Posted on 10/15/2015 7:09:42 AM PDT by Kaslin
For those who waited for presumed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to implode at the first debate, the wait was in vain. Polished, poised and professional, she was well-rehearsed and stayed on point, while managing to be "likable enough," as then-Sen. Barack Obama labeled her in a 2008 debate.
The big winner Tuesday night was CNN's Anderson Cooper, followed by Bernie Sanders, the Independent from Vermont who is running for the Democratic nomination. He appeared reasonable and rational -- a win for anyone who is running as an Independent and is a self-proclaimed socialist.
Based on a Fox News poll released before the debate (1,004 registered voters, +/- 3 percent, Oct. 10-12), Clinton is in the lead at 45 percent, Sanders following at 25 percent, Vice President Joe Biden at 19 percent, and the remaining three candidates at 1 percent each. Only three candidates are really viable on the Democratic side (Clinton, Sanders and Biden), and only two of them are currently running.
The five candidates running for the Democratic nomination for the presidential election faced off Tuesday night at the party's first debate in Las Vegas, Nevada. Clinton, the former senator from New York and secretary of state, stood in the middle based on her top poll rating. Sanders stood to her right and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley to her left. Former Virginia Governor Jim Webb and Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee provided the bookends to the stage.
Interestingly, of the five candidates, two are former Republican office holders (Chafee and Webb), and the person nipping at Clinton's heels, Bernie Sanders, still declares himself an Independent in party but a democratic socialist in theory.
Visually, the stage was very different than the stage of the last Republican debate. The participants were fewer in number and appeared to be older and whiter than their GOP counterparts. The number of viewers of this debate was less than half of the viewers of the Republican debate (9.2 million versus 24 million).
Frank Luntz met with 28 Democratic Florida voters for a focus group during the debate. According to his panel, Sanders won the debate. Described by them as "for the people", "strong", "straight forward", "confident", "sincere", "powerful", and "smart." Sanders was the surprise of the night.
It was not only Sanders' populist appeal that appeared to resonate with viewers, but the way he engaged with Cooper and Clinton. He had the best line of the night when he interrupted the back-and-forth between Cooper and Clinton regarding her email controversy.
"Let me say something that may not be great politics. But I think the Secretary is right. The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!"
After being thanked by Clinton, who reached over and shook his hand, Sanders continued, "You know. ... We have massive wealth and income inequality. Our trade policies have cost us millions of decent jobs. The American people want to know whether we're going to have a democracy or an oligarchy as a result of Citizens United. Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing America."
Clinton's movement towards him and their subsequent handshake gave Sanders the credibility he needs to continue his momentum. Sanders restated his disgust with Wall Street, capitalists and anyone who he feels is contributing to inequality in America. According to him -- he's for the people.
As for Chafee, his worst moment came when he defended a vote based on it being one of his first as a Senator -- as if newness explained a vote he now regretted. Webb, who often spoke about the military and his service, appeared as though he would have been more at home on a Republican debate stage.
Clinton wasn't going to fall apart, noting during the email back-and-forth, "I'm still standing." But Sanders now looks like a real contender. The question remaining, at least in my mind: Is there any room for Biden? Yes, while Hillary is still standing, she did not dominate the stage as one might have anticipated when the campaign began months ago.
As for Sanders, we will have to see if his version of progressive populism, which rests upon reinforcing class warfare and believing that those in power are smarter and therefore must help those who can't help themselves, will appeal to more than the 9.2 million who watched the debate.
That is a stretch.
Bernie Sanders is the Captain of the Communist Socialist Party formerly known as the DNC...and every democrat that is registered with this ‘new’ party is a member....
This is not only disgusting but a very big black mark on our Country and not only do we have this now but along with the Rainbows girlie boys group, black lives don't matter group, the muslims that belong to head muslim bath house barry and his muslim brotherhood....
Wow, this country has really gone in the pooper hasn't it????
A big chunk of this country wants European-style socialism. They are an entitlement mob that thinks the greatest country on Earth OWES them long paid vacations, generous paid family leave, free college tuition, free healthcare, etc. I am guessing around 1/3 of the electorate. Enough more can be convinced with something like student loan forgiveness to put him over the top.
As liberals go, he's been steadfast in his ideas and ideals for many years.
As far as I can tell, he's never tried to hide his politics. He's been honest about them. People definitely know what they're getting.
Of course, I'd NEVER vote for him, but I'd probably have a beer with him.
Agreed. I think his policies are foolish and destructive but he doesn’t hide what he believes, unlike Brak whose whole life is a lie.
Looks like Bernie loves Hillary but hates Wall Street
hogging all the wealth leaving the working classes w/ nothing.
I JUST CAN'T WAIT Will be such fun to see Bernie defend THIS Hillary.
Then-US Sen Clinton and then-Sen Corzine on the Capitol steps.
