Well, this was a great debate. We have two great candidates.

[DanTex]

Either of them would make a great president.

One big takeaway, for me, is that the two of them really respect each other, and however it turns out, they will be united in the important fight against the GOP.

Tonight, the Democratic Party won.

[rainy]

1. Agree!!

[demosocialist]

2. I agree totally

[libdem4life]

3. It was a class act. Go Democrats!

[jillan]

4. DanTex - wow - I fight you all day long... come here for a minute....

We can go back to fighting tomorrow.
But tonight I agree with you completely.

[DanTex]

5. Yeah, there's plenty of time for fighting. Tonight was a win for us all.

Even the testy parts, I thought both did great, and it was respectful and intelligent the whole time.

We're all on the same side, in the end.

[Matariki]

11. Nice post +1

[thereismore]

6. Yes! nt

[Matariki]

8. We do.

That was a great debate. The country would be well off if we could have both of them.

[Bonobo]

9. You seem to have a different personality in this post. nt

[DanTex]

15. Well, it is the internet...

There's the back and forth, and it's fun, but in the end, and I don't think I've hidden this, I like both candidates, and what I really want is for Dems to win more elections.

And tonight made me feel better about both candidates, and the whole party.

Even DWS was good tonight! How about that!

[Bonobo]

21. Then today might be a good opportunity for you to stop feeding into the hate, Dan.

And please don't insult my intelligence by pretending that you do not play a role in it.

[DanTex]

24. We'll get into that some other day. I'll just say, if Bernie wins the primary

nobody will be a bigger supporter of his than me. And I've been consistent on that.

[Bonobo]

26. Indeed, now IS the time to fight for the candidate you prefer and

I do not begrudge you that.

I do, however, wish that you directed less anger and hate at Bernie supporters and concentrated more on Bernie as you sometimes do.

Attacking supporters and impugning their motives is bad on both sides and I too have been guilty.

[Voice for Peace]

30. Dan got a little berned tonite

Leave the past where it is...

[PonyUp]

43. Seems to have his own little weather vane going. n/t

[pnwmom]

32. You're attacking Dan now. Typical. Since 90-95% of DUers

support Bernie, there are FAR more attacks on Hillary, and many of them are very personal.

[Bonobo]

34. You said it yourself: "Attacks on Hillary". Do you NOT see the difference?

There are indeed more attacks on Hillary, the candidate. That IS what this forum is about, the Primaries.

What it is NOT about is attacking supporters -or it should not be about that.

That is why all of Dan's attacks on "Bernie-Bros", "Hipsters", etc. are so inappropriate.

And it is by no means only him.

If the 90-95% is true, that how would you even begin to account for the fact that we see so much attacks on Bernie supporters?

It is entirely out of hand.

[pnwmom]

36. There are more attacks on both Hillary AND her supporters, like you just did to Dan.

He had written a very positive, gracious OP and yet you just couldn't resist the opportunity to use it attack him.

[Bonobo]

37. It wasn't an attack. It was a description of what Dan and I both know he does here on DU.

And as I said above, I am also guilty of it.

Oh noes! I attacked myself!!!

[bvf]

53. Numbers, please.

[PatSeg]

41. DWS was trying SO hard

not to appear partisan!

I agree with you, it was a great debate and both candidates were excellent.

[Ed Suspicious]

29. I'll take a feel good moment I guess, for the moment.

But DanTex is smart enough to realize that his candidate is much better off while not being attacked. I would guess that DanTex didn't have a change of heart, but rather he is capitalizing on a moment where he doesn't need to defend his candidate's record.

[beaglelover]

10. Agree.

[Dem2]

12. Agreed.

I thought it was vigorous and heavily focused on issues versus mud slinging.

[Bobbie Jo]

13. Puts the Clown Car to shame.

[mcar]

14. It was and we do

[Motown_Johnny]

16. You and I don't agree on much, but this is the exception to the rule.

It was a great debate with real substance.

