Debate summary

[DavidDvorkin]

Senator Sanders, what's your policy on ISIS?
Sanders: We have to have a political revolution in this country and get corrupt money out of politics.

Senator, what do you think we should do about the occupation of the wildlife refuge in Oregon, and similar situations?
Sanders: We have to have a political revolution in this country and get corrupt money out of politics.

And so on.

[kcjohn1]

1. Actually Bernie is the most pramatic of the two

Even if you were to believe what Clinton says she wants to get done, there is no way to get it done. She is lying to the people when she peddles the lie she will expand and improve Obamacare. The only converstation Republicans want to have on Obamacare is how do we repeal it not extend it.

At least Bernie is telling you need to have political revolution or nothing will get done.

BTW what the hell is Hillary solution to ISIS? Obama is the most practical president and he hasn't being able to solve that problem. When Hillary was in position of power her solutions consisted of arming ISIS sympathizers and being tough like having no fly zones (basically opening another front with Syria/Russia). To be honest I rather have monkey at the wheel than Hillary. At least the monkey is not going to do "stupid things" just for the sake of doing things. Doing nothing might be the best solution.

[Red Oak]

2. Not the debate I watched

Bernie seemed articulate.

My gripe, the opposite of yours, is I hear Hillary talking about all her experience and the good work she has done, over and over and over. She has a plan, my plan, I have a plan, I worked on this 30 years ago, and on and on. Her work has given us Wall Street run amok, the Iraq war, much of the current failed middle East policy, 30 million without health care, sky high drug costs, trade agreements that have truly crippled the middle class and more.

If I had her resume I don't think I would run on it based on the results.

Or maybe she has always had great ideas and just couldn't get them enacted. That would be ironic.

[grasswire]

9. I think I heard her say she was the one who...

.....planned the NASA moon shot, too.

[TheSocialDem]

3. A policical revolution would allow us to make real

Changes on all issues across the board instead of hoping to eek by microscopic changes over the course of decades and across administrations. He's trying to fix the problem of billionaires running government(into the ground), you know, so it can actually govern.

[Beacool]

4. Waiting for a political revolution in this country is like waiting for a sloth to win a race.

If it ever happens, it could be decades from now. Counting on a political revolution to implement your agenda is not a realistic proposal for any presidential candidate. IMO, it' selling people a bill of goods.

[TCJ70]

6. Those decades you mention...

...have to start at some point. Might as well start today! Sanders has been quite clear that nothing gets done without significant changes in congress.

[Beacool]

15. I agree about Congress.

Pray tell, how does he propose to get around them? The Republicans have the largest majority in the House since 1929. Worse yet, a good portion of the Reps. are Tea Party folks that frustrated Boehner to the point that he decided to resign. If more moderate Republicans couldn't control them, how is Sanders going to get anything form them?

Obama also attracted large crowds. They all went on their merry way after the election. How is Sanders planning to get millions of people to uprise?

[TCJ70]

19. From what I understand...

...he doesn't plan to get around them. He plans to use the momentum of his campaign to work for and elect democrats in those places on his populist message. It has broad appeal. He's been quite clear about that since his campaign started.

As far as garnering millions of people, that's what he's doing right now. It's how he went from 0% to 50% in Iowa...and the trend is still climbing.

[fwiff]

10. Who said anything about waiting?

But realistically, nothing will ever change if we don't try.

If it's not on the agenda, it will never get talked about.
If we didn't have the ACA do you think that people (outside of DU) would even be talking at all about single payer or UHcare?

Citizen's United, I think we ALL agree, is a catastrophe for any sort of democracy.


If not now, when?

[Beacool]

16. The ACA barely passed though a Democratic Congress

and only after going thorough the "sausage factory". We have a Republican Congress that will say no to most of his agenda. Let alone to large ticket items like free college and single payer.

[Armstead]

11. The Republicans did quite a good job at revolution in 1980

So I guess you assume Democrats are not as good as Republicans?

[Beacool]

14. There was no massive uprising of Americans in 1980.

If Republicans got so much of their agenda through, it was thanks to an acquiescent Congress.

[Armstead]

18. The GOP was a party that unified behind a clear conservative message and set of goals and....

a leader who rallied the majority to support them to push the pendulum to the right in a way that profoundly and rapidly changed the whole national debate and priorities and that set policies that continue to this day.

As far as the aquiescent Congress....well the lack of honest and equally clear pushback in the name of liberalism by the democrats helped the GOP advance their agenda. But at the same time, the opposition that the Democrats did place, forced Reagan to make some compromises.

But the point is that the GOP did successfully lead a Revolution, with ripple effects that continue today.

It is not time for the Democrats to lead a similar Revolution to push the pendulum in the opposite direction towards liberal/progressive value and policies. The time is ripe, and we shouldn't blow it by being tepid and afraid to lead that.

[mikehiggins]

5. Bull. Did you even watch the debate?

While we have to have a political revolution in this country and get corrupt money out of politics, Bernie did answer the questions and attacks from HRC and the moderators.

BTW, I have to give kudos to Rachel and the Toad for a fine job moderating the discussion. For two hours I had to believe there were two real journalists on that stage. What a pleasant surprise.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't praise Anderson Cooper for his fine job at the town hall.

And, like Bernie said at the end, either Democratic candidate is a hundred times better than the best GOPuker.

And how JEB! didn't die of embarrassment at having to call mommy in to help is beyond me. Maybe Trump is right about him after all.

[DavidDvorkin]

12. I certainly did

And all the Democratic debates before it.

Except for last night's town hall. We have it recorded but haven't had a chance to watch it yet.

[TCJ70]

7. If that's what you took away...

...that's fine. Wrong. But fine.

[Warren DeMontague]

8. Sort of like every time Hillary has been asked in prior debates about Marijuana legalization?

"You know, we have a terrible epidemic of heroin addiction in this country....."

[Juicy_Bellows]

13. Come on man, we need more research!

I think I'll study now...

[NurseJackie]

17. We're not the only ones who notice this. People are beginning to pay attention.