Posted on 10/14/2015 4:21:25 AM PDT by Kaslin
Just before tonight's Democratic debate began in Las Vegas, I made a prediction:
And so it came to pass. Mrs. Clinton presented herself as the experienced, hyper-informed, trailblazing adult in the room throughout the evening, directing almost all of her verbal punches at Republicans. Only once did she directly attack one of her rivals: Bernie Sanders, (predictably) on gun control, perhaps the only issue on which she can credibly outflank him to the left. In spite of her hedging on in-state tuition for illegal immigrants and marijuana legalization, extremely weak answers on Libya and trade, and unresponsive dismissiveness on her burgeoning email scandal (her denunciation of Edward Snowden for his handling of sensitive information was quite rich), Clinton won the debate. She established herself as the only plausible nominee on the stage -- benefitting greatly, I suspect, from Bernie Sanders' performance in the long run. He'll delight his base (see update) and raise a lot of small donor money, but many Democratic voters will ultimately recognize that he's unelectable in a general election. She was prepared and polished; he was passionate, but a bit frazzled, appearing to lose is train of thought on several occasions. Remember, it took an extremely skilled communicator and a dynamic debater to upend Hillary Clinton in 2008, effectively and authentically taking her apart from the left without alienating the general electorate. Nobody on that stage tonight is capable of beating her in the same way this cycle. On the issue that exemplifies her weaknesses as a candidate -- her ongoing, national security-compromising email scandal -- Clinton's closest competitor gamely let her off the hook, casting the issue as a distraction from real issues. The email saga underlines her arrogant posture toward laws and rules, her reckless disregard for national security protocols designed to keep our most sensitive secrets away from prying eyes, and her propensity to lie -- often and shamelessly. Bernie Sanders chose to circle the wagons. He's unwilling to do what it takes to defeat her, while she again and again telegraphed her election strategy of playing the gender card without even a nod at subtlety:
With respect, the other men on stage are afterthoughts. Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley may have helped himself a bit, hammering away at Republicans and the NRA throughout the evening. His numbers might bounce a little, but they're prohibitively low, and this wasn't a breakout performance. Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb challenged the presiding hard-left winds on guns, on the Iran deal, on energy, and on executive power. He's far too centrist to have a prayer in today's Democratic Party. Rhode Island's resident Republican-cum-Independent-cum-Democrat Lincoln Chafee was awful. Interestingly, one name that wasn't uttered once: Joe Biden. If the sitting Vice President is planning to jump into the race, he'd better get on with it. He's the only person who seems like a long-run threat to Hillary Clinton, who used tonight's first (of just six) Democratic debates to reassure jittery members of her party that she'll be fine. And to remind them that she's a woman, many times. If Biden was waiting for a disastrous Hillary showing tonight to usher him into the race, he didn't get it. Tick tock, Mr. Vice President.
CNN's Anderson Cooper delivered a strong barrage of opening questions, pressing each candidate on major weaknesses. This debate wasn't especially tightly produced, and the video questions element was clunky and unnecessary, but Cooper's questioning and follow-ups were mainly solid. As is all too often the case, debate questioners failed to even attempt to paint Democrats into uncomfortable ideological corners on controversial social issues like abortion, LGBT rights, or even guns. There was plenty of sparring on the latter issue (abortion was entirely unmentioned, despite Democrats' breathtaking extremism on the issue), but the inquiries weren't engineered to produce general election attack ads. Overall, I think Ari Fleischer nailed it:
UPDATE - Bernie may have come off as a shouty one-trick pony to many average viewers, but two real-time focus groups comprised of core Democratic voters apparently loved him. Let's see if and how the polling moves, but this is interesting early data:
How'd you be different than Obama?
Hillary: WOMAN!
#DemDebate— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) October 14, 2015
With respect, the other men on stage are afterthoughts. Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley may have helped himself a bit, hammering away at Republicans and the NRA throughout the evening. His numbers might bounce a little, but they're prohibitively low, and this wasn't a breakout performance. Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb challenged the presiding hard-left winds on guns, on the Iran deal, on energy, and on executive power. He's far too centrist to have a prayer in today's Democratic Party. Rhode Island's resident Republican-cum-Independent-cum-Democrat Lincoln Chafee was awful. Interestingly, one name that wasn't uttered once: Joe Biden. If the sitting Vice President is planning to jump into the race, he'd better get on with it. He's the only person who seems like a long-run threat to Hillary Clinton, who used tonight's first (of just six) Democratic debates to reassure jittery members of her party that she'll be fine. And to remind them that she's a woman, many times. If Biden was waiting for a disastrous Hillary showing tonight to usher him into the race, he didn't get it. Tick tock, Mr. Vice President.
