DNC forcing bloomberg onto the debate stage means they…probably don't want him to win. or at least want the other candidates to have a fair shot at him.
— Noah Berlatsky (@nberlat) February 18, 2020
Hope springs eternal. Per Wired:
… The ninth Democratic primary debate is being hosted by NBC News and MSNBC with the Nevada Independent at the Paris Theater in Las Vegas.
Moderating the proceedings tonight will be NBCâs Lester Holt, Hallie Jackson, and Chuck Todd; Noticias Telemundoâs Vanessa Hauc; and Independent editor Jon Ralston. There is also a sort of audience participation component: NBC had been soliciting questions from viewers on the NBC News website until last Friday. Wherever the questions come from, candidates will have 75 seconds to answer them, and 45 seconds for follow-ups.
The debate begins at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST and is scheduled to last two hours. The whole thing will be broadcast live on NBC and MSNBC in English, and in Spanish on Universo. If you cut the cord long ago, donât worryâthere are plenty of options:
– The debate will stream live on the websites of NBC News, MSNBC, and the Nevada Independent; on NBC News and MSNBCâs Facebook pages, and on the NBC News mobile app.
– Noticias Telemundo will livestream the debate in Spanish on the its website, its Facebook page, and on its mobile app.
– If you use an Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku, you can watch live on the NBC News NOW app. NBC News Now is also a channel on XUMO, an ad-supported streaming service.– MSNBC and NBC are also available with a paid subscription to streaming services like FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu. Universo is also available on those services, although can require subscribing to an add-on package.
And don’t get too comfortable after tonight. There’s literally another debateâRound No. 10!âin less than a week.
The Guardian‘s liveblog is here, for those who prefer a little distance.
This is the first time in a while that I can honestly say I am looking forward to watching a #DemocraticDebate
Expecting everyone to pile on Bloomberg
— Rob Cohen (@Rob_Coh) February 19, 2020
Senior Biden aides say he's going after Bernie (guns, healthcare, challenging Obama for nom) and Bloomberg (anti-Obamacare, didnt endorse Obama in 2008). This is going to be interesting
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) February 19, 2020
TomatoQueen
I’ve just been watching Nature’s show about stoats n weasels (lots of views of the Yorkshire Dales). Nova at 9 has one of their cat pieces, and then there’s a show about rafting in Bhutan. Pretty pleased with the alternatives to tonight’s bollox.
Baud
MSNBC shower a poll that Bernie would defeat Bloomberg 57-37 head to head.
PsiFighter37
I was going to hate-watch some of the debate, but I decided to read a book. Got tired, decided that going to sleep early sounds a lot better. I know Iâll feel a lot better getting 9.5 hours of sleep, as opposed to getting 7 hours and spending time getting pissed off about stuff.
I hope Joe, Amy, and Liz bring their A-games, and they train a lot of fire on Wilmer and Bloomberg (but I care about Wilmer more). Make that fucker explain away all the shady shit surrounding his campaign. Heck, Iâd trick him into endorsing Karl Marx on stage – I bet thatâd be real easy to do.
guachi
@Baud: Bernie beats every other Democrat head to head, not just Bloomberg. It’s Sanders’s nomination to lose at this point.
Morzer
Give ’em the chair, Joe!
NotMax
Dogpile on the Babbitt!
;)
PsiFighter37
@guachi: Makes me wonder if our base is not that much smarter than the numbskulls on the other side. Thatâs fucking depressing. I guess people want to find out just how badly America prefers amorality compared to socialism.
dmsilev
@Morzer: Bonus points for hitting Chuck Todd.
Baud
@guachi:
It’s looking that way. Depressing.
guachi
@PsiFighter37: America will choose amorality.
jk
Best of luck to Warren, Klobuchar, and former mayor Pete and worst of luck to Biden, Sanders, and Bloomberg.
dmsilev
Q: “Senator Sanders, please bash Michael Bloomberg”
Moderators. Sigh.
download my app in the app store mistermix
The most important debate in debating, according to Lester Holt. God, I hate anchormen.
Morzer
@dmsilev: Double bonus points!
dmsilev
“Billionaire Class”. Everyone drink. Hell, everyone just get drunk now.
TaMara (HFG)
I’m watching the final episode of History’s Washington. Will read debate comments and see if I watch any of the DVR or just delete.
Another Scott
“Bernie – why aren’t you a loser compared to centrist Mayor Mike?”
“Mayor Mike – can Bernie beat Donnie?”
Cheers,
Scott.
Baud
Bloomberg is direct. I’ll give him that.
And so is Warren.
Morzer
Bloomberg versus Sanders looks like the battle of the constipated elves.
Adam L Silverman
They couldn’t come up with one more moderator so that every candidate got personalized service from the panel?
dmsilev
Warren officially has No Fucks Left To Give.
Morzer
Elizabeth Warren has clearly come to fight.
Elizabelle
Elizabeth hitting Bloomberg hard on harrassing women, hiding his tax returns, and some ugly language about women (that sounded like Trump but for the “lesbian” part — that was new).
Another Scott
LIz brings out the flame thrower on Mayor Mike.
Good.
Cheers,
Scott.
