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Live Thread for the SC Democratic Presidential Debate

Revenues are at record highs - spending continues to clime even faster. It's a spending problem.

Nate Silver Breaks It Down

Revenue minus spending = surplus (deficits).

You know how simple equations work. TCJA has reduced revenues by about $200-250B per year, which means....deficits have increased by that amount thanks to the tax cuts in TCJA!! It's...MATH. We have a spending and a tax problem.

And yes, nominal revenues increase over time, because inflation, population growth, and the normal economic growth unrelated to tax cuts.

BTW, I have no idea what you found interesting about a Nate Silver article from 2013. You can quote from it if you like. What I saw was him talking about the ever growing share of GDP represented by healthcare and SS, and the GOP answer to those growing fiscal demands was to.....cut taxes and make deficits worse, as spending pressures increase!
 
Amy would make a good VP whether she brought voters to the ticket or not. She would be good in the office IMO.
 
Ok, another debate down.

I thought Sanders did fairly well, and an improved showing by Bloomberg despite the shots from Warren. This was the opportunity for some of these candidates to steal some thunder from Sanders, but I don't think anyone managed that much. I'm curious to see how the SC primary goes since that's going to be make or break for some of them. I don't see Klobuchar or Steyer making it past this and I really wonder about Biden, though I think he'll fare better in the primary than in Iowa and NH.
 
I'm actually voting for him now, but unfortunately, I think he might not make it this time around.
He's my #1 purely in terms of who I'd like in office. But in terms of electability, I'm torn. That being said, I do think he would do better with the general electorate than conventional wisdom allows. I also think he would do better on the debate stage with Trump than many surmise, and he would provide a fantastic contrast to Trump on the same stage.
 
That was really Bobby's fight against the mob. But it did prove that a Kennedy could stab you in the back as neatly and as quickly as anybody else could. Really Robert was trying to get the mob out of the unions generally and the teamsters specifically. That was his real fight. Had the mob not infiltrated unions especially the teamsters I don't think Bobby would have taken the time and John would have sooner left it all alone.

Sigh.

Yes, labor infiltration was the official issue the Congressional investigations were about. That wasn't the limit of the Kennedys' interest.

People today don't understand how important a harmful influence the mobs was, how powerful it was. Just one family, in New Orleans/Texas, Carlos Marcello, was as the biggest company in the country. It was MASSIVE, and no administration has evern come CLOSE to the war on the mob the Kennedys did.

Bobby fought the fight, but with JFK's support.
 
My impression of Buttigieg took a big hit with last week's debate and this debate. Even though for the most part he answers well and has good moments, as a matter of fact he comes across as fake, as in rehearsed posturing to be seen as the level-headed good guy. I think I just don't like him in a visceral way. I never liked Warren, she recovered my esteem last week, just to lose it again this week. I find her pretty annoying.

I'm a bit troubled with the fact that Bernie didn't handle well the pressure and the attacks. This doesn't bode well for the continuation because he'll be attacked more and more, and then, if he wins the nomination, he will be brutally attacked by Trump and the right wing.

Bloomberg came across to me as competent, a big contrast with him coming across as an asshole last time.

Steyer had some great moments but he is irrelevant to the race.

Amy also did well but again, she has always polled in the single digits, she has no chance.

Bernie efficiently pandered to his crowd, trying to solidify his AA support.

I think this race may very well become one between Bloomberg, Sanders, and Biden.

I can't see how Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Warren, and Steyer would be able to win the nomination.

If Biden recovers hugely, wins SC, and does well on ST he will be back and the race will remain a 3-way one. If he loses SC he is toast since the lack of any momentum will hurt him on ST too, and the race will be only between Bloomberg and Sanders.

As of now I think Sanders is still the most likely one to win the nomination, followed by Bloomberg, then Biden, and all others have zero chance.
Yeah, this race is between Sanders, Biden, and Bloomberg.

Everyone else is running for VP.
 
He's my #1 purely in terms of who I'd like in office. But in terms of electability, I'm torn. That being said, I do think he would do better with the general electorate than conventional wisdom allows. I also think he would do better on the debate stage with Trump than many surmise, and he would provide a fantastic contrast to Trump on the same stage.