CNN's Anderson Cooper delivered a strong barrage of opening questions, pressing each candidate on major weaknesses. This debate wasn't especially tightly produced, and the video questions element was clunky and unnecessary, but Cooper's questioning and follow-ups were mainly solid. As is all too often the case, debate questioners failed to even attempt to paint Democrats into uncomfortable ideological corners on controversial social issues like abortion, LGBT rights, or even guns. There was plenty of sparring on the latter issue (abortion was entirely unmentioned, despite Democrats' breathtaking extremism on the issue), but the inquiries weren't engineered to produce general election attack ads. Overall, I think Ari Fleischer nailed it:
I don't think anything changed. Hill did well. Sanders keeps his base. O'Malley impressed & might blip up. But D race, unlike R, is stable— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) October 14, 2015
UPDATE - Bernie may have come off as a shouty one-trick pony to many average viewers, but two real-time focus groups comprised of core Democratic voters apparently loved him. Let's see if and how the polling moves, but this is interesting early data:
Wow - @randikayeCNN focus group thought THE BERN won debate tonight. He def had moment of strength on emails. May be enough in boring debate— Bruce Haynes (@BrucePurple) October 14, 2015
Democrat Focus Group Says Bernie Sanders Was Big Winner of #DemDebate https://t.co/bmZvHPSD8T— James Hewitt (@JamesOHewitt) October 14, 2015
Parting thought: Who want to take bets on how this forum rated compared to the previous GOP debates?
Hillary sounded like an old career politician. Had to spend all her time defending her record and didn’t propose anything new.
I can see why Bernie won the debate and Webb finished second.
Hillaryous Rotten Criminal is in a class by herself. What are the rest of these marxists/morons progressive props doing on the stage besides promising to take other peoples’ money and redistribute it. Perhaps Bernie can out-Marx Marx and suggest a 100% tax on politicians and all of their assets to set the example.
I still question why anyone, including the “great” Charles Krauthammer, would take Hillary Clinton’s campaign seriously. The fact that, under these circumstances, she’s still considered the frontrunner for anything other than an orange suit only illustrates how incredibly corrupt the political class - on both sides (assuming there are two) - really is. And for her to insist that Snowden should be in prison right now is nothing more than figuratively giving the American people the finger. She might just as well have said, “I’m a Clinton and I can get away with anything, so F&^! you!”
It takes an evil, sick, and twisted mindset to stand up on a stage in front of the American people and call yourself a liberal socialist Democrat in the first place, let alone speak and argue in support of your liberal socialist Democratic ideology! But, for the “Townhall” to proclaim the Hildabeast outclassed anyone on that stage certainly does not say much for the writer of Townhall!
There is no wonder why the American people are confused about the governing of the GOPe and the liberal socialist Democrat party and now the Townhall in full support of both.
The Punditocracy is as predictable as always. Hillary did not give anyone a reason to vote for her and her numbers will continue to crumble.
Pray America wakes
I have to rake Y’all’s word on this since my TV malfunctioned last night. Bricks, common sense and TV screens are a lethal mix.
[[What are the rest of these marxists/morons progressive props doing on the stage]]
They are onstage to make her look ‘brilliant’-
DRUDGE: Total Votes: 243,635
SANDERS 57.72%
WEBB 23.84%
CLINTON 7.46%
O’MALLEY 6.86%
CHAFEE 4.13%
[[But, for the “Townhall” to proclaim the Hildabeast outclassed anyone on that stage certainly does not say much for the writer of Townhall!]]
Exactly, and I’m sick of the ‘republicans’ on fox news coming n afterwards and praising her performance- The ONLY thing they should have been doing is informing people that the right will NOT get off the email scandal because what she did was CRIMINAL, and the right will NOT stop investigating, nor stop informing the public about her corruption no more so than the left did EVERYTIME they went after a republican
Fox should have told the left to ‘go pound sand!”- But nope- they are all fawning over her ‘strong performance’;
“outclasses”??
Hillary has never been associated with “class”!
Fox News is all in for Hillary now that Jeb seems to be out of the picture.
Good point. They're certainly playing their roles well. She's unchallenged, unchecked, unaccountable as an operative of our current situation.
That's usually the case when you have a herd of horse's asses to put up.
I have stopped watching Fox News, with an exception for Hannity when he has the “Great One” Mark Levin on his program.
This is what I have been telling my fellow Americans for a long time. No matter what the liberal socialist push into law or regulations, nothing requires me as an American to except it or follow it under any circumstance.
To hell with the American hating liberal socialist Democrat Party. Americans do not win when the socialist gain support for hating this country and the American people at large.Fox News supporting them does not bode well for their mindset or the lack thereof.
“I still question why anyone, including the “great” Charles Krauthammer, would take Hillary Clinton’s campaign seriously.”
I do believe that Hillary is the fall-back candidate for the Chamber of Facist Commerce and the GOPe, including leftists like Krauthammer,if Jeb fails to win the GOPe presidential nomination.
Imho the writer is correct she appeared in a class by herself.
I think O’Malley looked and sounded better but he isn’t respected as a viable candidate.
Webb looked off but he is waaay more reality based than the rest of them.
It’s hard to say how the public responds but Hilary was way more practiced at this than I expected.She was well coached.
They all are frightening on climate change, race and immigration and most of them will probably destroy our military as well.
Look at Sanders comes off as a sincere old fellow, and he freaking honeymooned in the USSR!
I watched about 10 minutes of the debate. Couldn’t take anymore than that but the thought that kept running through my head was....wow, this country is in big big trouble if this is what is offered up. And to think that they have a huge electoral advantage going into the election to start.
It totally proves to me that our elections are a big joke on the citizens.
Liberal socialist Democrat Party proclaim their hate for this Country and its white Christian people are the norm, and any American who supports and defends the US Constitution is portrayed as extreme and are kooks!
Wow is this Party in for a very rude awakening!
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