PsiFighter37
@guachi: No fucking kidding. Fuck Bernie. Treating him with kid gloves in 2016 was a mistake – Hillary should have lived up to the alleged ruthlessness of the Clinton legacy and buried his ass in 2016.
download my app in the app store mistermix
OMFG Liz came to fight.
Amy drops a bit turd, too.
Love it.
dmsilev
@Adam L Silverman: Approved seating chart is candidate-moderator-candidate-moderator-candidate. Think of it as the saddest version of musical chairs ever.
Adam L Silverman
What’s the over/under on Senator Warren just reaches over and slams Mayor Bloomberg’s face into his podium?
Baud
Klo is strong too.
Morzer
And then Klobuchar decided to beat Bloomberg to death with his own podium.
Mary G
Warren goes right for Bloomber’s throat, getting a big OOOOOO from the audience.
NotMax
Wow, Warren goes directly for a solar plexus punch on Bloomberg.
PsiFighter37
“Unsurprisingly, the poll-takers don’t talk a lot in public about the ignorance of the electorate on political and public policy matters. And the politicians are not going to disclose the, let’s say, limited body of knowledge in their constituencies. You don’t get elected calling your voters airheads.”
– Jack Germond
jk
Wow!! Liz Warren just crushed it.
Baud
Bloomberg not responding to critics, focusing on Trump. Smart.
PsiFighter37
@dmsilev: Fuck Bernie and his multimillionaire ass. J.F.C. At least Bloomberg worked hard to make his money. I still fail to see how Wilmer earned his, given he was a lazy fuckhead for more than half of his life.
Baud
Go Joe.
Another Scott
Mike ignores the question, leaving the charges there.
Cheers,
Scott.
Morzer
And Joe Biden lives!
Baud
Pete hits Bernie and Bloom.
mad citizen
That was friggin’ awesome from Warren!
khead
It’s the Bloomberg piñata show.
Anya
Why does Bloomberg look younger than Bernie and Joe?
Mary G
Bloomie takes credit for healing NYC from 9/11. Biden throws stop and frisk back in his face.
Baud
Pete won some points with me.
Adam L Silverman
@dmsilev: It’s like the logic questions about the hats and the boxes or the wedding seating chart that they used to ask on the GRE.
Anya
Pete didn’t come to play
Morzer
I think there’s some risk that a pile on Bloomberg will generate sympathy for him, especially if he keeps hitting Trump. That said, the other candidates are fighting cleverly so far.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Warren: Bloomberg is worse than the Houston Astros, but I’ll support him if he’s the nominee.
PsiFighter37
@Anya: Spending weekends in Bermuda does wonders for the skin, Iâm sure.
Baud
Bernie is red.
Adam L Silverman
@NotMax: The President did. He publicly and repeatedly said he loves dumb people because they support him.
Morzer
@Anya: He bathes in the blood of virgins every night. Allegedly.
Anya
Billionairs
Drink
Another Scott
Bernie screaming about Mayor Pete’s billioniares.
Cheers,
Scott.
dmsilev
@Adam L Silverman: The proper answer to the latter question is “let everyone sit where they want, and tip the cleaning crew well when they come by to mop up the blood.”. It’s usually option ‘E”.
Mary G
How can so many people like Bernie? He is especially shouty tonight.
Baud
BernieBros comes up.
download my app in the app store mistermix
46 billionaires! 46 drinks!
Anya
@Morzer: That’s Peter Thiel.
Baud
@Mary G: Same reason people like Trump.
Adam L Silverman
@Anya: When you have Bloomberg’s money, you get bespoke medical, health, and wellness treatment if you want it.
Baud
Warren is strong tonight. I hope it’s not too late.
PsiFighter37
@Mary G: Deep down, itâs what every âtrueâ lefty is like – assholish and trying shove their beliefs down everyoneâs throat.
Anya
I like how Warren easily transitions to attacking Bloomberg.
I think she’s legitimately offended that he’s trying to buy the nomination.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@Baud: It’s just not his face it’s also his hands. (photo) Something is not right.
Baud
“The other .1% work for my campaign.”
Adam L Silverman
@Morzer: That’s Peter Thiel.
dmsilev
How many of those Twitter followers are robots? If nothing else, they’re probably not old enough to vote.
Morzer
Bernie does not seem to like being accountable for the trolls under his shouty, wheezy bridge.
Elizabelle
Talk to Nina Turner.
Uh, no thanks.
NotMax
Someone force-fed Buttigieg his Wheaties this morning.
Warren focused and concise. Not “I have a plan” but rather (paraphrasing) “This is what I will do.”
Anya
Nina Turner is the worst
Just the company he keeps makes me dislike Bernie
PsiFighter37
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: Would we be too lucky if he strokes out while raging about billionaires?
Part of me wonders if Wilmer is just jealous because he knows he canât grift his way to being that rich.
Another Scott
Bernie speaking over everyone else is not a good look.
Cheers,
Scott.
Mary G
@Adam L Silverman: I wish she would. Her polling would go up by double digits.
ETA Chuck Toad even better.
Elizabelle
It’s bots and Russians acting as Bros? Â Really? Â Per the candidate himself?
dmsilev
@Elizabelle: Yeah, no kidding. She’s awful.
