited, maybe he could help.
  
• Kucinich is for reparations, and the bible.
  
• Another question for Dodd, apparently all of his grumbling about face time in the earlier debates has paid off. Speaking of which, I wonder if Richardson will get to say anything tonight. Oh, there he is...And he fumbled the answer, saying we need to remove the red tape that helps people rebuild.
  
• I think Obama is saying that he's black enough to not get a cab in Manhattan? Maybe? He kind of muffed what could have been a good line. It sounds like he and Clinton are going to get most of the questions again. Clinton with a much better answer, talking about how she doesn't have any choice but to run as a woman and she's proud of it. Obama should take these questions head on.
  
• Edwards is patronizing Obama and Clinton. Yuck. Stick to the question. He says will be a better advocate for women because of his stance on economic issues. Clinton trying to keep up, but Edwards has set the bar on this issue, and Clinton is trying to meet his standard. I think he wins.
  
• Why do they make gay people look stupid? I suppose they did the video themselves, but if there were so many questions about the topic, why get the one that has goofy people asking it.
  
• Kucinich yes, Dodd no. Richardson, no, because it can't be achievable. I like that honest answer. Essentially, he's saying that the country will only go so far, but that we should push them as far as they will go, making gay relationships as close to traditional marriage in the eyes of the law as is possible.
  
• Edwards, why is it OK to use religion to deny gay marriage, when it was wrong to use religion to uphold slavery? Great question. What a fantastic question. And Edwards does not answer it. He's boxing it around. "I don't believe gay marriage is right, but I wouldn't use my religion to affect my decision as president" or something like that. I'm so confused. He's not making any sense.
  
• That Clinton campaign video is awful. Show me something about you, not a list of what is wrong with the current administration. We already know that. At least Dodd put some thought into his video. This was clearly thrown together at the last minute by some intern with something better to do.
  
• That is absolutely fantastic! Wow! Edwards hit's a home run with that video. I love it.
  
• Richardson gets a question right in his wheelhouse about Darfur, and he's taking a good swing. Talking about his experience at the refugee camps in Darfur, and how he'd do it. It's the first time he's sounded passionate in any of the debates. He needs to do more of this.
  
• Biden trying to go one step farther and putting American troops on the ground. Clinton trying to say no to US troops without explicitly saying no. Anderson Cooper pins him down.
  
• Are we watching the same blanking war? How do we pull out now? He asks us four times. Did the questioners have to use all 30 seconds? If you can ask the question in 10 seconds, then turn off the cameras. Biden says he's the only one telling the truth here, that it will take at least a year to pull out the troops.
  
• Another good question. Are Democrats afraid to end the war because they don't want to be blamed for losing? Clinton says we've been trying, but the Republicans are blocking them. Kucinich says "the Democrats have failed" on Iraq.
  
• Dodd talks in big senatorial words "nation-state", "sexual orientation".
  
• Richardson: "The lives of our young troops are more important than George Bush's legacy." He'd pull them out with no residual force.
  
• Gravel says yes, in fact, the soldiers in Vietnam and Iraq are dying in vain. Obama says that no, I don't want to answer the question, so I 'm going to tweak Clinton for asking about withdrawal four years after she should have asked.
  
• Should women register for selective service? Dodd appears exasperated that the question was given to him, and sighs audibly. He does, but since he's against the draft, it doesn't really matter. Clinton says the same thing, but she seems more secure with her answer. Both of them talk about public service on the same level as military service. Kind of reinforces for some people the idea that Democrats don't quite hold the military in the highest regard.
  
• God Bless America! Can Obama answer even one question directly? The question isn't about the Tuskegee airmen, it's about women in selective service. And when he does finally get to it, he smushes it saying something about maybe not in combat roles. Just a bit chauvinistic, eh Barack?
  
• Would you meet with despotic leaders with no reservations? Obama, yes. He's been getting an awful lot of face time tonight. Hillary, no. She falls into his trap, by suggesting what conditions might exist in order to meet. Edwards agrees with Hillary. I don't. We shouldn't worry about whether someone else will use us for propaganda. We're the most powerful nation in the world.
  
