“A candidate’s mouth should be at exactly this height to be a good President which makes me the obvious choice.”
Yesterday, we took a look at the last Republican debate in Iowa. Now it’s the other side’s turn.
The final Democratic debate before Iowa
When Elizabeth Edwards arrived at the private jet terminal here Thursday morning for the last Democratic debate before the Iowa caucuses, she ran into Mike Huckabee waiting to take off after having survived Wednesday’s Republican face-off. Chatting with the Iowa Republican front-runner, she asked what to expect, since both debates, sponsored by the Des Moines Register, had the same moderator. Huckabee responded with an impolitic but on-target description: “It’s pretty boring.”With America locked in pit-bull political polarization, there are few topics that can unite the parties other than a shared agreement that both Des Moines Register debates were duds. The mid-afternoon Democratic main event was less a clash of issues and images than an opportunity for all six candidates to recite their favorite lines from their stump speeches and TV commercials. It was déjà vu time even though the caucuses are still three weeks away.
No videos of the candidate’s performances. At this point in this endless campaign, like Huckabee, I was too bored to bother looking.
Again, if you lived in Iowa and were going to vote in the caucuses, who would you vote for?
There are plenty of videos :
http://tinyurl.com/2gaug3
As to who ‘won’? No one wins, as these aren’t really debates. They are grouped talking points.
They are platform warmers.
Plus, not all the candidates were allowed to participate. Just the ‘important’ ones?
[Please use TinyUrl.com for overly long URLs. – ed.]
I debated in high school and college. In addition to learning how to form an argument, I also developed listening skills. In the end, I discovered that all issues have two sides and it is critical to question everything.
NONE OF THE ABOVE…
I wish I could have seen it as I liked them both. However, my vote goes to Hillary so far.
Edwards just seems “too nice” and I fear his administration will be run over by the bible thumpers like they did with George Bush.
In Bush’s defense, it was not because he was “nice” but rather because he is a dumb ass. I did not mean this in any derogatory way.
#4 Dallas
“I did not mean this in any derogatory way.”
LOL It’s ok to admit it. because now most people agree. The slow folks have caught up.
I thought I read the best response to this post but I don’t see it here? Cant take credit for:
Those who had better things to do.
Obama clearly won the debate, such as it was. Hilliary came off as usual as a calculating, dishonest, two faced, negative campaigner.
Obama and Edwards both want to do the right thing and being less a part of Washington than any of the other major candidates, they might actually be a greater change agent.
On the need for a change agent alone, I would vote for Edwards ONLY because he is so anti-corporation/lobbyist. Something we need to pay attention to. As Hilliary said (sic) Edwards has indeed been working against corps all his life.
Does there really have to be a “winner”?
Obama for me.
Another bad debate. I’m wondering if this newspaper that sponsored the debate will last.
Plus can someone explain to me how Alan Keyes qualified for the Republican debate but Dennis Kucinich couldn’t make it into the this one?
No, no, Hillary… the Republican greeting is a straight arm and the palm facing down, not to the side.
#10
That’s awesome!
#9, MikeN,
That is because Keyes is a Republican that echoes so much of the Republican dogma. His problem is his skin color makes him blend into the dark background too easily for him to be noticed. Ya gotta be a white boy to stand out. A big white boy.
Kucinich was busy elsewhere.
Busy doing what? They didn’t invite him, saying he didn’t qualify along with Mike gravel.
Camp Hillary is already spinning with their pollster saying she could lose the first four primaries. Look for a Comeback Gal slogan after she wins one. What’s irritating is the degree to which the media are cheering for her. They will parrot the Clinton Comeback everywhere they can. The New York Times even had an article about how her campaign is important because some people who were alive before women had the right to vote have been waiting for so long to see a woman president, it’s more important than a black president.
Who cares! It won’t make any difference to anyone except who ever get’s crowned ‘fearless leader’
Who ever they are they won’t listen to any of you or me.
I would like to see a round robbin, 1 on 1 debate, Winner takes ALL, and we HOLD them to their promises/comments/assignations…
#16 –
You ever tried to hold onto snake oil ?