Morzer
Bernie apparently trying to be the reddest candidate on stage facially as well as in terms of policy.
NotMax
@Baud
Philosophically or in hue?
;)
Immanentize
@PsiFighter37: Jerry Rubin wrote in “Do It” that if the left ever got control in this country, they would have everyone going to thought school six days a week
Anya
@Morzer: He’s the most Trump like and his twitter supporters (and his inner circle) are the most MAGA like group of people.
ETA — in terms of his lack of apology and his believe in his own cult
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Pete’s having a good night.
Morzer
I do wish Klobuchar hadn’t interrupted Mayor Pete to do a bit of self-promotion. Something interesting was happening between him and Sanders. It looked like an actual… debate.
dmsilev
“We now turn to Chuck Todd” is arguably the most foreboding sentence in modern television.
Adam L Silverman
@Anya: He’s also got this little psychotic working as his spokesperson:
She seems nice!
Morzer
@Anya: That’s certainly the impression that Shouty Redface makes when refusing to take responsibility for his supporters.
mad citizen
Wilmer getting waaay to much time
Liz burning it down! Attacking AK.
Chyron HR
@Immanentize:
How many semesters of thought school do I need to attend before I can explode people’s heads with my mind?
The Dangerman
I have GOT to be more careful.
Every month or so, I go over to Bakersfield; it’s a mostly easy drive these days (46 used to be Blood Alley, but it’s been improved massively). Couple hours of work, do a quick lunch (believe it or not, there are some nice places in Bakersfield), get outta town. Easy, peasy.
So, I’m sitting down for lunch and the TV is on (rather unusual) and, fuck all, Trump is arriving in a few minutes. AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. He probably didn’t leave the grounds of the airport, but I wasn’t risking it and got the hell outta town as fast as I could. I had visions of getting caught up in MAGAts On Parade and that’s the last thing I need right now.
The funny thing was the MAGAt on the TV was talking about how she was looking to hear the words of the President on water policy for the area. Come on, Trump’s depth of water policy isn’t deeper than whether he flushes more than once and how hard he could screw over a Big City (LA or SF) to help out the Red parts of the State (although, if he blew up Hetch Hetchy, I would consider he did right, although SF would scream bloody murder).
Baud
Warren kind of goes after Bernie.
NotMax
@Immanentize
Whereas the right has it broadcast 24/7.
Morzer
My God, Warren’s shredding her fellow-candidates left, right and centrist.
TS (the original)
It’s never too late for the media to ignore her.
khead
Liz takes a flamethrower to the field over healthcare.
PsiFighter37
@Morzer: Interesting strategy…not sure if thatâs the right play.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Sanders:Â yes my twitter supporters are horrible, but they’re the real victims.
Mary G
Liz bringing the fire. Pete’s healthcare plan is a PowerPoint; Amy’s is a Post-It note.
Immanentize
@Chyron HR: That really depends on whether you take my seminar, “Thought School and Scanners.”
PsiFighter37
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: Fuck him. Cannot be said enough.
Morzer
Bloomberg must be thanking His Own Divinity that everyone has decided to fight over healthcare and leave him alone while they squabble.
Sab
@Baud:
@Anya: I have always felt that when Warren appears offended sh is legitimately deeply offended. It is legitimate and not theater.
She believes in fair play (from government, not the universe) and the rule of law.
mad citizen
@Morzer: True, except Wilmer just kept talking over Pete.
Come on Nevada, ZERO votes for Wilmer and bloomberg. Pleeeze! (OK, realized bloomberg not on ballot)
Baud
They’ve slipped into health care police again.
Another Scott
Todd is horrible. Just horrible.
Actually talking about the differences between the health care plans would be useful, but he turns it into a joke about name checking and post-it notes.
Cheers,
Scott.
khead
Is Joe Biden still on the stage?
hilts
Warren just wiped the floor with half the stage, impressive.
Immanentize
@NotMax: It is in their nature to rely on corporate messaging over the personal classroom touch
Anya
@Adam L Silverman: Is this the same one who stole Kellyanne Conway’s schtick https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/02/19/bernie-sanders-national-press-secretary-health-questions-smear-campaign-sot-newday-vpx.cnn
Adam L Silverman
@Elizabelle: From pages 33 and 34 of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s Volume 2 of their multi=part report on the Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report_Volume2.pdf
Morzer
So can we all agree that blowing up bridges is bad? That’s what I am getting from this debate so far.
khead
Mike Bloomberg is away making a commercial.
chopper
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
heâs an 80 year old cardiac patient auditioning for the worldâs most stressful job, of course heâs fucking red all over.
jl
Frickin’ Sanders. Todd asked a question about health care that is somewhat more than a recycled GOP talking point. And Sanders launches into a few sentences of his stump speech.
Sander’s Medicare plan allows supplemental private health insurance, and has space for tailoring policies to replicate current union plans. Why doesn’t he say so? I was right that his 2016 campaign is a tape loop of 2016, but I am surprised that it is so popular.
Warren’s answer was somewhat better, but she has even more basis for just saying yes, we can keep equivalents of current union plans. She as very detailed plans for that.
