Let Them Fight! The Democratic Party Debates are coming soon.

Its still too early to choose a candidate. I will make up my mind two months before the primary. Lots of listening meanwhile.

Just getting the crowd excited for this season's political blood sport.

We should do a March Madness-style bracket.

After 83 years getting excited about politicians of any stripe is really getting tough. But I do want to get rid of trump and an anti American senate. Too much Chinese influence.

What makes you say that?

I love this stuff. I’m going to take a swipe at Night 1.

Night One: June 26
Cory Booker, senator from New Jersey
Julián Castro, former housing secretary
Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York
John Delaney, former representative from Maryland
Tulsi Gabbard, representative from Hawaii
Jay Inslee, governor of Washington
Amy Klobuchar, senator from Minnesota
Beto O’Rourke, former representative from Texas
Tim Ryan, representative from Ohio
Elizabeth Warren, senator from Massachusetts

I suspect there is a plot to take Tulsi down ostensibly over her more controversial foreign policy stances, but authentically because she is dangerous to the continued, relentless war footing. I think these barbs are most likely
going to come from someone who is desperate for a bump in interest—a conservative going for the ‘Murrica vote. Unfortunately, the stage will be full of them.

Nobody has any allegiance to Tulsi, so I expect a feeding frenzy, luckily she’s better at foreign policy than all of them, but unfortunately, that doesn’t matter except to progressives. The establishment Dems will probably be offended.

Warren should also take a lot of fire because everybody wants the notoriety of taking down the front runner a peg or two on the stage. I don’t expect Booker or DeBlasio to disagree much with Warren. Klobuchar will probably draw a distinction, trying to cast Warren as a crazy socialist—Warren will back away from that. I do think Klobuchar will try to make some hay re avoiding big structural changes, allude to Bernie’s DemSoc speech, try to be a voice of reason.

I don’t know Tim Ryan. I expect Beto to flap around like a confused pelican, stringing together incoherent word salads in which everyone can taste feel good words and phrases they expect in political speeches. A big hit!

DeBlasio has been saying a lot of stuff I like to hear, but I don’t trust him one scintilla.

I wonder if the DNC has put everyone on notice to stay positive...

(Grinning, very interested)

Anybody else?

Wow! the first night is the children's table. Warren got screwed on that one. I would have loved to see Warren and Sanders on the same night.

I think the purpose of the first debate will be to clear out some of the dead wood.

There is a different perspective—that Liz is being sheltered from any hits by Biden or Sanders...

I don't know if it matters very much. These three go in as the front runners. They will come out as the front runners.

The first debate is about who falls off the bottom.

I don’t know why you think that. This will be the first look at them by a lot of people. Anything can happen.

Google McConnell and his wife and china.

I don't think so. The top candidates (Biden, Warren and Sanders) are all seasoned politicians who have been doing this for a while. They are going to be prepared and they aren't going to make any serious mistakes. They will give the solid performances they always give and they won't take any risks. Any of them are more likely to be knocked out of the race by a stroke then by a bad debate.

The bottom candidates are going to be taking shots. The press will eat this up.

The bottom is where the action will be.

I think Biden is pilloried.

Biden is the clear front runner. If by "pilloried" you mean mocked... then yes he has been. But Warren and Sanders have also been pilloried.

The "creepy Joe" attack came very early, it is now an old story. His poll numbers and fundraising totals are high. It didn't seem to hurt him.

Let me clarify: Biden is so beaten up for a myriad of varying failures that he will be fresh meat at the big bbq.

I guess we’ll see.

That is quite wise! The former Warren Wilhelm, Jr. Is one of the slimiest, egotistical phonies. He also likes to parade around as a Progressive. However that is nothing more than a ruse.
Other matters of him? He takes 15 mile rides daily along with a security force of several SUVs (he is in a separate SUV So he can go to a gym in Brooklyn. There are several closer both to his home (currently Gracie Mansion) and his office in City Hall.

Biden is a well-known candidate with high positive approval ratings (hovering around between +20 and +30). His alleged "failures" aren't changing that. Furthermore, Biden is the only centrist in the top tier of candidates, leaving the other candidates to fight it out over who is the most progressive.

You won't see Biden "beaten up". There will be punches thrown and the partisan fans of the other candidates will "oooh and ahhh". But Biden won't be hurt by them.

So, Max. You know he’s fouled out of two previous elections...? It has been established that it can happen. It did happen. It happened to this guy. It can happen again.

Your logic is so faulty.

I mean, I feel silly coming back to this —we’ll see soon enough if he takes mortal wounds or not, but your strident claims that it absolutely won’t happen—after it has before—compels comment.

So, watching with interest.

You do realize ... barring either candidate's premature exit from their respective campaign (and I don't see that happening with these two candidates ... even if at some point in the future they are mathematically ruled out of winning the nomination) that they will get a chance to debate each other ... especially when the number of candidates are whittled down considerably.

Now, the first debate is for Warren to easily win. I mean... if she can't take the first debate (given the competition listed)? She's in trouble. Barring any terrible gaffes, Warren is the likely winner of this round.