• A good tussle on Iraq. Richardson will pull out all forces in six months. Biden says it's not possible. At least a year, and we've got to keep a residual force to protect the civilians remaining. Clinton agrees with Biden.
  
• As an aside, Hillary "hopes to goodness" that the questioner's youngest son doesn't die in Iraq. It's OK to say "God" Hillary, especially in this context. Again, she's reinforcing anti-Democratic stereotypes.
  
• Richardson just recycles one of his campaign commercials, instead of coming up with a new video. Funny ad, but kind of weak.
  
• Who was your favorite teacher, Mike Gravel? The guy who taught me to speak. Too bad you don't let me use that skill, Anderson!
  
• This question from Trona, California is stupid. Or the presentation is, at least. For what it's worth, I've been through Trona, CA on the way out of Death Valley, and let me tell you, it might be the most desolate, god-forsaken place in America. Richardson is winning over the crowd with a passionate answer on No Child Left Behind. It always helps to have the crowd cheering in the background.
  
• Public or Private School for your kids? Good question, but I wish they would follow that up by asking each candidate why they made that choice.
  
• Anne works for Planned Parenthood and wants to know if the candidates have talked to their children about sex using medically-appropriate terminology. Talk about throwing a bomb! Let's see who squirms and who doesn't...Edwards is stammering and staggering. Yes. And off to Obama for comment on the Romney criticism.
  
• See, this is what I don't like. I don't want to hear an Amos and Andy skit, I want to hear questions. And what the hell is with the snowman? I'm sorry, but that's not funny, it's embarrassing. Not that I think any of these guys (and gal) should be "above" this kind of stuff but they're running for President of the United States, not the senior class.
  
• What the hell? Gravel says we're going to save money on energy by changing the tax structure? Speaking of taxes, Dodd at least has the nuts to say he'd raise taxes on corporations that add to pollution.
  
• Nuclear power? Edwards no, we should be looking at cellulose-based biofuels. Obama yes, we should look at it "as part of the mix." Nothing with Obama is ever yes or no, it's always yes, but...no, but. Clinton is "agnostic about nuclear power." Thank goodness.
  
• Richardson is in favor of optical scan balloting across the nation. I have voted with them a number of times here in Massachusetts and I completely agree. It's the only way to go.
  
• Biden also recycles a campaign commercial for his "You Tube style video." Meh.
  
• Who is Kucinich texting P-E-A-C-E to?
  
• Raising the Social Security tax threshold is "an option on the table," according to Obama. Everything is "an option on the table," nothing is yes or no, just "an option on the table. What do you stand for.
  
• The problem with the question from the guitar guy (besides the fact that having a guy sing a question is stupid) is that all of the taxes he complains about are local taxes, not federal taxes. It sounds like he needs to take it up with his city council and state legislature. These candidates can't help.
  
• And now I'm just about totally offended. Here are a series of questions where the questioners are exploiting the infirm and disabled to make their points. I am against human props. This is becoming uncomfortable. If I were the Republicans, I'd cancel the You Tube debate in September before the sun rises tomorrow.
  
• Dodd is getting frustrated about the format, and the fact that Obama and Clinton seem to get to respond to every question.
  
• Richardson will probably take some heat for a semantic flub in his answer about health care for undocumented workers. In an effort to explain that everyone should get health care (including undocumented workers) regardless of their status, he said "every American deserves the right to quality health care." He could get hammered by the far right for suggesting that undocumented workers are Americans, if the far right cares at all about Richardson's candidacy.
  
• I think the question about a Clinton-Bush dynasty is a good one. It is one of the reasons that I am hesitant to vote for her. I don't think it's healthy for us to have the same political machines in Washington year after year. Think about it, anyone who began working in politics in the last 27 years has worked either with a Bush or Clinton in the White House. That would be almost everyone.
  
• I think Clinton would have the quarter say "In Goodness we Trust," based on her answers tonight.
  