Buttigieg BSd. Klobuchar skirting her ‘no you can’t’ trope I thought she was abandoning.
Sanders has a chance to say something, and stump speeches again.
I don’t know if I can watch this without my blood pressure skyrocketing.
Adam L Silverman
@Morzer: Over/under on another heart attack? Stroke?
Another Scott
Bernie is just a tape-loop of slogans.
Cheers,
Scott.
Anya
Is Joe Biden napping?
PsiFighter37
If they are going to talk about health care, can someone please ask Wilmer to talk about his policy, and not just say âI wrote the damn billâ (yeah, right, you lazy fuck)?
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@khead: Magic 8-Ball says “No”
Morzer
@hilts: Warren tried, but I am not sure she came across that well. The audience didn’t seem exactly wowed by the mass-flaming of the other candidates.
Morzer
@Adam L Silverman: Maybe Bernie’s preparing to enter the phoenix stage of his campaign and burst into flames onstage.
Adam L Silverman
@Morzer: Good!
via GIPHY
Morzer
Klobuchar is being thoroughly hammered by Warren on healthcare.
mad citizen
@Morzer: Yup. Seems like Warren is going all in. Super Tuesday will bring us resolution.
Hard to make any judgments from crowd reactions.
Adam L Silverman
@Anya: Yep, that’s her. She appears to have straightened her hair this week.
Anya
I can understand why Warren is not making any traction. She’s smarter than everyone on that stage. For some weird reason, Americans don’t like smart and prepared women.
Immanentize
@chopper:
Is he also black and white?
Morzer
I think Warren would have done better not to try and shoehorn “moving encounter story” into her shredding of the Klobuchar 2 paragraph health plan.
jl
Warren is getting better in her answer, but I don’t understand why she just didn’t say she had a detailed plan to allow unions to keep equivalents of their current plans, and has a process to implement that.
If you can say “Yes! My plan does what they want, eliminates their fears, They can keep their current benefits”, why not say it?
Elizabelle
Stop and Frisk.
Elizabelle
@Morzer: Â Agreed.
Baud
@Morzer:
Yeah, I think she overreached. She had been strong.
Sab
Whoever suggested Nova on Cats on PBS has my eternal gratitude. Husband is watching it now instead of whatever. He has had a horrible month, and he adores cats. Show seems to be informative and very calming ( like cats, to cat people.)
??Pretty slim pickings on cat emojis.
hilts
@Morzer:
I think Warren is having her best performance so far and i hope she can keep it up.
Adam L Silverman
@Morzer: Fox has tried to make that movie twice and screwed it up with the original cast and the new cast. So maybe third time is the charm.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
We may like it, but average viewers may not like Warren attacking everyone, including
BambiAmy.Morzer
Warren hit Klobuchar very hard – and then lost all her momentum by trying to speed-tell a story that didn’t add anything to what she had already said.
Anya
@Adam L Silverman: She’s an internet troll. I see her tweets on my TL all the time (for some reason people I follow get riled by her and keep engaging with her) and she’s truly a classic internet troll. I don’t understand how she’s the press secretary of a major party candidate.
Elizabelle
Yea Joe. Â Strong Biden answer. Â He was ready for Stop and Frisk and is impassioned.
JMG
I am not watching the debate because I have already made my choice and have backed it with contributions (it’s Warren). But just now I spent five minutes on Twitter and comments fall into two categories. Category 1. “Oh, this is awful, why aren’t all of them attacking Trump instead of each other?” Category 2. “This is more like it! Let’s see what you all got!” I’d have to go with category two. These folks are playing for high stakes. They should act like it.
jl
@Elizabelle: Glad to see Biden is looking sharper and more on point, concise, and clearer, than in previous debates.
Elizabelle
I think it’s funny to see the candidates raising their hands like schoolkids.
Or: Â I’ll take thousandaire presidents for 200, Alex.
Morzer
Joe Biden really is alive tonight – and he’s obviously decided that Bloomberg must be crushed.
Mary G
Bloomberg not looking too good to me. The apology is lame and he’s not fast on his feet at all.
Another Scott
Liz is taking a flame thrower to Mike about Stop and Frisk’s intent.
Excellent.
Cheers,
Scott.
PsiFighter37
@jl: According to NYT, heâs also spoken the least of everyone tonight – imagine that helps too…
Immanentize
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch:
Warren is too nice to other candidates.
Warren is too bitchy to other candidates.
Warren is too smart
Warren is too honest.
Warren has NFLTG
Anya
I love Warren and I am super impressed by her command of policies. My fear is the same thing that happened to Harris after she went hard on Biden will happen to her. My own grandmother was turned off by her (Harris) and she loves tough women. A lot of Democrats are spooked by Dem on Dem attacks.
khead
@Mary G:
Not quite ready for prime time player.
Morzer
We seem to be entering the Amy Is A Cop stage of proceedings.
Adam L Silverman
@Anya: Same way we have one as ambassador to Germany who was just appointed the acting DNI.
Anya
@Mary G: it was like a hostage taking apology.
Baud
Medical records.