I was one of those who thought up until about a week ago that Hillary had it locked up…..ooooops!!!!!
In the last 8 days I have read 5 column’s by Liberals, Conservatives, Neo-Cons and 1 unrepentant Homosexual barebacker……they all are saying that Hillary is screwing up badly and is dropping like a rock in all of the early states. Andrew Sullivan (who is a McCain guy) now thinks Hillary is going to lose to Obama. And I read today in The Weekly Standard (yep, I read it, I am after all a conservative) that the chief Neo-con of Neo-cons, Bill Kristol, in his column also now thinks Hillary has bought it. He states that even though he feels she would be the easiest of the Democrats to beat, because of her massive *negatives* in all the polls, he thinks that the very boring debate in Iowa produced a defining moment, and it was for Obama and against Hillary. Apparently a question was asked of Obama………..
>>>>>>>>>The defining moment of the Democratic presidential campaign so far came during the Des Moines Register debate, December 13, at 2:10 P.M. Central time.
Q: Senator Obama, you have Bill Clinton’s former national security adviser, State Department policy director, and Navy secretary, among others, advising you. With relatively little foreign policy experience of your own, how will you rely on so many Clinton advisers and still deliver the kind of break from the past that you’re promising voters?
OBAMA: Well, the–you know, I am . . .
CLINTON (interrupting): [cackle] I wanna hear this [more cackling]
OBAMA: Well, Hillary, I’m looking forward to you advising me, as well.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Apparently the audience, that had been laughing with Hillary, applauded Obama.
Zogby, in his latest poll has Obama, now 3 point’s ABOVE Hillary in New Hampshire, thats a 16 point drop in 2 weeks for her in NH. He said that her National poll has barely moved in the last month, but in the 3 states that have seen all of the candidates up close and personal, the more they see of her, the more she drops in the polls…… he says unless she gets a grip on this, it will happen in more and more states and could hurt her badly by the time the big primary day of Feb 5th comes around. I tend to believe Zogby, as he is one of the best and is noted for his accuracy, especially in Democratic polling.
I know that if McCain isn’t one of the nominee’s, I am either voting for Obama or the Libertarian. 🙂
#18–Joshua, I agree. Many commentators said all the polls were meaningless until December when “things would tighten up.” Early front runners have that status by name recognition only. Even the worst design for candidate vetting such as we have now in these “debates” will most often show a candidates character and program. Hilliary has been shown for what she is==an old school triangulating stands for nothing politician. Actually, Obama is still somewhat unknown, but a good speaker.
I think Obama will win or lose the presidency based on who his vp is.
#19…Bobbo…..we (my mates from Europe) were just talking about VP choices.
There was an article a few weeks ago about Hillary and Obama….seems Hillary has flat out said if she get’s the nomination Obama will NOT be on the ticket. She’s looking at possibly Richardson or Biden.
Obama has also(because of his wife I just read) ruled out Hillary as his VP. He dosen’t want to deal with her upstaging him and back stabbing him for 4 or 8 years. Wife just plain hates her. He’s mulling Edwards and Biden supposedly.
Both articles talked about how, in the past, the nominee would suck it up and pick the next guy down to help the ticket…ie: Kennedy/Johnson…Reagan/Bush….Clinton/Gore!!
But they said the enimity between Obama and Hillary is so bad that neither one wants anything to do with the other.
Personally, I can’t see Hillary accepting the VP spot for ANYONE….she would be far to humiliated I think at losing the big prize.
As I have said in the past(many times….lol)I’m a McCain guy. I would love to see who he would pick as a VP, because of his age, it would be a vitally important pick. I used to think he would pick Hagel, but now I’m convinced he would pick Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Actually a good pick, southern, conservative, but NOT a religious-rightist, or a Neo-con, young and foreward thinking, modern.
But, I’m preparing to vote for a Democrat, and the more I hear Obama, the more I like him, even though there’s nothing conservative about him. I just am beginning to think maybe he’s what we need now after all, someone with fresh idea’s and not tied to the thinking of the past 20 years. Paired with Biden, a calm head in international relations, experienced in military matters, yet Liberal/Moderate enough to make Obama palatable.