• Edwards says he won't impose his faith beliefs (seems redundant) on policy decisions. I think that's a little bit disingenuous. One's beliefs always influence their decisions.
  
• Wow. Biden just called that gun nut a gun nut. I'll bet that will get a lot of press tomorrow. Nice of him to say what he thinks.
  
• Dodd loves Elizabeth Edwards. And Edwards doesn't like Clinton's coat. I'm glad someone said it. This is a stupid question. Biden tells the truth "This is a ridiculous exercise." I agree.
  
• Anderson makes a funny. Can't find anyone left of Kucinich. Pretty good.

That's it. This was a stupid format. Even so, there were a few really good questions. If they had gotten rid of the silly crap and asked more good questions, and it could have been a pretty good idea.

Winners: I thought this was Richardson's best debate, even though he stumbled a bit, he was much more passionate and less wonky than he had been previously. He seemed to connect with the audience for the first time. I also thought Biden did well. He spoke honestly and could barely hold his contempt for the format and some of the questioners. I'll bet there were a number of viewers (like me) who felt the same way. Edwards was OK too.

Losers: I though Obama was awful. He just cannot give a straight answer. I didn't think Clinton was as good as she has been (I thought she won the last two debates).

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich Mike Gravel

"Barack got tested for AIDS" and other thoughts on tonight's Democratic debate

You're looking nearly live at Howard University for tonight's Democratic primary "forum" (why not just call it a debate). And awaaaaay we go...

The security force is wearing bright yellow "CSC Event" t-shirts. This is the same company that provides security at sports stadiums across the country. Hopefully the audience has been tailgating all afternoon and is well oiled. Somehow I doubt it.

Although it looks like Patrick Kennedy is in the audience. Perhaps there was tailgating after all.

And there is New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. I suppose if they are going to spend the first 10 or 15 minutes introducing this guy and that, they can at least keep us entertained by letting us celebrity-watch.

One of the questions going into tonight's event is whether or not this event is tailor-made for Barack Obama. I don't think that's fair to Obama. In fact, I think the pressure is on him to a certain extent. If he doesn't win, the media will frame it as a major failure.

Al Sharpton in the house.

Hooray Deval. The 2016 presidential race starts tonight. This little speech is the best one he's given since before the election. Although he is a little too fast on the intros.

Fashion Notes: Mike Gravel appears to be wearing Khakis and Loafers. Richardson has a silver tie from the Regis 2000 collection. Hillary appears to have a huge belt. Now, on to the issues:

The question: Is race the issue of the 21st century?

• Joe Biden answers by whacking his senate counterparts on support for Sam Alito and John Roberts.
  
• Richardson with a nice answer about being authentic, that dealing with race is more than appointing Supreme Court justices. Take that Joe Biden!
• The best Edwards can do is to repeat his tired old "Two Americas" speech? Weak.
• Obama's answer sounds like he's trying to walk a tightrope. On the one hand, he's talking about "our struggle" in reference to racial issues, on the other hand, he's got a little of that "shared responsibility" code that white voters want to hear. I think he's going to be tip-toeing all night.
  
• Mike Gravel will end the war on drugs. John Edwards is trying not to laugh at him.
  

The question: Why do black graduates have high unemployment than white dropouts?

• Joe Biden says it's because we don't start teaching "disadvantaged youth" early enough.
  
• Richardson: did you know we fixed this in New Mexico?
  
• Edwards is stuck on poverty. The question wasn't about poverty, it was about the an education gap. Although I appreciate his talking about improving the conditions in rural communities as well as inner-city neighborhoods. The conditions in disadvantaged rural communities are often overlooked.
  
• Gravel actually seems to be connecting. Although after saying the Democrats haven't done any better at fixing the education gap than the Republicans, and that the black community needed to take responsibility themselves, he then ticked off a bunch of ways the government could provide money if we weren't at war.
  
• It takes a village. Thanks, Hillary.
  

The question: What is the plan to fight AIDS?