PsiFighter37
@Mary G: Him saying that he was responsible for reducing it is flat-out BS. I have to imagine a conscious decision was made by Bloomberg and Howard Wolfson that Democratic primary voters wouldnât bother digging into the details too deeply or wouldnât care enough to. Insulting to oneâs intelligence, sure, but Bloomberg had zero good cards to play aside from outright apologizing, which heâs got too big an ego to do.
Elizabelle
Yea. Â The heart attack question.
NotMax
Klobuchar went a little too heavy on the rouge.
Fair Economist
Warren may be trying to get un-ignored. The media loves, loves, to repeat negative things about Democrats. By saying them, she’ll be in the clips the media plays over and over and over and over and over…
jl
@Morzer:
” Warren hit Klobuchar very hard â and then lost all her momentum by trying to speed-tell a story that didnât add anything to what she had already said. ”
I’ve read all the plans. Warren is right about her plan versus the others. She has a very detailed very good plan compared to the other candidates.
I think her problem is that she tried to play the corporate media’s game in trying to provide a detailed accounting of every penny, which is a losers game. Sanders does better by saying it’s a silly question because 12 percent of GDP is less than 18 percent. Biden does better by saying he’ll pay for his plan by getting rid of Trump’s tax increases.
Morzer
I am enjoying watching Mayor Pete twist Bernie’s tail by making these implicit comparisons to Trump.
Marcopolo
@Anya: If you are damned if you do and damned if you donât you might as well do it and let the chips fall where they may.
Renie
Seeing a lot of love for Warren tonite on Twitter. Hope that equals more donations for her.
Baud
I’m not sure I’m seeing anything yet to shake up the race.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
@NotMax: trying to show her appeal to red states.
mad citizen
Speaking of, what has happened to part 2 of trump’s physical?
The health plan stuff is boring
Jesus, Wilmer tries to talk nonstop.
Morzer
@jl: Warren is right about the plans – but she should have stopped after cutting the other candidates to shreds. She went on too long and that weakened her focus.
Baud
Good on Pete.
NotMax
Someone told Buttigieg that not shaving makes him not look so young on camera. What it does is make him look young and sloppy.
Immanentize
@Anya: Why do so many people who claim to really like Warren erase her? Why are so many people who claim to really like Warren so eager to get to the “BUT” part of their sentences?
I get why.
Another Scott
Bernie cannot answer a specific question without going into his 2016 stump speech.
Pete’s good about going after him about his nebulous plans.
Cheers,
Scott.
PsiFighter37
Seems like Mayor Pete is doing his best to piss off Wilmer. Works for me. Anything to see that asshole pop a blood vessel on the stage.
Anya
@Adam L Silverman: Republicans have always had poor hires and Trump took it to the ground but Dems should do better. We’re the smart part. The grown up party or at least that’s what my grandpa tells me whenever I get mad and ask why aren’t dems playing dirty.
Elizabelle
Amy is a likeable debater.
Morzer
@Baud: I have been reluctantly impressed by Mayor Pete. He’s pretty good at sounding reasonable while sliding the knife in.
Another Scott
Poor Mike – his taxes are complicated and take a long time because he has so many donations.
Gimme a break.
Cheers,
Scott.
Elizabelle
And takes the tax question to Trump. Â Good, Amy.
PsiFighter37
Reading that Amy said she has low blood pressure. L to the fucking O-L.
Anya
@PsiFighter37: He has nothing to lose. The Bernie Bros have been attacking him with everything they’ve got.
Elizabelle
@Another Scott: Â No Turbo Tax.
My heart. Â It is broken.
jl
Buttigieg is bullshitter. Hope that doesn’t offend any Buttigieg fans here, but no candidate BS’s like Buttigieg (though we don’t have a full picture of Bloomberg’ talents yet)
The insurance industry is going to attack every Democratic candidate’s plan, and call it socialist, even if it does keep the status quo. The insurance industry does not like the status quo of ACA.
The Swiss health care industry is mostly private, and very highly regulated, and costs much less than the US, and has some world best results. The insurance companies get a management return for selling basic policies, an can profit on supplemental care. You know who hates the Swiss health insurance company with the heat of a thousand suns? the Swiss insurance industry. They don’t want to forego a penny of profits they can grab by hook or crook.
Elizabelle
I hope you heard what his defense is. I was nice to some women.
LOL, Elizabeth.
Release the NDAs!
Baud
Warren strong here.
khead
So you are saying “I’ve been nice to some women.” Â – Liz
Bloomberg looks like a deer in headlights over her NDA attacks.
Mary G
@Another Scott: Liz tells him, pay some overtime.
Elizabelle
Some is how many?
I love this Elizabeth. Â Good for voters to see that.
Asks if Bbg is releasing them from NDAs tonight.
Morzer
Bloomberg doesn’t seem… entirely happy … to be onstage with Elizabeth Warren.
Anya
@Immanentize: If this is directed at me, I am not. I said I will vote for her in the New York primary. I am just talking about the regular Dem voter.
Baud
Go Joe!
Morzer
Joe Biden rises from the depths to strike Bloomberg down.
RedDirtGirl
I’m enjoying how awkward Bloomberg is looking.
chris
Anya
Warren came to bury Bloomberg and Buttigieg came to bury Sanders and I think one of them succeeded.
Baud
Hopefully this is the end of Bloomberg.