EXHIBIT ONE Corzine was fresh out of Goldman Sachs executive suite, buying his NJ Senate seat office for $65 million; then buying the NJ governorship. Out of office, he ran a hedge fund where $1.5 B went missing....that employed both Bill Clinton and then-Secy of State Hillary's top aide Huma Abedin.
EXHIBIT TWO When Chelsea Clinton's husband started a hedge fund, he gained access to investors who had ties to the Clintons and to Goldman Sachs. Back in 2011, Mezvinsky, now 37, and two former Goldman Sachs'ers — Bennett Grau and Mark Mallon — began raising money for Mezvinsky's Eaglevale Partners LP hedge fund.
Some of Mezvinsky's investors included Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein. Blankfein, a slavish Democrat supporter, said he had "always been a fan of Hillary Clinton."
The WSJ reported extensively on the hedge fund's underperformance since its inception and Mezvinsky's mediocre investing and strategizing.
===========================================
There's a saying in Congress---"One hand washes the other." You vote for my bill; I vote for your bill.
So did Did Hillary vote for Corzine's legislation....giving tax breaks for a Japanese bank Corzine's "blind trust" owned?
EXHIBIT THREE Then-US Sen Jon Corzine (D-NJ), used his office to pass a special tax exemption for a Japanese bank he owned----his Goldman Sachs crony, Christopher Flowers---adminstrator of Sen Corzine's "blind trust"--- used Corzine's assets to takeover the Japanese bank.
LAUGH BREAK Corzine later said he "did not know" the legislation he sponsored "benefited" him.
================================================
So what other Wall Street deals did Corzine make w/ Hillary to enrich himself...and her?
"Bernie, I insist you go first."
ROTFLMAO.
Looks like Bernie loves Hillary but hates Wall Street
hogging all the wealth leaving the working classes w/ nothing.
I JUST CAN'T WAIT Will be such fun to see Bernie defend THIS Hillary.
Then-US Sen Clinton and then-Sen Corzine on the Capitol steps.
EXHIBIT ONE Corzine was fresh out of Goldman Sachs executive suite, buying his NJ Senate seat office for $65 million; then buying the NJ governorship. Out of office, he ran a hedge fund where $1.5 B went missing....that employed both Bill Clinton and then-Secy of State Hillary's top aide Huma Abedin.
EXHIBIT TWO When Chelsea Clinton's husband started a hedge fund, he gained access to investors who had ties to the Clintons and to Goldman Sachs. Back in 2011, Mezvinsky, now 37, and two former Goldman Sachs'ers — Bennett Grau and Mark Mallon — began raising money for Mezvinsky's Eaglevale Partners LP hedge fund.
Some of Mezvinsky's investors included Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein. Blankfein, a slavish Democrat supporter, said he had "always been a fan of Hillary Clinton."
The WSJ reported extensively on the hedge fund's underperformance since its inception and Mezvinsky's mediocre investing and strategizing.
===========================================
There's a saying in Congress---"One hand washes the other." You vote for my bill; I vote for your bill.
So did Did Hillary vote for Corzine's legislation....giving tax breaks for a Japanese bank Corzine's "blind trust" owned?
EXHIBIT THREE Then-US Sen Jon Corzine (D-NJ), used his office to pass a special tax exemption for a Japanese bank he owned----his Goldman Sachs crony, Christopher Flowers---adminstrator of Sen Corzine's "blind trust"--- used Corzine's assets to takeover the Japanese bank.
LAUGH BREAK Corzine later said he "did not know" the legislation he sponsored "benefited" him.
================================================
So what other Wall Street deals did Corzine make w/ Hillary to enrich himself...and her?
"Bernie, I insist you go first."
ROTFLMAO.
Given the communists record with human rights, not to mention economics, in the last century Bernie Sanders should be about as popular as George Lincoln Rockwell.
Especially in a party that calls itself “progressive”.
But then leftism holds a strong appeal for the weak minded. And boy do we have plenty of those in this country today.
Assuming that Obama leaves office, which I am not convinced that he will, and actually allows an election. If the Republican Party do not devise a plan soon to neutralize the massive and many pronged voter fraud, she will be the next occupant of the White House.
The only two things that would cause him to leave are: 1. His controllers have other plans for him. 2. The Democrat Party knows in advance how the election will turn out[who will win]. In 2012, while very few, if any, cared they perfected the formula to stealing elections, at least on a National level.
I started to use the term opposition Party, but there is no opposition Party. There are only two wings, or factions, of the same Party. So, either way the Socialists win.
As far as I can tell, he’s never tried to hide his politics. He’s been honest about them. People definitely know what they’re getting.
............................................
An honest socialist is, well...a socialist.
Reasonable and rational??? Feh. The guy is a confirmed socialist nutjob. Within five years the country would be Venezuela Norte.
The GOP needs to trianglate what Sander’s is saying.
He is grabbing a lot of people with huge school loan debt, and chance of a job.
Why? He sounded really faggy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.