I think it's Bernie who will provide the most incredible debate with trump.
 
So, you can show me where it's written in stone as a scientific fact that Klobucher is required for Bernie to win, and he can't win without her as VP? No, you can't. There's more balance to the issue, and Bernie has the responsibility not only to pick a more progressive VP, but to recognize that it's not clear WHO would help him more and a slight boost in that isn't all that matters in the pick.

If by some miracle we get a President Sanders, Democrats lose his Senate seat due to a GOP governor in Vermont.

IMO, Manchin changes parties and Jones loses. That’s +3 for the GOP right off the top.
 
My impression of Buttigieg took a big hit with last week's debate and this debate. Even though for the most part he answers well and has good moments, as a matter of fact he comes across as fake, as in rehearsed posturing to be seen as the level-headed good guy. I think I just don't like him in a visceral way. I never liked Warren, she recovered my esteem last week, just to lose it again this week. I find her pretty annoying.

I'm a bit troubled with the fact that Bernie didn't handle well the pressure and the attacks. This doesn't bode well for the continuation because he'll be attacked more and more, and then, if he wins the nomination, he will be brutally attacked by Trump and the right wing.

Bloomberg came across to me as competent, a big contrast with him coming across as an asshole last time.

Steyer had some great moments but he is irrelevant to the race.

Amy also did well but again, she has always polled in the single digits, she has no chance.

Bernie efficiently pandered to his crowd, trying to solidify his AA support.

I think this race may very well become one between Bloomberg, Sanders, and Biden.

I can't see how Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Warren, and Steyer would be able to win the nomination.

If Biden recovers hugely, wins SC, and does well on ST he will be back and the race will remain a 3-way one. If he loses SC he is toast since the lack of any momentum will hurt him on ST too, and the race will be only between Bloomberg and Sanders.

As of now I think Sanders is still the most likely one to win the nomination, followed by Bloomberg, then Biden, and all others have zero chance.

I think Steyer did really well tonight. Biden tried to attack him because of his SC poll numbers. He had to punch him and Steyer came back from it. Warren looked the most desperate and Bloomberg handled that attack well. Sanders did well too.
 
Yeah. Supreme Court might be a stretch. But I would totally vote for RuPaul for president.

LOL, that would be fun watching that president meeting with fundamentalist Muslims.
 
Bernie post-debate giving the same stock message he's given thousands of times. Getting attacked about Cuban area Congress people. Good defense. So much red baiting. If Bernie says Castro is an authoritarian who increased literacy, a lot of dishonest people say "BERNIE LOVES CASTRO'S DICTATORSHIP!"
 
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Sigh.

Yes, labor infiltration was the official issue the Congressional investigations were about. That wasn't the limit of the Kennedys' interest.

People today don't understand how important a harmful influence the mobs was, how powerful it was. Just one family, in New Orleans/Texas, Carlos Marcello, was as the biggest company in the country. It was MASSIVE, and no administration has evern come CLOSE to the war on the mob the Kennedys did.

Bobby fought the fight, but with JFK's support.

John would have not been elected without the assistance of the mob.
 
Translation: she didn’t like guns enthusiastically enough.

that's a stupid comment. Smart people would have realized I had no idea what her views were then since I really don't recall her. all the democrats tonight are hard core gun banners. Bloomberg is the worst-the other billionaire seems the least aggressive.
 
If by some miracle we get a President Sanders, Democrats lose his Senate seat due to a GOP governor in Vermont.

IMO, Manchin changes parties and Jones loses. That’s +3 for the GOP right off the top.

Wow. Didn’t know that.

I bet the VT GOV is more liberal than 99%of the GOP.
 
I do not remember hearing this question tonight.

I’d prefer a question about the cutthroat, toxic Slanders’ Staff such as Rojas, Turner, Weaver, Teachout, and many more. Sanders’s Wife has now interjected herself into this race, slinging her poo. Let’s look at her past.
 