And good on Bernie here.
Immanentize
@Elizabelle:
I predict that within a decade, NDAs will be held to be void when they:
1) obscure criminal behavior and also when they
2) obscure civil actionable behavior by other than the person signing the NDA.
They are antithetical to justice.
Elizabelle
Consensually?
Those wimmens forced Mike to sign NDAs?
Really?
Now Bernie asks about Blbg support for W and Republican senators. Â Although I was liking the discussion of NDAs.
Morzer
You’d think Mike Bloomberg had learned by now that money can’t buy you love. He’s certainly getting a first class re-education on the topic tonight.
jl
@Anya: I criticize all the candidate, since no one is perfect, and they are humans just like we are, but I’be contributed quite a big to her campaign, and phone banked for her and will vote for her.
I’ll tune back in later to see if they get back to policy.
Immanentize
@Anya: Not directed at you, but what does the regular Dem voter think? I am very eager to know this.
Elizabelle
I hope Bloomberg is still going to fund anti-Trump ads after getting his NDA’d butt handed to him by his “fellow Democrats.” Â Can’t you see him wondering about that?
Marcopolo
Can I just say I am so happy Bloomberg is on the stage, although I also believe the DNCs debate benchmark system (and their disposal of them for Bloomberg) was awful.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Morzer: She’s done that in a couple of debates, she needs to stop doing that.
Baud
Let Amy speak!
hedgehog mobile
Liz did not come to play. Love it.
Morzer
Klobuchar really doesn’t look good here. Mayor Pete ain’t backing down either.
Baud
Warren steps up.
khead
I wonder how long Pete has been waiting to drop that Mondale line on Amy.
Adam L Silverman
And Mayor Pete jumps up and down on Senator Klobuchar’s last nerve.
Martin
This is going great. Trump is really sweating.
Another Scott
Having 4 people talk at once is great.
Liz is defending Amy K from Pete and the moderators.
Cheers,
Scott.
Baud
Moderater wants to debate.
Elizabelle
Valentine from EW after the Post it Note comment.
Immanentize
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Have you written an email to her campaign clearing that up?
jl
I like Buttigieg less less every time he speaks.
Warren quick enough to make amends for her (accurate IMHO) attack on Klobuchar’s health care plan
Another Scott
@khead: Yeah, he had obviously been saving that.
(sigh)
Cheers,
Scott.
Elizabelle
@hedgehog mobile: Â hello there hedgehog. Â Long time no see.
SiubhanDuinne
Good for SPW for coming to AKâs Defense on the Mexican presidentâs name. That was solidarity.
Immanentize
@Martin: Primaries are for just this type of action.
Morzer
Klobuchar is looking rattled. Biden is definitely pouncing on his chances tonight.
Mary G
Pete and Amy getting personal.
NotMax
@khead
Mondale is a damn good and damn decent person and would have made a fine president.
zhena gogolia
@Martin:
Is that snark? I can’t watch, but it doesn’t sound as if it’s going great for the cause of defeating Trump.
Baud
Joe’s having a fairly strong night. Hopefully, he can rescue this primary.
debbie
@Anya:
That’s what primaries are for.
Elizabelle
Yea. Â Climate crisis questions after the break. Â Very good.
Biden looks good tonight. Â They all do to me, although Bloomberg is not as accustomed to debates as his “fellow Democrats.”
Anya
@Immanentize: I am actually not the person to ask. Most of the people I know are well informed voters who pretty attuned to political undercurrents but some of the people I encounter are interested mostly about defeating Trump. They just want someone who can defeat Trump. And when candidates attack each other, they get scared. Obviously, misogyny (including internalized misogyny is a huge obstacle for Warren).
PsiFighter37
@SiubhanDuinne: But why? Dub ya got roasted for not knowing this kind of stuff in 2000. Klobuchar just had to vote on the NAFTA revisions, for crying out loud.
I know the bar is a lot lower now, but not knowing Mexicoâs president is close to a dealbreaker.
Elizabelle
Maybe a fresh thread for the second hour?
gwangung
@Elizabelle: Mikey, ol’ buy, you wanted to play with the big boys and girls…
Immanentize
My son, the Immp, just came in and said, “Are you watching the debate? Bloomberg is getting rightfully destroyed.”. He is 18. The kids are alright.
jl
@SiubhanDuinne: Some of the questions, from more than one moderator, have been grubby gotcha grandstanding. Why not ask something about a foreign policy issue re Mexico? Would be a better way to find out who has understanding of issues.
khead
@Martin:
These things need to happen every so often. Â Helps to get rid of the bad blood. Â Hopefully early in the primary season. Â – Peter Clemenza (paraphrased)
Ksmiami
@Martin: praying for Joe. Not really digging the Warren warrior schtick
Immanentize
@NotMax: Tru dat
Another Scott
@zhena gogolia: People need to see the differences between the candidates, and the candidates need to be able to show that they can take a punch and respond. This isn’t about Trump.
I think this is the best debate I’ve seen thus far.
Politics ain’t beanbag.
Cheers,
Scott.
Anya
@Baud: Is it bad that I internally prayed that he actually met with the current president of Mexico and he doesn’t get fact checked later? But yeah, he’s on fire tonight.