[DanTex]

19. Probably on more than you think though.

[Motown_Johnny]

20. Bwahaha.. Sounds like we disargee on how many things we agree on.

How crazy is that???

[DanTex]

22. LOL. Well, I agree that we disagree on how much we agree on. So there!

[Andy823]

17. Well said.

I totally agree with you, tonight the party won.

[Starry Messenger]

18. k&r

[TCJ70]

23. Truth...

...I think this debate may make me hold my nose a little more loosely if I have to vote for Hillary.

[redstateblues]

25. You're going to ruin your reputation DanTex!

Great post!

[californiabernin]

27. Agreed!

[mhatrw]

28. Why not more debates, Debbie? nt

[turbinetree]

31. This is what a debate is suppose to be like............................issues.....................

and our Progressive party is not ashamed to talk the talk and walk the talk----------------------the clown show as far as I am concern there toast, with either of these two--------------------------


Honk---------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016



It is about getting a Progressive President, U.S. Supreme Court, Congress, State and Local Legislatures




Democracy begins with you ----------------------tag your it-------------------Sanders to Thom Hartmann

[Marty McGraw]

54. Leave it to the Power

of Rachel Maddow to bring back debates to what they were Really meant to be Formatted like. I think she even got Choaky Toad to Go along well with it too -- now that was a surprise. It's something pure and - not just the media driving up entertainment ratings - like that we have not seen in Decades!

This is the way it should be done from here on out!

[turbinetree]

55. Your so correct..........................

it was quite refreshing to know that she (Maddow) was driving this issue home at her Comcast / GE / bosses almost every night for quite some time.

They the powers of be, keep forgetting that it was we that give them a license to operate under, even though it has been decimated in recent years.

And we the Progressives in this party were putting pressure on the DINO's gang being run by DWS to have this done---------------------we are the power in this election, and there are some who have forgotten that this little tid bit of information and I really hope that the next one is even better---------------------

We have to expose what the right wing is doing to this country and people have to look and see what the consequences of this is to look no further than when Maddow made Flint the prime example of right wing incompetence and there actions are doing today and yesterday and what they (the right wing AYN RAND neophytes) would do if they get the White House, U.S. Supreme Court and a continuation of holding power in Congress and at the State and Local Legislatures



Honk----------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

It is about getting a Progressive President, U.S. Supreme Court, Congress, and State and Local Legislatures

Democracy begins with you--------------------------tag your it--------------------Sander's to Thom Hartmann


Thom Hartmann-----------------Democracy is not a spectator sport get involve

[Garrett78]

33. A stark difference to be sure.

After watching tonight's debate, I'm once again reminded of what Noam Chomsky said about candidates in 2012. He said Obama is at least in the real world, while the GOP candidates are "off the international spectrum of sane behavior."

As more of a Jill Stein supporter than a Sanders/Clinton supporter, I certainly don't find the Democratic candidates to be anywhere close to ideal. Of course, I also agree with Bernard Chazelle who wrote years ago that American has lefties but no Left...until that changes, which requires a daily struggle, it's foolish to expect "ideal" or to rely on a single nomination for POTUS to undo the madness of neoliberalism that has dominated for decades. It's foolish even to think Sanders will be nominated--Clinton will have the nomination sewn up by mid-March. But, anyway, I really just wanted to remark on the stark difference between the insanity represented in the Republican debates (vitriolic spew, as I call it) and the voices of reason on display tonight. It's hard to believe Clinton won't win in an electoral college landslide just as Obama did in '08 and '12.

[Logical]

35. First decent post you have made. Nt

[Helen Borg]

38. ...

[JohnnyRingo]

39. Kick!

nice

[LynneSin]

40. I think about the Transgender Kids that just lost their rights in Maine

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141338151 - for the reference

I think about what has happened in Maine and just yesterday Gov LePage just took away rights to protect transgender kids.

None of this would have happened if there was a split on the votes for the Left. LePage didn't win either of his elections with more than 50% of the votes. Yet if there was only one candidate on the left then LePage would have never been elected.

