Debate part 2

Another question has arisen that will allow the candidates to criticize themselves…..Will anyone take the bait and fess up?  Edwards uses the opportunity to again apologize for his vote on the war.  Clinton expresses regret for that war, given the misuse of power by Pres. Bush.  Dodd regrets not filibustering the Military Commissions Act last year.

Incentive pay for teachers:  This is a tough issue for me.  I agree that teachers are valuable and deserve a good salary.  How does a teacher earn that incentive pay?  Is it based on the testing the students?  If so, teachers changing the answers on their students’ bubble sheets would create a problem.  I am not bashing on teachers, but this activity does go on.

Richardson proposes a minimum wage for teachers.  Clinton talks about early education through more access to pre-kindergarten and Head Start.

Biden:  If you want to know what someone values, just look at the budget.  It’s time we start valuing our teachers

Decisive Moment in your life:

Kucinich:  Living with his family is their car

Obama: Transition from high school to college.  I didn’t have a relationship with my father.

Biden:  Involvement with Civil Rights movement.

Richardson:  Getting married…..35 years of marriage.  9-11 inspired me to get back into public life

Gravel:  Did not answer the question as best I can tell

Edwards:  Father worked in Mill, didn’t go to college.  He learned to fight for those less fortunate.

Dodd:  Joining the Peace Corps after inspiration of JFK

Clinton:  Womens Rights and Civil Rights movement made it possible for her to be on the stage.  Her mother instill her with a can-do attitude.

And that’s a wrap.

The top 3 went into the debate in a 3 way tie for first in Iowa, according to an ABC News poll.  I don’t see how this debate offers much separation.

Iowa’s still going to be tight.  Clinton maintains her national lead.

Sunday Morning Debate

The debate is underway……as is always noted, Sen. Clinton is wearing a camel colored suit instead of the usual bright colors……..on to the highlights…..

Dodd is taking on the comments of Obama regarding Pakistan once again, which roles nicely into  highlight of his experience on Capitol Hill.

Richardson:  Obama represents change.  Clinton has experience.  “With me, you have both!”  Nice line, it drew laughter instead of applause though!

The nuclear controversy is brought to Sen. Clinton:  She has led herself into a campaign against hypotheticals.

In a discussion about nuclear weapons and terrorism, Edwards jumps in and starts by saying, “How about a little hope and optimism?”   hmmmmmm…..I don’t think I like that one.

Sen Gravel:  Cheney “should be committed.”  Looks like he got his laugh against this morning.

Obama:  If Clinton wins the primary, she will win the general……..  I know he wanted to be careful in saying she can’t win, but this isn’t a good admission on his part.

Edwards:  If the Democrats are the party of status quo, we will lose in ‘08……..I think this is better worded than Obama’s response.  Any strategy against Clinton needs to conclude that she is unelectable.  If not, she cruises to victory.

Clinton:  I am a proven winner.  I have taken on the right wing machine before.  Of course my negatives are high as a result, but I’ve come out on top.

Richardson:  We must have all our troops out, all of them! Residual forces will not allow for peace talks…….It’s worth noting that Richardson dropped his 6 month, controversial timetable this morning.

Scratch that……..In his rebuttal, Richardson noted that an ABC News war expert says that 6 to 8 months is doable.  Biden says it would take 1 years.   Who do you believe?

Clinton:  We were attacked on the way in, we will be attacked on the way out.  Richardson’s timetable is too quick.  We must use severe care in leaving to minimize further American casualties.

Richardson:  If any troops are left, aren’t they even more susceptible to attack?  Thats why we must get them all out.

Biden:  We must separate the 3 groups, Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds……..As usual, Biden demonstrates his vast knowledge of foreign relations.

Obama:  I am the one who didn’t vote to authorize this war.  We cannot give Pres. Bush a blank check to continue this war…………..Didn’t Obama vote for funding?

Obama always tries to say how he didn’t vote to authorize the war.  He has the luxury of not being in the Senate at the time.  However, once again, Kucinich one-ups him by saying that not only did he not vote for the war, he also has not voted to fund the war.

Obama comes to Iowa and criticizes farm subsidies!!  He is making the point that small family farms are hurt by them.

Fifty-five minutes in and we are to the first commercial…… I wonder which candidate’s tv ads are playing on the television sets of Iowa right now.

Enough is Enough for Obama

Through a campaign spokesman, Obama announced that he will not be participating in any more debates, outside of the 5 remaining officially sanctioned Democratic Party debates.  Five more debates seems like a reasonable amount.  Obama says the reason for him saying enough is enough is that he just does not have enough time to fit any more into his schedule.

Steven Stark of the Boston Phoenix offers a different perspective.  Each time Obama appears on stage with the other six or seven candidates, he loses more and more of his fresh, new appeal.  He becomes just another candidate fighting the overwhelming lead of Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Why isn’t Obama doing better in the debates?  Of course there are some commentators who say Obama has won a debate or two, the the typical reaction is that Sen. Clinton went into the debate with the lead and left the debate with the lead.  Stark also notes that Obama is suffering from a gang of opposition, like when Biden and Dodd criticize him on foreign policy.  Stark suggests that the reason for this is that Biden and Dodd are campaigning for spots in the Clinton Administration.  Another reason, one I believe to be more accurate, is that Dodd and Biden share Clinton’s extensive experience in foreign relations and are unwilling to offer threats towards Pakistan, or lay down for other hostile leaders.

I know that the current climate favors the anti-Washington and the anti-Establishment, but lets not confuse the Bush Administration with the entire Washington Establishment.  Experience and competence matter.  If we haven’t learned that by now, I don’t know when we will.

The next debate is Sunday, Aug. 19th at 9 a.m. on ABC.  Will Sen. Clinton continue to lead the pack?  That is certainly my guess.