Adam L Silverman
PsiFighter37
Bloomberg sounded like he completely botched the question around NDAs. Adios, fucker – save the rest of your cash while you can.
Merhinks Bloombergâs numbers crater and Biden gets a bit of a rebound.
Leto
Not sure why we have Bloomberg filling the Republican centrist role when we have Pete continuing to lead the charge on that front.
Immanentize
@debbie: Agree! That’s what I say. Toughen up the fighter for the final match.
Marcopolo
Solid first hour for Warren & Biden. Bloomberg, however, is looking like a gutted fish. Sanders is his normal shouty self & Amy & Pete are about to go out back and settle it with fisticuffs.
Maybe the best debate so far.
Elizabelle
@Another Scott: Â This is the only debate I have watched.
Do they always raise their hands like they’re in school?
It’s been fast moving.
mad citizen
@PsiFighter37: I totally disagree if it’s a momentary lapse. The only one I can name after 59 years is Vicente Fox, and I could be wrong on that.
jl
@Anya: i hope Biden’s memory solid tonight.
Gin & Tonic
@Another Scott: Not watching, and too lazy to read 230+ comments, so just tell me who won and lost, OK?
download my app in the app store mistermix
I just posted another thread for the second hour of the debate since when we get to 200+ comments things get a little unwieldly
Edited to add:Â Cheryl did the same thing simultaneously so I took it down.
Elizabelle
@Adam L Silverman: Â LOL.
Another Scott
@Adam L Silverman: (snort)
Cheers,
Scott.
MomSense
I honestly donât think this is a good showing for us. Â Trumpâs cult followers like the zings and the attacks, but do you all really think this plays well to the voters we need to persuade? I think itâs going to turn off everyone who isnât a political junkie.
People are sick of this kind of fighting. Â Itâs kind of like the house on the street where all the kids like to hang out. Â Itâs not the one with arguing and bickering.
Elizabelle
Fresh thread up for second half of debate.
Immanentize
@PsiFighter37: Quick, who is the PM of the UK? I bet K-blu knows that, although he is much less consequential to the US.
BlueDWarrior
When only one person gets to be top of the ticket, this was bound to happen eventually.
If the trend of no one trying to assert themselves continued, Bernie ends up with a 35% pularity and Katie bar the door of that happens.
Another Scott
@Elizabelle: I’m just listening. I they often raise their hands.
Cheers,
Scott.
Martin
@Immanentize: This isn’t action. Even the policy discussions aren’t policy discussions.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Amy made a big mistake not knowing who’s the manager of the Chicago Cubs
what was she thinking!?!
Gin & Tonic
@Adam L Silverman: The revival of that Twitter account is the only bright spot I’ve seen about Bloomberg’s candidacy.
mad citizen
@jl: Yup. Who would have thought Chuck Todd would not be the worst questioner. That commentary from the Latina journo to AK was way low.
khead
@MomSense:
No one will remember this debate in November.
Immanentize
@Gin & Tonic: The Astros won, but they are losing the post season
NotMax
@Immanentize
Of course defeating Dolt 45 is (no pun intended) primary. And everyone on that stage has that as a goal. But-
What then? What follows the victory? THAT is what vibrant debate is necessary to hash out.
(General, not personal response. Certainly not implying you are not already well aware of this.)
?BillinGlendaleCA
@jl:
Except Baud, Baud is good, Baud is perfect!
PsiFighter37
@mad citizen: Cool – and I can name Fox and every president since he left office. I expect our public reps to know this shit. Itâs not that difficult.
hedgehog mobile
@Elizabelle: (waves)Â Family health issues…
Immanentize
@Martin: There are FIVE FUCKING MODERATORS. You wanted substance? Ha!
jl
I had to restart the feed after it froze, and that triggered a commercial. Missed Ralston’s climate change question. I hope it was good. His follow up questions seem better than average, not ‘how you gonna pay’ recycled GOP talking points.
PsiFighter37
@Immanentize: I can name them going back to Thatcher. If people want to hold important roles, they should know info about the important countries at hand. Especially the country next door.
Sab
@Another Scott: This is basic. You gotta checkbook and a register. You got bank statements. Tie them together. I do this on several hundred tax returns in two montha every spring. Tedious but not hard at all.
Immanentize
@NotMax: Just the other day I said no one cares about the day after Trump loses. And OzarkHB pointed out, “until the day after.”
Morzer
So far, I suspect Biden looks better to the voters than anyone else on the stage. Klobuchar looked rattled and pissy, Mayor Pete probably enjoyed shoving the shiv in a little too much and Warren seems to have decided to fight all the other candidates when she isn’t being Amy’s Mamabear. Bloomberg has been roasted. Sanders will keep his cult vote, but I doubt he’s convinced anyone who wasn’t part of it.
Leto
@Immanentize: How about the PM of Poland? Key military ally, weâre expanding our military ops there in direct response to Russia… what about BALTOPs? Can they name that op because, again, very big military exercise meant to help train NATO/non-NATO troops in direct response to Russian aggression. Everyone has brain farts.