Two Party systems SUCK. I'll be the first to admit it. But that's pretty much what we are stuck with until we get wise and add a run-off election system (similar to what they have in Louisiana where if no candidate has over 50% then the top 2 candidates have another election in a month to determine the winner). But without a run-off system we have a Two-Party system. Progressive independent candidates in the end only help the GOP and same with Conservative Independents with the Democrats. That's just how it is.

I don't care what anyone says negative about Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. In the end either of them would be a way better choice than any of the GOP candidates still running for President. What happened in Maine yesterday, imagine if we had a President Cruz or President Trump in the White House - many many many people will lose their civil rights in this country. Nothing anyone says about Sanders or Clinton could sway me to vote 3rd Party. I will not reverse the progress in this country.

[dbackjon]

42. +1100001110000111

[Nanjeanne]

44. When it comes time to debate a Republican - either of our Dems will sweep the floor with them.

[okwmember]

45. Like Bernie said

"On our worst days, we are both 100 times better than
the republicans."

[lark]

46. It was nice to see 2 respectful adults with ideas to help the country.

With Repugs all you hear is hate, hate the president, hate the current state of the country where religious dogma isn't the prime law, hate women, hate the other candidates. Hate, hate, hate with large sides of rudeness and lying thrown in. No ideas for improving our condition, no mention of middle class assistance unless it's the trickle down (really slowly) kind.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

47. Great post Dan...

Since we are going to have one of the two as a candidate I read your posts. The ones that are snarky seem to be a little beneath you but I love the lessons you give on Hillary. Thank you for those.
I'm a Bernie supporter for sure, but I will continue to read your enlightening posts.
Please try to have a little less snark and a whole lot more positive content. As I stated we will have to back one or the other in the GE., enlighten don't disparage.

Again, awesome post, thank you!

[DanTex]

48. Thanks. The way I see it, DU has multiple purposes. Sometimes mixing it up can be fun.

Other times I like more in-depth discussions. It all has its place. But, yeah, one of these candidates is going to be everyone's candidate soon. So go Dems.

[DeeDeeNY]

49. Yes

Absolutely

[marble falls]

50. No matter which one wins - we all win, too.

[Ellen Forradalom]

52. Thank you.

Go Bernary! Defeat the GOP! This is my firm opinion.

[Tab]

56. I watched most of it last night

(had it taped)

Finally, a real frickin' debate. And it was good.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

57. yes - and in a sane world Hillary would be ahead by a mile...

as the republican candidate

[redruddyred]

58. when the party overturns Citizens Fucking United

then the party wins

[MariaThinks]

59. they both make me proud. Either will be a great President.

What a great position for us to be in.

[Wibly]

60. Great vs Qualified

I would have to disagree.
I think you have one great candidate who has vision and sees the problem you need to fix.
The other candidate is thoroughly qualified, experienced and knowledgeable to the degree she would have no problem at all maintaining the status quo.
If you like the way things are, this second candidate is your best choice.
If you really want change and a chance for people on the lower rungs to climb up, then the first one is your only hope.

[DonCoquixote]

61. to cop a riff off Gandhi

frst they fight you, then they mock you, then you win. It is funny to watch some people who demonized bernie, then riduclued him, now have to admit he was not worth all that hate. Then again, it could be that some people who I thankfully did not put on ignore a long time ago finally realize they will need us, regardless who wins, to march with them against the GOP. I will give a nod of thanks, and I will march against the GOP regardless, but do not think this 11th hour nicety will keep me from watching my back the second after the GOP loses, becase I will have no reason to believe people like you still do not have the hate and arrogance they have shown anyone not in perfect agreement with them, i.e. what used to be the classical, FDR left.

[DonCoquixote]

62. ps

then consolation prize is that those fon us who made Hillary keep looking left will son be the ones helping you kill the GOP, we already are doing that, but once the primary, for better or worse is done, you will learn that your former foes make far better allies than those mythical "indepents" that the politicos (the same people that Hillary should fire asap) have you chase. Time to learn one thing from the GOP, how to respect and feed the people who win, the base.