Thoughts after the December 19, 2019 Democratic Presidential Debate
What a pleasure to listen to seven well-informed and highly thoughtful individuals debate. I’d be very happy with anyone of them for President. Jim Steyer raised the best point at the end, emphasizing the need for teamwork to right the nation. They individually and collectively represent a high bar, in contrast to our bombastic bottom feeder and his minions. They brightened our horizons after the stale rhetorical excess of the House impeachment debates.
Amy Klobuchar had the best combination of humor, substance, clear thinking and made a strong case for her electability in the industrial and rural Midwest. Joe Biden was strong, clear, on point, and so clearly the most experienced in foreign affairs. What a vivid contrast to some of his earlier debate performances.
Bernie Sanders showed some nice humor and humility to leaven his more typically austere Old Testament Prophet style. He is gaining while Elizabeth Warren is losing traction. She lost me entirely with her overblown attack on Mayor Pete’s successful fundraisers. I’d prefer that she stay substantive and explain her proposals and their financing clearly. Simply dismissing her economic critics as “they are wrong” is not convincing anyone at all that she is right. She needs to explain her plans and her policies more coherently and persuasively rather than consistently acting dismissive towards those who raise valid questions. She was at her very best in describing the incremental reform steps she would immediately take on health reform.
Mayor Pete was strong and convincing all night in the face of hot attacks from Warren and Klobuchar. Klobuchar, however, was completely in the right in pointing out the wisdom, hard earned experience and extensive accomplishments of the Washington insiders and contrasting it with his own record in South Bend. He needs to acknowledge all that they have achieved, not dismiss it, and then explain why he’s the right combination of youth, passion and practical new ideas to heal and make progress together, to build on their successes and to create a new political infrastructure appropriate to our time and place. He and Klobuchar are doing the best job of describing the coalition of Democrats, independent and appalled Republicans needed in the 2020 election and beyond to help the nation recover from the cruelties and divisiveness of Trumpism. It remains to be seen who will actually amass and inspire that coalition to move forward together.
I completely enjoyed Yang and Steyer. They expressed the best understanding of the economic challenges facing the nation. I missed Cory Booker who offers the best combination of education reforms and social and economic development in the Central Cities with lots of optimism. He should be included in the next debates.
Happy holidays to all, and best wishes for the brave New Year of 2020 and all we have to accomplish together.
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 12.20.19