• Richardson doesn't sound like he has a plan. I think he's making it up has it goes. Needles. Condoms. Penetrating minority outreach in communities. Kind of an unfortunate juxtaposition there, Governor.
  
• Edwards, on the other hand, knows his stuff and has a plan. That's the way to answer the question, Bill.
  
• Obama doesn't have a plan, but does have a nice turn of a phrase "The African-American community has a disease" of poverty which leads to poor health care, education, wages, etc. That's the key for Obama: get people to hear his theme, not snoop around for a position.
  
• Gravel still fighting the war on drugs.
  
• Does Chris Dodd actually get traction with anyone? I just can't listen to him. He's probably a really smart guy, but all I hear is "blah, blah, blah." And what the hell was that arm wave?
  
• Hillary is right about the lack of interest in the subject because it's a minority issue, although the phrase "outraged outcry" is a little awkward. Her answer is the first one all night that has really connected.
  
• Joe Biden: "Barack got tested for AIDS." Barack doesn't look happy about that revelation. Isn't that a HIPAA violation or something?
  

The question: Do the rich pay enough in taxes?

• John Edwards gets the question first. Talk about a batting practice fastball for Mr. Two Americas.
  
• Barack won't say that the wealthy should be taxed more, just that the "Bush tax cuts" should be repealed. Come on, man. This was an easy one.
  
• Gravel wants to abolish the income tax in favor of a national sales tax. Huh? Wha? Where did that come from?
  
• It's a little ironic to hear Biden talk about how "regular people" have it tough when he helped pass that awful bankruptcy bill that protected big banks and made it tougher on families in debt to get relief. I don't believe him.
  

The question: More whites are arrested, more blacks in jail. What's that about?

• There's Barack with another line. "Justice is not just us."
  
• Kucinich wants to end mandatory minimums and the death penalty. I'm with Dennis.
• Now Donna Brazile is laughing at Mike Gravel.
  
• Chris Dodd wants to eliminate the difference between crack and powder cocaine. I suppose that could be taken out of context, eh?
  
• Biden: Hey, don't blame us, it's the states' fault.
  
• Richardson isn't going to get anywhere now that they've cut the answer time down to 30 seconds. He can't answer a question that briefly.
  

The question: Would you guarantee a right to return to New Orleans?

• I wouldn't, but I'm not running for president. Just because they built a city under water 150 years ago doesn't mean we should do that again. And no, I don't have a plan for what we should do with everyone who was displaced.
  
• All of the candidates appear to disagree with me, it's just a question of who can do more for New Orleans (Clinton has proposed a TEN POINT PLAN! Beat that, Biden!)
  

The question: Outsourcing a problem or Global Economy?

• Other than Gravel--who suggested the problem is that of businesses needing to pay for health care--everyone thinks outsourcing is a problem.
  
• As an aside, this is the second time Biden has started his answer with "I agree with everything that's been said." Which has to be a lie if he thought about it, since Gravel didn't agree at all with Dodd and Clinton.
  
• Maxine Waters appears excited about Kucinich ending NAFTA. I'll bet she'll be waiting an awful long time for that.
  

The question: What does our inaction in Darfur say about America's moral leadership?

• Dodd suggests we take unilateral action to stop the killing. I'll bet that won't fly with most Americans.
  
• Clinton and Biden want a "no-fly zone."
  
• Richardson still wants to boycott the Olympics. Now there is a no-fly zone.
  
• And Mike Gravel says that none of the other Democrats have the moral judgement to be president. I guess that's as good a place as any to end the debate.
  

I thought Hillary and Kucinich did well. Biden did not. Obama connected, but was light on specifics (as usual). I'll bet many will include him with the winners My man Bill Richardson had solutions (except his awful answer on AIDS), but he's got to find a way to get them across in 30 seconds.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich Mike Gravel

"9/11 led us down a cul-de-sac." and other thoughts on last night's debate

You're looking not-so-live from St. Anselm College. I watched the Sox-Yanks game last night instead of the debate, so sue me. Here we go...

