Harsh
critique of the performances of Clinton and the debate moderator:
. . . it’s not surprising that several other follow-up probes were not attempted.
Probes such as, “Secretary Clinton, if you are the candidate who gets things done, how do you explain your failure to get ClintonCare into law in the 1990s and President Obama’s success in getting HIS plan through the political process? Did you learn anything from that?”
Or, “Secretary Clinton, don’t you really want to get to the same place that Senator Sanders wants to go, but you just can’t figure out how to do it? Or risk arguing for it full-strength before getting elected?”
After the opening flurry over whether we will get to single-payer full-strength, or on the installment plan, the debate moved over to more of Clinton’s comparative strengths on foreign policy experience (if not demonstrated success). And I appreciated the brief nap time.
A few style points along the way. Clinton worked hard to smile more, be less shrill, and stifle her inner school principal/prison matron. (“Must control fist” should have popped up periodically as a cartoon caption above her head). She usually succeeded at this. Sanders injected noticeably several bows toward African-American voters (looking beyond New Hampshire, toward future primary weaknesses), in comments about the death penalty and a couple of other issues.
The Clintonesque laundry list of government interventions everywhere came out at the very end of the debate (so much to do, so little of everyone else’s money to conscript and so little time for her one-way dialog/lecture to conduct….). One of the great howlers was Clinton’s expression of deep concern for the plight of small business. So different from Hillary, circa 1993. Remember this golden oldie: “I can’t be responsible for every under-capitalized small business in America.”
I say sign this guy up as a moderator.
Indeed, I do remember that 'golden oldie.' It is possible to try to start a business without adequate capital, but it's also possible for government regulators to pull the rug out from under your feet.
ReplyDeleteAnybody want to do an over/under wager on whether we'll 'get to single payer'? I think Cass and I were of the opinion that, after the debacle Obamacare promised to be, even Republicans might prefer it as a way out (and there might be no way back, given the damage the current system is going to do to the system we used to have).
Not much enthusiasm under this roof for monopolies.
ReplyDeleteI'm of the opinion that Republicans might prefer it to Obamacare, not endorsing it myself. My sense is that we already know what a US Federal Government single payer system will look like: it will look like the VA.
ReplyDeleteSo, no thanks.