John would have not been elected without the assistance of the mob.

A false myth. If Kennedy lost Illinois, he still won.
 
Mostly agreed with this, but Bloomberg still came off like an arrogant prick, especially when he tried to credit NY life expectancy to himself, and then he ****ed up the easy T ball on Xi by once again refusing to call him a dictator or otherwise denounce him. He only looks better purely on the basis of contrast principle since he didn't get utterly demolished in real time on national television; this was not a strong debate for him.

Just a clarification, I made a typo which I've now corrected, I meant that Biden, not Bernie, pandered to the AA crowd (with his offer of a black woman to be nominated as a SC justice).

I'm merely talking about electoral chances, not if I agree with what the candidates are saying. I think Bloomberg's answer about China was convincing to many voters, who aren't as well-informed as you are regarding the danger represented by China. He said we need to engage them anyway because of the environment, etc. This plays well with the base and kind of counters the downside of his pro-China stance. This was a well-rehearsed answer.

You know, Bloomberg actually is competent and he has a lot of money to hire good people. Last week I thought he was toast; I no longer think so. He will be a force to reckon with.

I don't think he should have skipped SC, though. This is a mistake. He is allowing the others to drive the race and set the tone. Missing small Iowa and NH, sure, Nevada already a stretch, but missing SC as well is not good.
 
that's a stupid comment. Smart people would have realized I had no idea what her views were then since I really don't recall her. all the democrats tonight are hard core gun banners. Bloomberg is the worst-the other billionaire seems the least aggressive.

Oh, I bet that was the first thing you asked your imaginary Yale friends about.
 
If by some miracle we get a President Sanders, Democrats lose his Senate seat due to a GOP governor in Vermont.

IMO, Manchin changes parties and Jones loses. That’s +3 for the GOP right off the top.

Wow, I didn't know that VT had a Republican governor. How in the hell did they elect a Republican? VT is solidly blue, no?
 
Just a clarification, I made a typo which I've now corrected, I meant that Biden, not Bernie, pandered to the AA crowd (with his offer of a black woman to be nominated as a SC justice).

I'm merely talking about electoral chances, not if I agree with what the candidates are saying. I think Bloomberg's answer about China was convincing to many voters, who aren't as well-informed as you are regarding the danger represented by China. He said we need to engage them anyway because of the environment, etc. This plays well with the base and kind of counters the downside of his pro-China stance. This was a well-rehearsed answer.

You know, Bloomberg actually is competent and he has a lot of money to hire good people. Last week I thought he was toast; I no longer think so. He will be a force to reckon with.

I don't think he should have skipped SC, though. This is a mistake. He is allowing the others to drive the race and set the tone. Missing small Iowa and NH, sure, Nevada already a stretch, but missing SC as well is not good.

Even from a more Joe Blow POV though, I can't say there's much that really impressed me about his showing; I would call it middling at best, and I think even that is almost unreasonably generous; again, I think you're looking at this through contrast principle eyes, which may, to be fair, also be true of others.
 
A false myth. If Kennedy lost Illinois, he still won.

But then there is West Virginia. Kennedy would not have likely gotten to be the nominee without the mob's help in the primary. Been well known for ages that the mob pulled Kennedy through West Virginia at a point when it was nip and tuck. Eventually Kennedy crushed Humphrey for the nomination. But at the time, he really needed West Virginia. At any rate the mob connections to John through Sinatra are also well known.
 
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WTF? :lol:

Even I think Biden had the better night.

1. Biden/Buttigieg.
2. Warren.
3. Sanders.
4. Everyone else.

I think I noticed Steyer out of everyone tonight. So I'd say...

1. Steyer- He gave I think the most passionate responses. Biden's attack on him got me to notice Steyer lolz.
2. Sanders- Did his thing.
3. Bloomberg/Buttigieg- Bloomberg had good answer on Cornavirus drove the narrative/Pete had good answer on education
4. Biden- Biden did what he had to but a little arrogant and angry tonight. Someone compared him to Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. He keeps improving tho
5. Warren/Klobuchar- way too desperate/way too egotistical
 
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