• Dennis Kucinich is from the city of champions. He's also standing on a box.
  
  
• For what it's worth, Wolf Blitzer should also have a box.
  
  
• Whoa, that dude in the front row is seriously cross-eyed.
  
  
• Obama with the old line about needing to fight them there so they don't come home, or some sort of bunk. This is the thing that Bush has been most successful at. He's been talking this way for so long that even the Democrats have co opted some of his language.
  
  
• Kucinich: "9/11 led us down a cul-de-sac." I don't know what that means.
  
  
• Biden says we can save 2/3 of the soldiers lives if we give the troops V-shaped vehicles. I'm guessing there is some context to that suggestion, but without it he sounds like he's getting his ideas from watching the Jetsons.
  
  
• Hillary's answer on her votes on Iraq was much better than Obama's. I don't know why, but Obama doesn't do well in this format. In the debates to date, he has appeared unsure on his feet. I'd expect more.
  
  
• Obama is apparently so nice that he can't even attack John Edwards without stumbling over the punch line. And he's allowed Clinton to take the high road in this section. She sounds much better in the early going than she has in the other debates.
  
  
• Senator Dodd has this way of tailing off and not finishing his thoughts. Ted Kennedy does the same thing. I wonder if it's a product of the ability Senators have to "revise and extend" their remarks.
  
  
• This question about genocide in Iraq is a silly one. If we should stay there or anywhere) because of the possibility of genocide, then we will be everywhere. I mean, you could argue that genocide is possible in any society.
  
  
• Why do we need 67 votes to end the war? To sustain a veto? It seems like if the senate wanted to cut funding, it would only take 60 votes to break a filibuster. If the president vetoes it, then it's on his head.
  
  
• As Clinton is dodging and weaving around the question of why she didn't read the National Intelligence Estimate, Michelle just said "I hate it when they go around and around and don't answer questions." She then curled up with a blanket and a pillow.
  
  
• Michelle on Mike Gravel: "This guy's a nut job."
  
  
• Richardson's problem is that he is trying to talk about his broad ideas and policies, and not answer Blitzer's narrow questions. Wolf wants him to respond specifically to the word "amnesty," while Richardson is trying to outline his entire program.
  
  
• What the hell is Biden talking about? He's started about four different thoughts trying to answer this question about immigration.
  
  
• Barack thinks we need to toughen the border with Canada? I swear, he's making this stuff up.
  
  
• I hate this "raising your hand" shtick. And Obama is right, the "official language" question is a stupid question. This debate so far has been full of "gotcha" questions and code words, not real discussions about policy.
  
  
• Hillary seems much less shrill and much more in control tonight. She's also touching the right bases on health care when she talks about the insurance companies and big Pharma wanting to keep the system as it is.
  
  
• Wolf does not want to let Richardson lay out anything resembling a complex plan about health care or anything else. He hates long answers. Please, let people talk about there ideas. Now he's trying to cut off Chris Dodd, too.
  
  
• Obama's statistic about 25% OF California's drivers not having insurance despite the state requirement has to be wrong. There is no way the number is that high. Massachusetts is a mandatory state, and I can't imagine there are many of us who don't have insurance. In fact, if you lose your coverage, you lose your registration.
  
  
• Would a gay Arabic linguist in fact be a cunning linguist if she were a lesbian?
  
  
• You know things have changed when a Democrat like Hillary Clinton is more comfortable quoting Barry Goldwater than a Republican would be.
  
  
• Richardson starts his answer about gays in the military with "I'd do what we did in New Mexico." Forgive me if I'm wrong, but the governor of New Mexico can't do anything about the military, can he?
• And there's a picture of Wolf Blitzer's ass. Not a good camera angle.
  
  
• Hillary is more uncomfortable about the question about her husband than she has been about any of the others.
  
  
• Chris Dodd says the question about how to lower gas prices is "a question that deserves complex answers." When a senator starts his answer with that line, you know he has no idea what he's talking abut and is going to try to filibuster his way out of an answer. Dodd is now admirably demonstrating the art of saying nothing.
  
