Democratic Party Debates - Election 2016

1. Steam from the Hillary grilling

If the CNN debate moderators treat this as their chance to grill Clinton on live TV instead of carrying out an actual debate where other candidates are allotted plenty of time to make their case, “Democrats will likely be frustrated,” said Pat Rynard, a former Democratic campaign staffer from Iowa.

2. The Biden shadow

Even if he’s not on the stage, “Joe is a real part of the debate,” said Democrat Patty Judge, a former Iowa lieutenant governor.

“Sadly,” added Rynard, “in terms of the media narrative, nothing in the debate may matter if Biden announces his intentions the next day and wipes out all the coverage. Hopefully that doesn’t happen, but it’s near when Biden has to make a decision for ballot purposes.”

3. Sanders’ fidelity to fixed talking points

The liberal messenger could miss an opportunity if he expounds only a dry, policy-heavy message, Democrats said.

“He really refuses to deviate much from his economic inequality shtick on the campaign trail — which, to be fair, is a very powerful message that has gotten him far,” said Rynard, who writes about presidential politics on the website Iowa Starting Line. “(But) debates tend to favor interaction and candidates quick on their toes who can give punchy responses.”

4. Two debates in one

One debate will likely be a policy contest between Clinton and Sanders, both of whom have declined to stray into personal attacks, observers said.

“She will continue to move herself to the left in order to appeal to undecideds and to those who are leaning to Sanders but not firmly in his camp,” Judge said of Clinton. “She will also try to continue to distance herself from the Obama administration to give herself room to take on Biden if he gets into the race.”

The second debate could feature hard swings from the low-polling contenders, especially O’Malley, who has gotten increasingly personal in drawing contrasts with Clinton.

Watch for gun control, trade, banks and foreign policy to take center stage, said Michael Cheney, a professor of communication and economics at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

5. O’Malley’s moment?

Many Democrats worry that Sanders’ “socialist” label and Clinton’s struggles with her email controversy would badly hinder them in the general election, Rynard said.

O’Malley has run a serious campaign and impressed Democrats who go see him. But he barely attracts national media coverage, and many voters haven’t noticed him yet.

Cutter said: “This is the last best chance for Martin O’Malley.”

O’Malley needs to pull votes from Sanders, she said. “If he doesn’t distinguish himself as the person more likely to achieve results for a progressive agenda, rather than just a protest,” Cutter said, “then he’s out.”

6. The invisible Democrats

It’s now or never for Webb and Chafee, neither of whom do any real campaigning, Rynard said.

“At this point, they’re just taking up space,” he said.

Democrats said they’re hesitant to take either candidate seriously when even low-polling GOP candidates such as Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal and Lindsey Graham throw energy into reaching out to early state voters.

But debates are fertile ground for earning a bump in the polls, strategists noted.

“The best debaters,” Sefl said, “are those who don’t look like they rehearsed their one-liners thousands of times, and who know how to demonstrate command of the issues without being the annoying kid from class who always raised their hand to every question.”

Even most liberals lost the stomach to try to defend The professor a couple of years back. On Global affair what has he done well?

(they were't original ideas)

Quote:

(they were't original ideas)

That goes without saying.

That's kinda personal there cold, ole buddy. I mean, you don't even know me - why so nasty?

Yeah...I guess he hasn't started any massive, open-ended, mindless wars which waste huge amounts of treasure and cost lives.

Ten things that would surprise me at tonight’s Democratic debate:

1. As they walk on stage, Hillary Clinton magnanimously offers Bernie Sanders the podium in the center, and he accepts.

2. Martin O’Malley says something so powerful that he rockets upward in the polls.

3. Hillary Clinton says something unrehearsed and impromptu.

4. Bernie Sanders makes a funny joke.

5. Bernie viciously attacks Hillary over why she won't resurrect Glass-Steagall, bust up the big banks, raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, or seek Medicare for all -- and she breaks down in tears and says he's right.

6. Someone compliments Donald Trump's intelligence and tolerance.

7. Jim Webb is so eloquent and in such total command of the facts that the CNN moderator says "wow, you should run for president!"

8. Five minutes after the debate ends, anyone recalls that Lincoln Chaffee participated.

9. Anyone emerges a clear winner.

10.The CNN debate moderator concludes by saying all these Democrats are sane relative to the Republican hopefuls.


What would surprise you?

It made me proud to be a Democrat.