Progressives (Liberals)

Another Gift to Sanders

Again, he isn’t the target in a debate.

They keep making the same tactical mistake.
The top Democratic candidates, with the exception of Bernie Sanders, continue to imagine that someone other than Sanders is the front-runner — and then they subject that faux front-runner to tough criticism. It happened again at last night’s debate, this time with Michael Bloomberg as the target.

Sanders came in for some criticism (especially from Pete Buttigieg), but nothing like the attacks on Bloomberg. Bloomberg was criticized for his attitude toward women, his policing policies as mayor of New York, his torrent of campaign spending and more.
It was a nastier version of the dynamic at previous debates. Before Bloomberg was the target, Buttigieg had been, in the final debate before the New Hampshire primary. Elizabeth Warren was the main target last fall, and Joe Biden was over the summer.

At those earlier points, to be fair, Sanders wasn’t the clear front-runner. But he is now. And thanks to the traffic jam of more moderate candidates — Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Biden and Amy Klobuchar — Sanders is in an enviable position. All the while, his rivals are strangely hesitant to attack him.

For more …

Sean Illing, Vox: “You could watch this entire debate and have no idea a lawless illiberal autocrat is currently in the White House. That can’t be great for the Democratic Party.”

Perry Bacon Jr., FiveThirtyEight: “Sanders benefited from Bloomberg being on stage. Sanders is the front-runner, but Bloomberg was the center of the debate. So Sanders did not get the crush of attacks a front-runner normally gets.” Abby Phillip, CNN: “Bernie Sanders is the Democratic front-runner right now. Very few people on that stage took shots at him. Not clear to me that anything happened tonight to blunt his momentum long term.”

Garrett Haake, MSNBC: “Warren is performing well … but so far she’s just shredded other non-Bernie candidates.” Tim Alberta, Politico: “The story of this debate is Elizabeth Warren eviscerating all of her rivals except the one who happens to be the frontrunner and also happens to be directly obstructing her path to the nomination.”

Megan McArdle, Washington Post: “Warren is by far the best and most articulate debater of this cycle. That she is nowhere near the front of the race tells you how much those particular verbal and cognitive skills are actually valued by most voters.” Judd Legum, Popular Information: “Warren’s dismantling of Bloomberg over his treatment of women was one of the most precise and devastating political attacks I have witnessed in 20 years of following this stuff.”
The Times Opinion panel thought Warren won the debate and Bloomberg lost it. My colleague Gail Collins: “Well, money can’t buy everything.”

On this week’s episode of “The Argument,” we talk about Bloomberg’s rise — and about what you can do to protect your digital privacy.

And you think it means nothing, huh?

If you are sane and want to freak right out, read up on Grenell, the guy Trump has just put in charge of US intelligence.

...or even that he has "something" on Trump to be laughably beyond your reach or ability to know.

I'd be very surprised if Stone didn't know a lot of things about Trump that the president would very much like to remain hidden.

TIERNEY SNEED
12:11pm
Judge Berman Jackson brings up the consideration of the hardship her sentence will impose on Stone’s family.

The responsibility for that hardship “flows from the defendant’s conduct,” she says.