  
• I think I'm going to jump off at halftime. I'm tiring and the Red Sox game has just started.
  
  
• Richardson doesn't think the oil companies are gouging us. That may not play well with the base.
  

That's it for me. First impressions were that Hillary was the winner. Obama and Dodd were losers. Richardson may also have been a loser in the sense that he seemed to be clashing with the moderator on every question.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich Mike Gravel

The first debate, the day after

Some reflections on last night's Democratic debate, starting with the "front-runners" and moving on down the list.

Barack Obama: I though Obama was a mess. Let's count the ways:

• He misspoke about the legal troubles of one of his supporters, saying "This donor engaged in some ethical behavior and I have denounced it." Had President Bush come out with that, he'd be roundly lampooned from coast to coast.
  


• Obama couldn't name two allies of the US, coming up only with Japan and "the European Union as a whole." And I'm not sure the "European Union" is even an "ally." Britain is. And what about Canada and Mexico, our allies in NAFTA.
  


• He Dukakis-ed the question about what he would do if America was attacked in another 9/11 style attack, talking about emergency responses, good intelligence and dialogue with the nations of the world or some such dispassionate wonky something-or-another. He tried to recover later, talking about "enemies out there that have to be hunted down" after a question about energy conservation, but he had already missed his chance.
  


• Speaking of which, he blew that one too, talking about planting 3,000 trees when asked what he had "personally" done to make a better environment.

Obama's strength is his ability to inspire people to action and talk in grand themes. He'd better get a handle on the facts, however, or he is only going to get so far in this race.

Hillary Clinton: I keep reading and hearing today about how well she did. I didn't think she did badly, but I wasn't convinced that she believed that she could become president. Maybe I was getting too caught up on her specific words instead of her ideas, but the way she prefaced her answers and referred to the presidency belied a certain uneasiness. She often started her answers with "Let me start by saying" which sounds like she is seeking permission to go forward. She talked about what "we need to do" or what "I'm in favor of" but didn't talk about what "I will do as president." Maybe that's too semantic, but I want to know what she will do.

John Edwards: A strong performance, the best of the "top tier" of candidates. He could have done a better job with the question about his pricey haircuts (I didn't think he should apologize, it is what it is), but he did a nice job of turning that into his "son-of-a-millworker" story of being too poor to afford breakfast at a local restaurant. (As an aside, it looked like he had a few hairs out of place in the area where his hair was parted. I wondered if that was on purpose.)

I liked his specificity on health care and his willingness to acknowledge his error in authorizing the war in Iraq (Hillary Clinton should take notes on that one). Finally, discussing God, his wife, and his father in the context of who he considered his "moral leader" was fantastic and poignant.

Bill Richardson: I think his performance was a classic case of the candidate who sounds great on the radio, but doesn't seem so good on TV. His answers were full of specifics and seemed honest and sincere. He clearly has the best grasp of foreign policy issues. He presented nearly all of his views as specific items he would accomplish, as opposed to Hillary, who spoke of what she favored, not what she would do. I thought he sounded presidential.

But man, he sure didn't look it. To say he appeared awkward might be an understatement. He was the farthest from the moderator, and it was clear that he couldn't hear some of the questions well. he was caught on camera a couple of times leaning forward to hear with his mouth open, like a slack-jawed octogenarian who was missing his hearing aid. He also seemed jittery early. "The poor guy looks nervous," my wife noted. "Look at him shaking." I don't think Poor Guy was the impression he was hoping to give.

Joe Biden: If I had to pick a winner, it would be Senator Biden. I have always liked Biden: I think he is the smartest guy in the room most of the time. Like Richardson, he also has a good handle on foreign policy, and he was nearly as credible as Richardson on the subject.