Immanentize
@khead: Unless hour two includes an infarction
Martin
@Immanentize: To be honest, they’ve been helping. The blowup  between Pete and Amy wasn’t caused by the moderators, even if the question that started it was dumb.
If you get a dumb question, make it go away – don’t lean into it. These candidates can’t help but lean into the dumb questions.
Anya
@MomSense: No one will remember any of this in November. I just hope this finishes off Bloomberg and diminishes Sanders.
Adam L Silverman
@David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch: Given she’s from Minnesota, she was probably thinking “win Twins!”
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: Si!
Gin & Tonic
@PsiFighter37:
When my son was little he was fascinated with US Presidents, and knew them all. So we were out to dinner and his always helpful and supportive Dad said “oh yeah, I bet you can’t list them all backwards.”
He did.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
That’s the key. He turn off everyone who already isn’t a one of his Moonies.
Sab
@Immanentize: Y’all bitched relentlesly about Gwen ifill . Any regrets now? slightly sorry?
MomSense
@Morzer:
I agree with your summary.
Adam L Silverman
@jl: Ralston actually knows what he’s doing because he’s a real, working journalist.
James E Powell
@MomSense:
People who are paying attention in February are not put off by this kind of fighting and may really enjoy it.
David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch
Wilmer yet again shouting and wagging his finger at unions (this time at workers he wants to fire in Pennsylvania) .
So much for being the candidate of white working class.
Anya
@Immanentize:Â don’t ask me about that ‘filthy piece of toerag’
Immanentize
@Leto: What’s your name again?
I agree with you, but the President of Mexico is especially important because of the number of Mexican American voters in key states. The PM of Poland (that asshole from the Law and Justice Party) does not have the electoral significance of Obrador. Voters matter. Policy not so much.
NotMax
@James E Powell
I find it invigorating compared to the bland and boilerplate responses prevalent in most of the previous meet-ups. Fire in the belly is more than a cliche.
Immanentize
@Sab: I never ever said or wrote anything about Gwen Ifill. Maybe you are thinking of another “Immanentize?”
WaterGirl
@Immanentize: Plus, the moderator made the point that Amy K. seemed unable to discuss Mexico policies in that venue, either.
Immanentize
@Anya: Now I am laughing. I saw that clip of that lady. I would follow her into a big battle.
Anya
@Immanentize: awesome lady. I was sad that she ends up with him as her Prime Minister
Immanentize
@Gin & Tonic: When I was a kid, the trash can in the bathroom had all the President’s names and pictures on it (up to Johnson). (Fuck LBJ, I miss Raven). So that was my bathroom reading.
Fair Economist
@PsiFighter37:
I like an aggressive candidate but trying to provoke an aneurysm might be a bit much. Then again, it is Sanders.
zhena gogolia
@Marcopolo:
I always hear this from you guys — “Bernie is Bernie,” or “Bernie is the way he always is.” Isn’t important that the way he always is is content-free? That would be important to me. I don’t see why he gets a pass.
Ruckus
@zhena gogolia:
It will take a fight to destroy trump because he will be wanting to do to anyone what he did to HRC in that one debate where he stood behind her and she let him. She should have told him to get away from her or to just fuck off. What do you think Warren will do if he tries that same bullshit? I’d bet she pulls no punches and tonight shows that. She’s here to win.
Just an aside, when I worked in pro sports there seemed to be two types of competitors. Ones that always were competing, in every way and the others who competed on the playing field while being nice the rest of the time. Neither type was better at the actual sport but often the ones always competing could screw up the nicer competitors minds. EW just became a real competitor tonight. People have asked how she’d do against trump. I’d wager pretty damn good.
MomSense
@James E Powell:
Yes, my point is that this is for the political junkies. Â I just think we should not assume that he zings we like are appealing to voters we need to win over.
James E Powell
@Ruckus:
Whatever she or any other Democrat might do, they will be scorched on FOX and RW radio for their disrespect to The President. MSNBC and CNN will have RW guests come on to say the same thing.
James E Powell
@zhena gogolia:
The press/media still give Sanders the same soft focus treatment he got in 2016. He helped destroy the Most Evil Hillary Clinton and the press/media will always love him for it.
Ruckus
@James E Powell:
So what. They will do that anyway, any and every thing they can turn against the democrat. And make the democrat look weak. If Warren acts in a debate against trump the way she acted tonight, he will go off message – if he was ever on it, and she will eviscerate him. The right wing will be pissed but so fucking what? They are going to lie and cheat anyway, they always do.
schrodingers_cat
Deleted
Original Lee
@Immanentize: Given that Morawiecki authorised unconstitutional armed force against the governmentâs oversight agency head yesterday, this information is becoming more important. Poland could be heading towards civil war if the War of the Offices isnât resolved quickly and acceptably.
@Immanentize:
(((CassandraLeo)))
@James E Powell: From where Iâm sitting, that might not be a liability in a Democratic primary. The general election might be another story, mind you⊠Iâm not sure any of us can reliably game that out at this point, though.
CÄterum cÄnseĆ factiĆnem RÄpublicÄnam esse dÄlendam.
Marcopolo
@zhena gogolia:
Probably a dead thread but when I say Sanders is being his shouty self I am also obliquely saying he is content free. Â He has his schtick & that is all he has.