But more than that, he appeared presidential. He hit the question about his propensity to over talk and make gaffes out of the park, and he continued to be succinct throughout the night. He didn't over talk and he didn't over explain. He appeared confident and in command of the issues. The only time I thought he slipped on that was when he clarified that he's owned a shotgun instead of a pistol (who cares?), but I thought his overall performance (substance + style) made him the winner of the night.

Chris Dodd: Senator Dodd was there. Nothing he said last night stood out to me, to the point that I had to go back to the debate transcript to get an idea of what he said, and even with that, none of it resonated. I've always thought of Dodd as a senator's senator. Nice with the oratory, I touch of insincerity that is ingrown through decades of talking and filibustering and talking some more. That is probably an unfair characterization of him, but nothing last night dissuaded me from that perception.

Dennis Kucinich: Kucinich is much improved from the 2004 cycle. He appears more confident, and doesn't appear nearly as far "out there" as he did in the last cycle, when the war with Iraq was still popular. He wasn't afraid to mix it up a little with the other candidates--especially Obama--and may have presented his positions as strongly as anyone. He's not going to win, but much like Grace Ross in the Massachusetts gubernatorial debates, he has the chance to move the debate to the left with is command and conviction. He needs to drop the props, however. And he and his young wife ought to leave the cuddling for the bedroom instead of the spin room.

Mike Gravel: Former Senator Gravel raised his standing from zero to crotchety old curmudgeon, so I guess he would also have to be listed among the winners. What did I learn tonight? First, it's not pronounced "GRA-vuhl"--as in crushed stone--it's "Gruh-VELLE" as in, um, French crushed stone? No? Beyond that, he is just sucking time away from the other candidates. He's entertaining, and he might get one of the higher-rated candidates to screw up if he can engage one of them, but he's really not helping.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich Mike Gravel

"Some of these people frighten me." and other thoughts on tonight's presidential debate

Like opening day or the last day of school, today is a great day. That's right. The first debate of the presidential election season. By the time the next 18 months have passed, we'll be tired of all of this. But not tonight.

Don't you just love it?

Let me get my biases out of the way right off the bat. If the primary were held today, I'd be voting for Bill Richardson. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the best candidate. That may change over the course of the debates, but for now, he's my man. John Edwards (who I voted for in the 2004 primary) will also get my consideration. Other than that, the rest have a lot to prove.

So without further ado, let the proving begin...

You're looking live at South Carolina State University. Following this commercial for the college (masked as a historical overview), we'll get going. There's only one given tonight: there will be a question about the confederate flag.

• Bill Richardson looks shell shocked right out of the gate. I wonder if he realized he was on.
  
  
• That local anchor is right out of central casting.
  
  
• Can Richardson hear, does he have a cold? He appears slack jawed. He's got to act like he's on camera all of the time.
  
  
• First question is on Iraq. Clinton: "Let me start by saying..." Just say it. It's your time, we'll let you do anything you want.
  
  
• Biden: "This is not a game show. This is not a game." And then he says Bush needs to "get on the game plan." I don't think he generally remembers what he's saying from one minute to the next.
  
  
• John Edwards conspicuously has a couple of hairs out of place. I wonder if that's on purpose.
  
  
• I don't understand why politicians can't just say they were wrong. I don't think this "If I knew then what I knew now" stuff washes very well.
  
  
• This is what I like about Bill Richardson, he is the only one who has spelled out a specific plan. Michelle just said "the poor guy looks nervous. Look at him shaking." He does sound a little nervous. Talking too fast.
  
  
• Gravel wand to "make it a felony" to stay in Iraq. Huh?
  
  
• So Mr. Anchorman is just there to read emails? Great. Looks good doing it though. He can't hear either.
  
  
• Why is Clinton getting a "rebuttal" to Obama's point on Iraq? I didn't hear Obama say something that needs to be rebutted? I hope this isn't going to turn out to be the Obama-Clinton show.
  
  
• I think Obama meant to say the donor was involved in "unethical" behavior. He doesn't sound ready to answer the question.
  
  
• Don't apologize for how you pay for your haircuts. Do what you do. But he did an excellent job turning around the question to his "son of a millworker" story.
  
  
• What is the deal with the hedge fund questions? Is this a big deal? Is this is big problem? I could have listed 100 things that I'd like to hear them talk about, and hedge funds wouldn't be one of them. And if the idea of this segment is to look at the elephants in the room, it seems like there's a lot more to ask Clinton about than hedge funds.
  
  
• Michelle on Chris Dodd: "He has no chin." Lance on Chris Dodd: He sounds like "the most Washington" of all of the candidates. He talks like a senator.
  
  
• Senator Gravel: "Some of these people frighten me." The answer to the question of who hasn't taken nukes off the table is John Edwards, if not others. Michelle: "I agree with his position, but he's a bit of a fruit loop."
  
  
• Biden is muffing his abortion question. Does he not remember the first names of the supreme court justices? Putting a Trojan horse into what? I'm not sure I have the first idea what he was talking about.
  
  
• Why would you cut off the question about each candidate's favorite justice? Let 'em all answer. In fact, I wish they'd have let them each of them choose any justice (including past justices) and explain their answer. That might have been the most interesting question of the night.
  
  
• Five gun owners out of eight. Dodd looked like he had to think about it. Biden hasn't owned a pistol, just a shotgun. Can't you just raise your hand and shut up? You don't have to explain away everything. You own (or have owned) a gun. OK.
  
  
• Edwards is right, they have not had the chance to talk about specific issues. Good for him for talking the opportunity. Now the others are following suit. Hopefully the debate will become more substantive.
  
  
• "Let me start by saying..." again Senator Clinton, just say it. She sounds like she's yelling. I wonder if she realizes that she is using a microphone. I think that's one of the reason she turns some people off. She sounds shrill.
  
  
• And Mr. Anchorman asks the confederate flag question! Do I know my stuff or what? Obama clearly did not want the question. Put the confederate flag in a museum. Okey-dokey.
  
  
• Biggest mistake: Kucinich fired the police chief of Cleveland live on TV on Good Friday. Good answer. That would in fact be a mistake.
  
  
• Edwards blamed the high price of gas on over-consumption and asks Americans to increase consumption and "be patriotic on something other than war." What about the oil companies? Shouldn't we also ask them to be patriotic?
  
  
• Obama can't list three allies. European Union, Japan. And that's just two.
  
  
• Wow. Biden just listed Putin's Russia as one of the three greatest threats to America. Good for him for saying it. I couldn't agree more.
  
  
• Richardson is so credible when he talks about foreign relations. It's obvious that he has a handle on what's going on. I'm not sure he's doing a great job of appearing presidential, however.
  
  
• Four candidates raised hand acknowledging "Global War on Terror." Gravel looked unsure, as though he was sheepishly trying to order a drink.
  
  
• Obama is fumbling a question about how he would respond to simultaneous terrorist attacks. He sounds wonky, not presidential. Edwards on the other hand, immediately said he would react "swiftly and strongly."
  
  
• Clinton doesn't seem to sound like she can envision herself as president. She says things like "a president should," "I think we should," etc. She doesn't say "I will do" this or that. Maybe that's not a big deal, but if she can't envision herself in the job, how does she expect me to see her as commander-in-chief?
  
  
• Joe Biden couldn't answer the question of what he would propose to deal with climate change that would be "hard." Passing legislation to fund this or that or to mandate this or that is not hard.
  
  
• Obama fumbles another question. He and his friends planted three thousand trees. He mentions energy-saving light bulbs only after being prompted by Brian Williams.
  
  
• Kucinich and Gravel getting into it with Obama over Iran. Apparently Obama joins Edwards as candidates who won't take any options off the table.
  
  
• I thought Edwards did a great job with the question of who his moral leader is. He seemed thoughtful and sincere, and articulated his answer well.

More to come after I've had some time to digest it all.

Tags: Election 2008 Democratic Primary Bill Richardson Chris Dodd Joe Biden John Edwards Barack Obama Hillary Clinton Dennis Kucinich Mike Gravel